MLB Player News

The Rays placed Rasmussen (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Rasmussen underwent an internal brace procedure in July and isn't expected to return until late in the season, so the Rays will stash him away on the IL for the time being. Rasmussen's roster spot will be given to Amed Rosario, who signed with Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Dunning will get the start Friday in the Rangers' Cactus League opener against the Royals, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Dunning will draw the start Friday, with Cody Bradford scheduled to follow. Dunning posted a 12-7 record in 2023 with a 3.70 ERA and 140:55 K:BB over 172.2 innings, earning a raise to $3.323 million for 2024 in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He'll open the season at the back end of Texas' starting rotation.

Skubal touched 100 mph on his last pitch of live batting practice Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Skubal averaged 95.8 mph with his four-seamer last season in his first year back from elbow surgery after averaging 94.1 mph with his four-seamer in 2022 before the operation. While reading too much into the velocity of one pitch in live BP isn't advisable, it certainly seems like an encouraging sign for the lefty's ability to hold or perhaps even improve upon his velocity gains in 2024.

Bubic (elbow) is scheduled for a bullpen session Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Bubic hasn't thrown off the mound since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023, and the left-hander should be able to return sometime over the summer if there's no major setbacks. Bubic started three games in 2023 prior to the injury and went 0-2 with a 3.94 ERA, 16 strikeouts and two walks over 16 innings pitched.

Bradish (elbow) played catch from 90 feet Tuesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

It was revealed last week that Bradish is dealing with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, but he's now played catch a couple times after being given a platelet-rich plasma injection. The right-hander will begin the season on the injured list and it's up in the air as to when he might be game-ready, but the hope is that the rest and rehab route will work.

Lynch (shoulder) said Sunday that he's feeling "probably the best I've felt in two years," Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lynch wound up pitching just 52.1 innings in 2023 due to a left shoulder issue which ultimately ended his season in July. He returned to pitching in the Arizona Fall League and also the Dominican Winter League, though, and entered Royals came with no restrictions. Lynch is competing with Jordan Lyles and Alec Marsh for the fifth spot in Kansas City's rotation. Lyles would seem to have a leg up for the job, but Lynch has more upside and could push for the gig with a strong spring.

Gipson-Long was diagnosed with a left groin strain after undergoing an MRI last week, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Gipson-Long sustained the injury in a bullpen session last week during the first week of spring training. The 26-year-old is completing daily rehab activities, but the Tigers have yet to offer a timeline for when the right-hander might be ready to make his Grapefruit League debut. Gipson-Long entered camp on the outside looking in for a spot in the Detroit rotation, and the groin injury won't help his case for making the Tigers' Opening Day roster.

Miller added a splitter to his repertoire this offseason, Brandon Gustafson of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Miller picked up some valuable experience last season beginning with his May 2 MLB debut, finishing the 2023 campaign with an 8-7 record, 4.32 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 25 starts. The right-hander's fastball clocked in at an impressive 95.1 mph as well, and while he primarily relied on his four-seam fastball and a sinker/two-seamer as a rookie, he decided to add the splitter after seeing rotation mates Logan Gilbert and George Kirby enjoy plenty of success with it last season. "I thought it was something that would be really good for how I throw and for what I needed," Miller said. " ... It took me a month or two just to find a grip that I was comfortable with and one that I was able to get consistent shapes with."

Stripling has begun unveiling a new "Deathball" pitch that he worked on this offseason, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander was just acquired from the Giants on Feb. 2 and has already been deploying the pitch in front of his new coaches and teammates. Stripling admits he's still perfecting his use of the offering, which he's primarily used in bullpen sessions thus far and is described as a modified version of a slider that drops straight down late. Stripling plans to use his Cactus League appearances to experiment with it in game situations and decide if he'll be utilizing it in his arsenal when he opens the season as the Athletics' projected No. 3 starter.

The Tigers haven't discussed any specific workload restrictions on Mize for spring training or the regular season as he returns from Tommy John surgery, MLB.com reports.

Mize added that he hopes to throw "as much as they let me" in camp, though the Tigers will certainly take a cautious approach. Even if a specific innings limit isn't announced for the regular season, the team will surely be careful then as well, considering Mize last took an MLB mound in April of 2022. The righty's career high for innings in a season is 150.1, which he recorded back in 2021, and it would be safe to assume that somewhere around that number will end up being his maximum in 2024 if he's able to stay healthy. Mize can be an impact pitcher when on top of his game, but it might take him a little while to shake off some rust, so fantasy managers will need to be patient.