MLB Player News

Washington optioned Harvey to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Harvey, a 2013 first-round draft pick, is likely one of the top arms in the Washington bullpen from a talent standpoint, but myriad injury concerns have limited him to fewer than 35 regular-season innings pitched in six of the last seven campaigns. He was tending to a triceps injury earlier this spring before being waived by the Giants and subsequently claimed by the Nationals. Harvey looks to be healthy again, but Washington may want him to get some more appearances under his belt at Triple-A before considering him as an option for the big-league bullpen. The Nationals' closer picture looks unsettled at the moment, so Harvey could factor into the mix at some point if health prevails and if he's able to make bats miss at the prolific rate he did during his brief stint with Baltimore at the tail end of the 2019 season.

Betances (shoulder) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The deal is worth $2.75 million at the MLB level and includes up to $500,000 in performance-based incentives, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Betances' 2021 season with the Mets came to an end when he underwent shoulder surgery in late June, but he'll get a chance to complete his rehab with the Dodgers organization. Where exactly the 34-year-old stands in his recovery isn't exactly clear, but the Dodgers likely wouldn't have signed if a lengthy absence was anticipated. The 34-year-old has struggled to stay healthy over the last few years, appearing in only 17 MLB games since the 2018 season. The right-hander is well removed from his prime years that resulted in four consecutive All-Star campaigns from 2014 through 2017, but the Dodgers are hopeful the organization change may help Betances rebound to some degree.

Lowther was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Lowther struggled this spring, surrendering four runs on five hits and five walks while striking out four over 4.1 innings. The 25-year-old will begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk, but considering the state of the Orioles' roster, he will likely get a shot with the big-league club at some point this summer. He'll look to improve upon the 6.67 ERA and 1.65 WHIP that he compiled with the Orioles in 2021.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that White's chances of making the Opening Day roster are increased by the fact that the team opens the season in Colorado, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Colorado, of course, is notoriously a tough location for pitchers, and the Dodgers' starters aren't yet built up to a full workload due to the shortened spring training. Those two factors make White -- who can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen -- particularly valuable. "Mitch is ready to go. He's in a good place. He's done a lot of good things for us, and his role is sort of long relief. He's embraced that role," Roberts stated Monday. White appeared in 21 games for the Dodgers last season, posting a 3.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 49:17 K:BB across 46.2 innings.

Miller was assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

The Yankees signed Miller to a minor-league deal in late March, but he got into only one Grapefruit League game with the club. In that contest, the 31-year-old pitched a scoreless inning during which he gave up one hit and struck out one. Miller may need to impress in the minors to get a chance in the big leagues this season after posting a 9.24 ERA across 12.2 frames between the Pirates and Cubs in 2021.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated Monday that Marinaccio has an "excellent shot" of making the Opening Day roster, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Marinaccio has given up five runs over 4.2 innings this spring, but none of those runs have been earned. He has allowed only three hits while posting a 4:2 K:BB. The right-hander registered a 2.36 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 41:8 K:BB across 26.2 innings at the Triple-A level last season.

Robles has a roster spot waiting for him when he's ready, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Robles was late arriving to camp due to visa issues and just made his first spring appearance Monday, when he worked around a hit and a walk while fanning two over one inning. Boston manager Alex Cora said Robles might be ready for Opening Day, but the Red Sox will first evaluate the right-hander Tuesday after throwing 23 pitches (14 strikes). Given that he's uncertain for Opening Day, Robles is not seen as a candidate for Red Sox's unsettled situation at closer at this time. The 31-year-old has closing experience and could enter the mix once his arm has been built up.

Fleming doesn't appear to have a spot in Tampa Bay's rotation, but he should have a multi-inning job in the bullpen, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Fleming gave up two runs over 3.1 innings in Monday's spring training loss to Atlanta.

Fleming has allowed three runs over 6.2 innings with four strikeouts and no walks this spring. Fleming doesn't have great velocity (91.2 mph average fastball last season) or strikeout rates (5.6 K/9) but has outstanding control (2.1 BB/9) and ground-ball rates (55.7%). He'll likely work multiple roles in the bullpen and as an occasional opener.

Manager Brandon Hyde hinted Monday that Lopez may be at the front of the line for saves if the Orioles elect not to deploy him in a more versatile high-leverage role, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

An already murky Baltimore closer situation became even more foggy Sunday, when the Orioles dealt Cole Sulser and Tanner Scott to Miami. Sulser and Scott were two of the presumptive favorites to contend for saves in Baltimore, but their departures leave Lopez, Dillon Tate and Paul Fry as the main candidates, at least based on how reporters close to the team have handicapped the closer picture. A 25-game starter for the Orioles in 2021, Lopez finished last season in the bullpen and posted a 4.61 ERA in a small sample of 8.1 innings, though his underlying numbers (2.34 xFIP, 24.2 K-BB%) painted a rosier picture of his performance. In all likelihood, the Orioles will end up cycling through all of Lopez, Tate and Fry in the late innings early on during the season, hoping that one eventually emerges as the most reliable closer.

Jimenez tossed a scoreless inning in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays and now has a perfect 0.00 ERA this spring with four strikeouts across five innings of work.

It's a very small sample size, but after posting a 7.15 ERA in the condensed 2020 season and a 5.96 ERA last year, any promising signs are welcome with Jimenez. The righty was once considered a potential future closer in Detroit, though he's been passed up by the likes of Gregory Soto and Michael Fulmer in the Tigers' bullpen. Jimenez could pitch himself back onto the fantasy radar, but fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach until he displays more consistency.