MLB Player News

Paxton (back) is expected to be able to pitch "right away" if there is a 2020 season, Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com reports.

Paxton has been following a throwing program at home throughout MLB's hiatus, and the delayed start to the campaign has likely wiped away the portion of the regular season that was originally slated to be a recovery period for the left-hander. Though Paxton has not yet been deemed fully recovered, he appears to be a strong bet for the No. 2 spot in the Yankees' rotation come Opening Day.

Clevinger (knee) said in a recent interview with Indians broadcaster Jim Rosenhaus that he feels "completely like myself again" since requiring surgery Feb. 14 to repair a partially torn meniscus, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "There's no subconscious hesitations like I felt the first couple of bullpens," Clevinger said. "It feels natural now. I guess my only concern was I have a pretty violent lock leg, lead leg, and that's the knee I tore. That was my only worry. The strengthening stuff came back real fast. It healed super, super quick."

Prior to Major League Baseball going on hiatus in mid-March, Clevinger didn't appear poised to miss significant time to begin the season after he was cleared for mound work shortly before spring training was suspended. Now that he's had an extra month to strengthen his knee, Clevinger appears set to face no restrictions whenever the Indians are cleared to resume workouts. He'll likely be in the mix for the Opening Day nod after turning in a 2.71 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 126 innings in 2019.

Giolito was working on his curveball and slider prior to MLB pausing the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Steve Greenberg of Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Giolito's breakthrough 2019 campaign was fueled mostly by his fastball and changeup. He recalled a complete-game gem against the Astros, in the midst of an eight-start stretch, during which he went 8-0 with a 0.94 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 14 walks over 57.1 innings. He had it all working against Houston, including the slider, but he lost a feel for the pitch in ensuing starts when he tried too hard to throw it. "I want to put guys away with the curve and fool guys with sliders," the right-hander said. "What sucks is that I was working on those things [this] spring, and it was going really well. I was feeling like, 'I'm going to be better than I was last year.' That's annoying." Giolito has been working to keep his arm strength up while at home in Davis (Calif.) and is looking to build off a season in which he was named an All-Star and finished sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Gibson is throwing at home in a 70-foot long shed with an artificial mound in his backyard in Missouri during the delay for major league baseball, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Gibson throws 40 to 50 pitches into a net, resting after about every set of 15 throws in order to simulate a three-inning outing. His six-year-old daughter holds an iPad hooked to a Rapsodo pitch monitor to determine balls and strikes. "I'm trying to mimic [spring training] as much as possible," Gibson said. "I figure we are going to have three or four starts to get ready. If you don't keep up your strength and endurance, you aren't going to be where you need to be when we get back." Last season, Gibson was stricken with ulcerative colitis, an auto-immune disease that puts him at an elevated risk for COVID-19 infection, although doctors told the right-hander there is no definitive evidence that he's at any higher risk for the disease's most serious manifestations.

Canning (elbow) is throwing from 120 to 150 feet at about 70 to 80 percent intensity, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

According to Angels general manager Billy Eppler, Canning is "doing good" and has progressed to a point where he could throw from a mound in seven to 10 days. Eppler dismissed the suggestion that Canning could be a candidate for Tommy John surgery if the season is canceled, stating that right-hander will not be subjected to that surgery "unless there was new evidence or a new injury that took place." Given Canning's progress, it is reasonable to assume he will be part of the Angels' starting rotation when the 2020 season gets underway.

Kikuchi demonstrated improved velocity and better command overall during Cactus League play before spring training was suspended, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The southpaw worked on tweaking his delivery this offseason after an uneven first season stateside, and those changes appeared to already be paying dividends this spring. Kikuchi made three Cactus League starts, posting a 4.05 ERA over 6.2 innings while recording an impressive 10 strikeouts. Kikuchi also hit between 94 mph and 96 mph with his fastball and was in the 90-mph-91-mph range with his slider. Drayer also notes Kikuchi was generating an increased spin rate in camp and more frequently challenging hitters high with his power pitch, both potential harbingers of a more effective and confident pitcher in 2020.

Clevinger (knee) is doing well, according to manager Terry Francona, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Francona did not elaborate on where Clevinger stands from a health standpoint, but he was expected to be ready or almost ready for game action if the season had started on time. No detailed news is likely good news in this instance, so fantasy managers should be operating as if Clevinger will be a full-go when play resumes.

Carrasco (elbow) has been throwing bullpen sessions in Cleveland, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Manager Terry Francona said Carrasco is doing well in his recovery from elbow inflammation. He will still need to ramp up to simulated games before he'll be ready to work as a starter, but at least it sounds like he is progressing well following a mid-March injection in his sore right elbow.

Bundy allowed two earned runs in 11.1 innings this spring while posting a 16:1 K:BB.

Though the sample size is small, Bundy appears to have adjusted well to his move from Baltimore, leading all Halos pitchers with 16 punchouts in Cactus League action. High strikeout numbers aren't abnormal for Bundy -- he whiffed over a batter per inning each of the last two seasons -- but he also combined for a 5.13 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over that span. Those numbers can be partly attributed to playing for a poor defensive club in a hitter-friendly home park, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Bundy take a leap and become a more attractive fantasy option in his first season with the Angels.

Walker impressed this spring with his velocity and performance in his one Cactus League start, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The veteran right-hander signed shortly after spring camp opened and was treated cautiously by the Mariners after undergoing Tommy John surgery and dealing with a sprained shoulder capsule over the last two seasons. Walker was primarily limited to live batting practices and simulated games, but he flashed a mid-90s fastball and struck out Christian Yelich with his new spiked curve during his one spring start against the Brewers. Walker will head into any ramp-up period before the delayed start to the regular season with a seemingly secure grasp on the No. 3 spot in the rotation.