MLB Player News
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Nick Vespi RP | PHI
Orioles' Nick Vespi: Heading back to Triple-A
The Orioles optioned Vespi to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday.
Vespi was called up to the Orioles' 26-man roster for the season opener Thursday after Jacob Webb (personal) was placed on the team's paternity list. Vespi will now return to Triple-A and await his next call up to the majors. With Norfolk last season, Vespi posted a 2.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 41:13 K:BB over 38.2 innings while tallying seven saves.
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Ryne Stanek RP | STL
Mariners' Ryne Stanek: Gets first hold as Mariner
Stanek was credited with a hold in the win over the Red Sox on Friday, allowing a hit and a walk over two-thirds of a scoreless inning. He struck out one.
Stanek was far from his sharpest, but the veteran setup man managed to prevent any damage to the Mariners' razor-thin one-run lead in the eighth with the help of Andres Munoz, who closed out the frame with runners on the corners. The fact Stanek was a bit rusty -- he threw just seven of 17 pitches for strikes -- isn't necessarily surprising, considering he worked just three innings for the Mariners in Cactus League play after being acquired from the Astros on March 8.
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Josh Winckowski RP | BOS
Red Sox's Josh Winckowski: Multiple relief innings Friday
Winckowski allowed one hit and two walks while striking out four over two relief innings in Friday's 1-0 loss to the Mariners.
Winckowski breezed through the seventh inning but ran into trouble in the eighth when he loaded the bases with two outs. Triston Casas made a nice defensive play to prevent any damage to Winckowski's line. Winckowski projects as a multi-inning reliever that can enter at any point during a game.
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Nick Pivetta RP | SD
Red Sox's Nick Pivetta: No support in loss
Pivetta dropped to 0-1 in Friday's 1-0 loss to the Mariners, allowing one run on three hits and zero walks while striking out 10 over six innings.
Pivetta was dominant, allowing his lone run on a J.P. Crawford solo homer in the sixth inning. However, the Red Sox couldn't solve George Kirby, saddling Pivetta with the loss. The 31-year-old right-hander is expected to be a major piece in Boston's rotation after going 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 183:50 K:BB last season. He's in line for a road matchup next week against the A's.
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Andres Munoz RP | SEA
Mariners' Andres Munoz: Strikes out three in first save
Munoz earned the save in Friday's win over the Red Sox, striking out three over 1.1 scoreless innings.
Munoz came on in relief of Ryne Stanek with two outs in the eighth, coaxing a groundout off the bat of Trevor Story to strand the tying run at third base. Munoz would proceed to strike out the side in the ninth, closing out a 1-0 win for his first save of the year. The 25-year-old right-hander should have a firm grasp on the ninth-inning job in Seattle after tallying 13 saves last season while posting a 2.94 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and 67:22 K:BB.
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Emmanuel Clase RP | CLE
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase: Notches first save
Clase allowed a hit in a scoreless ninth inning and earned a save over Oakland on Friday.
After a fielding error and a base hit, Clase faced a bit of a jam before closing out the game with a double play. He needed just eight total pitches to finish off Friday's win. The 26-year-old picked up right where he left off after leading MLB in saves during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. Clase arguably has the most job security of any closer and should be among the league leaders once again.
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Matt Canterino SP | MIN
Twins' Matt Canterino: Moves to injured list
Canterino (shoulder) was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Canterino suffered a rotator cuff strain in mid-March, so it's not a surprise he's beginning the season on the shelf. The right-hander missed all of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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Kelvin Caceres RP | LAA
Angels' Kelvin Caceres: Out with lat injury at Triple-A
Caceres was placed on the 60-day injured list at Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday with a right lat injury, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
The reliever will now miss at least the first two months of the season while rehabbing. Caceres made two appearances with the Angels last season and should contribute at some point in 2024, but he'll need to get healthy first.
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Ryan Pressly RP | CHC
Astros' Ryan Pressly: Saddled with Opening Day loss
Pressly (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Yankees, allowing a run on two hits and a walk. He struck out one.
Pressly was tasked with preserving a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning against the middle of the Yankees order. The right-hander surrendered a lead-off double to Aaron Judge, who would come around to score on an Alex Verdugo sacrifice fly. It's a tough start to the year for the 35-year-old Pressly, who was already destined for a reduced role after Houston brought in Josh Hader to handle closing duties. Pressly converted 31 of 37 save chances last season, sporting a 3.58 ERA with 74:16 K:BB over 65.1 innings.