MLB Player News
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Chris Martin RP | TEX
Red Sox's Chris Martin: Makes final spring appearance
Martin (groin) struck out one over a scoreless inning in Tuesday's exhibition game against Texas.
Martin wrestled with a groin injury and made just his third appearance of spring training, with all coming within the last week. The Red Sox are comfortable with him being ready for Opening Day despite having worked just 2.1 innings, per Drew Davison of MLB.com. He's expected to be the bridge to closer Kenley Jansen.
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Tigers' Shelby Miller: Turns sights to Opening Day
Miller recorded a 2.70 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 6.2 innings this spring and is set for an Opening Day bullpen role in Detroit.
Miller didn't see a ton of work this spring, though he was effective. The veteran righty joined the Tigers on a one-year, $3 million contract in December, and he should slot into a fairly high-leverage role. While Alex Lange is set to close games for now, he struggled with command in 2023, meaning that Miller could emerge as an option for saves at some point if he pitches well. At the very least, he should be a decent source of holds and solid ratios.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Red Sox's Kenley Jansen: Throws inning Tuesday
Jansen struck out one over a scoreless inning in Tuesday's exhibition game against the Rangers.
Jansen, who was bothered by back issues this spring, made just four appearances with the final 12 days of spring training. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the pitcher is ready to go for the regular season, per Drew Davison of MLB.com.
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Andrew Chafin RP | MIN
Tigers' Andrew Chafin: Wraps up quiet spring
Chafin recorded a 5.06 ERA across 5.1 innings this spring and is set for an Opening Day bullpen role in Detroit.
The veteran lefty didn't need a ton of work in spring training, and despite so-so results, he'll slot into a high-leverage role for the Tigers. Chafin struggled a bit last year, posting a 4.73 ERA across 63 games for the Diamondbacks and Brewers, though he was better in 2022, when he recorded a 2.83 ERA across 64 games with this same Detroit squad. His ability to pitch frequently and not wear down has served him well across a 10-year MLB career, and he should once again see plenty of work in 2024.
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Jose Soriano RP | LAA
Angels' Jose Soriano: Makes roster as reliever
Soriano earned a spot on the Angels' Opening Day roster as a reliever, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander stretched out as a starter during spring training but will end up working out of the bullpen with Robert Stephenson (shoulder) likely unavailable. Soriano should continue to stay relatively stretched out and could serve as a spot starter if/when the Angels deal with rotation injuries. The 25-year-old made 38 appearances as a reliever in his first taste of the majors last season and posted a 3.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 56:23 K:BB over 42 innings.
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Josh Staumont RP | CIN
Twins' Josh Staumont: Nursing knee issue
Staumont is having his knee evaluated Tuesday after he slipped in the bullpen, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribunereports.
The right-hander is set to make Minnesota's Opening Day roster, but the knee issue could end up sending him to the injured list. Staumont posted a 5.40 ERA in 21 outing for the Royals last season and is likely to fill a low-leverage role for the Twins when healthy.
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Miguel Diaz RP | SF
Tigers' Miguel Diaz: Likely to lose 40-man roster spot
Diaz has been told he will not make the Tigers' Opening Day roster and is likely to be designated for assignment, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Diaz is out of options, so the Tigers would have to pass him through waivers first if they want to send him to Triple-A Toledo. The reliever would also have the ability to reject an outright assignment. The 29-year-old pitched well during his brief time with Detroit over the last two seasons, posting a 1.02 ERA and 19:7 K:BB over 17.2 innings.
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Beau Brieske RP | DET
Tigers' Beau Brieske: Optioned to Triple-A
The Tigers optioned Brieske to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday.
He was in the mix for one of the final spots in the Tigers' bullpen, but the team ultimately went with Joey Wentz and Alex Faedo. Brieske has experience both as a starter and a reliever, and it's not clear which role the club has planned for him at Toledo.
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Garrett Whitlock RP | BOS
Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Strong effort Monday
Whitlock allowed one unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings in Monday's exhibition game against the Rangers.
Whitlock was impressive against the first-string lineup Texas trotted out Monday. The right-hander threw 67 pitches (51 strikes) and retired nine of the final 10 batters faced. The dominant performance Monday followed a strong Grapefruit League for Whitlock, who finished spring training with a 2.49 ERA and a 22:3 K:BB over 21.2 innings. He's scheduled to start the fourth game of the season Sunday in Seattle against the Mariners.
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Marc Church P | TEX
Rangers' Marc Church: Won't crack Opening Day roster
Church was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday, Michael Bier of Foul Territory reports.
Church appeared to be on track to make the big-league roster given his 2.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 10.2 innings during spring training, but the club announced Monday that he's headed for the minor leagues. The right-hander's impressive spring is unlikely to go unnoticed, and he should factor into the bullpen mix at some point this year.