MLB Player News

Manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Winckowski will be part of the Red Sox' Opening Day roster, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Winckowski will fill a long-relief role while Kutter Crawford will get a spot in the rotation. Winckowski -- who is starting Thursday in Grapefruit League play -- has allowed just two unearned runs in 10 innings this spring.

Mills will begin the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a flexor issue in his right arm Thursday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Mills' injury had previously been referred to as elbow inflammation, but the flexor diagnosis suggests it might be a little more serious. The reliever figures to be shut down for a while before being re-evaluated.

Jimenez might get some save opportunities with Atlanta while Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) is out.

A.J. Minter might be ahead of Jimenez in the pecking order, especially since Jimenez has been eased into things this spring following offseason back surgery. The former Tiger is considered healthy now, though, and was terrific in 2022 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 77:13 K:BB over 56.2 frames. It's possible Atlanta doesn't settle on one closer while Iglesias is on the shelf.

Raisel Iglesias was diagnosed with low-grade shoulder inflammation Thursday and will begin the season on the injured list, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports, and Minter could be in line for some saves while the closer is sidelined.

Iglesias will be shut down for at least the next week while he deals with the shoulder issue. Minter has had a rough spring but remains the probable fill-in option for Iglesias after posting a brilliant 2.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 94:15 K:BB over 70 innings during 2022. Joe Jimenez is also a candidate.

Iglesias will begin the season on the injured list after he was diagnosed with low-grade inflammation in his right shoulder Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It seems relatively minor as far as shoulder injuries go, but Iglesias will be shut down from throwing for at least seven days in hopes that the soreness clears up. That would seem to indicate Iglesias could be sidelined for several weeks, though his return timeline at this point remains unclear. A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez are candidates to fill Atlanta's closer role while Iglesias is on the shelf.

Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list due to right shoulder tightness, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Rule 5 pick will be shut down for a week before being re-evaluated. Rodriguez has posted a 4.26 ERA and 6:3 K:BB over 6.1 innings this spring and had been in line for a middle-relief role.

Mills will be shut down for several days after experiencing elbow inflammation coming out of his most recent Grapefruit League appearance March 13, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Though Mills' injury isn't believed to be a significant one, it'll more than likely take him out of contention for a spot in Boston's Opening Day bullpen. The Red Sox acquired the 27-year-old right-hander in December after he turned in a 4.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 26:13 K:BB over 29.1 innings in the majors with Seattle and Kansas City in 2022.

Leclerc's fastball ranged from 92 to 94 mph Wednesday, down from the 96.5 mph it averaged in 2022, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Leclerc finished off Wednesday's spring game for the save, so reduced velocity doesn't necessarily mean he can't close games. That's something manager Bruce Bochy understands and about which he's not concerned, according to Grant. Leclerc cut down on fastball usage last season while increasing his slider and changeup. What he needs to do is fool batters with the change or have them chasing sliders outside the zone. If not, Leclerc will get behind in counts and may throw fastballs in hitters' counts. He's walked four batters in 6.2 Cactus League innings, so there are signs trouble, but he's managed to avoid damage with no earned runs allowed. In the event Leclerc doesn't pan out as the closer, Bochy could turn to Will Smith or non-roster invitee Ian Kennedy to save games.

Castro has allowed one hit and one walk while striking out seven over six scoreless Cactus League innings.

It's no surprise that Castro will make the roster, but his power arm could be utilized in high-leverage spots for a bullpen whose late-inning patterns are still taking shape. He's in the mix for save opportunities with Scott McGough and Kevin Ginkel with Opening Day coming next week. All three have posted strong numbers during spring ball.

The Dodges optioned Bruihl (back) to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Bruihl pitched in 24 games for Los Angeles last season, recording a 3.80 ERA and 1.18 WHIP through 23.2 innings. The 25-year-old southpaw appeared to enter spring training in good position to break camp with the big club, but a bout with back spasms might have derailed his chances of securing a spot in the Dodgers' Opening Day bullpen. Bruihl at least appears to be healthy again, as he returned from a two-week absence from the Dodgers' pitching schedule to retire one of the three batters he faced in Tuesday's 12-1 loss to the Giants in Cactus League play.