MLB Player News

Yates walked one and struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The veteran reliever has thrown only 11.1 big-league innings over the last three seasons due to various injuries, including Tommy John surgery two years ago, but he's been healthy in camp as he attempts to make a comeback. Yates has served up two homers in six innings, leading to a 9.00 spring ERA, but his 8:2 K:BB indicates he's still got the ability to miss bats. The 35-year-old is ticketed for middle-relief duty in a crowded Atlanta bullpen that already has A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez locked into setup roles in front of closer Raisel Iglesias, but Yates could still have some fantasy value in deeper formats if he's able to recapture something close to his pre-injury form.

Waites (lat) is scheduled to make his spring debut Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Waites suffered a right lat strain just before the start of spring training, but he's made steady progress over the last several weeks and should be an option for the Giants' bullpen sometime in mid-to-late April. He's already been ruled out for an Opening Day roster spot, but that's only to allow more time for a proper build-up.

Minter gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Not that it means much, but Minter did pick up the save. The southpaw will be one of Raisel Iglesias' primary setup men this season and one of the top high-leverage options in the Atlanta bullpen, and in that role in 2022, Minter piled up a league-leading 35 holds with five wins and five saves in addition to his stellar 2.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 34.7 percent strikeout rate.

Ferrer was optioned to Triple-A Rochester by the Nationals on Tuesday, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports.

Ferrer had put together a strong spring and was said to be making a push for the Opening Day roster, but the Nats will give him a little more development time in the minors. The 23-year-old registered an encouraging 2.48 ERA and 78:11 K:BB in 65.1 innings last season between Low-A, High-A and Double-A ball.

The Astros optioned Gage to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The southpaw pitched well this spring, allowing just one run with a 6:1 K:BB over six innings, but he nonetheless finds himself on the outside looking in for a roster spot. With Gage headed to the minors, that means the Astros will open the regular season with no left-handers in their bullpen.

Arano (shoulder) is expected to open the season on the Nationals' 60-day injured list, a source tells Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post.

Arano made two appearances in Grapefruit League play before being shut down earlier this month after being diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement. Though the injury typically isn't one that entails a lengthy absence, the Nationals could be inclined to take a more cautious approach with Arano given that he missed time in 2020 and 2022 on account of shoulder concerns. When healthy, Arano is expected to serve as a middle-innings or setup option out of the Washington bullpen.

Stephenson (elbow) is listed as available out of the Pirates' bullpen for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game versus the Phillies, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Stephenson has been out all spring with right elbow soreness, but he's been throwing of late with no issues and is now cleared for game action. He'll try to get in a few appearances ahead of Opening Day before serving as a setup man for David Bednar.

White (neck) threw one inning in a spring game for Double-A Frisco on Sunday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

This was White's first outing since late February, when he was shut down with neck tightness. It was similar to the injury he suffered last season, which was initially thought of as a forearm injury but turned out to be nerve inflammation in the neck that traveled down his arm. The Rangers expect White to be ready for the start of the minor-league season.

Rodriguez has been able to rotate and stretch in the days since suffering a Grade 2 right oblique strain, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The pitcher isn't sure about a timetable for his return but is encouraged by his progress so far. A Grade 2 oblique strain usually costs players at least 3-4 weeks of action, so Rodriguez could still miss a large chunk of April, if not more.

Jarvis allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five over 4.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the White Sox.

Jarvis was smooth through three scoreless innings before ceding a three-run home run on a 1-0 changeup to Hanser Alberto in the fourth. This was his third appearance and first as a starter in Cactus League competition. The 2020 first-round draft pick compiled an 8.27 ERA with 27 homers allowed over 106.2 innings at Double-A Amarillo last season, which prompted him to make adjustments to his delivery during the offseason.