MLB Player News

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Brasier will likely open the season on the injured list after suffering a left calf strain while pitching in a "B" game Monday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Due to his delayed arrival to camp, Brasier was already at risk of being excluded from the Opening Day roster, but the injury he suffered Monday appears to have the decision an easy one for Boston. With Brasier likely out for at least the first week of the season, Cora said that Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor would be pushed into more higher-leverage work behind closing options Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes, per Koch.

Rodriguez (ankle) threw batting practice Monday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez continues to progress from a sprained ankle. He's setting a target date to return about two weeks into the season. He could emerge as part of the team's end-game strategy along with Ian Kennedy and Matt Bush.

Yarbrough allowed two earned runs on three hits over 5.1 innings in a Grapefruit League win over Atlanta on Sunday. He struck out four and also hit a batter.

The left-hander accomplished his solid line against a lineup full of Atlanta regulars, turning in a much better performance than when he faced them a week earlier. Yarbrough finished Grapefruit League play allowing two runs or less in three of his four trips to the mound and posted an impressive 11:2 K:BB across 13.2 innings.

Cleveland will use a committee of Clase, James Karinchak and Nick Wittgren for save chances this season, manager Terry Francona told MLB.com.

Clase had a 4.32 ERA this spring with 11 strikeouts and no walks in 8.1 innings. Karinchak entered spring as the leading candidate for the closer role, but struggled with a 6.52 ERA and 10 walks in 9.2 innings. Wittgren looked sharp with a 1.08 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings. It sounds like the closer situation could be in flux early in the season.

Cleveland will use a committee of James Karinchak, Emmanuel Clase and Wittgren for save chances this season, manager Terry Francona told MLB.com.

Wittgren had a strong spring with a 1.08 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings with one walk. It sounds like the closer situation could be flux early in the season, but Wittgren could get a larger share of save chances if he continues his spring performance.

Cleveland will use a committee of Karinchak, Emmanuel Clase and Nick Wittgren for save chances this season, manager Terry Francona told MLB.com. "The other thing we talked to them about is because there's so many days off early on, you want to keep workloads kind of even. So, there may be times they will pitch even when we're losing," he said.

Karinchak entered spring as the leading candidate for the closer role, but struggled with a 6.52 ERA and 10 walks in 9.2 innings. He did have 19 strikeouts. It sounds like the closer situation could be in flux early in the season, so Karinchak could get a larger share of the save opportunities if he improves from his spring training performance.

Lamet (elbow) pitched 1.1 innings in a Cactus League contest against Colorado on Monday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk without registering a strikeout.

Lamet pushed his pitch count up to 29 after throwing only 12 pitches in his first spring outing, but he allowed three baserunners and didn't pick up any punchouts. The right-hander will open the season on the injured list, but he could return to his spot in the Padres' rotation within the first few weeks of the campaign.

Rodriguez has made the Angels' Opening Day roster, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rodriguez accrued a 5.14 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with 10 punchouts over seven innings during spring training. "He's earned it," stated general manager Perry Minasian. "He's had an outstanding spring." Rodriguez looks set to slot in near the middle of Los Angeles' bullpen and will now await his big-league debut.

The Marlins informed Bender on Monday that he won't be included on the Opening Day roster, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

A relatively unheralded reliever who signed with the Marlins in November as a minor-league free agent, Bender made a serious run at a spot in Miami's Opening Day bullpen after tossing 8.1 scoreless frames while striking out 10 during the Grapefruit League season. The 26-year-old will likely head to Triple-A Jacksonville to begin the 2021 campaign after having previously made only four appearances above the High-A level.

Topa was diagnosed with a flexor tendon strain Monday and is expected to miss at least the first half of the season, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

It's a discouraging diagnosis for the righty, who struck out 12 of the 30 batters he faced while walking none as a 29-year-old rookie last season. He's being sent for a second opinion, at which point his timeline should become clearer.