MLB Player News

Bautista (elbow) will throw one more live batting practice session this week before getting into a spring training game, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Bautista threw 25 pitches in a live batting practice session Sunday and will throw to hitters again either Wednesday or Thursday. The next step could be his Grapefruit League debut, perhaps in the first week of March. He still has to hit these checkpoints, but Bautista's recovery appears on track for him to be Baltimore's closer at the start of the season.

Francis, whose scheduled start Monday against the Tigers was rained out, will follow Max Scherzer in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Jays will still get Francis the same amount of work, he'll just be pitching a day later and coming in after Scherzer. Francis would seem to be locked in as Toronto's fifth starter in 2025 following a surprise 2024 season in which he logged a 2.92 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 77 innings over 13 starts after moving from the bullpen to the rotation.

Ort (oblique) is doing some throwing in the batting cage off a screen, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Ort is being eased back into a throwing program as he comes back from left oblique soreness. The Astros expect the reliever to have plenty of time to get ramped up for Opening Day as long as he continues to progress. Ort posted a 2.55 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 26:4 K:BB across 24.2 regular-season frames for Houston in 2024.

Dubin is headed back to Houston to undergo an MRI on his right shoulder, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Dubin tried playing catch Sunday after being shut down for a while and the shoulder did not respond well. It sounds like he could be headed for a long-term absence, but more will be known once the test results are in. Dubin held a 4.17 ERA and 49:26 K:BB over 45.1 innings for Houston in 2024.

Whitlock threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Friday following a week of downtime, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

As part of the rehab plan this offseason to bring Whitlock back from an internal brace procedure, the Red Sox introduced the concept of what was coined a "de-load" week. The right-hander would throw normal bullpens, then get a week off. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said this most recent de-load was the last one. If healthy, Whitlock should serve in a high-leverage bullpen role, including save opportunities.

Bradford allowed one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Cubs.

Bradford, who could land in the rotation or the bullpen, submitted evidence during his Cactus League debut of his worthiness to be a starter in the regular season. Sixteen of his 24 pitches were strikes, which impressed manager Bruce Bochy. "Outstanding, wasn't he?" Bochy told Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. "Really nice job, throwing his strikes, Cody was Cody today. Good day for him." The left-hander pitched well in 2024 when healthy, posting a 3.54 ERA over 14 outings (13 starts).

Gott signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Gott missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery as part of the Athletics organization. He'll now return to Seattle, where he spent half of the 2023 campaign, appearing in 30 games with the Mariners and posting a 4.03 ERA over 29 innings. The right-hander's contract includes an invitation to spring training in Arizona, where Gott will look to prove his health.

Crochet allowed no runs on three hits and one walk over 1.2 innings during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. He struck out four.

The left-hander was on a pitch count for his first spring game, with his departure in the midst of the second inning also being the result of a long wait between his first and second frames, per Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Crochet had a limited workload last year with the White Sox in his first season as a full-time starter, but he was still one of the top breakout players in MLB with a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 209:33 K:BB across 146 innings. The 25-year-old isn't expected to face any workload restrictions in 2025 after being acquired by the Red Sox.

The Royals are viewing Bowlan as a reliever, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Two of Bowlan's three big-league appearances to date have come in a starting role, though he's gone a mere 4.2 innings combined in those outings. The right-hander has worked almost exclusively as a starter in the minors as well, but the Royals appear set to deploy him out of the bullpen when he's with the big-league club. Bowlan has one minor-league option remaining, which gives the team some flexibility in terms of managing a relief corps that is comprised of mostly veteran arms.

Berroa has a Grade 1 right elbow strain, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Berroa was pulled from Saturday's Cactus League contest against the Cubs after experiencing discomfort in his right elbow, and subsequent testing revealed the elbow strain. The White Sox haven't yet announced a timeline or course of action for the reliever's return, but Grade 1 strains typically require several weeks of recovery. Berroa entered spring training as a candidate for a high-leverage role in Chicago's bullpen after posting a 3.32 ERA and 12.3 K/9 over 19 innings with the team last season.