MLB Player News

Cleavinger has given up one hit with one strikeout and no walks over two scoreless Grapefruit League appearances. He also struck out one in a scoreless frame for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Cleavinger's game work has been a bit light this spring while away from the Rays for the World Baseball Classic, but he should be ready for Opening Day all the same. The left-hander and Griffin Jax are poised to begin the season splitting closing duties, with Edwin Uceta set to join the mix once he recovers from a shoulder issue. Cleavinger was dominant while serving in a setup role last year, recording two saves and 22 holds with a 2.35 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 82:18 K:BB across 61.1 innings.

Walker went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Cardinals.

It's a positive sign for Walker, who was ice cold to start the spring, going just 1-for-16 in his first eight Grapefruit League contests. While his name came up in trade rumors this offseason, the 34-year-old Walker is poised to open the year as Houston's starting first baseman again. He slashed .238/.297/.421 with 27 homers and 88 RBI across 640 plate appearances last season.

Barlow could begin the season as an option in the Athletics' closer committee, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

The veteran right-hander joined the A's on a one-year, $2 million contract in February after posting a 4.21 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 75:45 K:BB over 68.1 innings for the Reds during the 2025 regular season. Barlow recorded one save and 16 holds, but he tallied 53 saves from 2021-23 and is an experienced high-leverage option for manager Mark Kotsay. The skipper shifted to a heavy committee approach last season after closer Mason Miller departed at the trade deadline, so the fantasy upside could be limited in this closing situation unless Kotsay's approach changes.

Leiter could be a factor in the Athletics' closer committee to begin the season, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

The right-hander joined the A's on a one-year, $3 million contract in December after being non-tendered by the Yankees earlier in the offseason. Leiter had a 4.84 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 54:17 K:BB across 48.1 innings during the 2025 regular season, recording two saves and 16 holds in 59 appearances. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay utilized a heavy committee approach last year after the departure of closer Mason Miller at the trade deadline, and Leiter figures to be a part of that mix early in 2026 despite his underwhelming numbers last year. He's given up one run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks through four outings in spring training.

Mayer started at second base and went 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's spring game against Tampa Bay.

Mayer followed up one of his worst games of the Grapefruit League on Thursday (0-for-4, two strikeouts) with his best Friday. Red Sox manager Alex Cora has made it clear that Mayer is not guaranteed a spot on the 26-man roster yet, but the expectation is that he'll open the season with Boston on March 26 in Cincinnati, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. If Mayer is on the Opening Day roster, then he'll likely be the primary starter at second base.

Harris could lead the Athletics' closer committee early in the season, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

Manager Mark Kotsay utilized a committee approach after the A's traded away Mason Miller last season, with Harris leading the way with four of the club's final 15 saves, and the skipper is expected to have a similar strategy this season. As a lefty that can also cover multiple innings, Harris is likely to see significant action outside the ninth inning. The 29-year-old had a 3.20 ERA last season, but his 1.35 WHIP and 23.5 percent strikeout rate don't offer major upside, especially if the save chances are inconsistent.

Oviedo allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five over 3.1 innings in Friday's spring start against the Rays.

Oviedo was dynamic in the first inning when he struck out the side before a two-out walk in the third extended the inning and led to two runs. "The first inning was the highlight of his outing," Boston manager Alex Cora told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "His stuff is really good. We cannot deny that. And when we throw it over the heart of the plate, there's a lot of outs. So we've just gotta keep doing that consistently." Through four Grapefruit League starts, Oviedo has allowed two runs (1.59 ERA) on eight hits and six walks over 11.1 innings.

Mize allowed six runs on six hits and four walks across three innings in Friday's Grapefruit League contest against the Pirates. He struck out two.

This was easily Mize's worst start of the spring slate, as he came into the contest having allowed three total earned runs across 8.1 Grapefruit League innings. He said after the contest that his "mechanics are off," per Jason Beck of MLB.com, which is somewhat concerning at this point during spring training. The righty should still be locked into a regular-season rotation spot, though the Tigers did bolster their pitching staff in the offseason with the additions of Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, so Mize may be knocked down the pecking order a bit. He stayed mostly healthy last year and posted a 3.87 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 139 strikeouts across 149 regular-season innings.

Across 11 Grapefruit League games, Perez has gone 4-for-24 with seven strikeouts.

Perez had a promising sophomore campaign in 2025, as he increased his production from 2024 across the board to finish with a career-best 13 home runs, 43 RBI and a .738 OPS across 100 regular-season contests. He's off to a sluggish start this spring but should still have the inside track to the starting role in right field. Utility man Matt Vierling could see more time in right if Perez's slump lasts into the regular season, and Kerry Carpenter is also an option there on days when he's not serving as the DH.

Sterner has given up four runs on four hits while striking out 12 and walking three across six innings during spring training, and Jason Burke of SI.com didn't list him as a closer candidate for the A's.

Sterner was effective as a rookie last season with 16 holds to go along with a 3.18 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 70:21 K:BB across 65 innings, though he didn't pick up any saves, even after closer Mason Miller was traded away at the deadline. Burke listed Hogan Harris as the early favorite for saves with Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter also in the mix, though manager Mark Kostay isn't expected to utilize a true closer in the traditional sense. Sterner still figures to pick up some saves this season if he pitches similarly to 2025.