MLB Player News

The Mariners reassigned Hembree to minor-league camp Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Hembree threw a perfect inning during his lone appearance of the spring, but his chances to make the team were always slim. The 35-year-old righty will head to Triple-A Tacoma to provide the Mariners with organizational depth in the bullpen.

The Mariners reassigned Abbott to minor-league camp Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Abbott surrendered two runs over one inning during his lone spring appearance with Seattle, and he'll officially drop out of the race for the Opening Day roster as the Mariners make their first round of cuts. Abbott will likely begin 2024 in Triple-A, where he posted a 4.98 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 56 innings last season.

Ragans has allowed four hits and a walk while striking out eight over five scoreless innings across two Cactus League starts.

Ragans' focus early in the spring slate has been to make in-game adjustments when he struggles, though that has been rare so far. "I felt like last year there were a few outings I struggled with it," Ragans said. "So it's been great. I felt like today, I did a really good job of it. It was more so finding the right thought process, I guess you could say, of what I tell myself to get back to the right mechanics. I felt like I took a big step last year making the adjustment, so kind of building off it this spring." Ragans is also working on his command with his slider. The 26-year-old southpaw is entering his second full season, but he looks to have all the tools to become the Royals' ace in 2024.

Francis could be the favorite to step into the fifth starter role for the Blue Jays if Alek Manoah (shoulder) isn't ready for Opening Day, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Manoah was viewed as the likely No. 5 starter despite his 2023 struggles, but a poor start to the spring and a bout of shoulder soreness could force the Jays to re-evaluate. Francis posted strong numbers over 20 relief appearances last season and was mainly a starting pitcher in the minors, but it's not yet clear if his stuff will hold up over longer outings against big-league hitters. Should Francis also falter in camp, it could open the door for Mitch White or even top prospect Ricky Tiedemann (hamstring) to begin the campaign in the rotation.

Leclerc allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one over a third of an inning in Thursday's spring game against Milwaukee.

Leclerc, who made his Cactus League debut, was tagged with a blown save, though that means little in the context of a spring game. Coming off a strong postseason, he is considered one of the options to close games this season. Manager Bruce Bochy has not yet identified any one reliever as his closer, nor has the manager established a pecking order, as multiple arms are being considered for endgame work.

Pepiot allowed three hits and walked one while striking out three across two scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Pepiot allowed three hitters to reach base in the first inning and stranded the bases loaded by striking out Davis Schneider. He pitched a much cleaner second frame to end his spring debut on a high note. Pepiot should fill an Opening Day rotation spot and will look to turn in a full season of work after an injury-plagued 2023 campaign with the Dodgers.

Weiss is currently sidelined with a tres major strain in his right shoulder, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

He's not expected to resume playing catch for another week, according to the report. It sounds likely that Weiss will begin the season on the injured list or need more time in extended spring training before he's ready for the season. Weiss was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in February and was expected to compete for a middle-relief role.

Cano has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut, but the Orioles are taking a slow approach with the right-hander, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Cano has done side sessions and will continue to do so for a few more days. Manager Brandon Hyde explained that Cano's heavy workload last season -- 72.2 innings -- has played a part in taking it slow with the reliever. Craig Kimbrel is expected to close games for the Orioles in 2024, but Cano is the next man up in the bullpen should Kimbrel get hurt or pitch poorly.

Swanson (personal) has returned to Blue Jays' camp, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.

Swanson was away for a few days after his son, Toby, was struck by an SUV on Sunday in Florida. Most importantly, this means Toby's condition is improving. Secondarily, Swanson can now resume his throwing program and has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day.

Brash was diagnosed with medial right elbow inflammation Friday and is expected to start playing catch early next week, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Recent reports indicated Brash could be dealing with a serious arm injury, but it appears to be a more minor issue that won't keep him shut down for long. Still, the right-hander is likely to begin the season on the injured list, with the Mariners expected to build him up cautiously.