MLB Player News

White Sox relief pitcher Zach Putnam was held out of Wednesday's game against the Dodgers with a stomach ailment, reports MLB.com.

Putnam, who is also dealing with a back injury during spring training, went 5-3 in 2014 with a 1.98 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings pitched.

Royals reliever Tim Collins is dealing with elbow soreness, according to the Kansas City Star.

Collins will head for an MRI on Wednesday in order to determine the severity of the injury. The team won't have a timetable for Collins until they receive the results of the MRI. 

The 25-year-old posted a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings last year.

Athletics pitcher Jesse Chavez is hoping to lock down a rotation spot, according to the Bay Area News Group.

Chavez performed well in 21 starts with the club in 2014, but lost his job after the team acquired Jon Lester midseason. Chavez blames himself for the demotion. "It wasn’t a case of the job being taken away," he said. "It was a case of I didn’t hold it. I shouldn’t have put the team in a position to doubt me."

After the Athletics brought in a fair amount of pitching in the offseason, Chavez has become somewhat of an after-thought as the team's fifth starter. He believes the opportunity is there, though. "The chance to be a starter is there," Chavez said. "For me, I just approach it like last year when I was trying to just win a spot on the staff. I’m always going to pitch like I’m pitching to win a job."

Chavez, 31, posted a 3.45 ERA over 146 innings last year. 

Twins pitcher Trevor May (illness) said he was able to throw 15-to-20 pitches Tuesday without issue, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

May plans to face hitters Wednesday to get back on schedule. He was one of five players sent home from Monday's workouts due to illness, but he was able to return one day later. May is competing for a rotation spot this spring.

All five Twins players -- Byron Buxton, Trevor May, Oswaldo Arcia, Jordan Schafer and Kurt Suzuki -- that were sent home due to illness on Monday, returned to the clubhouse on Tuesday and rejoined the club for workouts, reports the Star Tribune.

The Twins begin exhibition season Wednesday with a game against the University of Minnesota.

Rays pitcher Alex Colome may not be ready for the start of the regular season, according to the Tampa Tribune. 

Colome has been delayed by visa issues thus far, though he's been able to throw at the Rays facility in the Dominican Republic. Colome is facing hitters, but manager Kevin Cash still expressed some doubt about his availability once the regular season begins. 

Colome, 26, posted a 2.66 ERA over 23 2/3 innings last year. 

Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe (illness) was back at workouts Monday, but the Twins sent five other players home due to illness before Monday workouts began, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Pitcher Trevor May and outfielders Byron Buxton and Jordan Schafer missed a second straight day of workouts, while catcher Kurt Suzuki and outfielder Oswaldo Arcia also had to miss the Monday session.

The Twins begin exhibition season Wednesday with a game against the University of Minnesota.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura was not optimistic pitcher Chris Sale would be ready to pitch by Opening Day, reports ESPN.com.

“He was slated to go for Opening Day and there is a slim chance that he would be able to do that," Ventura said. "I would expect it not to be that way, but being that it's his ankle, we can treat that. It's not as though it’s his elbow where we would really be cautious."

Sale is recovering from a broken foot and if he is not ready by opening day, pitching coach Don Cooper said Brad Penny, Scott Carroll, Frankie Montas or Chris Beck would be given a chance to replace Sale.

"I think all of the guys that I've mentioned have a shot at making the rotation if [Sale] is not ready to go," Cooper said. "And then we'll make some adjustments to the schedule. Maybe it's me, but it feels like we've dealt with stuff like this before. That's OK, it is what it is. It sucks and I wish it didn't happen, but there are a lot of things people wish didn't happen. This is one with Chris and we'll deal with it."

The Astros are leaning toward pitcher Collin McHugh as their starter for the opening of spring training, reports The Houston Chronicle.

"It's trending toward Collin McHugh starting that first game and getting our pitching lined up," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Everybody should pitch in the next four or five games, so [pitching coach Brent Strom] and I are putting that list together. He's got another live BP, so that's why I hesitate to put it in pen. But right now we're planning on seeing him early."

However, Hinch indicated the starter for Opening Day has not been determined.

"Truthfully, I mean, that and even who throws game one of the regular season — game one of the regular season's a little more kind of like a nod to more what you did in the past year, usually," he said. "But, yeah, all five of us are going to get a chance somewhere through the rotation. It's just where we fall."

The Yankees will open the first three games of spring training with pitchers Adam Warren, Nathan Eovaldi and Esmil Rogers as their starting pitchers, reports Newsday. All three are expected to compete for a fifth or sixth starting rotation spot.