MLB Player News

The Mariners placed Kowar on the 60-day injured list Sunday after he was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow. He'll undergo Tommy John surgery next Friday in Dallas, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

After experiencing arm soreness early last week, Kowar was sent in for tests Friday, at which point the UCL damage was detected. The 27-year-old will miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign and likely the first couple months of 2025 as well. Kowar, whom Seattle acquired from Atlanta in December, was expected to handle a low-leverage role out of the Mariners bullpen.

Graterol is dealing with shoulder discomfort and hip tightness and won't travel to South Korea with the Dodgers for the season-opening series against the Padres on March 20 and 21, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Graterol has made just one game appearance thus far during spring training and is expected to resume throwing Tuesday, so he won't be ready with the season-opening international series a little more than a week away. The right-hander still hopes to be ready for the first stateside game of the season March 28, but it's a tight timeline for him to be built up in time.

Holton pitched a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, lowering his spring ERA to 4.50.

Holton had allowed runs in each of his last two spring appearances, but he was sharper Saturday. The lefty now has four strikeouts across four Grapefruit League innings to go along with a 0.75 WHIP. Holton emerged as a key weapon for the Tigers in 2023, posting a 2.11 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 74 strikeouts across 85.1 innings, working primarily as a long reliever. The southpaw will likely serve in a similar capacity this year, and while he may vulture a few wins, his fantasy value figures to be inconsistent coming out of the bullpen.

Vest logged a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, lowering his spring ERA to 4.91.

Vest allowed two runs while retiring just two batters in his second spring appearance back on Feb. 29, but he's otherwise logged three scoreless outings with four strikeouts. The righty was a strong asset for the Tigers in 2023, recording a 2.98 ERA and 56 strikeouts across 48.1 innings of relief. Vest should once again work in a high-leverage role in front of closer Alex Lange, and he's a candidate for save chances if Lange struggles, though Jason Foley and Shelby Miller would also likely be in the mix.

Bolton (ankle) struck out one over a perfect inning of relief Friday in the Mariners' 9-5 loss to the Cubs in Cactus League play.

Bolton's appearance was his third of the spring but his first since Feb. 29 after a bout with ankle discomfort prompted the Mariners to hold him out for a few days. The 25-year-old looks like he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season, but it's unclear if he has the inside track for a spot in Seattle's bullpen. He still has two minor-league options remaining and was hit hard in his first taste of the big leagues with Pittsburgh in 2023, logging a 6.33 ERA and 2.11 WHIP over 21.1 innings.

Neris, who tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, has a 2.25 ERA across four spring appearances.

Neris is expected to settle into a high-leverage role after joining the Cubs over the winter. The veteran righty was a key member of the Houston bullpen the last few seasons, and he posted a stellar 1.71 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 68.1 innings for the Astros last year. Neris will likely set up closer Adbert Alzolay to begin the regular season, though the former is an option for saves if Alzolay struggles.

Krehbiel (neck) gave up three earned runs on two hits and one walk while striking out one over an inning of relief in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Cubs in Cactus League play.

Krehbiel had been scheduled to make his third appearance of the spring Wednesday versus the Royals, but he was scratched from that outing two days later due to a neck strain. The veteran reliever was quickly able to move past the issue, but he was hit hard in his return to the mound Friday, with both of the hits he allowed leaving the yard. Krehbiel is attending camp as a non-roster invitee and looks like a long shot to win a spot in the Mariners' Opening Day bullpen.

Edwards, who tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, has a 0.00 ERA across four spring appearances.

Edwards last pitched for the Cubs in 2019, and he was a valuable member of the bullpen for the 2016 World Series winning squad. The righty has bounced around a bit in recent years, but he has a chance to settle into a middle-relief spot with Chicago in 2024. Edwards likely won't have a ton of fantasy value in that role, however.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Diaz will make his Grapefruit League debut Monday against the Tigers, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The 29-year-old reported to camp fully healthy after missing all of last season due to a torn patellar tendon, but the Mets elected to ease him into things during the early stages of spring training. Diaz will likely continue ramping up his workload over the final weeks of camp, and he should return to the ranks of the best closers in MLB in 2024.

Manaea allowed two hits and three walks over four scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out five.

The veteran southpaw built up to 61 pitches (35 strikes) in an impressive performance that saw him count Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras (twice) among his Ks. Saturday's free passes were also his first of the spring, and Manaea has an 8:3 K:BB through 6.2 innings. After signing a two-year, $28 million contract with the Mets in January, he's being counted on to provide some stability in the rotation, but Manaea has some things to prove after posting a 4.73 ERA in 275.2 innings over the last two seasons between the Padres and Giants.