MLB Player News

Reynolds was optioned to Triple-A El Paso by the Padres on Saturday.

Reynolds struck out four and didn't allow a hit over two scoreless Cactus League innings but is nonetheless an early cut. The 25-year-old really struggled at El Paso down the stretch last season after being acquired from the Marlins in the Garrett Cooper trade. A better start in 2024 will help him push for his first big-league appearance.

Lopez has yielded just one run with a 3:1 K:BB over his first five innings of Grapefruit League action as he bids for the fifth spot in Atlanta's rotation, including three scoreless frames Saturday against the Blue Jays.

The word from Mark Bowman of MLB.com heading into camp was that Lopez might have the edge on winning the No. 5 spot in the rotation, and he's done nothing to jeopardize that so far. His competition for the open rotation job hasn't fared as well to begin the spring -- Bryce Elder has permitted five runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter through his first 4.1 innings during Grapefruit League play, while AJ Smith-Shawver gave up three runs over two innings in his first start.

Covey reported tightness in his right shoulder Saturday, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The news of Covey's injury comes a day after the 32-year-old reliever surrendered two earned runs and three walks without recording an out against the Marlins on Friday. The severity of Covey's injury is unclear, but the Phillies will likely give him at least a few days to recover before putting him back in a game.

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

Poppen appeared in two games for the Mariners this spring, surrendering just one hit while striking out three batters, but he will be removed from big-league camp nonetheless. Poppen logged a 6.33 ERA and 1.88 WHIP over 58.1 innings in Triple-A last season and will presumably begin the season in Tacoma.

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.

Thompson allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three without walking a batter in Saturday's Grapefruit league start versus the Astros.

Thompson and Matthew Liberatore are in the Cardinals' biggest battle for the last starting spot in the rotation. Thompson pitched for 2.2 innings Saturday before giving up back-to-back doubles. With Steven Matz coming along slowly after an injury-plagued 2023, there could be room for both Thompson and Liberatore in the Cardinals' projected early season six-man rotation, but both of them have shown some inconsistency early in the spring.

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.

Chargois has been sidelined for the past week due to neck spasms, but he's scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 33-year-old was a solid part of the Marlins' bullpen in 2023, posting a 3.61 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 42.1 innings in a middle-relief role. Assuming he's healthy by Opening Day, he could see higher-leverage usage this year as one of the top right-handed options behind closer Tanner Scott, though Chargois recorded only four holds in 46 appearances last season.

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.