MLB Player News

Fulmer will start an intra-squad game Monday and then start against the Royals on Saturday, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Fulmer has little-to-no chance of making the White Sox's Opening Day roster, and he may not crack the 25-man roster all season. However, these early-spring outings will give us a first glimpse of how his stuff plays against more advanced talent. He spent all of his pre-draft year in the low-minors, but he could move quickly through the system.

Kelly "certainly has the lead on that fifth spot" in Boston's starting rotation, acknowledged manager John Farrell, the Providence Journal reports.

Someone with Kelly's track record should not be assured of a job, but his finish to the 2015 season left a positive impression on Farrell and other organizational decision-makers. After a demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket last year, Kelly began implementing his slider and changeup more often and had an encouraging 3.77 ERA over his final 11 starts. That late-season performance gives him the lead on a cast of characters that includes Steven Wright, Henry Owens, Roenis Elias and Brian Johnson. Injury or performance could lead to Farrell to alter course, but as we sit here at the end of February, Kelly is the likely fifth starter.

Johnson faced live batters Friday for the first time since suffering an ulnar nerve ailment in his left elbow last August, WEEI.com reports.

Johnson had a 30-pitch session, mostly fastballs and changeups, but it was a hurdle passed for the young lefty, who said he felt normal soreness Saturday. Of the young left-handers in the organization, it was Johnson leading the way last spring, ahead of Eduardo Rodriguez and Henry Owens, but the elbow has left him behind them. In theory, Johnson is competing for the final spot in the rotation, along with Owens and Joe Kelly, but realistically, the 25-year-old will open the season at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Jackson has been limited by lower back stiffness early this spring and will undergo further tests, the team's web site reports.

Jackson was converted into a relief role during the season last year in the minors, with Texas' bullpen depth from the right side providing the tougher hurdle to clear than what appears to be minor stiffness early this spring. He'll be hard-pressed to have much of a role this season.

Kelly was the final player to arrive to Boston's spring training facility in Fort Myers (Fla.) on Wednesday, the Boston Herald reports.

Kelly had stayed in California to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's first child, so he begins training camp a bit behind the other starters. He's in line to be Boston's fifth starter, though there's been some recent talk of Henry Owens being given an opportunity to compete for the job as well. If Kelly does start the season in the rotation, manager John Farrell will not be giving him a long leash. Should Kelly underwhelm early on, as he's done in the past with the Red Sox, Farrell has Owens, Steven Wright and Roenis Elias close by to take over.

Fernando Abad and Rogers are the leading candidates to win an available lefty setup role this spring, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

It's a bit surprising that Rogers is seen as a leading candidate at this point since he was a starter last year at Triple-A and has made few relief appearances in his minor league career. He's a player to monitor early in spring training to see if he has a true shot at the major league roster.

Norris, who is fully recovered from offseason cancer surgery, appears to be the front-runner for the Tigers' fifth rotation spot, reports the Detroit Free Press.

Norris is a talented and mature young pitcher with a high ceiling and outstanding character. He has already thrown a few bullpen sessions in Lakeland and is gearing up to take the next step in his career. Norris is feeling confident with his offseason work and his health, and he should improve on his 3.75 ERA (13 starts between Toronto and Detroit).

Santiago cut back on his bullpen workload during the offseason in hopes of avoiding a second-half fade in 2016, the Orange County Register reports.

After throwing from a mound more than 20 times prior to last spring training, Santiago had nine sessions before reporting to Arizona this month. Santiago faded in the second half last season, as opposing hitters posted an .841 OPS against him after the All-Star break while he pitched to a 5.47 ERA (2.33 ERA in the first half, .637 OPS against). As things stand, Santiago should be considered the early favorite for the No. 5 starter job coming out of spring training, but the Angels may opt to move him into a high-leverage relief role if Tyler Skaggs, Nick Tropeano, or Matt Shoemaker emerge to overtake him for the team's final rotation spot.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred may opt to suspend Chapman and ban him from participating in spring training with the Yankees upon ruling on the case in the near future, the New York Daily News reports.

While Chapman has already indicated that he will appeal any suspension handed down following October allegations of domestic violence, it would be an extra step on Manfred's part to ban Chapman from training with his teammates in Florida. Players suspended for performance-enhancing drugs have been allowed to play in spring training games and participate in team workouts before missing games during the season, but it appears as though the commissioner's authority to implement any punishment he deems appropriate could lead to something unprecedented.

Manager Kevin Cash was impressed with Moore's first bullpen session of the spring, Rays Insider Steve Carney reports.

Cash did not elaborate on Moore, but Moore made a total of just 14 starts for the Rays over the last two seasons, so it's a good sign that he is ready to go as spring training begins. It's not yet clear where he will slot into the Rays' rotation to open the season, but he will be a lock for a spot as long as he is healthy.