MLB Player News

Marsh (shoulder) pitched in a minor-league game Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Wednesday marks Marsh's first taste of competitive action this spring after spending most of camp working his way back from right shoulder tightness. He is now back on a normal spring training buildup, though he may not have enough time to be ready for Opening Day.

Blanco was removed from his start Wednesday against the Mets after getting struck by a line drive in the fourth inning, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Blanco didn't seem to be too shaken up following the incident, but he retreated to the clubhouse afterward and was replaced on the mound for the start of the fifth inning. He later said that the ball only grazed his wrist, per Rome, and the right-hander only left the game because he had reached his pitch count. The 31-year-old Blanco finished the day with three runs allowed in 3.2 innings, bringing his Grapefruit League ERA to 8.44.

Sabrowski (elbow) extended his throwing distance to 90 feet Wednesday.

Sabrowski started playing catch from 60 feet out last Wednesday, and the Guardians seem to be building him up relatively slowly. Assuming he doesn't run into any setbacks in his rehab from an anti-inflammatory injection, the 27-year-old southpaw could return to game action sometime in late April or early May.

Matzek (oblique) has resumed his throwing program and is scheduled for a bullpen session Thursday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Matzek was diagnosed with an oblique strain in early March, and he could start the regular season on the injured list. He threw a bullpen Monday and will need to have more sessions without suffering a setback before facing live hitters. Matzek appeared in 11 regular-season games for Atlanta in 2024 and posted a 9.90 ERA and 1.90 WHIP across 10 innings after missing most of the season due to an elbow issue.

Alcala is expected to be included in Minnesota's Opening Day bullpen, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. He's thrown nine scoreless innings with a 5:2 K:BB ratio this spring.

Given Alcala's 3.24 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 54 outings in 2024, his roster status shouldn't really be in question, but the Twins curiously sent him to the minors several times last year. Alcala has outstanding velocity with an average fastball of 97.9 mph, reaching a career-high 101.2 mph last summer. His strikeout rates haven't been as overpowering (8.95 K/9 last season) as he's struggled to get hitters to chase with a 19th percentile chase rate, but he limits hard contact (91st percentile hard-hit rate). He should be in the setup mix again this season if he can stay healthy and could be a good source of holds.

The Rays optioned Sulser to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Sulser was one of eight players dismissed from big-league camp in the Rays' latest round of roster cuts. The 34-year-old reliever split time between the Triple-A level and the majors in 2024 between his stops in the Mets and Rays organizations. He made 10 big-league appearances and turned in a 2.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 16.1 innings.

The Rays optioned Waguespack to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Despite putting just six baserunners on and striking out seven over six innings in Grapefruit League play, Waguespack was unable to secure a spot in Tampa Bay's Opening Day bullpen. The 31-year-old righty will begin the season at Durham, where he could operate as a swingman after starting in four of his nine appearances for the affiliate in 2024.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that he probably won't name a closer at the start of the season and instead will play matchups with Martinez and others, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

A.J. Puk and Kevin Ginkel also figure to be squarely in the mix for saves as Lovullo sorts through his late-inning options. Martinez recorded eight of the team's 11 traditional saves during the final two months of last season, while Puk notched two and Ryan Thompson had the other.

The Brewers reassigned Yoho to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Yoho was arguably the team's most impressive pitcher this spring, allowing just one run and two hits with a 12:3 K:BB over 7.1 innings. However, he's not yet on the 40-man roster, and that worked against him breaking camp with the big club. Yoho should still receive his first promotion to the majors later in 2025.

The Rangers optioned Robert to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.

Robert will miss out on a spot in the Texas bullpen to open the season after a rough spring in which he allowed three earned runs on six hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. The 30-year-old righty was previously summoned to the big leagues on two occasions last season, making four appearances for the Rangers. He otherwise spent the entire 2024 campaign at Round Rock, where he turned in a 2.70 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 52:13 K:BB across 43.1 innings.