MLB Player News

Astros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Whitley's right middle finger injury "doesn't look like it's something significant," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitley wasn't able to throw a scheduled bullpen session Saturday because of soreness in the finger. He's been sent for testing, but the expectation seems to be that this won't be a long-term absence. Injuries are unfortunately nothing new for Whitley, who was limited to just 30 innings in 2023 with a lat strain.

Whitley did not participate in his scheduled bullpen session Saturday due to middle finger soreness, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitley experienced soreness when warming up for his bullpen session and will be evaluated by doctors. An extended absence could severely impact his chances of landing a relief spot with the Astros to start the season. Whitley appeared in eight Triple-A games in 2023 and registered a 1-2 record with a 5.70 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 32:17 K:BB over 30 innings.

Dunning threw one scoreless inning in Friday's spring start against the Royals.

Dunning retired the side in order, inducing a flyout, groundout and lineout to kick off the Cactus League schedule. The right-hander tinkered with a new pitch during the offseason, the type of which he would not divulge to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. He threw it once during Friday's outing and spiked it well short of the plate. It appears to be a variation of a splitter. Dunning's current arsenal includes a sinker (33.1 percent in 2023), slider (23.4 percent), cutter (20.0 percent), changeup (15.6 percent) and curveball (4.7 percent). He's penciled into the Opening Day rotation, but things could change in the second half of the season, when injured starters Jacob deGrom (elbow), Tyler Mahle (elbow) and Max Scherzer (back) are ready to pitch.

Carrasco (finger) will start Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Reds, Nick Camino of WKYC Channel 3 Cleveland reports.

Carrasco underwent surgery to repair a fractured finger in September but is ready for game action early in spring training. The 36-year-old joined the Guardians as a non-roster invitee after he posted a 6.80 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 66:38 K:BB over 90 innings (20 starts) for the Mets last season.

The Royals placed Bubic (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Friday.

A spot on the 40-man roster was needed for new addition Austin Nola. Bubic has begun throwing off a mound but will be sidelined until around midseason while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Bradish (elbow) will play catch from 90 feet Saturday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander extended his workouts to 75 feet earlier this week and will continue stretching out his throwing distance. Bradish is recovering from a partial UCL tear in his right elbow and is expected to begin the season on the injured list, though it's unclear how much time he'll miss.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that he's "encouraged" with Verlander's (shoulder) progress, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Verlander threw another bullpen session Wednesday and evidently bounced back well a day later. The 41-year-old is being slow-played this spring after having what he described as a "hiccup" with his right shoulder during his offseason throwing program. Verlander's readiness for Grapefruit League games and Opening Day remains unclear, but he's trending in the right direction.

Javier told reporters Thursday that he lost 15 pounds over the offseason, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Javier believes the added weight last season contributed to his mechanical issues and inconsistency. His ERA went from 2.54 to 4.56 and strikeout rate from 33.2 percent to 23.1 percent year-over-year. Javier hopes that by trimming down over the winter he can better lock in his mechanics and get back to what made him a breakout performer in 2022.

Woo, who logged 18 starts as a rookie in 2023, is focusing on improving considerably against left-handed hitters in his second season, Brandon Gustafson of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The right-hander, who made the jump straight from the Double-A level to the majors, finished with a 4-5 record and serviceable 4.21 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across his first 87.2 big-league frames. However, Woo had some drastic splits, surrendering a .283 average and .928 OPS in 180 plate appearances versus left-handed bats, numbers exponentially worse than the respective .179 and .494 figures he surrendered to righty bats. Woo, who's penciled in as the Mariners' No. 5 starter as spring camp gets underway, says he is absorbing plenty from two other accomplished young arms above him in the rotation in George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, who already have solid major-league resumes.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Schmidt is guaranteed a spot in the rotation, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Schmidt made 32 starts (33 appearances) for the Yankees last season, flashing promise but ultimately settling for a pedestrian 4.64 ERA and 149:46 K:BB over 159 innings. The Yanks will be hoping the 28-year-old takes a step forward in 2024 with a full season of big-league starting experience under his belt.