MLB Player News

Yates will make his second appearance of the spring Saturday against the Phillies, and Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker described the ninth inning as "his job to lose," Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The team has held off naming one of its big offseason acquisitions as the closer, but with Yates looking healthy in his first spring action, an official announcement should come before camp breaks. The right-hander, who turns 34 next week, is looking to bounce back from a 2020 season cut short by bone spurs in his elbow, but Yates at his best is among the best relievers in baseball, as he racked up 53 saves with a 1.67 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 191:30 K:BB over 123.2 innings for the Padres in 2018-19.

Kinley has been diagnosed with left oblique soreness, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Manager Bud Black revealed Saturday that Kinley has been dealing with a side issue, and he's now been officially diagnosed with an oblique injury. The right-hander threw a side session Friday and is slated to throw in a simulated game Sunday. Whether Kinley's injury affects his status for Opening Day remains to be seen.

Sandlin has been informed that he won't make Cleveland's Opening Day roster, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Sandlin will remain in major-league camp for developmental purposes, but he'll begin the 2021 campaign in the minors. The right-hander has made three relief appearances this spring and has allowed one run and two walks while striking out five over 2.2 scoreless innings.

Rockies manager Bud Black revealed Saturday that Kinley has been dealing with a side issue recently, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Kinley hasn't pitched in a Cactus League since March 7, but he threw a side session Friday and is scheduled to throw a simulated game Sunday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. It's not yet clear whether he'll be healthy in time for the start of the regular season. Once Kinley is fully healthy, he should serve as a late reliever for the Rockies although he should be considered unlikely to be in the mix for save chances.

Estevez allowed one run on one hit and no walks while striking out one over one inning in Friday's spring win over Cleveland.

Estevez came on during the ninth inning of Friday's Cactus League matchup and gave up a home run to lead off the inning, but he retired the next two batters before striking out Beau Taylor to end the game. The right-hander has made six relief appearances this spring and has allowed 10 runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five over six innings.

Hatch has been diagnosed with mild right elbow inflammation, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Hatch underwent an MRI after leaving Wednesday's spring game against the Yankees with a right elbow issue. The Blue Jays are still gathering information on his injury, and the right-hander doesn't yet have a timetable for his return.

Texans manager Chris Woodward is not yet ready to name Leclerc the team's closer, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Leclerc, who gave up three hits in 1.1 innings Thursday, has experienced a drop in fastball velocity as he works his way back from a shoulder injury in 2020. Woodward mentioned Matt Bush and Ian Kennedy as possible closers if Leclerc is unable to lock in the job.

Garcia held Philadelphia scoreless and hitless and struck out a pair over three innings in a Grapefruit League contest Friday, but he also walked four batters.

To his credit, Garcia improved as his outing wore on, going from three walks in the first inning to one in the second before finishing with a 1-2-3 third frame. He also held the Phillies without a run to improve his spring ERA to 1.64. As good as Garcia has been, Domingo German has been even better with nine scoreless innings and a 13:1 K:BB. That may give German the inside edge for the Yankees' No. 5 starter role, though that decision has yet to be announced.

Soto averaged 99.5 mph on his fastball in Friday's Grapefruit League appearance and hit 100.9 mph, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Soto was overpowering in his clean inning of work against the Blue Jays, tossing 13 pitches (eight for strikes) and striking out one. Manager A.J. Hinch said the lefty was "really in control of his inning," and Soto looks like the frontrunner for the closer role in Detroit at this point. He saved two games for the Tigers last season.

Ponce de Leon allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks across five innings in a Grapefruit League win over the Marlins on Thursday. He struck out four.

The right-hander, who stretched out to 71 pitches, was more hittable than in any of his three previous trips to the mound this spring, but Ben Fredrickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Ponce de Leon was experimenting with a faster tempo and a move to the third-base side of the rubber. While the latter seemed to help him with location, Frederickson reports the former seemed to affect him during his one truly troublesome frame, the third. "I think I should have slowed down maybe a bit in that three-run inning," Ponce de Leon said. "It was kind of playing catch up, breath-wise. My delivery just felt off."