MLB Player News

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Bradley (pectoral) will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bradley is dealing with a right pectoral strain and could be facing a fairly lengthy absence since he'll have to be built back up following the shutdown period. Cash said the club will look internally for Bradley's rotation replacement. Topkin lists Jacob Lopez, Naoyuki Uwasawa, Jacob Waguespack, Tyler Alexander and Chris Devenski as possibilities to step in as Tampa Bay's No. 5 starter to begin the season.

Bradley has been diagnosed with a pectoral strain and his return to throwing will be determined on a day-to-day basis, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

His availability for the start of the season is still up in the air, but the news on Bradley seems to be mostly positive. He said that he was relieved to learn that it was not an arm or shoulder injury. Penciled in to serve as the Rays' No. 4 starter, Bradley will be working within a tight window to make Opening Day.

Bello allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one over three innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Cardinals.

Bello hit his goal for the day in throwing 65 pitches, but manager Alex Cora described the outing as "erratic" to Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 6.75 ERA over three Grapefruit League starts. One area of focus this spring is being better against lefties, who combined for an .883 OPS against him in 2023. To that end, he's implemented a cutter that should get in on their hands, and he's also sculpted a new four-seamer.

Houck allowed one run on two hits while striking out three over 3.1 innings in Tuesday's spring game against St. Louis.

Houck pitched the middle innings in what amounted to his fourth starter-length appearance; he's actually started one game and pitched middle innings in three others. There were some issues Tuesday, such as hitting a batter, spiking a pitch and leaving a pitch middle-middle that was crushed for a home run, but the right-hander didn't walk a batter. Throwing strikes consistently has been the focus this spring for Houck, who appears to have pitched well enough to claim a spot in the rotation. Through 11.1 Grapefruit League innings, the right-hander has given up two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out 12.

Miller allowed an earned run on four hits and two walks over 3.2 innings in a Cactus League loss to the Athletics on Tuesday. He struck out six.

The hard-throwing right-hander put together what may have been his most impressive outing of spring yet, recording his best strikeout total across three starts. Miller surrendered three earned runs on five hits and a walk over 4.1 innings while recording five strikeouts over his first two spring outings, making Tuesday's performance a step in the right direction. Miller gained valuable experience last season as a rookie, logging 131.1 innings across 25 starts. He'll slot into the No. 4 spot in a talented Mariners starting rotation to open the season while working on incorporating a splitter to complement his mid-90s fastball and sinker/two-seamer.

Gil could be considered for a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day rotation if Gerrit Cole (elbow) needs to miss time, Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media reports.

Gil was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on March 3, but he could potentially be brought back up if the Yankees need him to fill a spot on the big-league roster. Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Monday that Cole, who has already undergone an MRI on his pitching elbow and is scheduled for more testing, isn't likely to be ready for Opening Day, per Erik Boland of Newsday, so the team is almost certain to need a fill-in starter for at least the short term. Gil looked great in his most recent Grapefruit League outing, striking out eight batters and allowing just one hit and no walks over 3.2 innings against the Phillies on Monday, and he's posted a 3.24 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB overall through 8.1 spring frames. Other candidates to potentially step in for Cole include fellow youngsters Clayton Beeter and Will Warren, although Warren isn't on the 40-man roster.

The Rangers and White Sox have engaged in trade discussions regarding Cease, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

With Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle and Max Scherzer all set to miss the first portion of the season, trading for Cease would go a long way in bolstering the Rangers' rotation depth to start the new campaign. The White Sox have reportedly sent numerous scouts to Rangers camp over the past week, indicating that trade discussions may be getting more serious, but Chicago may still opt to send Cease to the Yankees, who have checked in on his availability.

Heaney allowed five hits and one walk while striking out three over five scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Guardians.

Heaney busted out a curveball, throwing it four times (three for strikes), per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Tuesday marked the first time he's thrown the curve in game conditions since 2021, when he scrapped it in favor of a slider. The left-hander plans to use both breaking pitches this season. Whatever he utilizes, Heaney will need to land it in the zone with more regularity than he did in 2023. Heaney's BB% jumped from 6.1 in 2022 to 9.4 in 2023, while his K% dropped from 35.5 to 23.6.

Faedo tossed two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. He struck out two.

After allowing two runs over two innings in his first spring appearance back on Feb. 25, Faedo has now logged six straight scoreless innings across three appearances. The righty made 12 starts for the Tigers last season, but with the likes of Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty now in the mix, Faedo will likely have to settle for a relief role in 2024. So far, he's making a strong case to have a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Maeda tossed four scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, allowing just one hit and two walks. He struck out seven.

Facing his former team, Maeda had his best outing of the spring, lowering his Grapefruit League ERA to a stellar 2.00 across nine innings of work. The righty had some ups and downs last year in his return from Tommy John surgery, but he finished the season strong. If he can stay healthy, Maeda figures to post solid numbers and give the Tigers a much-needed veteran presence in the rotation in 2024.