MLB Player News

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that Graveman has experienced more back tightness following Tuesday's live batting practice session, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Graveman appeared to have turned a corner in his recovery from the back issue, but now he's encountered a setback. The veteran reliever has not yet appeared in a Cactus League game after missing the entirety of the 2024 season following shoulder surgery. Graveman's availability for Opening Day is very much in question.

The Mariners reassigned Lawrence to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Lawrence re-signed with Seattle in November on a minor-league deal that included an invitation to big-league spring training, but the 37-year-old righty never appeared especially likely to win a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. He's previously seen big-league action in parts of four seasons from 2017 through 2023, logging a lifetime 6.75 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 124 innings.

The Mariners reassigned Kitchen to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Kitchen made four relief appearances with Miami during the 2024 season before being claimed off waivers by Seattle in September. He finished the season on the Mariners' 40-man roster before being outrighted in January, so he never seemed to be a likely candidate to claim a spot in Seattle's Opening Day bullpen. Kitchen is expected to work in relief at Triple-A Tacoma to begin the upcoming season.

Holmes allowed one hit and three walks over five scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He struck out five.

The 28-year-old right-hander came into camp penciled into a rotation spot for Atlanta, and Holmes has only tightened his grip on the job since. Over 10 Grapefruit League innings, he's given up one run with a 9:5 K:BB. Holmes will need to keep pitching well through the first month or so of the season in order to stick in the rotation once Spencer Strider (elbow) is cleared to make his 2025 debut.

Estevez (back) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Angels, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Estevez has been slowed in camp by lower-back tightness but has been throwing off a mound without issue for several days and is nearly ready to test himself in a game setting. The 32-year-old is expected to have enough time to get ready for Opening Day and projects to begin the season as the Royals' closer.

Long (hand) is scheduled to make an appearance out of the bullpen in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Long will be making just his third appearance of the spring and his first since March 3, when he was struck in the left hand by a line drive. The southpaw dealt with some residual swelling to his pitching hand as a result, but he was able to resume throwing a few days later. The 29-year-old remains firmly in the mix for a spot in Kansas City's Opening Day bullpen.

The Rangers optioned Curvelo to minor-league camp Wednesday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Curvelo received a major-league contract from the Rangers this winter even though he hasn't pitched above the Double-A level. He'll begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Round Rock after permitting five runs with a 6:3 K:BB across five frames this spring.

Rangers general manager Chris Young said that Bradford has been scratched from his scheduled Cactus League start Wednesday against the Reds due to left elbow soreness, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. Bradford will be shut down for four or five days before resuming his throwing program.

An elbow injury at this stage of spring training puts Bradford at risk of not being ready for Opening Day, but the Rangers will wait and see how the southpaw responds to a few days of rest before determining his next steps. On a positive note, Young relayed that Bradford underwent an MRI on his elbow, which came back clean. If healthy, Bradford would seemingly have the inside track on a spot at the back end of the Texas rotation to open the season. However, if Bradford requires a stint on the injured list, the door would be open for either Kumar Rocker or Dane Dunning to break camp in a starting role.

Brash (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

It will be the reliever's first time facing hitters since he underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow last May. The Mariners have said Brash could make his season debut by the third week of April in a best-case scenario, but closer to the beginning of May is probably a more realistic target.

The Rangers signed Strickland to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Strickland had a respectable 2024 campaign with the Angels, finishing with a 3.31 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 57:24 K:BB over 73.1 innings. The 36-year-old has some past history with manager Bruce Bochy, as the two were both with the Giants for the first five years of Strickland's career. He'll compete for a role in middle relief but might not have enough time to work his way onto the Opening Day roster.