MLB Player News

Johnson pitched in game-conditions Wednesday for the first time since Aug. 2015, WEEI.com reports. He walked two batters, allowed two hits and two runs and was unable to finish off two scheduled innings, but was pleased to be able to come off a mound again. "I think I came off the mound and hugged our Triple-A pitching coach Bob Kipper," the left-hander said. "I said, 'I felt like myself again.' He just said, 'it looked like night and day, the last time I saw you to this time.' It looked like myself."

Johnson was shut down last August after attempting to pitch through nerve irritation in his left elbow, an ailment he kept to himself until it became bad enough. The irritation created numbness in his fingers, which predictably led to a lack of command. More than most pitchers on the roster, Johnson needs to precisely command his low-90s fastball to get the most out of his stuff. This spring is all about his health and proving to the Red Sox he's the same pitcher they saw at the start of the 2015 season, when he had a 2.73 ERA and allowed opponents to hit .217 at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Jackson (back) will be shut down for two weeks, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Jackson has been bothered by his lower-back since the start of camp, and after being evaluated Tuesday, he's been diagnosed with a stress reaction, an injury that's affected him in the past. As is often the case with stress-related injuries, rest has been prescribed, and the plan is for Jackson to be reevaluated in a couple of weeks.

Duffey will be in the Minnesota rotation this season unless something "fairly significant" happens, Manager Paul Molitor told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Duffey was set to compete with Tommy Milone, Ricky Nolasco and Trevor May for one of the final two spots in the rotation. If Duffey is set in the rotation, that likely means Nolasco, Milone and May are competing for the fifth starter role.

Chapman was suspended 30 games in relation to a domestic violence incident over the offseason, Billy Witz of the NY Times reports.

Chapman had reported earlier that he would appeal any suspension handed to him, but he'll apparently accept his ban without appealing. The hard-throwing lefty didn't end up facing any criminal charges for the incident, but MLB's new domestic violence policy implemented last season still grants commissioner Rob Manfred the ability to levy a suspension in such cases. Chapman will continue to play during spring training and will be eligible to make his Yankees debut May 9, figuring to slot in as the team's closer at that time.

Martinez re-signed with the Rangers on a one-year deal Tuesday, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The Rangers agreed to terms with three of their pitchers Tuesday, re-signing Martinez and left-handers Alex Claudio and Yohander Mendez to one-year deals. Martinez got off to a strong start last season, earning a 4-0 record to begin the season before he regressed down the stretch. In five starts in the second half, Martinez's batting average against ballooned to .303 and had to spend some time at Triple-A Round Rock. He's unlikely to crack the Rangers' rotation out of spring training barring a rash of injuries to their other starters.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch praised Devenski on Monday after watching him throw his second live batting practice session of camp, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reports.

"He's got good stuff," Hinch said of Devenski. "I don't know a lot about him other than what our player development staff says, but he's made a nice first impression." Devenski appeared in 24 games (17 starts) last year for Double-A Corpus Christi, going 7-4 with a 3.01 ERA and 104:33 K:BB ratio over 119.2 innings. He's likely to open 2016 with Triple-A Fresno.

McHugh will start the Astros' third Grapefruit League game Saturday against the Mets, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McHugh won a career-high 19 games for the Astros last season while posting a solid 3.89 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over a career-high 203.2 innings. He's the favorite to open 2016 as Houston's No. 3 starter behind Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers.

Zych likely will land the last right-handed spot in the bullpen, though he could be vulnerable because he still has minor-league options, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Zych has a ton of upside as a strikeout/groundball reliever. He has a 96 mph fastball and an effective slider he commands for strikes. Steve Cishek is the closer and Joaquin Benoit the right-handed setup man, but if something happens to one of them, Zych likely would find himself in a late-inning role. The other two righties in the bullpen, Evan Scribner and Justin De Fratus, are out of options. So if it came down to one of those two and Zych fighting for the last spot, Zych might be be sent down.

Webb was held back during Monday's session due to a tight hamstring, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Webb has been battling the issue for a few days, but the team does not appear overly concerned that it's anything that could keep him out for an extended period of time. Manager Kevin Cash expressed Monday that he expects Webb to be ready to pitch in Thursday's spring training contest.

Graveman appears to have an inside track for a spot in the A's rotation as spring begins, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Graveman will need to have a good spring to lock in a rotation job, but appears to have the inside track as spring games begin. After a hot start to 2015, Graveman struggled down the stretch with a 5.73 ERA over his last seven starts and ended the year with a 4.05 ERA. Graveman does not profile as a high-K guy only 6.09 K/9 in 2015), but starting half his games in O.co Coliseum could present some nice match-ups for spot starts in deeper leagues.