MLB Player News

Sheehan (shoulder) completed a bullpen session Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Sheehan was able to get back on the mound for the first time since he experienced shoulder soreness shortly after reporting to spring training in late February. Manager Dave Roberts already noted Saturday that Sheehan will start the season on injured list, but the young right-hander's ability to throw a bullpen session Saturday offers hope that he'll avoid an extended absence. With Walker Buehler (elbow) expected to join Sheehan on the IL to begin the campaign, Gavin Stone looks to the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot in the Los Angeles rotation.

Jefferies is a candidate to fill a swingman role for the Giants early in 2024, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Jefferies is a non-roster invitee in the Giants' camp, but he's done well so far. He's allowed two runs on five hits over four innings, striking out five and walking none. Jefferies' role is far from set in stone -- he could be a candidate for spot starts given the uncertainty around the Giants' rotation with Keaton Winn (elbow) struggling to get up to speed, Alex Cobb (hip) still on the mend, and Tristan Beck (arm) expected to miss multiple months. Nonetheless, Jefferies seems to have a realistic path to the major-league roster.

Mena was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen said in early February that Mena is "not a finished product" and was likely to begin the campaign at Triple-A, so this move was to be expected. The 21-year-old spent most of 2023 at Double-A Birmingham and had a 4.66 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 114 innings, but he showcased his strikeout potential with a 10.7 K/9.

The Rangers optioned Corniell to Double-A Frisco on Sunday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Corniell will get his first taste of the Double-A level to begin the 2024 campaign after he split the 2023 season between Single-A Down East and High-A Hickory. Over 101.2 innings between the two affiliates, Corniell posted a 2.92 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 119:31 K:BB.

The Rangers optioned Kelly to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Texas thought enough of Kelly this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft and add him to the 40-man roster, but the 24-year-old lefty still needs more developmental time in the minors. He covered 59.1 innings between Round Rock and Double-A Frisco in 2023 but saw the majority of his action with the latter affiliate, logging a 2.22 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 72:26 K:BB in 52.2 frames out of the bullpen.

Winn was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Winn surrendered eight runs over 7.1 frames in four outings during spring training, essentially eliminating his longshot chance of making Texas' Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old struggled at Round Rock last season with a 7.22 ERA and 97:79 K:BB over 101 innings, and he'll likely need better performance in 2024 to have a real chance at making his MLB debut.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said that Williams isn't available to pitch in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Reds after recently experiencing some discomfort in his right elbow, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Vogt didn't seem overly worried about the young right-hander, who was scratched out of an "abundance of caution" and should resume throwing in a few days. Williams, who has struck out nine batters over 4.2 innings this spring, apparently sustained the injury while throwing weighted balls in a recent workout.

Cabrera suffered an apparent injury while warming up for Sunday's Grapefruit League outing against the Cardinals and was scratched from the start, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The specifics of the situation remain unclear, but it's a concerning development as Cabrera attempts to lock down a spot at the back end of Miami's rotation. The 25-year-old's status should be updated soon as he's evaluated.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Taillon's availability for Opening Day is in jeopardy with the right-hander having shown little improvement in his recovery from a lower back injury since being scratched ahead of Saturday's scheduled Cactus League start against the Rockies, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

While Counsell noted that the Cubs aren't yet concerned about Taillon potentially facing a long-term absence, the 32-year-old will be sent in for further testing as the organization looks to get a clearer picture of the injury. Taillon has yet to pitch in a Cactus League game this spring, but he hadn't been shut down from activity prior to being scratched Saturday, as he had been building up in simulated games. However, if Taillon isn't able to quickly move past the back issue within the next week, a stint on the injured list to begin the season would become an increasingly likely outcome. If Taillon is on the shelf at the start of the season, the Cubs could open up a rotation spot for one of Javier Assad, Drew Smyly or Hayden Wesneski.

After logging two scoreless innings with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Wentz now has a 1.29 ERA across four spring appearances.

Wentz has been scored upon only once in his four outings, and he's also struck out seven batters across seven innings of work. The lefty struggled mightily as a starter for the Tigers in 2023, but so far, he looks comfortable in a relief role. If his stuff plays up a bit out of the bullpen all year, Wentz may find some success as a reliever, though that's unlikely to translate to much fantasy value.