MLB Player News

Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly will pitch in a minor league game on Wednesday, leaving open the possibility that he starts the season on the disabled list. Any DL assignment can be made retroactive to Kelly's last appearance with the Major League team. 

Kelly has been bothered by biceps soreness for the last two weeks. 

"We'll continue to make sure that he's answering the physical questions,'' manager John Farrell said, per CSN New England. "With the number of pitches thrown and a progression that's outlined for him...We're keeping their options open.''

Rangers manager Jeff Banister announced Sunday that Nick Martinez has won the fifth spot in the team's rotation, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Martinez was one of a number of pitchers in the mix for the final spot in the team's rotation this spring. He allowed just one earned run in 10 2/3 innings while striking out nine and walking one.

The Astros are still concerned that pitcher Josh Fields won't be ready by Opening Day, per MLB.com's Bryan McTaggart. 

Fields has been sidelined by a groin injury and is gradually working his way back. 

Two days earlier, manager A.J. Hinch first raised the possibility that Fields may not be ready to start the season. 

"We’re just day by day, taking it incrementally a little further and further," Hinch said, per the Houston Chronicle. “He’s playing catch and continuing to rehab it ... "Fields is an example of a guy that’s when he’s healthy he’s clearly on our team, and that might not be known exactly on the day that we depart."

Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances allowed an earned run Saturday for the fifth straight appearance, but manager Joe Girardi believes the reliever improved in the outing, the New York Post reports.

"I thought he was better, I thought the curveball was better," Girardi said. "It’s a step in the right direction."

"I have been working with Larry [Rothschild, pitching coach]," Betances said after the outing. "My leg kick was too high and I am trying to straighten up and get my direction toward home instead of flying open."

Betances has delivered a 7.11 ERA and 5:3 K:BB ratio in 6 1/3 innings.

Two key members of the White Sox bullpen are working their way back from forearm injuries, but manager Robin Ventura is confident he'll have both back by opening day. 

Closer David Robertson is scheduled to pitch on Sunday. 

"We're trying to make sure we’re extra careful with him," Ventura said, per Comcast's Dan Hayes. "He doesn’t seem to be concerned about it as much as we do."

Setup man Jake Petricka isn't as far along as Robertson. He played catch on Saturday for the first time in five days.

The Sox are taking it slow, so that the team will have both pitchers for Opening Day as well as the rest of the season. 

"You’re just making sure you’re cautious enough that you feel good about when (they go) out there that there won’t be any setbacks,” Ventura said. 

Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances is still not quite right on the mound. Betances gave up another run Saturday, his fifth in seven appearances this spring.

"At the end of the day, you've got to try to prepare yourself," Betances said to MLB.com. "But I guess it's better to happen now in Spring Training where I can fix it before we leave and head up north. I'd rather it happen now than in season, when it's a little tougher there when the games count more."

Betances is working to fix his leg kick on the mound with pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

"It's not like I'm missing as bad as I once was," Betances said. "I'm around the zone. I felt way better even before I came in. I felt like my direction was better, something I'll try to work on more. As that gets better, I think I'll be able to throw more strikes and put guys away."

Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes continues to impress the club with his poise and prowess on the mound, reports the Boston Herald. Barnes was called on with two runners on and two outs after previous pitcher, Stephen Wright, gave up five unearned runs.

He managed to get a groundball and get out of the inning. He finished with four strikeouts and no runs allowed  in 2 1/3 innings of work.

"It was good to be in a situation like that, coming in, especially in the middle of an inning, I haven't done that in a while, starting an inning with a guy on second and having to pitch through that," said Barnes. "I was happy with all of it."

Athletics first baseman Nate Freiman (back) is expected to join Josh Reddick, Jarrod Parker (elbow), A.J. Griffin (elbow), Sean Nolin (hernia) and Taylor Thompson (shoulder) at extended spring training to start the season, according to the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday. 

Freiman told reporters his back is feeling better lately after some aggressive treatment on his back. He has yet to be cleared for baseball activities.

The Rays placed pitcher Alex Colome on the disabled list, retroactive to March 27, with pneumonia, the team announced on Saturday. 

Colome would be eligible to return to the active roster on April 11, but according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, he won't be ready for another week or two after that. He threw a 40-pitch bullpen session on Saturday, per the Tampa Tribune.

Twins outfielder Aaron Hicks was among the four players trimmed from Minnesota's big-league camp on Saturday, according to MLB.com. THe 25-year-old Hicks struggled to make an impact at the plate this spring, batting .206 (7 for 34) with two RBI in 13 Grapefruit League games.

Thar's what I want to become. I don't want to be a Triple-A player. I want to be in the big leagues," Hicks said, per the Pioneer Press.  "I'm starting to understand this game at the big league level."

Eddie Rosario and Trevor May were optioned to Triple-A Rochester, while Mark Hamburger was reassigned down to minor-league camp.