Angels send Canning to Minor League camp

Griffin Canning's next promotion will take a little more time.
After climbing three levels in the Angels system in his first professional season and finishing 2018 in the Pacific Coast League, the Angels' second-ranked prospect will not break Spring Training with the big league club after he was reassigned to Minor League camp on Sunday.

MLB.com's No. 63 overall prospect struggled with his command in three Cactus League outings, including one start, surrendering six runs on five hits and five walks over four innings. The right-hander posted a 13.50 ERA and 2.50 WHIP.
Selected in the second round of the 2017 Draft, Canning began last season with Class A Advanced Inland Empire and made two scoreless starts before moving up to Double-A Mobile. He was part of two no-hitters with the BayBears, tossing five innings in his third Southern League start and combining with two relievers on a 1-0 blanking of Montgomery on April 28, then lasting 4 1/3 frames before three relievers finished off a 9-0 romp over Birmingham on May 14.
After posting a 1.97 ERA in 10 starts for Mobile, Canning was promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake, where he is expected to begin this season. The 22-year-old was 3-3 with a 5.49 ERA over 59 innings with the Bees to end his campaign.

The Angels also optioned left-hander and No. 5 prospect Jose Suarez to Salt Lake, right-hander Jesus Castillo (No. 23) to Mobile and right-hander Luis Madero (No. 22) to Inland Empire. Veteran right-hander Miguel Almonte was sent to Minor League camp.

O's reassign Diaz, Mountcastle

The Orioles reassigned their top two prospects, outfielder Yusniel Díaz and corner infielder Ryan Mountcastle, along with three others to Minor League camp on Sunday.
Diaz, who was acquired from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado deal, appeared in 14 games in his first spring with the Orioles and batted .333/.324/.515 with four extra-base hits and seven RBIs. The 22-year-old Cuban was hitting .314 in 59 games with Double-A Tulsa when he was traded to Baltimore. Diaz finished the year with a .239/.329/.403 slash line in 38 games with Double-A Bowie.

Mountcastle was fresh off a three-hit game in which he clubbed his first Grapefruit League dinger on Saturday. The 22-year-old batted .286/.355/.429 with a pair of extra-base hits, four RBIs and nine runs scored in 16 spring games. Drafted 36th overall in 2015, he spent all of last season with Bowie and finished with a .297 average, 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 102 games.
The Orioles also optioned outfielder and No. 16 prospect D.J. Stewart and right-hander Luis Ortiz (No. 19) to Triple-A Norfolk and assigned right-hander Dillon Tate (No. 18) to Bowie.
Catcher Martin Cervenka, left-hander Sean Gilmartin and right-hander Bo Schultz were sent to Minor League camp.

Sanchez, Honeywell head to Minors

On Saturday, the Rays made their first reassignments with their No. 2 and 4 prospects -- Brent Honeywell Jr. and Jesús Sánchez -- among those sent down. Sidelined since last February after Tommy John surgery, Honeywell (No. 28 overall) isn't expected to return to game action until May, according to MLB.com. The right-hander threw a bullpen session before Saturday's game.
Sanchez (No. 39 overall) is slated to begin the season with Triple-A Durham after compiling a .282 average with 75 RBIs and 70 runs in 117 games between Double-A Montgomery and Class A Advanced Charlotte last year.
Tampa Bay also sent No. 15 prospect Joe McCarthy, No. 25 Ian Gibaut and Christian Arroyo to the Minors as well as reassigning non-roster invitees Lucius Fox (No. 11), Matt Krook, Dalton Moats, David Rodríguez and Curtis Taylor to Minor League camp.