MLB Player News

The Angels optioned Petersen to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.

A waiver claim in February, Petersen has had a good spring in yielding just two runs with a 7:2 K:BB over 5.2 innings, but it wasn't enough to land a spot in the Halos' Opening Day bullpen. He'll provide relief depth at Salt Lake.

Manager Mike Shildt announced Monday that King will start the Padres' March 27 season opener versus Atlanta, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

In a surprising decision, King is getting the ball instead of Dylan Cease, but the two are essentially co-aces for the Padres. King broke out in 2024 in his first full campaign in the big leagues as a starting pitcher, collecting a 2.95 ERA and 201:63 K:BB over 173.2 innings during the regular season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Monday that Myers will begin the season on the 15-day injured list after an MRI revealed a left oblique strain, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The good news is the MRI was actually "better than we were expecting," according to Murphy, who added that Myers could rejoin the rotation before the end of April. Tyler Alexander is likely to occupy a spot in Milwaukee's rotation for as long as Myers is shelved.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Cousins (forearm) has extended his throwing distance off flat ground to 90 feet, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Cousins has yet to pitch in a game this spring while recovering from a right forearm strain, and since he's not yet throwing off a mound, he seems unlikely to make an appearance before the Yankees' Grapefruit League slate comes to a close. As a one-inning reliever, Cousins won't require much ramp-up time once he's deemed ready to face hitters, but he's still ticketed for a stint on the injured list to begin the season.

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Monday that Lopez is "fine" and has been cleared to make his next Grapefruit League start Saturday versus the Tigers, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

After Lopez's average fastball velocity sat at around 93 miles per hour -- 2.5 ticks below his season average from 2024 -- in his last Grapefruit League outing back on March 7 against the Twins, Atlanta opted to have the right-hander make his most recent spring appearance on the back fields of camp this past week. Lopez apparently made it though that outing without incident, perhaps suggesting that the diminished velocity he displayed March 7 was simply a bout of arm fatigue. Lopez's investors will still want to keep close tabs on his start Saturday, which will likely be the final time he takes the hill this spring before making his season debut next week in Atlanta's four-game opening series in San Diego.

Tinoco gave up a hit and struck out one in 1.1 scoreless innings during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 29-year-old right-hander fired 16 of 25 pitches for strikes as he gets ready to handle a high-leverage role in the Marlins' bullpen. Calvin Faucher appears to be first in line for save chances, but Tinoco could see ninth-inning work as well after posting a 3.32 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 42:12 K:BB through 40.2 big-league innings last season and converting three of four save chances in September as Miami's closer.

Newcomb is in the mix to open the season in Boston's rotation while Brayan Bello (shoulder), Lucas Giolito (hamstring) and Kutter Crawford (knee) are out, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Newcomb has been using a new cutter this spring and has "caught our eyes" with how he's pitched, per manager Alex Cora, allowing just one run with a 10:3 K:BB over 9.2 innings. Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts have been viewed as the favorites to capture the final two rotation spots, and that still might be the case. However, Priester and Fitts both have minor-league options remaining, so the Red Sox could send one of them down and award Newcomb with a rotation spot, helping to reinforce depth. Newcomb hasn't been used as a regular starter in the majors since 2018.

Holmes tossed 93 pitches (63 strikes) in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander seems ready for Opening Day as he prepares to begin the season in Atlanta's rotation. Holmes posted a 3.56 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 70:15 K:BB over 68.1 big-league innings last year while working primarily in relief, but the organization had plenty of success in 2024 with Reynaldo Lopez's conversion to the rotation.

The Rays reassigned Krehbiel to minor-league camp Monday.

Krehbiel has spent parts of four seasons in the majors, but he pitched exclusively at the Triple-A level in 2024 as a member of the Mariners organization, logging a 3.26 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 58 innings. He caught on with the Rays on a minor-league deal in January, but after falling short in his bid for a spot in the big club's Opening Day bullpen, Krehbiel will likely begin the campaign at Triple-A Durham.

The Rays reassigned Acton to minor-league camp Monday.

Acton reached the big leagues in 2023 with the Athletics and made six appearances out of the bullpen, but he was released later that summer after he required Tommy John surgery. The right-hander caught on with Tampa Bay in December 2023 on a two-year, minor-league deal, and after spending his first season in the organization rehabbing his elbow, he's ready to pitch again in 2025. Look for Acton to open the season in the bullpen at Triple-A Durham.