MLB Player News

Royals reliever Tim Collins underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery Wednesday after a second opinion of his injury revealed ligament damage in his elbow, per The Kansas City Star.

Collins made just 22 relief appearances for Kansas City last season while dealing with inflammation in the flexor tendon of his elbow, going 0-3 with a 3.86 ERA. The left-handed hurler is 12-17 with a 3.54 ERA over four MLB seasons.

Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore will take a scheduled two-week break from throwing as part of his rehab plan following Tommy John surgery last April, per the Tampa Bay Times. Moore continues to target a June return to the majors.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said all the reports were positive following pitcher Alex Colome's live batting practice session Wednesday, per The Tampa Tribune. However, Colome was not at the team's spring complex Thursday due to a stomach illness.

Colome, who is competing for a spot in the rotation, was late to spring training due to visa issues.

Mariners pitcher Danny Farquhar has earned a reputation as a slow starter in spring training, MLB.com reports. He struggled in his first two outings this spring as well before tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts Tuesday.

"I've come to understand he's a slow starter and he does struggle in the spring," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "I told him the other day he should just go home and help the grounds crew and just stay there until the season starts, because my life would be a lot happier down here."

Farquhar is using the spring to work on his pitches and prepare for a long season.

"If you're trying to make a team or make an impression and you're not even on the 40-man roster, you've got to come out of the gate throwing 95 (mph)," Farquhar said. "You have to really show them you've got something. If not, you just kind of go back into the mix. Whereas I've pitched a year and a half in the big leagues, so Lloyd knows what I can do. So I guess it's a little easier track for me, but I still have to go out there and show Lloyd I can get major-league hitters out. I can't just roll out there and make the team."

Farquhar has surrendered two earned runs in 2 2/3 innings this spring.

Red Sox starting pitcher Joe Kelly surrendered two earned runs on three hits and one walk in three innings Wednesday but racked up four strikeouts, all against the first six batters he faced, in his outing against the Yankees.

"He's got weapons to attack guys," manager John Farrell said after the outing, per MLB.com. "He can run a four-seam fastball in. He can spread them out with both his changeup and curveball, which he did today. The overall quality of pitches thrown today was much greater."

Kelly indicated that he didn't want to break out his entire arsenal against a key division rival.

"It's reading the game," said Kelly. "I got ahead, and if I was going to throw a regular start against these guys, I showed them my fastball, and I showed them my changeup. But I think I would have probably showed them more of my slider and curveball today if they started jumping on my heater and changeup like they kind of did in that third inning."

Kelly, who was rocked in his spring debut, has given up six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings this spring.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi named pitcher Esmil Rogers one of four candidates for the team's open rotation spot Wednesday but said the pitcher has looked particularly good, NJ.com reports.

"He's throwing the ball really well," Girardi said. "Larry worked with him long and hard last year during some bullpen sessions about changing a few things and I thought he pitched pretty well for us. He's started in his career. He's got a number of pitches he could go to. He's been really good this spring. So he'll be one of the guys we're really looking at."

Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell and Scott Baker are also potential candidates for the last rotation spot.

The Twins used two candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation during Wednesday's spring game against the Rays. Tommy Milone started Wednesday, and he was immediately followed by Trevor May.

Milone started the game with three scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and struck out three. He has now tossed five scoreless innings through two outings.

"I thought it was another good day," Molitor said of Milone's outing, per MLB.com. "He's using his fastball plenty for a guy throwing it 86-87 [mph]. His deception is good enough, and his command of his offspeed pitches so far in the first couple outings has been effective. He's jamming right-handers and getting them with changeups. So it was a good day, and he did a really nice job with baserunners, too."

May entered the game in the fourth inning. He allowed one run on two hits and one walk in two relief innings. He also struck out four batters. May, who dealt with an illness early in camp, made his first spring appearance Wednesday.

"It's always good to finally get out there on the field -- it's crazy that there were actual hitters and fielders," May said jokingly after the outing. "It felt good to get going. I felt good, I felt strong. It was weird coming from the 'pen so I tried to time it the best I could. But I think all considered, everything felt good coming out of my hand and I threw some good off-speed pitches."

Royals reliever Tim Collins left the team Wednesday to head to Florida and seek a second opinion on his injured elbow from renowned specalist Dr. James Andrews, per MLB.com.

Collins, who is in a fight for one of the team's last bullpen slots, underwent an MRI last week that revealed ligament damage. 

"We'll know as soon as today what to do with him," manager Ned Yost said. 

Orioles pitcher Ryan Webb has a little less swelling in his left knee Tuesday and remains day to day, MLB.com reports.

Webb isn't expect to see game action until at least Friday with the team traveling to play over the next few days. His MRI came back clean on Monday.

Royals pitcher Tim Collins will see Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday to receive a second opinion on his elbow, reports The Kansas City Star.

Collins was recently diagnosed with ligament damage in his elbow.