MLB Player News

Lorenzen will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Dave Sessions of MLB.com reports.

Lorenzen, who signed with the Rangers last Wednesday, is expected to eventually be part of the rotation. "We're building him up," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Monday, noting that Lorenzen is "a candidate" for the Opening Day roster. "He's been throwing a lot, but the plan is to see where we're at [Tuesday] when he gets a nice bullpen." Given the need to build up Lorenzen's pitch count, it may be safe to assume that Cody Bradford will make at least one start.

Waldichuk (elbow) is progressing "great" according to manager Mark Kotsay, but the left-hander remains without a timetable to begin throwing off a mound, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

The 26-year-old southpaw appears to be nearing the back end of his recovery from October surgery for a UCL sprain and flexor tendon damage, but this report indicates he's not quite there yet. A mid-February report had indicated there was a possibility Waldichuk would be ready to throw bullpen sessions by the end of spring training, and while that hasn't come to pass, it appears Kotsay is encouraged by the pace of Waldichuk's progress and the absence of setbacks.

Medina (knee) has begun playing catch but is doing so on one knee, per manager Mark Kotsay, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

Kotsay added that the right-hander is still "a ways away" in his recovery. Medina suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee on March 4 against the Reds, an injury that scuttled his chances of earning a spot in the starting rotation to open the season.

Gilbert allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks over 4.2 innings in a Cactus League tie with the Cubs on Sunday. He struck out seven.

Gilbert was tagged for solo home runs by Michael Busch and Garrett Cooper in the third and fifth inning, respectively, for the only two runs he surrendered, but the right-hander otherwise put together an encouraging tune-up for the regular season. Gilbert finished the Cactus League slate with a 6.75 ERA across 16 innings, yet almost all his trouble was limited to two of his five starts. Gilbert finished with a 14:2 K:BB across the 9.2 innings covering his last two spring turns, and he'll now turn his attention to his regular-season debut Saturday against the Red Sox.

Hancock will step into the Mariners' rotation to replace Bryan Woo (elbow), Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Hancock was just optioned down two days ago, but he has rejoined the big-league team in light of Woo's injury and will step in as the fifth starter, beginning next Monday in the series opener against Cleveland. Woo's MRI came back clean, but he will be shut down from throwing for at least a week. With that, Hancock, the sixth overall pick in 2020, figures to make at least a few starts early on. His numbers in the Cactus League were not good, but the Mariners were said to be pleased with Hancock's overall spring training, Divish adds.

Woo will be placed on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Divish notes that Woo felt discomfort while warming up for his last side session, and he ultimately couldn't get loose. He later underwent an MRI, which came back clean. The Mariners are hopeful that Woo can let the inflammation calm down over the next 7-to-10 days, at which point he can resume throwing. Emerson Hancock will take Woo's place in the starting rotation to begin the season.

Manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that Wacha will not miss time due to a bruised right middle finger, Jackson Stone of MLB.com reports.

Wacha sustained the injury Sunday during an intrasquad game. Quatraro added that Wacha woke up Monday morning and "forgot about" the injury, so the right-hander should be ready for his first regular season start against the Orioles on April 1.

Verlander (shoulder) will throw a two-inning, 30-to-35 pitch live batting practice session Tuesday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports.

If Verlander gets through the live BP without any issues, he will likely then be cleared to begin a rehab assignment. The 41-year-old will require multiple rehab starts in order to get his stamina built up, so a return to the Astros' rotation is still multiple weeks away.

Astros manager Joe Espada said that Whitley (finger) threw a live batting practice session at minor-league camp Monday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Before he was optioned to the minors March 10, Whitley hadn't made any Grapefruit League appearances for the Astros while he contended with right middle finger inflammation. Whitley's ability to face hitters suggests the injury is mostly behind him at this point, though it's unclear if he'll be ready to go when Triple-A Sugar Land begins its season Friday. Once viewed as one of the top pitching prospects not only in Houston's organization but in all of the minors, Whitley is slated to work in a relief role at Sugar Land after numerous setbacks on the health front in recent years derailed his development as a starter.

Odorizzi won't be included on the Rays' Opening Day roster with Tampa Bay expected to begin the season with Tyler Alexander as the No. 5 option in its rotation, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.

Odorizzi is fully healthy again after missing the entire 2023 season while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, but after he had been a free agent all offseason until signing a minor-league deal with the Rays on March 15, he didn't have sufficient time to make a case for the final spot in the big-league rotation. The right-hander's next steps remain unclear, but he could elect to continue ramping up at the Rays' extended spring training facility over the next few weeks with the hope of eventually gaining consideration for the big-league roster. If Alexander falters in his role as a No. 5 starter/bulk reliever, long reliever Jacob Waguespack would likely be next in line before Odorizzi to fill the void, at least until either of Shane Baz (elbow) or Taj Bradley (pectoral) is cleared to return from the injured list.