MLB Player News

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told reporters that he'll be using an eight-man bullpen to start the season. He awarded reliever Liam Hendriks the final spot on the roster and sent Ryan Goins to Triple-A Buffalo to start the season, according to Sportsnet.ca.

The right-hander Hendriks allowed four earned runs over 8 2/3 innings of work this spring. The team will go with Steve Tolleson as their emergency shortstop while Goins is in the minors. Goins batted .308 (16 for 52) with two homers and seven RBI in 26 spring games.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that catcher Bobby Wilson, infielder Tim Beckham and right-hander Kirby Yates all made the big-league roster, according to the Tampa Tribune.

Beckham beat out Jake Elmore for a spot on the team's bench as a sixth infielder. He hit .245 with two doubles, one triple and three RBI over 53 at-bats this spring. Wilson beat out Curt Casali for the job. He hit .120 with three hits and five strikeouts this spring. Meanwhile, Yates allowed only three earned runs over 11 innings of work in Grapefruit League play.

Rays catcher Bobby Wilson has been added to the team's 40-man roster after making the Opening Day roster, according to the Tampa Bay Times. A spot was made available when pitcher Matt Moore was placed on the 60-day disabled list. 

Wilson, 31, finished this spring with a batting average of .120 with three hits and five strikeouts.

Moore is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Friday pitchers Matt Andriese and Erasmo Ramirez have both made the Opening Day roster. However, he hasn't decided who will start the fourth game of the season April 10 at Miami.

Andriese went 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA in six outings (four starts) this spring. The Rays acquired Ramirez in a trade with the Mariners this week.

Red Sox pitchers Robbie Ross, Craig Breslow, Tommy Layne and Steven Wright all made the Opening Day roster. 

Ross, Breslow and Layne will definitely pitch out of the bullpen, but Wright might be needed for the rotation, if Joe Kelly (biceps) can't start April 11 against the Yankees.

If Wright was optioned to the minors, he wouldn't be able to be recalled for that start. Unless a roster spot opens due to injury, a player must spend 10 days in the minors following a demotion.

The Red Sox announced Friday they optioned pitchers Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Barnes, who was being considered for a bullpen role in the majors, will be stretched out as a starter. Workman will work as a reliever at Pawtucket.

The Red Sox announced Friday they placed starting pitcher Joe Kelly (biceps) and closer Koji Uehara (hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list. However, neither player might be out for long.

Kelly could be ready to come off the disabled list in time for the fifth game of the season April 11 at N.Y. Yankees, and Uehara could also be activated by the 11th.

Edward Mujica will be the Red Sox's closer with Uehara sidelined, while Steven Wright will likely start if Kelly is not back by April 11.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Friday the team will discuss their closer situation Saturday, per The Wall Street Journal. Although, Girardi hinted Friday at leaning toward using Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller in the closer's role.

Girardi added there can be advantages to not naming a closer, particularly to allow flexibility to use Miller and Betances against left-handed and right-handed batters when needed.

“My thought has been more like with a power lefty who strikes out a lot of guys and a power righty, the lineups just might match up where one day he’s the eighth-inning guy and then one day he’s the ninth-inning guy a little bit better,” Giradri said, per The Journal News. “… I think you start managing who you’re going to use (in the ninth) in about the sixth inning, because you try to prepare them.”

Betances entered the spring as the favorite for the closer's role, but he has struggled this spring amid reports of diminished velocity. He has a 6.14 ERA and nearly as many walks (five) as strikeouts (six) in eight appearances.

Miller is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA and eight strikeouts in eight relief outings.

“I’ve talked to both (Miller and Betances)” Girardi said. “They’re concerned about winning more than (roles), in the sense of I’m this guy, I’m this guy. That’s the sense I’ve got from them. Now, could it iron itself out and you start to do it one way? Yes.

"I’ll continue to talk about it with my coaches and (pitching coach) Larry (Rothschild) and his feelings about it as they get a feel, and Gary Tuck who’s in the bullpen, what do you think the importance of it is that we actually set a role? But as of right now, we haven’t felt that we have to.”

Rays pitcher Alex Colome (illness) threw 30 pitches in live batting practice Friday, per the Tampa Bay Times. He used all of his pitches.

"Everything felt really good," Colome said.

Colome will begin the season on the disabled list due to pneumonia. He was placed on the disabled list March 27.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin revealed his season-opening rotation Thursday, and Opening Day starter Sonny Gray will be followed in succession by Jesse Hahn, Scott Kazmir, Kendall Graveman and Drew Pomeranz, MLB.com reports.

Only Gray and Kazmir entered the spring as locks for the rotation, though Hahn was a good bet to also earn a spot. Graveman, a rookie who made his major-league debut last year and logged five relief appearances in September, surrendered just one earned run in 21 1/3 innings while striking out 11 batters and walking four this spring. Pomeranz fared well in 10 starts and 10 relief appearances in 2014 and posted a 2.04 ERA and 25:8 K:BB ratio in 17 2/3 spring innings.