MLB Player News

Treinen (lung) said he completed a bullpen session Wednesday consisting of 15-to-20 pitches, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Treinen, who is recovering from a bruised lung, seemed upbeat after the session, but he wouldn't disclose whether he'll be available for the Dodgers' two-game season-opening series in South Korea versus the Padres on March 20 and 21. Since Wednesday's game against the Mariners marked the Dodgers' final Cactus League contest before the Seoul Series, Treinen may need to prove his health in a simulated game or a minor-league spring game before making the trip to South Korea.

Young (back) failed to retire any of the seven batters he faced and was charged with six runs (five earned) on four hits and two walks during his relief appearance in Tuesday's 14-1 loss to the White Sox.

Young made his Cactus League debut Tuesday after he experienced back tightness early on during his throwing progression in camp, and based on how he fared against the White Sox, he might have benefited from taking a few extra days before entering the Reds' spring pitching schedule. The Reds haven't yet indicated that Young experienced a setback during his appearance, so he'll presumably try to iron out the kinks in his subsequent outings as he looks to secure a spot in the team's Opening Day bullpen. Young nabbed four wins, one save and 13 holds while pitching to a 3.86 ERA over 53.2 innings out of the Cincinnati bullpen in 2023.

Poteet is a candidate to join the Yankees' Opening Day rotation due to Gerrit Cole (elbow) being expected to be sidelined for 1-to-2 months to begin the season, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Luke Weaver (neck) looks to be the top candidate to fill the fifth opening in the rotation in the wake of Cole's injury, provided Weaver can overcome the neck issue that caused him to be scratched from his most recent Grapefruit League start Tuesday. If Weaver isn't able to get fully stretched out for Opening Day, however, Poteet may be next in line to fill the rotation vacancy. Signed to a one-year, $750,000 deal in January, Poteet has impressed through his first three spring outings, striking out seven and walking one over 5.2 scoreless frames while holding opposing hitters to a .158 average. Beyond Weaver and Poteet, Will Warren, Cody Morris and Luis Gil are other candidates for the fifth rotation spot.

Brebbia (calf) is scheduled to face hitters in live batting practice Wednesday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Brebbia has yet to make his Cactus League debut while he works his way back from a right calf strain suffered earlier in camp, but if all goes well Wednesday, he could be integrated into the White Sox's pitching schedule within the next few days. The right-hander is looking on track to be available for Opening Day if he avoids any setbacks in his throwing program, but it's unclear what role he'll hold in the White Sox bullpen. Brebbia was a dependable middle reliever and opener for the Giants over the past two seasons, but he could be a candidate to close games while he's part of a Chicago relief corps that's otherwise lacking in reliable or experienced late-inning options.

Harvey struck out two over 1.1 perfect innings of relief in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The right-hander set career highs with 57 appearances and 60.2 innings in a mostly heathy 2023, and Harvey responded with a 2.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 28.5 percent strikeout rate to go along with 10 saves and 19 holds. He's looked just as dominant this spring, posting a 9:1 K:BB through 5.1 innings, and he's on track for a high-leverage role in the Nationals' bullpen that could see him take over full-time closing duties at some point rather than sharing the ninth inning with Kyle Finnegan.

Newcomb (knee) made his Cactus League debut in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Royals, striking out four over two scoreless innings while working around two hits and one walk.

Newcomb's integration into the spring pitching schedule was delayed while he completed his recovery from the surgery he underwent on his left knee last September, but he looked sharp in his two-inning appearance Sunday. Though Newcomb could be built up for a starting role over the final two weeks of the spring, he still looks set to miss out on a spot in the Opening Day rotation. Even if that's the case, Newcomb could still be included on the Opening Day roster as a long reliever.

Uribe threw one-third of an inning of relief and gave up four earned runs in Tuesday's spring game. He allowed four hits, walked a batter and hit two others.

Tuesday's tough outing may not mean much long-term, but it is worth noting with closer Devin Williams being evaluated for a back injury. Either Uribe or Joel Payamps would likely step in if Williams misses Opening Day, but neither player has been sharp this spring, and that could open the door for other relievers to join the mix.

Axford announced Wednesday via social media that he has retired from professional baseball.

Axford's playing days were believed to be behind him after he underwent Tommy John surgery as a 38-year-old in September 2021, but after sitting out the 2022 season, he proceeded to pitch for the Canadian team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic last spring. The right-hander didn't end up signing elsewhere following the WBC and will now formally step away from the game. A veteran of 544 career appearances over parts of 11 big-league seasons, Axford notched 144 saves and posted a lifetime 3.90 ERA in 525.2 innings across stints with Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Oakland, Toronto and the Dodgers. He enjoyed his best season with the Brewers in 2011, when he led the majors with 46 saves and finished ninth in the National League Cy Young Award balloting.

Devenski is an option to step in as the Rays' No. 5 starter due to Taj Bradley (pectoral) being ruled out for the start of the season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Devenski has not started a big-league game since the 2019 season, but September was a renaissance of sorts as he posted a 2.08 ERA and 9:2 K:BB in nine appearances with the Rays down the stretch. Tampa Bay liked what it saw enough to bring the veteran back for 2024, and he has been building up to handle multiple innings this spring. Devenski threw two innings against the Blue Jays on Monday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out one batter.

Lopez is likely to be deployed as both a starter and a reliever over the course of the season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

This isn't a huge surprise, as Lopez hasn't thrown 100 or more innings in a season since 2019, but it does confirm that Atlanta is ready to be flexible with his usage. The 30-year-old right-hander is currently battling Bryce Elder for the fifth starter role to begin the season, and Lopez's velocity was down a bit in a Grapefruit League start Tuesday against the Pirates -- he averaged 94.2 mph with his fastball and topped out at 95.7 mph. Even without his best stuff, he still limited a Pittsburgh lineup that featured most of its Opening Day starters to one run on three hits and three walks over 3.2 innings, as he got stretched out to 58 pitches (34 strikes).