MLB Player News

Zych (elbow) underwent a minor procedure in the offseason and will begin spring training a little behind schedule, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Zych was shut down at the tail end of the 2017 campaign after experiencing elbow soreness and it appears as though he had some sort of surgery to correct the problem in recent months. Prior to going down, the right-hander posted a 2.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 40.2 innings of relief, which was far and away the most time he's spent on a big-league mound in his career. He will likely be back on the mound in a few weeks, but his status should be monitored throughout the spring camp.

Manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Treinen (finger) will be the A's closer heading into the 2018 season, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

While not a surprise, this endorsement from the skipper at the outset of spring training should provide peace of mind for Treinen's fantasy owners. Treinen was excellent with Oakland after being traded from the Nationals, posting a 2.13 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 42:12 K:BB while going 13-for-14 in save chances after taking over the ninth-inning role. He underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his middle finger shortly after the 2017 season ended, but there has been nothing to suggest he will be limited in any way during camp.

Palumbo (elbow) was able to throw from 120 feet this week and is on the verge of tossing his first mound session since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Palumbo remains on schedule to return to the mound around the beginning of June but is likely to be shifted to the 60-day DL due to the signing of Seung Hwan Oh earlier this month. The 23-year-old was only able to pitch in three games at the High-A level before suffering the elbow injury, although he had a sparkling 0.66 ERA and 0.61 WHIP at the time. Upon his return, Palumbo will likely start his 2018 campaign back in High-A.

The Twins are considering acquiring McHugh, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic as are the Orioles, who contacted the Astros about the right-hander, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports.

When the Astros added Gerrit Cole to their roster earlier during the offseason, it presaged a likely move to the bullpen for McHugh, if he stayed in Houston. The 30-year-old went 5-2 with a 3.55 ERA over 12 starts in 2017 after missing the first half of the season with shoulder tendinitis. The Twins are in the market for another starter after learning they will be without Ervin Santana (finger) for 10-to-12 weeks, while the Orioles are looking to add to a rotation that currently has just two confirmed starters (Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman).

Graveman lost his arbitration case Saturday, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Graveman will make $2.36 million next year; he had filed for $2.6 million. The 27-year-old starter put up a 4.19 ERA in 19 starts for the A's last season. He had two separate stints on the disabled list, including one in which he missed all of June and July with a strained right shoulder.

Merritt has an uphill climb to grab a rotation spot in spring training, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

As of now, it seems like the southpaw is behind Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger for one of the final two spots in the starting rotation. One positive for Merritt is that he's out of minor-league options, meaning the Indians would have to pass him through waivers if he isn't on the 25-man roster. Additionally, his numbers in the majors (1.74 ERA, 1.7 BB/9 last season) and minors (3.03 ERA, 1.9 BB/9 last season) both work in his favor. Despite this, he still seems to be behind the other candidates in the pecking order heading into the spring. Merritt likely will need to overachieve in Cactus League action if he wants a rotation spot.

Axford agreed to a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Axford will look to resurrect his career north of the border after being cut loose by the A's this past season. Axford was once a high-profile closer in his prime but has been no more than a middling reliever over the past several years. The 34-year-old tossed just 21 big-league innings last season, posting a 6.43 ERA and concerning 15.6 percent walk rate with the A's. He'll likely be utilized in lower-leverage situations if he's able to play his way onto the Opening Day roster with a strong spring training performance.

Puk will attend the Athletics' spring training as a non-roster invitee, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Puk -- who is widely considered one of the top minor-league arms in baseball -- will attend his second big-league spring training with the A's this year after being selected sixth overall in the 2016 draft. The southpaw posted a 4.36 ERA (2.35 FIP) with a strong 30.8 percent strikeout rate over 64 innings with Double-A Midland after advancing from High-A Stockton in June. The 22-year-old is a must-own in dynasty formats and has a chance to make his big-league debut this summer.

Abreu underwent surgery on his appendix Wednesday, which will likely keep him sidelined for the next few weeks, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports.

The team hasn't released a timetable for the right-hander at this point in time but it's highly unlikely that he will still be on the shelf by early March. Abreu is one of the top prospects in the Yankees' system and was added to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He has a good chance of beginning the 2018 campaign in Double-A Trenton but with spring training beginning Tuesday for pitchers and catchers, he will miss a little time in that regard. Expect an update on his status in the near future.

Runzler signed a minor-league contract with the Rays which includes an invitation to spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Runzler made eight appearances for the Pirates last year, striking out four batters and allowing two home runs over the course of four innings. It was his first major-league action since 2012. He's spent the majority of the past five seasons pitching in Triple-A, where he's had an xFIP north of 4.20 in each season. The veteran left-hander will look to earn a spot in the Rays' bullpen but doesn't look to be a favorite to secure a roster spot.