MLB Player News

Marsh (shoulder) pitched in a minor-league game Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Wednesday marks Marsh's first taste of competitive action this spring after spending most of camp working his way back from right shoulder tightness. He is now back on a normal spring training buildup, though he may not have enough time to be ready for Opening Day.

Blanco was removed from his start Wednesday against the Mets after getting struck by a line drive in the fourth inning, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Blanco didn't seem to be too shaken up following the incident, but he retreated to the clubhouse afterward and was replaced on the mound for the start of the fifth inning. He later said that the ball only grazed his wrist, per Rome, and the right-hander only left the game because he had reached his pitch count. The 31-year-old Blanco finished the day with three runs allowed in 3.2 innings, bringing his Grapefruit League ERA to 8.44.

Sabrowski (elbow) extended his throwing distance to 90 feet Wednesday.

Sabrowski started playing catch from 60 feet out last Wednesday, and the Guardians seem to be building him up relatively slowly. Assuming he doesn't run into any setbacks in his rehab from an anti-inflammatory injection, the 27-year-old southpaw could return to game action sometime in late April or early May.

Matzek (oblique) has resumed his throwing program and is scheduled for a bullpen session Thursday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Matzek was diagnosed with an oblique strain in early March, and he could start the regular season on the injured list. He threw a bullpen Monday and will need to have more sessions without suffering a setback before facing live hitters. Matzek appeared in 11 regular-season games for Atlanta in 2024 and posted a 9.90 ERA and 1.90 WHIP across 10 innings after missing most of the season due to an elbow issue.

Alcala is expected to be included in Minnesota's Opening Day bullpen, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. He's thrown nine scoreless innings with a 5:2 K:BB ratio this spring.

Given Alcala's 3.24 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 54 outings in 2024, his roster status shouldn't really be in question, but the Twins curiously sent him to the minors several times last year. Alcala has outstanding velocity with an average fastball of 97.9 mph, reaching a career-high 101.2 mph last summer. His strikeout rates haven't been as overpowering (8.95 K/9 last season) as he's struggled to get hitters to chase with a 19th percentile chase rate, but he limits hard contact (91st percentile hard-hit rate). He should be in the setup mix again this season if he can stay healthy and could be a good source of holds.

The Rays optioned Sulser to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Sulser was one of eight players dismissed from big-league camp in the Rays' latest round of roster cuts. The 34-year-old reliever split time between the Triple-A level and the majors in 2024 between his stops in the Mets and Rays organizations. He made 10 big-league appearances and turned in a 2.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 16.1 innings.

The Rays optioned Waguespack to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Despite putting just six baserunners on and striking out seven over six innings in Grapefruit League play, Waguespack was unable to secure a spot in Tampa Bay's Opening Day bullpen. The 31-year-old righty will begin the season at Durham, where he could operate as a swingman after starting in four of his nine appearances for the affiliate in 2024.

The Rangers optioned Robert to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.

Robert will miss out on a spot in the Texas bullpen to open the season after a rough spring in which he allowed three earned runs on six hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. The 30-year-old righty was previously summoned to the big leagues on two occasions last season, making four appearances for the Rangers. He otherwise spent the entire 2024 campaign at Round Rock, where he turned in a 2.70 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 52:13 K:BB across 43.1 innings.

Leiter (back) completed an 18-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Leiter said after the workout that he feels ready to go for Opening Day, but the Yankees will likely want to see him pitch in at least one or two more Grapefruit League or minor-league games this spring before locking him into their bullpen to begin the season. The right-hander last pitched in the Grapefruit League on March 6 before the back injury cropped up.

Hendriks has fallen behind Aroldis Chapman in the battle to come Boston's closer, Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive.com report.

Hendriks had location issues during his first few Cactus League appearances but most recently threw a scoreless inning last Saturday. Per the report, the reliever corrected the command issues, but the quality of Chapman's stuff has put him over the top in the competition. Justin Slaten is also in the mix but appears destined for a setup role.