MLB Player News

Clevinger (knee) could begin a throwing program as early as Friday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Clevinger underwent surgery exactly two weeks ago to address a partial tear of his left meniscus, and his return to throwing is the first tangible step toward his return. The 29-year-old is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, putting the front end of the recovery timeline right around Opening Day on March 26. There should be a better idea of Clevinger's progression once he's cleared to resume mound work.

Civale (groin) threw a live batting practice session Friday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Civale has been a bit behind schedule this spring while dealing with a sore groin, but he still has plenty of time to prepare for the regular season. Assuming good health, he appears to have a safe roster spot after posting a 2.34 ERA in his 10-start debut last season.

Carrasco (hip) threw a live batting practice session Friday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Carrasco suffered a mild strain of his right hip flexor early in camp. The fact that he's throwing again just nine days later would seem to bode well for his readiness for Opening Day, though a clearer timeline may not emerge until he's back in game action.

Ryu made his first Grapefruit League appearance Thursday, allowing one run on two hits over two innings while striking out two, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

The veteran southpaw served up a solo homer to unheralded Twins minor-leaguer Zander Wiel but was otherwise pleased with the outing, as he threw 26 of 41 pitches for strikes. "The reason why I focus more on the pitch count and innings is because, as I progress towards the regular season, everything, including the command and also feel for my offspeed pitches, do come back and are ready once the regular season starts," Ryu said after the game through his interpreter Bryan Lee. With a four-year, $80 million contract in his pocket, big things are expected from Ryu this season as he prepares to get the start Opening Day for Toronto.

Canning underwent an MRI which revealed chronic changes to the UCL and acute joint irritation in his right elbow.

The 23-year-old had the issue crop up after his spring debut Wednesday, and the diagnosis of potential UCL issues is a worrying development. He also missed the final month-plus of last season with elbow inflammation. There is no official timetable for his return and Canning will continue to be evaluated over the next couple days, but his status for Opening Day and beyond is now in question.

Verlander (groin) threw about 30 pitches during a live batting practice session Thursday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Verlander had been scheduled to make his spring game debut Thursday, but he was scratched after reporting discomfort in his right groin earlier this week. "It went about as good as I could've hoped today. Maybe noticed [the groin] just a little bit, but once I got on the mound, tried to pitch and not worry about it so much. It felt really good. Didn't feel it after that. Probably best-case scenario today," said the right-hander. Barring a setback, Verlander is scheduled to start next Tuesday against the Cardinals.

Montas started Wednesday's Cactus League win over the Diamondbacks and fired a perfect first inning during which he recorded a strikeout.

Montas needed just 15 pitches to get through his one frame, nine of which found the strike zone. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports the right-hander hit 99 mph with his fastball and looked sharp after pitching 25 innings in the Dominican Winter League and generating a 1.44 ERA. Montas felt the extra offseason work was necessary after he missed 80 games in 2019 due to a PED suspension, and he's already made an early impression on manager Bob Melvin with how prepared he arrived in camp. "We're looking for him to replicate what he did last year and what he did in the start he had late in the season after sitting out for so long," Melvin said. "He's eager to contribute to his team for a full season. He wants to be one of the high-end starters we have."

Dunn started Wednesday's Cactus League win over the Reds, allowing an earned run on two hits and a walk over two innings. He struck out two.

The right-hander, who logged the first four starts of his major-league career at the tail end of 2019, was sharp in his first taste of game action this spring. Per Greg Johns of MLB.com, Dunn consistently hit between 94 mph and 96 mph with his fastball, which helped him to his pair of whiffs, including one of Joey Votto. Dunn made an impression on both the Reds -- which got to him for two earned runs on five walks over two-thirds of an inning in his first big-league turn Sept. 12 -- and manager Scott Servais, who saw the mechanical and mental adjustments Dunn made over the offseason pay immediate dividends. "I was really impressed with Justin today," manager Scott Servais said. "Just his whole demeanor, attacking with his fastball early in the ballgame was great to see. He feels good about where he's at right now."

Snell started Wednesday's Grapefruit League loss to the Twins, firing a perfect first inning during which he recorded a strikeout.

The southpaw threw 21 pitches overall, 15 of which found the strike zone. As per Juan Toribio of MLB.com, Snell utilized all four of his pitches but expressed frustration after the game that he didn't throw a slider against a right-handed hitter, which is an area he's stated he'd like to focus on this spring. Snell made several changes this offseason that appear to be paying early dividends, hiring a personal chef to improve his diet, getting additional rest, and arriving in St. Petersburg almost a month earlier than usual to prepare for the season.

Severino's Tommy John surgery went as expected Thursday, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The team also announced that Severino had an existing bone chip removed from his elbow during the surgery. While this is good news for the right-hander, he won't be available for the 2020 campaign and likely a portion of the 2021 season.