MLB Player News

Rogers threw a scoreless inning in Monday's loss at Pittsburgh in his first appearance of the regular season.

Rogers came into the game in the fifth inning which could indicate he'll have a slightly reduced role this season. His 30 holds led all of baseball last season, but he may not be used in as many high-leverage roles with the Twins adding Addison Reed, Fernando Rodney and Zach Duke. Rogers looked sharp after a struggling somewhat in spring training (6.57 ERA but 15 K in 12.1 innings).

Hildenberger threw a scoreless inning in Monday's loss at Pittsburgh. He's thrown 1.1 scoreless innings in two appearances this season with two walks and no strikeouts.

Hildenberger struggled in spring training with a 7.50 ERA and 10 walks in 12 innings. However, he was reportedly working on his slider during the spring. The coaching staff looks to still have faith in him, but his two walks and no strikeouts so far are not encouraging.

Johnson (1-0) got the win over Miami on Monday, scattering six hits over six innings, striking out five and walking two while limiting the Marlins' offense to just one earned run.

Johnson got the start with Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez on the disabled list and did well with the opportunity to pick up the victory on Monday. He had a great spring and Johnson could make for a decent streaming option if you're in need while he has a rotation spot, but a move to the bullpen does figure to be looming whenever Boston's injured faces return to the fold.

Heller was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right elbow bone spur Monday.

The disabled list assignment is retroactive to March 27, meaning that Heller could return as soon as Friday, though there haven't been any indications how long he'll need to recover. The 26-year-old had been set to open the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so it's likely he ends up there once he's able to return from the disabled list.

Almonte (shoulder) was designated for assignment Monday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Almonte was removed from the 40-man roster after the Royals claimed Abraham Almonte off of waivers from the Indians. He reached the majors for the first time back in 2015 but has pitched just 10.2 innings at the big-league level. He is also dealing with shoulder soreness, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic Kansas City reports, and is expected to begin the year on the disabled list.

Rodriguez (elbow) was moved to the 60-day disabled list in order to make room for Bartolo Colon on Monday.

Rodriguez has been dealing with elbow inflammation since mid-March and opened the season on the 10-day disabled list. There hadn't been any indication that the issue was particularly serious, but now he'll be ineligible to return until late May. The 25-year-old will push for a bullpen spot once he returns from his injury.

Pruitt won't make his scheduled start Monday against the Yankees after snowy conditions in New York resulted in the game being postponed, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

The two sides will make up the game Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. EDT, but it's not guaranteed that Pruitt will be on the mound for that game. Thanks to the break in the schedule Monday, Chris Archer and Blake Snell would be able to start Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, on four days' rest. The Rays would still need to appoint a pitcher to their four-man rotation for Thursday's series opener in Boston, so Pruitt could end up starting that contest.

Diaz struck out the side to pick up his second save Sunday against Cleveland.

Diaz has struck out the side in both appearances is season. The electric fastball that helped him rack up 89 strikeouts in 66 innings last season hasn't gone anywhere. Diaz might be wild at times, but expect him to keep piling up whiffs in 2018.

Farmer (0-1) was tagged with the loss in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with the Pirates. He allowed five earned runs on four hits and a walk over two innings of work.

Farmer entered the game in the fourth inning and got off to a great start by striking out the side. However, he struggled mightily in the fifth inning, with the big blow delivered on a two-run homer by David Freese. Farmer has an electric fastball, but at this point in his career, he hasn't found much success at the MLB level. He should get opportunities with the Tigers in a rebuilding mode, though he could also get sent to Triple-A Toledo at some point to stretch out as a starter.

Robertson (0-1) gave up four runs on three hits and a walk over one inning in Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Robertson's second appearance of the year was tough, as Justin Smoak hit a go-ahead grand slam off the righty in the bottom of the eighth inning. Robertson will likely continue high-leverage work over the course of the season, but the Yankees' depth of relievers could give him little room for error if his struggles continue.