MLB Player News

Rodriguez (knee) will resume mound work next week, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Rodriguez has been working his way back from an October surgery on his right knee, and he's consistently progressed through a throwing program over the past month. Though the left-hander continues to stay ahead of schedule, it's expected that he will remain out for the first month of the season while building his arm back up with a few minor-league outings in April.

Rodon (shoulder) will not pitch any spring training games, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Rodon is throwing off flat ground -- recently moving out to 90 feet -- with all signs suggesting the left-hander is progressing nicely, according to Chicago general manager Rick Hahn. He'll likely throw in a competitive environment during extended spring training, followed by a rehabilitation assignment, and then an early June return to the major leagues.

Montgomery is the prohibitive favorite to land the fifth starter job according to Erik Boland of Newsday.

The 25-year-old held his own over a full season in the big leagues, producing a 3.88 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in 29 starts. This has him in line to be the Yankees' fifth starter, but his standing could change if the Yankees add another starting pitcher (as general manage Brian Cashman hopes to do). Nonetheless, Montgomery's job seems to be relatively secure as long as he continues to exhibit good control throughout spring training.

Hammel appears to have a rotation spot locked down heading into Cactus League play, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

The 35-year-old's numbers dipped last season, as he only produced a 5.29 ERA. His peripherals stayed largely the same, however, as his strikeout rate only dropped by roughly half a batter per nine innings and his walk rate actually went down to 2.4 BB/9. Hammel isn't flashy, but he's proven to consistently eat up about 170 innings per season while exhibiting good control. Hopefully some of his other numbers will come back to earth when hitters aren't batting .335 off of him like they did in 2017.

Rodon (shoulder) has been throwing from 90 feet without discomfort, James Fegan of The Athletic Chicago reports.

Rodon isn't yet throwing with full intensity, but the lack of discomfort is an encouraging sign. It seems that the White Sox are following through with their plan to take things slowly with Rodon. He likely won't be pitching until early June.

Mejia is competing for one of the Twins' final rotation spots in spring training, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Mejia won a job out of spring training last season, and he's looking to do so again this year. With Ervin Santana (finger) expected to be sidelined for the start of the season, the Twins only have three Opening Day locks for their starting rotation in Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson. However given the way the Twins' off-days play out over the first month of the season, Molitor has flirted with the idea of opening the season in a four-man rotation, which would leave just one rotation spot for Mejia, Anibal Sanchez and Phil Hughes to compete for. Opening the year with a five-man rotation would obviously increase Mejia's chances of breaking camp with the team, but he'll need to put together a strong spring camp either way if he wants to lock down a starting gig. In 21 starts (98 innings) during his rookie season in 2017, Mejia posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.

Perez (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Thursday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Perez continues to work his way back from right elbow surgery last December. The left-hander has been progressing just fine on the mound, sprinkling in a batting practice session amidst his bullpen work, but the team is still hesitant to let him field groundballs at this point. This is a situation to monitor throughout spring as his Opening Day status remains uncertain.

Kopech will make his first Cactus League start Monday against the Athletics, Richard Justice of MLB.com reports.

As the White Sox's second-ranked prospect, per RotoWire, Kopech will garner much interest during spring training. The right-hander made significant progress in 2017, improving his walk rate, which had dogged Kopech since he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2014. The 21-year-old is not expected to break camp with the big-league club, however, he could make his MLB debut later this season.

Rodon (shoulder) may not return until June, per general manager Rick Hahn, Richard Justice of MLB.com reports. "This is more about getting him healthy for the long term rather than an extra two or three starts in April or May of 2018," Hahn said. "I'm guessing it's going to be closer to June 1, but until he's actually throwing in games, it's still speculative."

Rodon, who underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in September, has initiated a throwing program with hopes of joining the rotation at some point during the first half of the season. Initial reports speculated a possible April or May return, but Hahn's comments introduce doubts about that timeline.

Meyer (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list Wednesday.

This isn't all too surprising, as Meyer is highly unlikely to pitch at all during the 2018 season as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery. The move clears a roster spot for Jabari Blash, who was acquired from the Yankees via trade Wednesday.