MLB Player News

Sandoval missed the "first few days" of training camp due to an illness, but he was able to throw a bullpen session Sunday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Sandoval's illness appears to be behind him as he reportedly no longer feels sick. The southpaw could compete for the fifth spot in the Angels' rotation, though the most likely scenario is that he starts the season in Triple-A.

Cole threw 27 pitches, all of which were fastballs and changeups, during a simulated game Sunday, Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reports.

Cole's simulated game came in front of teammates, media and a crowd of more than 1,000 fans who gave him a standing ovation at the end of the session. The Yankees' prized offseason signing plans to hurl one more simulated game before taking part in contests during spring training.

Sale said he's clear of the pneumonia and is scheduled to throw off a mound Monday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The veteran left-hander will now look to get back up to full strength after recovering from the bout of pneumonia, which Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports caused him to lose between six and seven pounds. Sale isn't guaranteed to be ready for Opening Day as the Red Sox plan to remain cautious in returning him to the fold, but he is clearly on the right track toward being fully cleared.

Kluber (oblique) is healthy again and threw his second bullpen session Saturday, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Kluber, who was limited to 35.2 innings in 2019 by a fractured forearm, was encouraged following the session. "I don't know if I can put a timeline on it, but you throw so many pitches and go through your delivery so many times, you know when it's right and when it's not," Kluber said. "From that aspect, I feel good where I am at." The right-hander, who turns 34 in April, is being watched closely. Not only from a health perspective, but the Rangers are also considering his workload. Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, threw 1,091.1 innings over a five-year span from 2014-18, the second most in MLB and a heavy workload for a pitcher of any age. Next up is a live batting-practice session Tuesday. Kluber's expected to have two or three such BP sessions before getting into a game.

Walker looked strong in his first bullpen session of camp Saturday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander just returned to the organization where he got his start, and he's considered a legitimate candidate for the No. 5 starter job. While a bullpen session is essentially the most preliminary of tests for a pitcher coming back from a pair of injury-marred seasons, it certainly lends some reason for optimism as camp begins. Walker was limited to 14 innings across four appearances over the last two campaigns with the Diamondbacks due to shoulder problems and Tommy John surgery.

Gilbert threw the first big-league bullpen session of his career Friday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "Logan's obviously got a good arm and good stuff," manager Scott Servais said. "How his body works, he's got big-time extension down the mound. That's what sticks out immediately. There is going to be deception."

The towering right-hander made three stops in the organizational ladder during his first season of professional ball in 2019, finishing the year at Double-Arkansas. Gilbert compiled a 4-2 record, 2.88 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 50 innings with the Travelers, following a pair of sub-2.00 ERA tallies at Low-A West Virginia and High-A Modesto to open the campaign. Gilbert projects to start 2020 back in Arkansas, but given his rapid ascension through the ranks last season and impressive four-pitch arsenal, it would hardly be surprising to see him toeing the rubber for Triple-A Tacoma before too long.

Sale (illness) could miss Opening Day as a result of his delayed start to spring training, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Sale recently developed a mild case of pneumonia, and interim manager Ron Roenicke stressed Saturday that the team wouldn't rush him back until he's fully ready. The 30-year-old played catch Friday and Saturday, but he still isn't back to full strength. After Sale posted a career-worst 4.40 ERA in 2019 as he dealt with elbow issues, the team wants to make sure the southpaw will be healthy over the course of the season rather than rushing him back prematurely.

Garcia is competing for a spot in the Tigers' bullpen out of spring training, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old made his MLB debut at the end of 2019, appearing in seven games and allowing nine earned runs but also striking out seven across 6.2 innings of work. Garcia was considered one of the team's most impressive young arms before missing nearly 18 months due to Tommy John surgery in 2017. Manager Ron Gardenhire said his arm "has a lot of life," and with Detroit struggling to find consistent pitching the last few years, Garcia has the chance to make an impact if he performs well this spring.

Cease (hamstring) made a mechanical adjustment during the offseason designed to make his fastball more effective, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Cease, who finished with a 5.79 ERA in 14 starts in the majors, said he was getting too rotational on his front side, which in his opinion led to cutting issues with his fastball. Opponents teed off on the right-hander's heater, slugging .611 against it in 2019, per BrooksBaseball. Cease averaged a little more than five innings and 97 pitches per start, with innings one (9.00 ERA) and two (9.64) particularly troublesome. He's hoping the adjustment leads to fewer pitches per inning and deeper outings.

Clevinger underwent surgery Friday to repair a partial tear in his left meniscus and will be sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

With Opening Day a little less than six weeks away, Clevinger's status for the start of the season is in doubt. Whether he's forced to miss any time will depend on how his recovery goes; if the right-hander is out the full eight weeks, he wouldn't make his season debut until the second weekend of April. The 29-year-old Clevinger is coming off a 2019 campaign during which he posted a 2.71 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 169:37 K:BB across 21 starts (126 innings).