The Angels optioned Mederos to Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Mederos entered the spring facing long odds to win a spot in the Angels' Opening Day rotation and didn't help his case by yielding six earned runs on seven hits and four walks across 4.1 innings between his two Cactus League outings. The right-hander should continue to make regular starts at Salt Lake to begin the season but won't necessarily be the Angels' first choice for a call-up if a spot in the big-league rotation opens up.

Brieske (ribcage) faced hitters in a simulated game Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Brieske was lifted from his most recent spring appearance March 2 due to right ribcage tightness, but assuming he experienced no discomfort during Tuesday's sim game, he could be cleared to rejoin the Grapefruit League pitching schedule within the next few days. The right-hander will likely be in line for a low-leverage role out of the Detroit bullpen if he's able to secure a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Brash (mouth) could make his Cactus League debut as soon as Wednesday, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Brash is behind schedule following a tooth extraction, but his spring training debut is imminent. Barring something unexpected, the reliever should be fine for Opening Day. Brash is projected to serve as a setup man ahead of closer Andres Munoz this season.

Miller (back) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Reds, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Miller threw a live batting practice session Tuesday with no issues, clearing the way for him to make his first appearance of spring training. The left-hander has been battling a back problem but expects to be ready to roll in time for Opening Day.

Abreu is expected to open the season as the Astros' closer while Josh Hader (biceps) recuperates, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Hader is throwing off the mound again and might not miss much time, but manager Joe Espada ruled him out for Opening Day. Abreu has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the past four regular seasons, posting a 2.30 ERA and 34.3 percent strikeout rate. Hader will get his closer job back, if healthy, but he remains an injury risk, so it's not out of the question that Abreu's stint as closer lasts indefinitely.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Hader (biceps) will begin the season on the injured list, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Hader returned to the mound with a bullpen session Tuesday, which went well. However, he's simply going to run out of time when it comes to Opening Day. Espada did not offer a timetable for Hader's season debut, but it seems that the reliever's absence could be brief if he continues making strides in his recovery from left biceps inflammation. Bryan Abreu will open the season as Houston's closer.

Romero is expected to be among the relievers in the mix to close games for the Cardinals this season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol appears willing to let the team's closer situation "solve itself" rather than naming a go-to ninth-inning man before the season. Romero shared the closer job with Riley O'Brien down the stretch last season after Ryan Helsley was traded, and he finished with a 2.07 ERA and 55:29 K:BB over 61 innings. Goold writes of Romero that the Cardinals "still could trade the lefty for the right return," but the chances of a trade are significantly lower now than they were earlier in the offseason. In addition to Romero and O'Brien, Matt Svanson and Ryne Stanek are expected to receive consideration for closing duties.

The Cardinals could use Stanek as part of a closer-by-committee strategy, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol said of the Cardinals' closer job that "I don't think we need to name a guy," and he expects the situation to eventually "solve itself." Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero and Matt Svanson are also in the mix for saves along with Stanek. The 34-year-old Stanek is the elder statesman of the group but is probably better suited for a setup role. Stanek collected a 5.30 ERA and 58:32 K:BB over 56 innings for the Mets in 2025.

Soriano allowed one hit and struck out four batters without issuing a walk over five scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against San Francisco on Monday.

Soriano had this start pushed back almost a week due to an illness, but he showed no signs of the ailment Monday. The right-hander breezed through a Giants lineup that included Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames, yielding just one baserunner on a second-inning single. Soriano retired the final 11 batters he faced and got through his five frames on 60 pitches. Per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register, the hurler's fastball reached triple digits after he averaged 97.3 mph on the offering last season. This was a nice bounce-back for Soriano following a rough start to the spring slate during which he allowed seven runs over 3.2 innings across two starts.

The Tigers announced Tuesday that Effross has been shut down with a left oblique strain, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Effross felt his oblique tighten after his last Grapefruit League appearance Saturday. It's unclear how long he might be shelved, but Effross was already facing long odds to make the team, given that the non-roster invitee has yielded four runs on six hits and five walks over 2.2 innings this spring.