MLB Player News

Kinley gave up an unearned run in one inning of work in Monday's spring training loss to the Phillies. He's given up two earned runs in four innings with four strikeouts and three walks this spring. "When he gets ahead [in the count], it's hard to cover a 90-mph slider and a 98-mph fastball," manager Paul Molitor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "He's an interesting character. That arm's pretty big. We're just trying to keep bringing it along."

Kinley can reach 99 mph on his fastball but has had control issues during his minor-league career (5.5 BB/9 at Double-A last year). Kinley is a Rule 5 pick, so the Twins would need to carry him on the active roster all season to retain him. That seems unlikely given the free-agent additions to Minnesota's relief corps, but he still has an outside chance to win a final bullpen spot.

Pomeranz is pain-free following a re-evaluation of his forearm and is expected to resume his throwing program, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Pomeranz was removed from Friday's game against the Cardinals with forearm tightness, which is often the first sign of a more serious injury. He insisted he wasn't concerned, though, and it appears that he was right. He was diagnosed with a flexor strain and a re-evaluation confirmed that there was no serious injury. Depending on how quickly he resumes his throwing program, he could be ready by the start of the season or soon thereafter.

Pomeranz (forearm) will be re-evaluated Tuesday, Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com reports.

Pomeranz was removed from Saturday's start with what was later diagnosed as a mild flexor strain in his left (throwing) forearm. We will learn more about his prognosis after the team gets a look at him Tuesday, but there's the possibility he lands on the disabled list to start the season. In the event the left-hander is unable to start the season on the active roster, the Red Sox have Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez waiting in the wings. As it is, one of those two is expected to be in the rotation with Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) and Steven Wright (knee) on the mend.

Norris made a relief appearance in the eighth inning of Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, but manager Ron Gardenhire said he's still a starter, Bill Whitehead of MLB.com reports.

Norris made 18 starts for the Tigers last season, but the addition of Mike Fiers and Francisco Liriano has complicated things at the back of the rotation. Gardenhire said Norris is in the mix to start, but it appears he'd be open to using the 24-year-old lefty as a reliever, too. "If you've got a good arm and you've got a chance to make this club, it doesn't matter how you make it," Gardenhire said. The Tigers would love to see Norris take a step forward this year and establish himself as a solid MLB starter, but after posting a 5.31 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 2017, a rotation spot certainly isn't guaranteed.

Moore retired the first six batters faced before getting fatigued and was unable to complete a third inning, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Moore followed up his sterling first two innings by allowing three of the first four batters faced in the third inning to reach base. "I didn't have the fresh feel of the first two innings,'' Moore said. "Moving forward, I expect those things to clear up." As a projected member of the Rangers' rotation, Moore needs to maintain his effectiveness deeper into his starts as the spring progresses. He'll get another three or four spring starts to ramp up to a regular-season workload.

Manager A.J. Hinch will use Devenski as a multiple-inning reliever in 2018, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Devenski is considered an important bullpen piece, but that doesn't mean he'll pitch exclusively in a setup role. He became an All-Star in 2017 largely because he was effective as a long reliever who pitched in high-leverage spots, anywhere from the fifth inning to the eighth inning. The trick will be keeping him effective all season. Devenski lost a feel for his slider in 2017 and had his workload reduced during a second-half dip.

Fulmer (elbow) is scheduled to start Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Fulmer had his previous start postponed after experiencing some soreness in his elbow, but an MRI revealed no structural damage and the soon-to-be 25-year-old is set to return to the mound after taking some additional time to rest and recover. This will certainly be a situation to monitor throughout the rest of camp, but barring any setbacks, it appears Fulmer should have plenty of time to get up to speed before the start of the season.

Almonte (shoulder) has yet to allow a run in three innings this spring.

The pitching prospect missed the tail-end of last season with a rotator cuff strain, but it seems like the injury is in the rear-view mirror at this point. The early results are promising, as Almonte has three strikeouts in his brief spring action so far. He did allow one hit and hit a batter, but his control has been a problem in recent seasons (5.0 BB/9 in 114.2 career Triple-A innings). There's a good chance that he'll start the season back in Omaha, but the 24-year-old will likely be back in the majors at some point in 2018, although he may be destined to end up in the bullpen.

Andriese, who worked a scoreless, one-hit inning in which he surrendered a walk during Sunday's 9-1 Grapefruit League win over the Yankees, has generated a 2.70 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 3.1 innings in three spring appearances.

Andriese is slated to work out of the bullpen for at least the first month of the season with the Rays reportedly planning to go with a four-man starting rotation in April. The results thus far this spring have been right in line with the 28-year-old's typically solid work, as he's allowed one earned run on three hits over his trio of trips to the mound while compiling four strikeouts. Andriese has put in significant time as both a starter and reliever over the his three-year major-league career, logging 44 starts against 28 appearances out of the bullpen. Given prior usage, he's likely to see time in both capacities again over the course of 2018.

Santiago allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out four over 3.0 innings in Sunday's game against San Diego.

Santiago, in camp on a minor-league deal, cleaned up a mess left for him by expected No. 5 starter Carson Fulmer. The run scored off him was the first one allowed in his eighth spring inning. Fulmer has struggled over two spring starts and could be pitching his way out of the White Sox rotation. In that event, Santiago is a logical replacement.