MLB Player News

Yankees reliever David Robertson (hamstring) is available out of the bullpen Tuesday, if needed, the Bergen Record reports. Robertson threw eight pitches off a mound before the game to test his hamstring and said he felt fine. 

Orioles reliever Pedro Strop has had an ugly season thus far for Baltimore and some are blaming the World Baseball Classic for his struggles, MASNSports.com reports. Strop won't completely rule out the WBC as a contributing factor. 

Strop pitched six times over a 13-day span in the WBC for Team Dominican Republic. He went 6 2/3 scoreless innings and gave up just three hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.

Over 11 innings with the Orioles thus far, Strop has allowed eight runs -- seven earned -- on nine hits with nine walks and 11 Ks for an ERA of 5.73 and a WHIP of 1.64. 

"I don't know because it was my first WBC and I don't have any other experience with it," Strop explained. "But I felt real good pitching then. I don't know what to tell you about it. If you go in the WBC and pitch a lot and come to your team and feel a little sore or something, you can look at that. But I don't feel anything wrong with my arm. My arm feels good. Maybe the high intensity of the games and you go back to lower intensity in spring training, maybe it changed something with mechanics. I'm not saying that is what happened, but maybe. Who knows?"

Strop has actually been improved of late with one run allowed over his last 5 2/3 innings spanning seven appearances. That said, he's still walked six over that span. 

Yankees pitcher David Robertson said Tuesday his ailing hamstring has improved and plans to will throw off a mound in the hopes of being available for New York's series opener at Colorado, ESPN.com reports. Robertson has not pitched since last Wednesday due to the hamstring injury, but still remains eighth in the American League with five holds.

Indians pitcher Jeanmar Gomez will start Tuesday's game against the Mariners.

James McDonald was slated to start, but was scratched late with shoulder discomfort and placed on the 15-day disabled list. Gomez has appeared in six games, but has only made one start this year. In 17 2/3 innings, he has a 3.06 ERA and a 5.79 FIP.

After beginning the year as my No. 7 relief pitcher, the Rays' Fernando Rodney is all the way down to No. 16 now, and it's not just because he blew his second save Monday. In fact, if he had yet to blow a save, I'd still be down on him.

Why? The walks. They were all the difference in his breakout 2012. It's not that his stuff got any better. It's just that he threw it over the plate. And now he's not. In fact, he hasn't been much worse than he's been so far this season, issuing 7.6 walks per nine innings. His changeup is his best pitch, but when he's constantly behind in the count, he can't use it as effectively.

Maybe he'll come around, but given that last season is, to this point, the outlier in his career, I'm genuinely worried, and I'd trade him for any of the 10 closers I have ranked ahead of him.

With Gavin Floyd out for the season, White Sox pitcher Hector Santiago will move to the starting rotation.

Santiago was used primarily as a reliever last season, but started 15 games in 2011. Santiago's repertoire consists of five pitches, including a screwball. Santiago has shown an ability to produce above-average strikeout numbers, but struggled with control and gave up home runs at a high rate. Santiago's second start of the season will come against Mets ace Matt Harvey Tuesday.

Rays closer Fernando Rodney only gave up a hit Monday in four outs, but it was a two-run home run to J.P. Arencibia that gave the Blue Jays an 8-7 win.

After getting the final out of the eighth inning, Rodney walked a runner in the ninth before the two-out homer. Rodney (1-1) on the year. Rodney, who struck out two and walked two, threw 37 pitches in 1 1/3 innings and his ERA is 5.06. 

Rodney, 36, saved a franchise-record 48 games last year, and has four saves in six chances this season. 

After seemingly being starved of pitching depth last season, the Red Sox appear to have a wealth of options at the top levels of their minor-league system, CBS Sports Baseball Insider Danny Knobler writes. 

"They have four guys in the [Double-A] Portland rotation who all throw 96 [mph] or better," one scout said. "And two more guys out of the bullpen who throw 96."

One such prospect who a scout said is "close to ready" for the big leagues is Double-A Portland's Anthony Ranaudo. A first-round pick in 2010 who was injured most of last year, the 23-year-old is 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 30 strikeouts over five starts and 27 innings. 

Portland also boasts Matt Barnes, a 2011 first-round pick, Brandon Workman and Drake Britton. Barnes is 2-1 with a 6.75 ERA with 27 Ks over 20 innings. Workman is 4-0 with a 2.80 ERA and 42 Ks over 35 1/3 innings. Britton is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA and 30 Ks over 30 1/3 innings. 

"All four of those guys are going to be good pieces for the Red Sox," a scout said.

The Angels optioned reliever Ryan Brasier back to Triple-A Salt Lake Monday, the Los Angeles Times reports. 

The move clears a roster spot for Mark Lowe to be activated off the disabled list. 

Brasier appeared in two games after getting recalled May 1. He allowed two earned runs on two hits, including a homer, over two innings with three Ks. 

Red Sox pitching prospect Rubby De La Rosa, who has been coddled since returning from Tommy John surgery, is expected to stretch out to 70-75 pitches during his start Monday for Triple-A Pawtucket, according to The Pawtucket Times. De La Rosa has been around 50 pitches in his first five starts.

"Ultimately you want to protect his arm because of the surgery he had,” Pawtucket manager Gary DiSarcina said, referencing the elbow surgery De La Rosa underwent in August 2011. "Rubby’s going to tell us when it’s time to stretch him out and he’s been telling us with his performance over the last outing or two. Sooner or later, you’ve got to release the reins."

De La Rosa has posted a 7.11 ERA and .229 opponents' batting average through his first five starts. However, his last two starts have consisted of six scoreless innings, which have included six strikeouts.