MLB Player News

Akin has struck out four and walked one without allowing a hit or a run over four innings across three Grapefruit League games.

Akin and Jonathan Heasley appear to be in contention for a multi-inning spot in the Orioles' bullpen. Both players will likely feature at times this season, though neither is set for a fantasy-friendly role. Akin struggled with a 6.85 ERA over 23.2 innings last season and ended the year with a back injury, which doesn't appear to be a concern in 2024. His 2.95 FIP and .434 BABIP in 2023 suggest he was vastly unlucky, which could lead to a bounce-back campaign ahead.

Baumann has struck out two without allowing a baserunner over two innings in Grapefruit League play.

Baumann made the full-time move to the bullpen last season. Ironically, that led to him collecting 10 wins, his most in a single season at any level since he had 13 victories in 2018 between Single-A and High-A. Last season's elevated win count was likely an anomaly -- Baumann's most probable to pitch in middle relief, making favorable decisions hard to forecast. He also had six holds, a 3.76 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 61:33 K:BB over 64.2 innings in 2023, numbers that could suggest regression is on the horizon.

Baker has allowed a hit, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out three over 2.2 scoreless innings in Grapefruit League play.

Baker had 11 holds, a 4-3 record and three blown saves over 46 appearances last season, pitching to a 3.60 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. He can strike out over a batter per inning while usually serving in a middle-innings role as part of a bridge to the closer. The Orioles have a number of high-leverage options available, and Baker could find himself in that mix if he can carry his success from spring into the regular season, assuming he makes the roster.

Brash (elbow) played catch from 60 feet Tuesday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Brash made 25 throws and didn't have any issues. He will continue playing catch every other day in order to get built back up as he works his way back from medial right elbow inflammation. Brash will begin the season on the injured list and could miss several weeks as he deliberately rebuilds stamina.

Santos (lat) will long-toss from 150 feet Tuesday and might be cleared to throw off a mound in a few days, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Santos developed right lat soreness early on in camp and resumed throwing a week ago. The reliever should have time to ramp up for Opening Day if he can avoid setbacks, but it's going to be close.

Kowar's next Cactus League appearance will be pushed back a few days as he deals with soreness, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Where exactly the soreness is located is not clear, but it doesn't seem like the Mariners have much concern that this could be a long-term injury. Kowar has impressed in the early going this spring with three strikeouts over two scoreless frames.

White is one of the top candidates to step into the rotation if either or both of Kevin Gausman (shoulder) and Alek Manoah (shoulder) aren't ready for Opening Day, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

White has shown increased velocity in camp, touching 97 mph with his fastball -- a boost he attributes to better health and mechanical tweaks. On the other hand, throwing harder hasn't meant throwing better so far this spring, as he's posted a rough 1:4 K:BB through three innings. The 29-year-old right-hander has posted miserable regular-season numbers for the Blue Jays since being acquired from the Dodgers, but he's out of minor-league options and Toronto isn't willing to give up on him just yet. Bowden Francis is the other main candidate for any open rotation spot.

Brebbia (calf) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Brebbia is about two weeks removed from suffering a right calf strain and is now ready to re-incorporate some mound work. The reliever noted previously that his calf doesn't bother him when he's throwing, so pitcher's fielding practice might be the bigger test and it's unclear when he'll be ready for that. Brebbia is a question mark for Opening Day.

Through two Cactus League appearances this spring, Joyce has given up five earned runs on three hits and five walks while striking out two batters over 1.1 innings.

It's been a struggle for the fireballing reliever early in spring action, as he's had trouble finding the strike zone. In his first game, which came against the Giants on Feb. 26, Joyce served up three walks and a homer to yield four runs while getting just one out. He was able to complete a full inning his next time out but still gave up two walks, two hits and a run. Joyce issued nine walks in 10 innings in his first taste of the majors last year, and he was only slightly better at corralling his command in the minors. The right-hander's ability to throw triple-digit heat has him tabbed as a future closer and gives him a good chance of landing an Opening Day bullpen spot this season, but he'll need to get much better at limiting walks eventually if he's to find substantial big-league success.

Munoz flashed a triple-digit fastball during his one Cactus League appearance thus far, Brent Stecker of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Munoz allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts over one inning against the White Sox on Thursday, offsetting the impressive heater with a sharp slider, per Stecker. The flame-throwing right-hander, who was 13-for-16 in save opportunities last season and is likely to have ninth-inning work all to himself early in the season with Matt Brash (elbow) potentially sidelined, needed only eight pitches to get through his one frame against Chicago.