MLB Player News

So with Erasmo Ramirez expected to begin the year in the minors, rookie Brandon Maurer takes his place as my young Mariners right-hander to target late. Manager Eric Wedge all but awarded Maurer the fifth spot in the rotation after he threw five shutout innings against the Reds Monday.

"Maurer threw the ball very well against a good group of hitters," Wedge said of Maurer escaping a bases-loaded jam. "Pitching out of that situation isn't something we haven't seen. It reaffirms what we've seen. [He's awesome.]"

OK, so I added that last part, but that's the gist of what Wedge was saying. Maurer's ascension may not yet be official, but that doesn't mean it's not official.

I'm not yet to the point where I'm drafting Maurer in standard mixed leagues. Unlike Ramirez, who impressed in stints last season, he has yet to do anything in the majors. But if he was able to beat Ramirez and Danny Hultzen and James Paxton, all while earning the unspoken admiration of his manager, he bears watching.

It wasn't all bad news for Twins starting pitcher Liam Hendriks Tuesday. Although he left his spring start against the Orioles after getting drilled in the hand by a line drive, after the game manager Ron Gardenhire pretty much assured Hendriks of making the rotation. 

"With Sammy Deduno being sent out that probably gives him a spot there," Gardenhire said to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

As for Hendriks' diagnosis, he is day-to-day after suffering a bruised right hand. He has full range of motion and is scheduled to throw a bullpen Thursday.

"It was just precautionary," Hendriks told MLB.com about the early exit. "I feel fine. The ball was coming out good. It was just one of those things where they took me out just in case it was something more serious. But the pitch count thing does stink a little bit."

Twins starter Liam Hendriks didn't last long in his outing Tuesday against the Orioles. Hendriks had to leave his Grapefruit League start early after two outs in the third inning as Brian Roberts sent a rocket line drive right at him, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Hendriks left the game shaking his pitching hand/arm and headed for the clubhouse. He was replaced on the mound by Alex Burnett. Hendriks allowed four hits over 2 2/3 scoreless without any walks and two strikeouts prior to leaving the game. 

The starter projects in the rotation on opening day and has a 4.15 ERA on the spring after 21 2/3 innings with 13 strikeouts. The 24-year-old went 1-8 with a 5.59 ERA over 16 starts for Minnesota last season. 

With Erasmo Ramirez likely headed to the minors, Brandon Maurer looks like a candidate to open the season in the Mariners' rotation.

The 22-year-old has impressed this spring, tossing 20 innings with a 0.90 ERA. 

In 137 2/3 innings in Double-A last season, Maurer had a 3.20 ERA and a 20.4 percent strikeout rate. 

I'm like all Fantasy owners when it comes to Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore. Because of his past as an elite pitching prospect and his promise as a Fantasy option, to see him struggle in the spring is concerning. He's walked 13 batters in 17 1/3 innings, which certainly stands out. But after hearing manager Joe Maddon call Moore a "notoriously slow starter," I'm at ease.

Sure, it could be just coach speak to cover up a glaring problem, but looking at Moore's past numbers (five walks in 10 spring innings in 2012), I can buy into Maddon's reasoning. Though, let's not forget Moore carried his spring struggles last year into the regular season. He walked 28 batters in his first nine starts and had a 5.07 ERA in that span. Luckily, Moore settled down and posted a 3.31 ERA in his final 22 starts and struck out 127 batters in 127 2/3 innings in that span.

Despite the alarms going off in my head, I'm not putting much stock in Moore's spring numbers. I will take perhaps a few bad starts at the beginning of the season knowing Moore's upside. He has just 32 major-league starts under his belt and not every elite pitching prospect begins their career like a Jered Weaver. In fact, if you recall, both Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw had ERAs above 4.00 in their first full MLB season before turning into elite Fantasy pitchers. Moore's ERA was slightly under 4.00 last season, so to me he seems right on track.

Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore yielded two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 laborious innings of a 6-2 victory over Pittsburgh in Grapefruit League action Monday night. Moore's command continues to be erratic this spring as he walked five against three strikeouts. In five appearances, he has finished with more strikeouts than walks only once and has 15 total strikeouts to 13 walks over 17 1/3 innings.

"I've always been told he's a notoriously slow starter, and that happens with some guys," manager Joe Maddon said about Moore. "You've just got to be patient. He's a young man and he's got a really, really bright future."

Mariners starting pitcher Brandon Maurer extended his impressive spring showing, allowing six hits over five scoreless innings in a 16-0 rout of Cincinnati in Cactus League action Monday.

Selected by the Mariners in the 23rd round of the 2008 MLB Draft, the 22-year-old is making a strong case for making the starting rotation. He had seven strikeouts and a walk against a Reds lineup consisting of mostly starters. He lowered his spring ERA to 0.90 over 20 innings.

"We are trying to go all the way through. Part of my discipline is keeping my mind open to the very end," manager Eric Wedge said. "The very end is approaching quickly here. We'll see how the next couple days play out, but it's safe to say we are close to making a decision."

The Indians announced Monday they told pitcher Nick Hagadone, pitcher Bryan Shaw and infielder/outfielder Ryan Raburn they will make the opening day roster, barring any injuries.

Shaw has allowed one run on six hits and one walk in nine spring innings. He has also struck out 14, while sporting a 1.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP.

Despite not pitching above the Double-A level, Twins relief pitcher Ryan Pressly is expected to break camp on the opening day roster, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Pressly has pitched in eight games this spring, allowing just one run while limiting opponents to a .167 batting average.

"We like him. We like him a lot," manager Ron Gardenhire said of the 24-year-old righty. "He’s throwing the ball well. Good angle, nice little breaking ball, good velocity."

Pressly, whose velocity has remained steady in the low 90s, was a Rule 5 pick from the Red Sox last year.

Royals reliever Tim Collins suffered his worst appearance of the Cactus League on Saturday against the Diamondbacks. He allowed five runs on six hits over an inning of work. The left-hander also struck out two while seeing his spring ERA rise to 13.50.

"He was really throwing the ball well before he went to the WBC, then he went and kind of sat for a while, got off-kilter a little bit," manager Ned Yost told MLB.com. "Not too much concern. There are just mechanical things we need to continue to address with him, and Dave [Eiland, the Royals pitching coach] thinks he'll be fine."