MLB Player News

Bello (forearm) is scheduled to make a rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Worcester, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

The right-hander threw 72 pitches across five innings during an extended spring training appearance earlier this week, and he's scheduled to progress to six innings Tuesday. Bello could be cleared to return from the injured list if all goes well with Worcester.

Whitlock (hip) was in the Red Sox's clubhouse Saturday and said he's scheduled to pitch Tuesday against the Rays, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

The 26-year-old made his second minor-league rehab start Thursday and allowed just one run on one hit with eight strikeouts and one walk over six innings. Whitlock began the season on the shelf while finishing up his rehab from last September's hip surgery, but he's poised to make his season debut Tuesday in Tampa Bay.

Blackburn (finger) allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk over 1.2 innings in Single-A Stockton's loss to Modesto on Friday.

Making his first rehab start, Blackburn labored through 40 pitches, with only 22 finding the strike zone. The right-hander did exceed his 35-pitch target, but it was a rough landing all the way around to begin his rehab assignment. Given his struggles, it remains to be seen whether Blackburn will move to a higher-level affiliate for his next minor-league start.

Brito was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ahead of his start against the Orioles on Saturday.

Brito delivered five scoreless innings during his MLB debut last Sunday and will make another turn through the rotation Saturday. The 25-year-old spent most of last season at Triple-A and had a 3.31 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 53:24 K:BB across 70.2 innings. Josh Donaldson (hamstring) and Jonathan Loaisiga (elbow) were placed on the injured list.

Ragans allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over 1.1 scoreless innings in Friday's 2-0 loss to the Cubs.

Ragans held the Cubs in check over the sixth and the seventh innings, but Texas bats (three hits) could never get on track. The hard-throwing left-hander has walked four batters over 3.1 innings but managed to prevent damage while striking out five. With the news that Jake Odorizzi will have season-ending shoulder surgery, Ragans should continue to serve as a reliever capable of multiple innings.

Sandoval did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one run on six hits and one walk over six innings against Toronto. He struck out two.

It was far from a dominant effort for Sandoval with just the two strikeouts, but he deserved better than a no-decision Friday. The southpaw's only run allowed came in the fourth on a fielder's choice off the bat of Santiago Espinal. Unfortunately for Sandoval, the Angels were unable to hold the lead with Bo Bichette hitting a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh. In two starts, the 26-year-old has registered a 1.64 ERA with a 4:3 K:BB ratio in 11 innings.

Bassitt (1-1) earned the win Friday, allowing three runs on two hits and five walks over six innings against the Angels. He struck out five while walking five.

Bassitt had control issues, but he was able to work around those free passes thanks in large part to those five strikeouts. It's a much better outing than the one he had in his debut with the Blue Jays in which he was charged for nine runs over 3.1 innings. Bassitt will look to build on this effort next week, and he's scheduled for a friendly matchup against the Tigers.

Urquidy did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk over 5.1 innings during a 3-2 loss to the Twins. He struck out six.

Urquidy didn't match Sonny Gray's strikeout numbers, but he was every bit as strong as the two faced off in a classic pitching duel. The lone run on Urquidy's ledger was charged after Donovan Solano scored on a wild pitch by Bryan Abreu, who replaced the right-handed starter with one out and two runners on in the sixth inning. This was certainly a solid bounce-back performance for Urquidy after he allowed two homers in his first start of the season.

Gray did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk over seven frames during a 3-2 win over the Astros in 10 innings. He struck out 13.

Aside from an RBI single by Alex Bregman in the third, Gray was nearly untouchable as he cruised through seven strong frames and struck out a career-high 13 batters. However, it wasn't enough for the veteran right-hander to pull out a win, as the Twins offense was stymied by Jose Urquidy. Through two starts, Gray has looked as sharp as ever, surrendering just seven hits, five walks and one run over 12 innings.

Waldichuk (0-2) allowed eight runs on eight hits and three walks over three innings Friday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Rays.

The rookie southpaw coughed up four homers in the ugly start, including Isaac Paredes' grand slam in the second inning. Waldichuk has been hammered for 14 runs and seven homers in only 8.2 frames to start the year. He did force seven whiffs, including five via the fastball. He's lined up for a start in Baltimore next week.