MLB Player News

Axford will not play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, John Hickey of Bay Area News Group reports.

It's a reversal from his original plans. Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area reports that Axford is physically healthy, according to A's manager Bob Melvin. He is one of four relievers in consideration for saves in Oakland, though he probably ranks behind Ryan Madson, Sean Doolittle and Santiago Casilla.

Zych (biceps) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Friday, in which he increased his intensity from his previous exercise, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

The right-hander, who boasts a career 2.81 ERA with 45 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 32 innings, might return to major league action sometime early in the season. He has the stuff to enter the closer picture eventually, but until further notice, he'll set the table for Mariners stopper Edwin Diaz when active.

Pomeranz (elbow) tossed a live batting practice session Friday, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.

There were "many smiles" following the session from both Pomeranz and Steven Wright, so it appears there were no complications for either pitcher. Though the club will keep Pomeranz on a cautious path to the regular season, the southpaw may have a clearer road to the rotation if David Price (elbow/forearm) must miss significant time. The younger left-hander can fly as a late-round lottery ticket in deep mixed drafts.

Shaw completed a simulated game Thursday morning with no issues, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Shaw has yet to appear in a game this spring as the team eases him into action. With an extra week of spring training due to the World Baseball Classic, Shaw will have plenty of time to log Cactus League innings. The 29-year-old has notched the fifth most holds (72) in the majors over the past three seasons and once again will handle a hefty workload as the Tribe's go-to seventh-inning reliever.

Chavez made his first Cactus League appearance Wednesday, tossing two innings of shutout ball while striking out three in a win over Texas.

Chavez is currently the favorite to win the Angels' final rotation spot out of spring training. The veteran righty is an intriguing option in fantasy as he has always shown an ability to strike out batters, even as a 33-year-old last season (8.5 K/9). The issue with Chavez is that he can be a bit too hittable at times, which has led to an ERA north of four over the past two seasons. If he can keep his ERA under four (like he did with the Athletics in 2013 and 2014), he could have value in standard formats. For now, we should just consider him a deep league option with some upside for strikeouts.

De Leon gave up four runs on two hits while walking two and striking out one in 0.2 innings during his spring debut against the Red Sox on Thursday.

It was a rough start to spring for the 24-year-old, who missed the beginning of camp with tightness in his back. The good news is the prospect said he felt normal, but he just couldn't throw strikes for the most part. De Leon will look to bounce back as spring progresses and he continues to compete for a rotation spot.

Lee (back) arrived at camp weighing 197 pounds, more than 20 pounds heavier than when he reported for spring training last season, Edward Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Lee suffered a back injury last June that prevented him from throwing. The young flam thrower shifted his concentration to strengthening his lower body, doing squats and leg exercises that helped him pack on muscle. "With all this added weight, it feels so much better on my arm," Lee said. "It feels like it's going with my body now and it feels like I can hold up a lot longer." At 6-foot-4, Lee is long and lanky. Sometimes that has led to problems with his mechanics, but the 24-year-old believes he's learned to use his body to improve his control and velocity. Lee's fastball sits at 92 to 94 mph and tops out at 97 mph. The left-hander should be on the radar for owners in dynasty leagues.

Devenski allowed four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings in Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

Devenski, who was Houston's Pitcher of the Year as a reliever in 2016, is being stretched as a starter during camp. Even though Devenski was touched for four runs, the Astros will continue to run him out there to see if he can make the transition. The 26-year-old right-hander faces the challenge all relievers encounter when transitioning to starter -- he'll need to maintain velocity and command more pitches than just his fastball and changeup. If there isn't a need for him in the starting rotation, Devenski will go back to the pen, where he established himself as an important bullpen piece that can pitch multiple innings.

Wilson (hamstring) won't throw for the next few days, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers were hopeful that Wilson would be able to pitch in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, but he ended up being scratched from the outing after incurring some hamstring tightness. While there doesn't seem to be any concern that Wilson is at risk of missing the start of the season, he'll be temporarily shut down with the hope that it resolves the issue. Wilson is on track to serve as one of the top setup men to closer Francisco Rodriguez after striking out 65 batters in 58.2 innings last season.

Manager Buck Showalter thinks Harvey will pitch in a game by July, Rich Dubroff of PressBoxonline.com reports.

The projection would have Harvey pitching about one year after Tommy John surgery. The highly-touted prospect resumed light throwing this December and has been slowly working his way back to normal pitching activities. Harvey started just five games last season after missing all of 2015 with injuries, so expectations should be tempered regarding any comeback attempt.