MLB Player News

Gausman will not throw his scheduled live bullpen session Monday due to "general shoulder fatigue," Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The good news here is that Gausman's MRI showed no structural damage. However, the fact an MRI was ordered shows there is some level of concern. Gausman has yet to pitch in a game this spring, and since he did not fully bounce back after his last side session, his availability for Opening Day could be in jeopardy. A better picture of his timetable should come into focus in the weeks to come.

Hancock, who fired two perfect innings with three strikeouts against the Athletics in his Cactus League debut Saturday, has impressed manager Scott Servais with his aggressiveness thus far this spring, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. "I love that's where he's at right now," Servais said.

Hancock still faces an uphill battle to snag an Opening Day spot if the Mariners' projected rotation makes it out of spring training unscathed, but he's been giving Servais something to think about since arriving in camp. The talented but oft-injured right-hander told the Seattle skipper in an earlier conversation he wanted to break camp with the big-league club, and he took the first official step toward forcing the issue Saturday with his dominant performance, which featured an improved fastball that sat between 94 and 96 mph, a changeup that got up to 90 mph and a cutter-slider hybrid that he's been working on. "I put a lot of work in this offseason trying to get back on track, get the velo back up," Hancock said. "And then ... when I get my work, I'm done. I don't want to overwork. I want to make sure that when I go into a start, I'm as fresh as possible."

Stripling (finger) didn't factor into the decision in a Cactus League win over the Rangers on Sunday, allowing an unearned run on two hits and recording a strikeout over three innings.

Stripling came on in the fourth inning in relief of starter JP Sears, who pitched a dominant first three frames that included seven strikeouts. Stripling didn't come close to matching his southpaw rotation mate in that regard, but he equaled Sears' workload and escaped without an earned run on his line. The veteran right-hander was originally slated to work up to 45 pitches, but Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports that manager Mark Kotsay relayed Stripling needed to put in another inning's worth of work in the bullpen to reach that count because he'd been so efficient on the mound.

Bido was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Bido has appeared in three games with the A's this spring, allowing three earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three batters over three innings. The right-hander signed with Oakland in November after spending the 2023 campaign with the Pirates, posting a 5.86 ERA over 50.2 frames. He'll now look to carve out a role with the Athletics somewhere down the road.

Gil was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

Gil made two Grapefruit League appearances and will shift to minor-league camp after he allowed two runs on a hit and two walks while striking out three. The right-hander is currently stretched out as a starter but could be shifted to a relief role, which would likely provide a clearer path to a roster spot in the majors. Gil missed most of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, though he returned for a couple minor-league rehab starts in September.

Verlander (shoulder) threw a 60-pitch bullpen session Sunday that appeared to include some breaking balls, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 41-year-old continues to ramp up his throwing program, with the next step potentially being to face live hitters. Manager Joe Espada indicated Verlander could still be ready by Opening Day but also said "we're running out of days [in spring training]," per Kawahara.

Houck allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five over three scoreless innings in Saturday's spring game against the Nationals.

Houck followed starter Brayan Bello and easily navigated the fourth through sixth innings. This was his second Grapefruit League outing; he pitched two perfect innings in a start last Monday. So far, so good for Houck, who's thrown five scoreless frames in his competition with Garrett Whitlock and Josh Winckowski for the final rotation spot.

Bello allowed two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out two over three innings in Saturday's spring start against the Nationals. The right-hander also hit two batters.

Bello, making his second Grapefruit League start, sandwiched two perfect innings around a funky second in which he walked a batter and plunked two others. He admitted to Ian Browne of MLB.com that his mechanics went awry during the second frame. Bello has allowed just one hit through two spring outings as he makes a bid to be Boston's Opening Day starter.

Stripling (finger) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Sunday against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Lefty JP Sears will draw the start for Oakland, but Stripling is likely to enter the contest behind him and pitch an inning or two. The Athletics have delayed Stripling's entry into the spring pitching schedule after he was scratched from a start last week due to a cut on his right index finger, but the minor injury shouldn't affect his readiness for Opening Day. Despite being deployed in relief Sunday, Stripling is still expected to occupy a spot in Oakland's rotation during the regular season.

Whitley (finger) is scheduled to play catch Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander has been shut down for the past week due to middle finger inflammation, but he's poised to start up his throwing program again Tuesday. Whitley will need to build his arm back up after the shutdown period and is likely at least a couple weeks away from game action.