MLB Player News

Sands looks set to make the Opening Day roster for the Twins as a long reliever, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Danny Coulombe and Bailey Ober were sent to Triple-A, which makes it almost certain Sands will begin the season in the majors. Manager Rocco Baldelli said he wants to keep a long reliever in the bullpen, so Sands will fill that role. Despite a 5.55 ERA at Triple-A last season, Sands was called up to the majors several times thanks to a strong strikeout rate (10.5 K/9).

Lopez was returned to the Rays from the Padres on Sunday.

Lopez was selected by the Padres with the 17th overall pick in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft, but he was unable to remain on the team's 40-man roster ahead of the regular season. Now that he's back with Tampa, he'll report to Triple-A Durham to begin the year.

Krook was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

Krook's contract was selected by the Yankees in November, but he was unable to secure a spot in the major-league bullpen to begin the regular season. Over six Grapefruit League appearances this spring, he posted a 3.75 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 12 innings. The southpaw hasn't yet made his big-league debut, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him do so at some point in 2023.

Shaw was released by the White Sox on Sunday, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The veteran right-hander was informed earlier Sunday he didn't make Chicago's Opening Day roster, so it's no surprise to see him return to free agency. Shaw had 5.40 ERA over 60 appearances last year but was solid during spring training with one earned run allowed over 8.1 frames.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Ramirez has been reassigned to minor-league camp, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Ramirez, who had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee, made a spirited bid for a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day bullpen after holding opposing hitters to a .188 average while pitching to a 4.15 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB in 8.2 innings during Grapefruit League play. He'll be in line for an assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when the minor-league season opens next weekend.

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed Sunday that Abreu will be included in the Yankees' Opening Day bullpen, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Abreu turned in uneven results during Grapefruit League play, yielding six runs and striking out just four over 9.1 innings, but he issued just one walk and held opposing batters to a .222 average. Ultimately, that level of performance along with the fact that he doesn't have minor-league options remaining were enough for Abreu to secure his spot on the roster. He'll likely be ticketed for low-leverage work out of the bullpen.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Sunday that Strahm will start the Phillies' fifth game of the regular season April 4 versus the Yankees in New York, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

As anticipated, Strahm will get the opportunity to open the season as a member of the Philadelphia rotation while Ranger Suarez (forearm) is on the shelf. Considering that Suarez has yet to resume throwing bullpen sessions, he could spend more than the 15-day minimum on the injured list, setting Strahm up for multiple turns through the rotation. Strahm hasn't been a regular starter in the big leagues since 2019, but he prepared for the appointment to the rotation by covering two-plus innings in each of his most recent three spring outings. Thomson said he expects Strahm to cover around 65-to-70 pitches in his first start of the regular season before upping his pitch count in his subsequent starts.

Speier was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

The left-hander was claimed off waivers by the Mariners in November and will debut for the organization at the Triple-A level. Speier had a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB over 19.1 innings with Kansas City last year, so he could certainly work his way into Seattle's bullpen mix at some point in 2023.

Snead (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

Snead was shut down from throwing in early March due to a left shoulder strain, and he'll be sidelined for at least the first two months of the season. The 28-year-old received his first substantial run in the big leagues last year and had a 5.84 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 35:22 K:BB over 44.2 innings.

The Orioles optioned Hall to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Hall is healthy again after he overcame a lower-back injury to make two extended Grapefruit League relief appearances Monday and Saturday, but the Orioles want him to continue building up as a starter in the minors before a return to the majors is considered. Assuming he stays healthy and productive at Norfolk in the early part of the season, Hall should be among the top candidates for a promotion if a spot in the big-league rotation opens up at any point.