MLB Player News

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.

Gausman (shoulder) struck out seven and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks over three-plus innings Monday in his Grapefruit League start against the Pirates.

After he experienced shoulder fatigue earlier this month and had his throwing progression slowed as a result, Gausman was finally cleared to make his spring debut in the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League finale. The right-hander seemed to quell any concerns about his readiness for the start of the regular season, as he built up to 52 pitches and induced eight swinging strikes while sporting a fastball that sat at around 95 miles per hour, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. Unless Gausman reports renewed discomfort in his shoulder coming out of Monday's start, he should avoid a stint on the injured list and will likely take the bump for Toronto when a fifth starter is first needed April 1 in Houston. Gausman is likely to be limited to around 65-to-70 pitches in that outing, but he may still be worth including in fantasy lineups since he would tentatively line up for a two-start week, with the second turn coming April 7 on the road versus the Yankees.

Littell allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 3.1 innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

After going most of the exhibition season without a blemish to his ERA, Littell ran into a bit of trouble in his final tuneup. Still, it was an impressive spring as Littell had a 13:3 K:BB and did not allow a homer in 13.1 innings. He quietly had a strong run with the Rays last year and has become a popular mid-to-late pick in recent fantasy drafts. The right-hander will start Tampa Bay's third game of the season, Saturday at home against the Blue Jays, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Gausman (shoulder) will start the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League finale Monday versus the Pirates and expects to throw around three innings or 55 pitches, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Gausman will be making his spring debut Monday after he received the green light to start following a successful side session Saturday. Though the veteran right-hander still won't be fully built up even if Monday's outing goes smoothly, the Blue Jays are optimistic that it will be enough for him to avoid a stint on the 15-day injured list to open the season. Manager John Schneider has already confirmed Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi as the starters for the Blue Jays' first three games of the team's season-opening series with the Rays that begins Thursday, while Bowden Francis tentatively lines up to take the hill for Sunday's series finale. That would position Gausman to start the Blue Jays' fifth game of the season, an April 1 road matchup with the Astros. Davidi speculates that he would likely be in line for 65-to-70 pitches in Houston, targeting a more typical starter's workload by his third start of the season.

Fedde suffered a quadriceps injury in Sunday's matchup with the Rockies, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Fedde was on the mound for the start Sunday versus Colorado, tossing five innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out four batters. In the contest, he took a line drive off of his right leg, suffering a quadriceps contusion. He reportedly avoided a significant injury, and Fedde expects to be able to make his first scheduled start of the 2024 campaign Sunday versus the Tigers.

Wacha suffered a bruised right middle finger during an intrasquad game Sunday and will undergo X-rays, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The Royals are optimistic it's not a worrisome injury, but Wacha's status will be a bit up in the air until the results of the X-rays are known. Assuming it's not a serious issue, Wacha may still be able to make his first start of the season next weekend versus Minnesota.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Gil will open the year as the team's fifth starter, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

A slot in the rotation became available when it was announced that Gerrit Cole (elbow) would miss extended time at the start of the campaign, and Gil was among a group of hurlers competing for the role in spring training. The right-hander posted an excellent 2.87 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB over 15.2 Grapefruit League innings and drew positive comments from rival scouts, so his spot in the Opening Day rotation is well-deserved. Gil has made seven big-league appearances (all starts) in his career, posting a 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 43:21 K:BB across 33.1 frames. He should get several turns in the rotation to try to establish himself since Cole is not expected to be able to return until late May or early June at the earliest.

The White Sox designated Toussaint for assignment Sunday.

Toussaint's removal from the 40-man roster opens up a spot for outfielder Kevin Pillar, who was re-signed Sunday to a one-year deal. Perhaps more significantly, the roster move also opens up a spot in the rotation for rookie Nick Nastrini, who now looks in position to replace Toussaint as the White Sox's No. 5 starter to begin the season. Toussaint made bats miss at a solid clip upon joining the White Sox last June as a waiver-wire pickup from the Guardians, but command remained a concern for the right-hander, which has been a familiar refrain throughout his career. It was especially true during spring training, as Toussaint had posted a 12.91 ERA, 2.74 WHIP and an ugly 2:11 K:BB across 7.2 frames during Cactus League play.