MLB Player News

Littell (1-1) took the loss Monday against the Tigers, allowing five runs on nine hits and no walks over six innings. He struck out seven.

Littell allowed a solo homer to Mark Canha on the third pitch of his start Monday and never seemed to recover. Despite surrendering five runs, Littell managed to generate 15 whiffs and match his season high in strikeouts with seven. The 28-year-old starter sports a 3.33 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 29:5 K:BB over 27 innings. His next start is scheduled against the White Sox on the road.

Woods Richardson will likely start Friday's game for the Twins in Anaheim, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Louie Varland was dispatched to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday, and manager Rocco Baldelli confirmed that Woods Richardson is lined up to join the big-league rotation. Woods Richardson was effective in his lone MLB start earlier this season at Detroit, and he averaged 93.4 mph with his fastball in that outing after sitting at 91 mph with that pitch in 2022 and 2023. If Woods Richardson can just tread water in this role, he could stick in the big-league rotation indefinitely, given Minnesota's lack of viable options behind him on the organizational depth chart.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Manoah (shoulder) will make his next rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday or Thursday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

In his third and most recent rehab start Friday with Buffalo, Manoah covered 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits and no walks while striking out five. Over his last two rehab appearances, Manoah has shown dramatic improvement with his control, as he's issued just one free pass in nine innings. Schneider noted that he liked Manoah's fastball command and slider movement following Friday's outing, and if the right-hander can deliver another positive showing this week with Buffalo, his next start could come in the big-league rotation. Manoah has been on the 15-day injured list all season due to right shoulder inflammation, which kept him out of most of spring training.

Rodon did not factor into the decision, allowing one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings during Monday's 2-0 loss to the Athletics. He struck out four.

Rodon was mired in a pitcher's duel with Oakland's JP Sears and neither blinked, leaving each with a tough luck no-decision. Rodon managed seven innings with 92 pitches, though he threw first-pitch strikes to only nine of the 25 batters he faced. The continued control issues that resulted in his fifth consecutive start with multiple walks was the only negative in what served as a rebound for Rodon, who lasted only four innings during his last start against Toronto. The 31-year-old lefty will carry a 2.70 ERA and 1.35 WHIP into his next start, tentatively slated to take place over the weekend in Milwaukee.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Baz (elbow/oblique) will soon throw two innings in an extended spring training game, Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay reports.

Baz has already completed his rehab for the Tommy John procedure he underwent Sept. 28, 2022, but the right-hander wasn't available to pitch at any point in spring training after tending to a pair of oblique injuries. The Rays haven't shifted Baz to the 60-day injured list at this point in the season, but it would still be a surprise if he's ready to make his 2024 debut before late May. A timetable for his return remains up in the air and won't be clear until he heads out on what will likely be an extended minor-league rehab assignment.

Sears did not factor into the decision, allowing three hits and one walk over six scoreless innings during Monday's 2-0 win over the Yankees. He struck out seven.

Sears was involved in a pitcher's duel with the Yankees' Carlos Rodon. Neither blinked, leaving each with a tough-luck no-decision. Despite throwing a first-pitch strike to only 11 of 21 batters, Sears limited the Yankees to four baserunners while striking out more than a batter per inning for the first time this season. After allowing nine runs over 9.1 innings through two starts, Sears has allowed just one run and six hits over his last three starts spanning 17.1 innings. Things won't get easier in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Baltimore.

The White Sox optioned Nastrini to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday.

Nastrini impressed in his major-league debut but was then roughed up by the Phillies in his second start, yielding six runs (five earned) over three innings. The White Sox will need a starter later this week to take Nastrini's spot, with Chris Flexen representing a possibility to fill in.

Arrighetti will start Wednesday against the Cubs, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

He's taking over the rotation spot vacated by Cristian Javier (neck), who was placed on the 15-day injured list over the weekend. The Astros have a couple off days over the next week, and Javier could be back shortly after that, so Arrighetti may just be in line for a spot start. The rookie was bludgeoned for seven runs over three innings in his major-league debut earlier this month in Kansas City but was better in his second start April 15, holding Atlanta to two runs over four frames.

Bradley (pectoral) is expected to pitch four innings in an extended spring training game early this week before potentially beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.

After covering three innings in a simulated game last Wednesday, Bradley appears to have recovered from the right pectoral strain that forced him to the injured list March 26, but he still needs time to rebuild his stamina and increase his pitch count following a month-long layoff to begin the season. A target date for his season debut with the Rays should come into focus once he heads out on a rehab assignment, but he tentatively looks on track to return from the 15-day IL at some point in the first or second week of May.

Minnesota optioned Varland to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.

The move comes one day after Varland turned in another ugly start in which he allowed four runs over just 2.2 innings in a 6-1 loss to the Tigers. Varland offered plenty of potential at the beginning of the season, but it hasn't manifested thus far, as he held a 9.18 ERA in four outings. Simeon Woods Richardson could be called up from Triple-A to take Varland's spot in the rotation later this week.