MLB Player News

Rodriguez threw to live hitters Tuesday, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports.

Rodriguez went through a scary time in 2020, when the heart problems he developed as a result of his battle with COVID-19 prevented him from exercising in any capacity. He's going through a normal progression to start camp, however, so he appears to be at minimal risk of opening the season on the injured list. Whether or not he's back to his normal self after not pitching for a year is another question entirely.

Stripling (personal) will arrive at camp Wednesday, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Stripling has been away from the team due to the birth of his child. A Wednesday arrival means he'll still have more than a month to get ready for Opening Day, so the delay shouldn't significantly impact his push for a rotation spot.

Albers has yet to report to camp due to visa issues, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

The Canadian lefty is part of a large group of players around the league who have been held up temporarily as they return to the U.S. for camp. Assuming the delay gets sorted out within the next few days, he'll still have time to get up to speed by Opening Day, though he's only in camp as a non-roster invitee, so any lost time will hurt his chances of making his case for a roster spot.

Blackburn was designated for assignment by Oakland on Tuesday.

Blackburn made just a single start last season, allowing seven of the 14 batters he faced to score while recording just seven outs. With a career 5.69 ERA and a very low 11.9 percent strikeout rate, he's unlikely to generate much interest on the waiver wire. The move clears space on the 40-man roster for Oakland to add Mitch Moreland.

Severino (elbow) landed on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

The move prevents Severino from returning in the first two months of the season, though he was never expected back that soon after undergoing Tommy John surgery in February of last year. General manager Brian Cashman previously gave him the somewhat vague timetable of "late summer," while Severino himself has said he expects to return in June or July. The move clears a spot on the Yankees' 40-man roster for the team to add Brett Gardner, who re-signed in a corresponding move.

Schmidt will be shut down for a few weeks after suffering an extensor strain in his elbow, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

The good news for Schmidt and the Yankees is that his UCL, which was repaired by Tommy John surgery back in 2017, appears to be fine. While that procedure seemingly won't be required here, it's still never good news to see a pitcher dealing with elbow troubles. Even in the best case scenario, Schmidt won't be able to start a proper spring buildup until mid-March, meaning he'll be unavailable for the first few weeks of the regular season. He was thought to have an outside shot at the Yankees' fifth starter job this spring, but the injury takes him out of the running for that role, at least to start the year.

Cole was named the Yankees' Opening Day starter as expected Monday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Cole would be the Opening Day starter for pretty much any team in the league, with the possible exception of the Yankees' local rivals. The righty should be in a close battle with Mets ace Jacob deGrom to be the first pitcher off the board in most fantasy drafts this year following three straight dominant seasons. He owns a 2.71 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 36.6 percent strikeout rate over that stretch.

Cole tossed a 26-pitch live batting-practice session Monday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

With the Yankees' position players reporting to camp this week, Cole got the chance to face hitters for the first time this spring. The Yankees may limit Cole's use in the Grapefruit League slate to preserve his bullets for the regular season, but the right-hander should be ready to handle a normal workload by the time Opening Day rolls around. After a stellar debut season in pinstripes in 2020 (7-3 record, 2.84 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 94 strikeouts in 73 innings), Cole will likely be either the first or second pitcher off the board in most fantasy drafts this spring.

Chirinos (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The move was an expected one, as Chirinos is set to miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in August. He'll free up a spot on the 40-man roster as the Rays add new signings Collin McHugh and Chaz Roe.

Severino (elbow) expects to pitch off a mound soon and anticipates a return to major-league action in June or July, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The Yankees previously mentioned late summer as their target for Severino's return from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent back in February of 2020. Severino sounds slightly more optimistic about his timeline, though that's hardly uncommon for players to have a more positive outlook about their return dates than teams. Which timeline winds up being correct will have a large impact on his fantasy value, as a June return could see Severino make nearly 20 starts, while a late summer return could see him make less than 10. At this stage, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News notes that Severino is throwing from 90 feet and will increase his distance to 120 feet Tuesday, potentially setting him up for a return to mound work by the end of spring training.