MLB Player News

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

King had a rough go of it in the Cactus League with a 5.06 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 12:4 K:BB over 10.2 innings of work. The southpaw will begin the season in the Pacific Coast League, but he likely will see time in the Texas bullpen as an up-and-down option for the club for the 2023 campaign.

Mengden re-signed with the Royals on a minor-league contract Wednesday.

Mengden saw a little action with the Royals in 2022 but spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A Omaha, posting a 5.20 ERA over 109 innings. He'll head back there to start 2023.

Hill will be a part of Detroit's Opening Day roster, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Hill earned one of the final spots on the Detroit roster despite posting a 7.11 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over 12.2 innings in the Grapefruit League. The Tigers have yet to clarify what the 27-year-old right-hander's role will look like to begin the season, but he could be ticketed for a long-relief role with Joey Wentz expected to serve as Detroit's No. 5 starter to begin the campaign.

Brieske (undisclosed) will likely start the year on the injured list, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

It's not yet known what will cause Brieske to miss time. The right-hander was considered a potential starter to begin the year for the Tigers, but that obviously won't take place now. The 24-year-old held his own in 15 starts with Detroit in 2022 with a 4.19 ERA and 54:25 K:BB over 81.2 innings.

Kelly generated a 2.25 ERA across eight innings over eight Cactus League appearances.

Kelly did allow eight hits, but he issued just one walk against seven strikeouts while not allowing a homer. The right-hander struggled mightily in his time with the White Sox in 2022. posting a 6.08 ERA and 53:23 K:BB across 43 appearances. However, the 34-year-old has made a habit of bouncing back from poor campaigns with positive ones the following year. Kelly will likely work in a setup role in 2023, but he could see some save opportunities with the White Sox having no set closer to begin the season.

Angels manager Phil Nevin announced after Saturday's exhibition game against the Dodgers that Davidson will be a part of the Opening Day roster, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Davidson will pitch out of the bullpen to begin the year, but he could also be the sixth starter for the club when that becomes necessary. The left-hander is going to be part of the squad at least in part because Griffin Canning is battling a groin injury. Davidson struggled mightily in his limited time with both Atlanta and Los Angeles in 2022 -- the latter appearances coming after he was dealt for Raisel Iglesias at the deadline -- but he will have a chance to stick with the Los Angeles staff to begin 2023.

Nelson (elbow) threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout during Tuesday's exhibition game against the Angels, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The strikeout was the first that Nelson has picked up this spring. The right-hander is going to open the 2023 season on the injured list, but it's encouraging to see him pitch well after struggling for most of the Cactus League. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters they'll evaluate Nelson on a week-to-week basis, so there's no timetable for when he'll be ready to contribute to the Dodgers' bullpen.

The Athletics optioned Smith to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Smith got off to a rough start in the Cactus League, but the right-hander was solid to end the spring season to finish with a 3.12 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 8.2 innings. The 27-year-old will likely be an up-and-down depth option for the Oakland bullpen throughout 2023.

Thompson did not allow a run across seven Cactus League innings. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Thompson looked good this spring as he geared up for a role in Chicago's bullpen this season. The righty made 17 starts for the Cubs in 2022, but the team will use him as a reliever after adding Jameson Taillon in the offseason and inserting Hayden Wesneski into the rotation to start the year as well. Thompson may pick up some spot starts here and there, though his fantasy value is limited for now in a long-relief role.

Hill is likely battling for one of three remaining bullpen spots in Detroit along with Tyler Holton, Chasen Shreve, Trey Wingenter and Beau Brieske, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Holton and Shreve are both lefties, so the Tigers will likely want to keep one or both of them as situational options. Hill may still make the team as a long reliever, as he made eight starts last season as a rookie. The righty held his own with a 4.03 ERA, though he only had 40 strikeouts across 60.1 innings, so he seems unlikely to dominate batters out of the bullpen.