MLB Player News

The Guardians optioned Cantillo to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Cantillo will be rotation insurance for the Guardians at Columbus to start the season. The left-hander has missed plenty of bats int the minors but needs to get his control in order before being considered for a big-league promotion.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Tuesday that Cole (elbow) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Boone did not have an update on the results of the MRI on Cole's right elbow, but even if the news is good, the hurler won't have enough time to ramp back up for the opener. Cole is slated for more tests Tuesday and Boone anticipates it being "a couple of days until everybody weighs in on it." Boland suspects Marcus Stroman would take Cole's spot as the Yankees' Opening Day starter, although the club hasn't made any official pronouncements yet.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that France (shoulder) could make his Grapefruit League debut this weekend, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Coming back from right shoulder inflammation, France threw two innings in a minor-league game Monday. The Astros remain optimistic that the right-hander will be part of their Opening Day rotation, although for that to come to fruition, he certainly can't afford any hiccups.

Manoah (shoulder) continues to play catch but does not have a timetable for when he'll throw from a mound, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manoah had a bullpen session last week canceled because of ongoing right shoulder soreness. While he's still able to throw on flat ground, it does not appear he'll try things from the bump anytime soon. The Blue Jays have not officially ruled Manoah out for Opening Day, but he'll undoubtedly require a stint on the injured list at this point.

Gausman (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session Tuesday and could progress to facing hitters next, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

If Tuesday's session goes well, Gausman would then either move on to a live batting practice session or perhaps a Grapefruit League game. The right-hander has made nice progress since experiencing some shoulder fatigue and remains optimistic about his readiness for Opening Day.

The Tigers optioned Montero to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Montero finished 2023 at Toledo and will head back there to begin 2024. The 23-year-old right-hander could get a look in Detroit's rotation at some point this season, although he is fairly far down in the pecking order right now.

The Tigers optioned Flores to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Flores was added to the 40-man roster over the winter but was always destined to begin the season back in the minors. His stint at Toledo to begin 2024 will be his first at the team's Triple-A affiliate.

Eovaldi allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out five over 4.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Angels.

The results weren't pretty, but Eovaldi ramped up to an estimated 83-84 pitches in his third Cactus League start, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Eovaldi has allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and five walks while striking out 10 over 9.2 spring innings. He'll get two more starts in camp and is lined up to take the ball Opening Day against the Cubs.

Eflin threw 63 pitches across four innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Eflin was hit hard, surrendering eight hits and eight runs (four earned). However, he spoke after the outing and said that he was working on specific pitches and throwing them in unusual situations, which was the cause of the poor results, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Eflin specifically noted that he got a good feel for his curveball, a pitch he used very effectively in 2023. The Rays haven't officially named their Opening Day starter for a matchup against the Blue Jays, but he would be the most logical candidate.

Skubal skipped a potential Grapefruit League matchup against the Mets on Sunday and instead tossed 60 pitches in a simulated game, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

This was done for strategic reasons rather than any type of injury, as Detroit will face the Mets in the second series of the regular season and the team didn't want their opponent to get a look at Skubal. The talented lefty has already been named Detroit's Opening Day starter, and he should be poised for a big year if he can stay healthy.