MLB Player News

Athletics pitcher Drew Pomeranz will play catch Sunday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pomeranz was dealing with an infection due to an ingrown hair. He said he's already thrown a bunch of bullpens in recent weeks, and doesn't expect to be too far behind due to the issue. Pomeranz is looking to win a spot on the team's 25-man roster.

He posted a 6.23 ERA in 21 2/3 innings last season.

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon extended his of rotation candidates to 11 on Saturday, adding Brandon Maurer and Hector Noesi to the list, The Tacoma News Tribune reports. 

Maurer went 5-8 with a 6.30 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP over 90 innings pitched last season. Noesi pitched just 27 1/3 innings with Seattle last season, posting a 6.59 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP over that span.

The disappointments that have marked the short career of left-hander Drew Pomeranz continued Saturday when he was forced to miss a workout with the Athletics due to an ingrown hair on his leg.

The former top pitching prospect for the Indians who was traded to Colorado in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal was 0-4 with a 6.23 ERA for the Rockies in 2013. He yielded 19 walks in 21 2/3 innings.

Athletics reliever Fernando Rodriguez might not appear in any spring games, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Rodriguez said he was ready to go after Tommy John surgery, and that he would receive a lot of work during the spring. That work is likely to come in simulated or controlled games, however. Rodriguez has made progress, and has been able to throw off a mound. He missed all of last season due to the surgery.

Athletics pitcher Fernando Rodriguez is good to go this spring, according to the Oakland Tribune.

Rodriguez is recovering after having Tommy John surgery last season. "I'm told they'll have me doing twice as much as everyone else to test arm," Rodriguez said. "I'm good, been throwing off mound," he added. Rodriguez will compete for a bullpen spot.

He posted a 5.37 ERA in 70 1/3 innings in 2012. 

Rays pitcher Alex Colome says he's ready to go, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Colome was shut down last June due to elbow surgery. He said he feels much better after rest. Colome posted a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings last year before he was shut down. 

Reliever Fernando Rodney has officially signed with the Mariners.

The two sides agreed on a deal a few days ago, but Rodney had yet to take a physical. He met the team in camp, passed his physical and finalized the deal. He's set to make $14 million over two seasons.

Rodney posted a 3.38 ERA in 66 2/3 innings last season.

Standout minor league right-hander Dellin Betances could make an impact with the Yankees this season.

The 25-year-old Betances has consistently struck out more than a batter an inning since launching his professional career in 2006, yet has pitched just eight games in the majors. But he could prove beneficial to a potentially weak Yankees bullpen that has lost Mariano Rivera to retirement.

"I think it's very possible to expect quality numbers," an unnamed scout told the New York Daily News. "(He can be) very successful out of the bullpen. He needs a chance, to gain confidence."

Betances managed his best season in 2013 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre with a 6-4 record and 108 strikeouts in 84 innings.

Mariners reliever Fernando Rodney may miss the team's first workout, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

Rodney may not take his phyical before Wednesday. The Mariners first day of workouts for pitchers is February 13. Rodney posted a 3.38 ERA in 66 2/3 innings last year. 

The busy Mariners offseason has continued with the signing of former Rays closer Fernando Rodney to a two-year contract for $14 million, according to Baseball Tonight, which is further reporting that he could earn another million with incentives.

Rodney has been among the premier game-enders in the sports since 2012 with 85 saves and 158 strikeouts in 141 1/3 innings.

He will almost assuredly serve in that role with the Mariners, who struggled to shut down opponents upon the collapse of closer Tom Wilhelmsen in the second half of the 2013 season. Young Danny Farquhar had been expected to assume the closer spot.