MLB Player News

Red Sox GM Craig Breslow said Tuesday that Pivetta (elbow) may not be on the injured list much beyond the 15-day minimum, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The right-hander was placed on the injured list earlier Tuesday with a flexor strain, but the issue apparently isn't a serious concern. Still, it's worth keeping an eye on Pivetta's recovery given the nature of the injury. Cooper Criswell and Chase Anderson are the likely candidates to receive a look in the rotation while Pivetta is sidelined.

Pivetta was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Red Sox on Tuesday with a right elbow flexor strain, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Pivetta has been an early-season bright spot for the Red Sox, allowing just one run with a 13:1 K:BB over 11 innings covering his first two starts. After sustaining the injury coming out of his most recent start last Wednesday, however, Pivetta will be on the shelf for a least a couple weeks and potentially much longer, given the nature of the injury. It's not clear yet who might fill Pivetta's spot in the rotation, but Cooper Criswell, Chase Anderson and Josh Winckowski look to be the top candidates.

Gipson-Long (groin) is being evaluated for right forearm tightness, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Gipson-Long looked to be almost done with his rehab assignment while working his way back from a groin strain, but he now has a new and potentially more serious injury to deal with. The Tigers should have more information on the right-hander's condition later this week.

Castillo (0-3) took the loss Monday, allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk across five innings against Toronto. He struck out six.

Castillo turned in another poor start, yielding four earned runs for a third straight appearance. The 31-year-old has endured a minor dip in velocity once again to begin 2024, dropping from 96.2 mph to 95.4 mph after sitting around 97 mph for most of his career. If there's any silver lining to his slow opening to the season, it would be that Castillo hasn't seen a dropoff in strikeout rate (10.3 K/9). He'll look to turn things around Sunday in a homestand against the Cubs.

Berrios (2-0) picked up the win Monday, allowing four hits and a walk over 6.2 scoreless innings against the Mariners. He struck out six.

Berrios was dominant Monday for his third quality start of the season, yielding no extra-base hits as part of his first scoreless outing of 2024. He got into a little trouble in the fifth inning, allowing back-to-back singles, but he then consecutively retired Josh Rojas and J.P. Crawford to get out of the jam. Of pitchers with three starts this season, Berrios ranks first in ERA (1.45). His next appearance is set to come Sunday against the Rockies.

Ober did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over five innings against the Dodgers. He struck out seven.

Ober bounced back nicely after a terrible first start at Kansas City where he gave up eight runs in 1.1 innings. It was an especially impressive outing considering the opposing lineup. He next lines up to start Saturday at Detroit.

Eflin (1-2) took the loss against the Angels on Monday, allowing five runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out five batters over five innings.

Eflin fell behind 2-0 in the first inning and was lifted after giving up another pair of runs on four hits in the fifth frame. He allowed five Angels to cross the plate overall, the second time through three starts that he's allowed at least that many runs. Eflin's ERA now sits at 6.35 through 17 innings on the campaign, and he's given up four homers thus far. The right-hander does have a nice 15:2 K:BB on the season, but he's struggling to follow up on last year's career-best 16-win campaign.

Anderson (2-0) earned the win over Tampa Bay on Monday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out three batters over seven scoreless innings.

Anderson was a big disappointment in his first campaign with the Angels last year, but he's been outstanding in his first two starts this season. Monday's performance was his second straight seven-inning scoreless effort, with both performances resulting in a win. The left-hander's fantasy appeal will likely always be negatively impacted by his low strikeout totals -- he fanned just three batters Monday and has a modest eight punchouts through 14 innings on the season -- but his rostership is bound to rise if he continues to keep runs from crossing the plate. Anderson's next start is tentatively projected to come in Fenway Park against Boston this weekend.

Whitley (finger) allowed one run on one hit and struck out one across one inning at Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday against the Las Vegas Aviators.

Whitley struggled to put right middle finger inflammation behind him throughout spring camp, but he's since been cleared to begin his minor-league campaign. He's poised to work out of the bullpen in 2024 for the Space Cowboys after struggling to a 5.70 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 30 innings (six starts) a season ago at Triple-A.

Heaney (0-2) yielded six runs on four hits and three walks over 3.2 innings Monday, striking out two and taking a loss against Houston.

Heaney struggled immediately Monday, coughing up four runs in the first two frames. Despite only getting two punchouts, he managed to force 10 whiffs in the short start. He's thrown just 8.1 innings with a 7.56 ERA and a 9:3 K:BB through two appearances. Heaney is projected for a rematch in Houston this weekend.