MLB Player News

Jansen's (back) next Grapefruit League appearance won't come until at least Thursday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Jansen keeps getting pushed back as he deals with a bout of lower-back stiffness. He's been limited to just one appearance this spring, having previously dealt with a lat issue. While the Red Sox are not ruling out the veteran closer for Opening Day, a trip to the injured list for Jansen is looking increasingly likely. Setup man Chris Martin (groin) is also banged up, although he pitched in a minor-league game Tuesday and looks to be trending in the right direction.

Garcia could be in the mix for save chances if Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) are unavailable at the start of the season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

As things stand right now, the Blue Jays have not ruled Romano or Swanson out for Opening Day, but given that they're both nursing arm injuries, nothing is assured. Garcia looms as potentially next in line to close and has had a strong spring, posting a 2.25 ERA and 7:2 K:BB over eight innings. The 33-year-old notched three saves for Toronto in 2023, producing a nice 79:15 K:BB across 66 frames along the way.

With Robert Stephenson (shoulder) uncertain to be ready for game action by Opening Day, the Angels are considering whether to move Soriano to a relief role, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Soriano had been stretching out as a starter this spring, but Stephenson's shoulder issue may shift that plan, at least temporarily. Soriano posted a respectable 3.64 ERA in 42 innings as a reliever last season, though he had been primarily a starter in the minors prior to undergoing revision Tommy John surgery in 2021. Angels manager Ron Washington indicated late last week that the team still wants to see what Soriano can do as a starter and suggested that a move to the bullpen would be to "take care of need" before "thinking long term."

The Athletics announced Tuesday that Wood will start Opening Day against the Guardians on March 28, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The 33-year-old lefty worked as a swingman for the Giants last season and had a 4.33 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 74:42 K:BB over 97.2 innings, but being a veteran on a largely unproven staff makes him a logical candidate to pitch Opening Day. Wood doesn't have much fantasy upside with a 4.41 ERA across the past three seasons, especially since he hasn't topped 140 frames in any of those individual campaigns.

The Orioles optioned Zimmermann to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Zimmermann was among the candidates to fill in for Kyle Bradish (elbow) and John Means (elbow) in the rotation, but he quickly fell behind Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin in the pecking order and never made up ground. The left-hander will be part of Norfolk's rotation.

Swanson will be shut down from throwing for a day or two due to right forearm tightness, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

An MRI showed no structural damage or even inflammation, so the hope is that Swanson can ramp things back up after a day or two of rest. For now, consider the setup man day-to-day. The back-end of the Blue Jays' bullpen is suddenly in flux, as Jordan Romano (elbow) is also banged up.

Romano will be shut down from throwing for three days after being diagnosed with right elbow inflammation, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Romano will be given an anti-inflammatory injection prior to the brief shutdown period and then hopes to resume throwing later this week. An MRI on the closer's elbow showed no structural issues, so the hope seems to be that this is just a minor issue that will resolve soon. However, there is certainly always a level of concern when it's the pitching elbow. Erik Swanson would be next in line to close for the Blue Jays, although he will be shut down himself for a day or two with a forearm issue. Yimi Garcia and/or Chad Green could be next in the pecking order.

The Rays optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rodriguez was competing for a spot in the bullpen but will head to Durham for now. He should still wind up spending a good amount of time with the big club this season.

Murphy has been diagnosed with ligament damage in his left elbow, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican says it's a high-grade tear, although a decision on whether Murphy will undergo surgery will be made in the coming days. He had been competing for one of the left-handed spots in Boston's bullpen but now will be sidelined for a significant period of time, whether surgery is ultimately required or not.

Jansen has been scratched from a scheduled appearance again Tuesday due to ongoing back tightness, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

It's the second day in a row that Jansen wasn't able to pitch as scheduled because of a nagging lower-back issue. The hope is that he will be able to make an appearance Wednesday. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday of Jansen's Opening Day availability that "we still have time, but we're running out of time." Chris Martin (groin) would be next in line to close if Jansen isn't ready, although he's banged up himself.