MLB Player News

Effross suffered a setback with his strained hamstring and remains in a holding pattern with his recovery, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Effross suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in his first appearance of the spring back on Feb. 25 and remains without an official timetable for his return. He's yet to advance to facing hitters. The 31-year-old right-hander pitched just 3.1 innings in the big leagues with the Yankees last season, registering a 5.40 ERA and 2:2 K:BB across three regular-season appearances.

The Mariners designated Danner for assignment Friday.

The right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in early March and has now lost his place on the 40-man roster to make room for Luis F. Castillo, who is making his MLB debut Friday against the Giants. Danner delivered 2.2 scoreless frames in two outings for Tacoma before the roster move, and he should remain with the affiliate if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that Burr (shoulder) could be ready to throw a bullpen session next week, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Burr has been dealing with right shoulder inflammation since the beginning of spring training but is coming along steadily. He'll require a rehab assignment before returning, and it's going to be a while before he's ready to pitch in games.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Swanson (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

It will be his first time throwing off a mound since he was given a cortisone injection to combat carpal tunnel syndrome in his right forearm. There's no timetable yet for Swanson's return, but he's making progress.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Friday that Hendriks (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Friday or Saturday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

It will be the first time Hendriks has thrown off a mound since he landed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Hendriks will be eligible for activation April 8, but given that he's just now getting back on the bump, he's unlikely to return at that time.

The Yankees activated Williams from the paternity leave list Friday.

Williams missed this week's three-game series against the Diamondbacks while welcoming a new addition to his family. He'll be available to close as the Yankees begin a series in Pittsburgh this weekend.

Whitlock allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out three over two innings in Thursday's 8-4 win over Baltimore.

Whitlock finished up the final two innings, and all three of his outings to start the season have lasted two frames. That was the blueprint Red Sox manager Alex Cora set for the right-hander during spring training; when possible, Whitlock would throw two innings every time he pitched. He's allowed just the one run through six innings while striking out six and walking one.

Weaver picked up the save after not allowing a baserunner in 1.1 innings Thursday against Arizona. He struck out one.

The Yankees got out to a massive 9-3 lead Thursday, but the Diamondbacks made the game interesting with a four-run surge in the seventh inning. That prompted manager Aaron Boone to turn to one of his high-leverage arms, and Weaver locked down his first save of the campaign while pouring in 15 of his 19 pitches for strikes. Although the right-hander is not the team's first option in save situations due to the arrival of Devin Williams (personal), Weaver emerged as a major weapon out of New York's bullpen in the second half of last season and should still see some save chances in 2025.

Hader picked up the save in Thursday's 5-2 win over Minnesota, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Hader is now 3-for-3 in save opportunities to start the year -- he's allowed one run while striking out three over three innings. The left-hander remains one of the top ninth-inning options in the league after logging 34 saves while posting a 3.80 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP and 105 strikeouts across 71 regular-season innings last year.

Castillo is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Tacoma to start against the Giants on Friday, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Not to be confused with the Luis Castillo already in Seattle's big-league rotation, this 30-year-old righty made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2022 and threw 3.2 shutout frames while striking out four batters across three relief appearances. He then spent the next two seasons in Japan and is now slated to make his first career start in the majors. A strong showing Friday could buy the lesser-known Castillo another turn through the rotation while the Mariners await George Kirby's (shoulder) return from the IL.