MLB Player News

Nuno has a leg up on the competition for one of the team's remaining bullpen jobs, SB Nation reports.

With the team in need of a left-handed reliever, Nuno appears to have the inside track to an Opening Day role with the Orioles. The 29-year-old has a decent 19.5 percent strikeout rate to go along with a great 6.1 percent walk rate throughout his career. On the other hand, he struggles against righties (.344 career BAA) and has trouble keeping the ball on the ground (38.6 percent career ground ball rate). That said, Nuno has experience and is well-suited to fill a long-relief role for the MLB club in 2017.

Gibson changed his delivery this offseason in hopes of keeping his shoulder healthy this season, Mike Berardino of The Pioneer Press reports.

Gibson was sidelined for seven weeks last season with shoulder pain and said he felt "some discomfort" when he started his offseason throwing program. Intent on finding a fix, the 29-year-old turned to a physical trainer who showed him how to pronate properly at the end of his delivery. This motion keeps the humerus from rubbing against connective tissues, providing better longevity throughout the season. Gibson figures to be a large part of the Twins' rotation this season, so the alteration could lend benefits down the homestretch.

Alvarez (shoulder) says he will throw a bullpen session in March for interested teams, Manolo Hernandez of Beisbol Porgotas reports.

Alvarez has dealt with a flurry of injuries over the last two seasons, including a shoulder surgery that ended his 2016 campaign. The right-hander was an All-Star in 2014 for Miami, when he compiled a 2.65 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 30 starts. Injuries have gotten the best of him since that point, but Alvarez says he is throwing at 120 feet and several teams have asked for updates recently. Look for the 26-year-old to land a minor league contract somewhere down the line.

Giolito said his mechanics got out of sync during the 2016 season, a development that contributed to his 6.75 ERA over 21.1 innings for the Nationals, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports. "I did a lot of dry work in the offseason, a lot of things where I could just feel my mechanics off the mound," Giolito said. "For me it's about being able to repeat and stay in line."

Whatever mechanical issues Giolito had in Washington weren't evident in his work at the minor-league level, so perhaps his initial stint in the majors was an aberration. The White Sox certainly hope so. The 6-foot-6 right-hander remains one of the top pitching prospects in the minors and is likely to land in the starting rotation at Triple-A Charlotte before making his way to Chicago.

Sale threw 30 pitches in a live batting practice session, his first one as a member of the Red Sox, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Sale impressed Boston manager John Farrell who noted the left-hander's ability to hit various parts of the strike zone, while the pitcher emphasized that it's all about process at this stage of spring training and getting himself prepared for the regular season. Farrell hasn't declared any order to his rotation, but Sale is a strong candidate to start Opening Day.

Carrasco will receive a heavy workload in the upcoming Cactus League, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Carrasco missed the postseason after sustaining a fractured right hand last September. Due to the time missed down the stretch, combined with the righty's stint on the disabled list between May and June (left hamstring), Carrasco was limited to 146.1 innings in 2016. This spring, Cleveland plans on being aggressive with Carrasco's Cactus League workload. Manager Terry Francona said the plan will be to ramp up his innings quickly to make up for lost time. "You'll probably see him lead our team in innings [this spring]," Francona mentioned. This latest development is a shift from the cautious approach the team was originally scheduled to take with the 29-year-old, but it sure sounds like fantasy owners will get a good look before deciding whether or not to invest in Carrasco this season.

Gray, projected to be the A's' No. 1 starter this season, will see his first Cactus League action Monday against the Giants, Susan Slusser of San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Gray got in his first live action against hitters Monday and put in a strong session by all accounts, firing his full repertoire of pitches and coming away feeling particularly good about his curveball. He'll look to generate a similarly solid effort while facing opposing batters for the first time as he continues to ramp up for what he and the A's hope will be a bounce-back campaign.

Stroman said his surgically-repaired knee "finally feels 100 percent," and he's confident he can throw upwards of 240 innings this season, Paul Hagen of MLB.com reports.

Now two years removed from surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, Stroman said Monday that his body "feels the best it's ever felt." The Jays' ace also commented on overcoming 2016's early-season struggles. "I just got kind of out of whack at some point," the 25-year-old said. "I just simplified everything on my own at that point, and that's something I'm going to stick with this year. It's in my delivery and in my motion. I feel excited this year for what I'm going to do." After failing to meet expectations in last year's campaign, Stroman could slip down some draft boards past his true value. He has the talent to be a solid ace, or at the very least, a strong second option across most fantasy formats.

Clevinger is a candidate for a bullpen role, but is more likely to begin 2017 as a starter for Triple-A Columbus, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Indians' manager Terry Francona said Clevinger arrived this spring with a much stronger lower half. There have been multiple reports that the 26-year-old righty is already hitting 100 MPH with his fastball early in camp. Clevinger got his first taste of the majors last year when he appeared in 17 games which included 10 starts that garnered unimpressive results. However, as evidenced by his 11-1 record and 9.4 K/9 ration at Triple-A in 2016, Clevinger is not far from making an impact at the MLB level. He should be one of the first options to join the Indians rotation if such a need arises.

Gray, who threw batting practice for the first time Monday, was impressive overall, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "I didn't hold anything back and came away from it feeling good," he said. "I threw all my pitches; curveball, slider, changeup and my curveball was pretty good. I've been working on that, and to throw it for strikes was something I was happy with."

It's a modest but positive start to the spring for Gray, who is attempting to bounce back from the worst season of his four-year major league career in 2016. After back-to-back 14-win campaigns, Gray fell to 5-11 last season, posting career worsts in ERA (5.69) and WHIP (1.50) in the process. Bruce Maxwell, who caught Gray on Monday, was particularly impressed with the right-hander's changeup. Gray is also a designated pitcher on Team USA's roster in the WBC, although it remains to be seen if he'll see any game action in the tournament.