MLB Player News

Danner (forearm) was optioned to minor-league camp by the Blue Jays on Monday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Danner was a longshot to make the roster anyway, but the inflammation in his right forearm made it all but a guarantee that he'd open the year in the minors. The 2017 second-round pick could be a bullpen option for the Jays at some point over the summer once healthy.

White (elbow) was optioned to minor-league camp by the Rays on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

White is recovering from Tommy John surgery last April, and the right-hander is hoping to contribute sometime over the summer. Because he won't be ready until at least June, there's a chance that White could be moved to the 60-day injured list if Tampa Bay needs room on the 40-man roster.

The Mariners optioned Bernardino to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday.

Bernardino made his big-league debut as a 30-year-old reliever in 2022, making two appearances out of Seattle's bullpen. The lefty impressed enough in his limited time with the Mariners and over a larger body of work at Tacoma to remain on the 40-man roster through the offseason, but the fact he has two minor-league options remaining likely worked against him in his bid for a spot in Seattle's Opening Day bullpen.

The Red sox optioned Walter to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.

Walter pitched well in a pair of appearances in the Grapefruit League with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts against no walks, but he wasn't ever likely to start the season in Boston. The left-hander is one of the better pitching prospects in the Red Sox system, and in 2022 he posted a 3.59 ERA over 11 starts with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester across 57.2 innings. There's a good chance Walter makes appearances of some sort for Boston before the 2023 season comes to a end.

The Orioles optioned Rom to minor-league camp Monday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Rom, whom Baltimore added to the 40-man roster over the offseason, appears set to open the 2023 campaign in the Triple-A Norfolk rotation. He made the jump from Double-A Bowie to Norfolk in mid-August of last year, but he turned in shaky results in his first taste of Triple-A, delivering a 5.58 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 36:16 K:BB in 30.2 innings over his first six starts with the affiliate.

The Giants optioned Long to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Long's demotion comes as little surprise after he was blitzed for seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits and three walks while striking out seven over 5.2 innings across his four appearances in the Cactus League. The southpaw was previously one of the Giants' more interesting pitching prospects when he joined the organization in 2020, but he's struggled to stake a claim to a regular role in the big leagues the past two seasons. It's unclear if the Giants intend to have him continue his development as a starter at Sacramento or make a full-time move to the bullpen.

Yamamoto announced Monday via his personal Twitter account that he has decided to retire from professional baseball.

Yamamoto's decision comes just one week after the Dodgers reassigned him to minor-league camp after he was unable to claim a spot on the team's Opening Day roster. The 26-year-old right-hander made 21 appearances (19 starts) in the majors from 2019 through 2021, logging a 6.05 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 96.2 career innings between the Marlins and Mets. Yamamoto struggled mightily in 2022 in stops with three of the Mets' minor-league affiliates, and rather than facing the likelihood of another year on the farm in the Dodgers organization, he's elected to close the door on his playing career.

The Giants announced Monday that Szapucki is seeking a second opinion for his left upper arm injury, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The initial diagnosis was that Szapucki is dealing with neuropathy, which left his fingers numb during his lone Cactus League appearance back in late February. He remains shut down from throwing as the Giants attempt to get a clearer handle on the situation.

Rodriguez has allowed one earned run, three hits and one walk while striking out three over five innings across five Grapefruit League appearances.

The Cardinals scooped up Rodriguez in the Rule 5 draft this fall, and his work early in spring training is giving him a shot of sticking in the majors. His only other experience in the majors was in 2014 with the Royals, and he logged just two innings. He spent most of the time between 2015 and 2022 in foreign leagues before signing with the Yankees last August. The 33-year-old right-hander will probably be a low-leverage reliever if he breaks camp with the Cardinals.

Clase gave up a two-run home run in Sunday's Cactus League game versus the Royals.

Clase worked the fifth inning in this contest and ended up giving up his first two runs of the spring. The Guardians' closer posted 42 saves with an excellent 1.36 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and just three homers allowed over 72.2 innings last season, so this is likely just a blip on the radar. He'll be one of the most popular relievers in fantasy drafts, with a cutter that can top 100 mph and two straight years of ninth-inning dominance under his belt.