MLB Player News

Adam threw a scoreless inning with three strikeouts in Friday's spring training win over Boston. "(He) continues to impress," manager Kevin Cash told the Tampa Bay Times. "The fastball, but obviously the off-speed pitches that he's just gaining a lot of confidence with."

Adam is making a strong case to win a bullpen job with six strikeouts, two walks and two runs allowed in four innings this spring. He's competing for a final spot in the bullpen against Colin Poche and Ryan Thompson.

Manager Joe Maddon confirmed Friday that Barria won't begin the regular season in the Angels' starting rotation, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Barria struggled in spring training, as he allowed four runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out six in five innings across two Cactus League appearances. As a result, Reid Detmers will begin the 2022 campaign as the team's sixth starter. It's not yet clear whether Barria will report to Triple-A Salt Lake or whether he'll serve as a long reliever in the majors, but he'll be one of the top options to fill in as a starter if needed.

Clase hasn't yet agreed to a contract extension with the Guardians, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

A previous report indicated that Clase had signed an extension with the Guardians on Friday, but the two sides are still in discussions. Regardless of whether the sides reach an agreement prior to the April 7 deadline, Clase is in line to begin the season as Cleveland's closer.

Clase signed a contract extension with the Guardians on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Clase has been pitching well early in spring training, allowing a run on four hits and no walks while striking out five in four innings across four Cactus League appearances. The right-hander emerged as Cleveland's closer in 2021, making 71 relief appearances and posting a 1.29 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 69.2 innings while converting 24 of 29 save chances.

Borucki's exit Friday against the Pirates was due to right hamstring discomfort, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Borucki felt an issue after slipping on the mound. Whether or not he's dealing with a long-term issue should become clear following further tests.

Borucki exited Friday's Grapefruit League game with an apparent injury, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Borucki was visited by the athletic trainer twice and left the field following the second visit. The specifics of the issue remain unclear, though the 28-year-old did appear to stumble on the mound.

VerHagen allowed seven runs on seven his and three walks while striking out four in three innings in Thursday's loss to the Marlins.

VerHagen is looking to make his major-league comeback after two years in Japan. Prior to Thursday, he had allowed just two runs in five innings, but his latest outing was a setback in his quest to be the Cardinals' fifth starter. He'll likely get one more spring start to make his case, though Jake Woodford and Aaron Brooks are also in the mix to make the rotation while Jack Flaherty (shoulder) is sidelined into mid-May.

Giles (elbow) won't throw for a few weeks due to a tendon issue in his middle finger, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

Giles appeared set to be part of a closer committee in Seattle this season after making his way back from Tommy John surgery. He should still get the chance to do that, but not right away. He'll have to ramp back up once he resumes throwing, so it's hard to envision him making his Mariners debut until at least May.

Kimbrel was confirmed as the Dodgers' closer by general manager Brandon Gomes on Friday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Dodgers intended to go with a committee approach prior to acquiring Kimbrel from the White Sox, and it was at least conceivable that the plan was merely to use Kimbrel as part of that committee. While Kimbrel's 2021 numbers were comparable to those of top incumbent Blake Treinen, he's clearly more comfortable in a traditional closer role. He'll return to that spot after spending the end of last year setting up for Liam Hendriks.

Kilian, the Cubs' top pitching prospect, will open the year at Triple-A Iowa, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.

The headliner in the return from San Francisco for Kris Bryant and the MVP of the Arizona Fall League championship game, Kilian hadn't pitched in big-league spring training, so it's good to hear that he's healthy and ready for the minor-league season. The Cubs' rotation lacks viable depth, so Kilian could get the call to the majors sometime this summer.