The Seattle Mariners are releasing left-hander Justus Sheffield from Triple-A Tacoma.

Sheffield had already been taken off Seattle's 40-man roster over the offseason but had remained in the system after going unclaimed on outright waivers.

He'd allowed 17 runs over 8 1/3 innings, walking 11 batters with only four strikeouts for Tacoma this season.

The Colorado Rockies have released starter Jose Urena.

Urena was designated for assignment by the club on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old had a 9.82 ERA through five starts over 18 1/3 innings.

Joe Maddon doesn't believe the Los Angeles Angels have a good chance of re-signing Shohei Ohtani in free agency.

During an appearance on the "Starkville" podcast, Maddon categorized the club's chances as "not very good."

Maddon added that he believes the Angels would need to make a deep run in the playoffs to convince Ohtani that they're worth remaining with long-term.

Ohtani, 28, will qualify for free agency after this season. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks have released Madison Bumgarner after the pitcher cleared waivers.

The left-hander was designated for assignment on April 20, giving the team seven days to trade him or place him on waivers. Bumgarner wasn't claimed and can sign with any team for a prorated share of the $720,000 major league minimum.

The 33-year-old allowed at least five runs in three of his four starts this season.

The Cincinnati Reds have had some "preliminary talks" with Graham Ashcraft about a possible contract extension, according to a report.

The report comes just a few days after the Reds signed Hunter Greene to a six-year, $53 million extension.

Ashcraft was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 draft. The right-hander has a 1.88 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 24 innings this season.

The Chicago White Sox have signed veteran outfielder Stephen Piscotty to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Charlotte.

The signing was announced before the White Sox's game at the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

Trevor Bauer started Saturday in his second minor league game in Japan and said he needs to increase his pitch count before he can debut for Yokohama's DeNA BayStars.

The former Cy Young winner, unsigned by any major league club after claims of domestic violence, joined Yokohama last month on a one-year deal.

The Milwaukee Brewers are among the clubs that have shown interest in free agent reliever Zack Britton, according to a report.

Britton has also long been tied to the New York Mets.

The 35-year-old recorded just two outs last season due to injury and is taking his time to decide on pitching for a contender in 2023.

The New York Mets have quickly gotten thin at catcher with Omar Narvaez's injury.

They've already promoted prospect Francisco Alvarez to help fill the void.

Narvaez is expected to miss about two months with a strained left calf.

Billy Eppler says he's comfortable with Nick Meyer and Michael Perez as at-the-ready catching depth, but the club will nevertheless keep an eye out for better external candidates.

The average Major League salary was up 11.1% to a record $4.9 million to start this season, the largest jump since 2001, according to an Associated Press study.

The increase comes in the first offseason since players and owners agreed to a five-year collective bargaining agreement in March 2022.

This year's percentage rise was the largest since a 13.9% jump in 2001.