MLB Player News

Lopez said mental lapses were what caused him to drop to the bottom of the White Sox's rotation, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports.

Lopez said a bad pitch or outing would linger, and he couldn't shake it easily. That led to the league's second-worst ERA (5.38) among starters and a 10-15 record. After being one of the steadiest pitchers on the staff in 2018, Lopez entered 2020 spring training as the projected fifth starter behind Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez and Dylan Cease. While the right-hander feels his approach and preparation need to be better in 2020, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn thought the pitcher's issues stemmed more from mechanics. "Sometimes these guys don't climb progressively with each and every start or each and every month," said Hahn. "There's setbacks and there needs to be adjustments, not just from the mechanical side, which is probably what plagued Lopey more than anything in the first half, but sometimes from the approach and preparation side." If mechanical adjustments lead to improved results, then that may be the elixir that improves Lopez's mental preparedness.

Puk (shoulder) should be ready to take his projected spot in the starting rotation if the 2020 regular season begins in early July as planned, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The towering southpaw has been one of the various injured players around MLB to benefit from the extended suspension of play, as his early March shoulder strain has had plenty of time to clear up in ensuing weeks. Additionally, Slusser notes Puk could well be free of any innings limit he would have likely been subject to in a regular season of normal duration. Puk was already back to throwing from 120 feet as of early April, and he'll presumably have an additional opportunity to tune up in any continuation of spring training that occurs leading up to a proposed early July Opening Day.

Pearson would almost certainly be part of a proposed taxi squad for the Blue Jays if the minor-league season is canceled, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

The Toronto front office has made it clear the organization's top pitching prospect won't be rushed into major-league action, but if there's no minor-league season, Pearson's only route to competitive innings in 2020 will be with the Jays. Even if the 23-year-old does begin the season as part of a taxi squad, he may be limited to simulated games under the supervision of the coaching staff until he's deemed ready to take the next step. Given Pearson's dominant performance this spring against big-league hitters, he could push his way into the rotation picture quickly, but expect the Jays to be cautious with him.

Diekman is remaining regularly active at home while spring training is suspended but is also concerned about the possible risks in returning to play, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Diekman is playing catch regularly with his father and is also throwing bullpen sessions once per week, keeping his arm ready for a return to action that's beginning to look like more of a possibility. However, as much as the veteran southpaw is looking forward to getting the season started, he also has particular safety concerns, as he has a pre-existing condition in the form of ulcerative colitis. That could make him more vulnerable should he contract COVID-19, but nevertheless, he also expresses confidence the players association and owners will come up with a plan that will keep the MLB population safe if play is resumed.

McHugh (elbow) said Wednesday that he's about a month into his throwing program and has been pleased with the progress he's made thus far, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

After signing with Boston in early March, McHugh never began his throwing program before spring training was suspended while he continued to recover from a tenex procedure to address a right elbow injury he suffered last year. McHugh has since been able to kick off his rehab program at his home in Atlanta, and it sounds like he'll be ready to face hitters by the time teams are cleared to resume training. Assuming the right-hander requires nothing more than the typical buildup period that Boston's other starting candidates will face once workouts resume, he should have a good chance at cracking the Opening Day rotation. The Red Sox haven't completely ruled out using McHugh out of the bullpen, however.

Tigers pitching coach Rick Anderson said Tuesday that there's "no chance" Fulmer (elbow) will be cleared to face hitters soon, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports. "I mean, you never say never, but I don't see it," Anderson said. "He might be ready to see hitters, but I believe when we start our second spring training, whenever that will be, that would be the time to see Michael face hitters."

Now in the 14th month of his recovery from last year's Tommy John surgery, Fulmer is throwing regularly off the mound and has previously said that he's "100 percent pain-free," but the Tigers aren't inclined to rush him coming off a major arm operation. Instead, Fulmer will likely just gradually increase the intensity and frequency of his bullpen sessions at the Tigers' spring training facility until full-squad workouts resume, perhaps at some point in June. Fulmer is still hopeful to slot back into the Detroit rotation later this summer, but the possibility of no minor-league season could deprive him of opportunities to prove his health and build up his workload in rehab games, which may result in his recovery timeline being extended.

Borucki (elbow) should be ready to pitch when MLB resumes play, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

The southpaw experienced tightness in his elbow in February and was expected to be shut down for 2-3 months, but the delayed start to the season will give him a chance to make a full recovery before the season picks up again. "He's been feeling great," Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said Friday. "This pandemic, obviously, is a terrible situation, but it's given Ryan a chance to kind of catch up. He's made some mechanical adjustments and feels great, arm feels great. He has been throwing sides. If there is a spring training and a season, which we're very hopeful at this stage, he should be right in the mix and a big part of it." While Borucki may have missed out on his chance to win a regular rotation spot this spring due to the injury, he could still make a case for a sixth starter/swing man role on an expanded Jays roster once training camp resumes.

Clase (lat) has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the PED Boldenone, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports.

The key returning piece in the Indians' trade of Corey Kluber to the Rangers in December, Clase was expected to work in a high-leverage role out of the bullpen. With there being no way of predicting yet how long the 2020 season might be, the 80-game suspension figures to prevent him from taking the field for a large chunk of the shortened campaign, but he could potentially return for the stretch run. He's also still rehabbing from a lat injury, but that issue should be long cleared up by the time he's served his suspension.

Honeywell (elbow), who was in the midst of a throwing program before spring training was suspended, is still unlikely to make a return at any point during a 2020 season, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander last pitched in 2017 due to multiple injuries, so he was already slated for a robust rehabilitation program before any thoughts of a 2020 return were seriously contemplated. Honeywell was on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule of bullpen sessions when spring training was suspended, and he's presumably still playing catch on his own at the moment. However, Toribio notes the Rays will need to see Honeywell prove his health at Triple-A Durham before signing off on a return, and with the possibility the minor-league season is canceled outright, that opportunity may not ever be there this year. Additionally, the limitations brought about by current conditions rob Honeywell of the chance to face live hitters at the moment, slowing down the overall pace of his recovery in the process.

Abreu averaged "about 98 mph" on his fastball in Grapefruit League play, Yankees vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring stated in an interview with Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network on Wednesday.

In addition to the impressive fastball velocity, Abreu displayed a plus curveball and changeup, accoring to Naehring. The 24-year-old has posted solid strikeout numbers in the minors but has often struggled with his command as evidenced by a 91:53 K:BB over 96.2 innings at the Double-A level last season. Abreu will return to Trenton to begin the 2020 campaign after allowing three earned runs and posting a 4:2 K:BB over five Grapefruit League innings this spring.