MLB Player News

Manager Terry Francona says Clevinger is not in the mix for a bullpen role and that his development as a starter is more important, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Francona previously stated that Clevinger was a candidate for the bullpen, but more likely to open 2017 as a starter with Triple-A Columbus. Nonetheless, it appears the 26-year-old righty will be exclusively developed as a starter this spring and serve as rotation depth going forward. Cleveland has a strong rotation heading into the season, but any injury could open the door for Clevinger, who went 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA in ten major league starts last year.

Rodon will go through a long-toss session Saturday, Scott Merkin of the White Sox's official site reports.

The White Sox are taking it slowly with Rodon, who will have "two more long-toss sessions," according to manager Rick Renteria, before they assess the next step. Rodon is not injured, but the team plans to increase upon the 165 innings he threw in 2016, so they aren't in a rush to expose him to game action.

Quintana will make his spring debut Sunday when he starts against the Rockies, Scott Merkin of the White Sox's official site reports.

Quintana will make the first of two Cactus League starts for Chicago before he departs Arizona on Mar. 6 to compete in the World Baseball Classic for Team Columbia.

McCullers (elbow) faced hitters for the first time this spring, throwing a live batting practice Friday, Brian McTaggart of the Astros' official site reports.

McCullers, who began and ended last season on the disabled list, missed the final month of the 2016 season due to elbow discomfort. The right-hander threw all of his pitches Friday -- the four-seam fastball, curveball, sinker and changeup -- and was pleased with the results. He'll throw two more BP sessions this week before making his Grapefruit League debut. When not on the DL last season, McCullers went 6-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 14 starts.

Keuchel (shoulder) will throw his first live batting practice session of the spring over the weekend, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The left-hander is set to take an important step toward being ready for Opening Day. The Astros are being careful with the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner's recovery from left rotator cuff inflammation. He said he tried to pitch through it for just about all of 2016, so better management of the injury -- or any other one moving forward -- could do wonders for his durability. Keuchel could be worth a buy-low gamble in mixed fantasy drafts if he progresses well through his scheduled spring outings.

Giolito expressed frustration at being yanked around last season when he was up and down with the Nationals, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports. "The time in the big leagues was definitely fun. But going up and down a lot can be like a grind. Getting on the plane, doing this, you're pitching the next day. You have to be able to try and stay level headed and focus on the next day or task at hand. But when you're moving around a lot it can be difficult," said the pitcher.

Giolito, who posted a 6.75 ERA and walked 12 batters in 21.1 innings while up with Washington last year, felt part of his struggles were the result of him being called up to Washington on five separate occasions. He feels his new organization, which isn't expected to be involved in the heat of a pennant race, will allow a young pitcher to settle in. Giolito is likely to start the season at Triple-A Charlotte, but once he's promoted to Chicago, he's expected to remain there regardless of results.

Gray had mixed results in his one inning of work in intrasquad play Thursday, Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area reports.

The A's' ace is slated to open Monday's Cactus League tilt versus the Giants, and also got in some game action Thursday by firing one frame in an intrasquad tussle. Gray gave up a run on an RBI double to right-center by Mark Canha, but also fanned Ryon Healy with an impressive breaking ball. Manager Bob Melvin was pleased with Gray's effort overall despite the aforementioned hiccup, and the 27-year-old will try to build on Thursday's results with a strong outing Monday.

Kluber said he's planning to take the mound on Opening Day, though manager Terry Francona said if Kluber isn't ready, the Indians might delay his debut, Chris Assenheimer of the Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Kluber isn't injured, but Cleveland wants to limit him this spring considering the right-hander has logged more than 700 innings in the last three years, including the postseason. Perhaps he'll miss a handful of starts during the season even if healthy, though despite concerns over his recent workloads, he's still one of fantasy's best starting pitchers.

Rodriguez (knee) will work his first live batting practice of spring Friday, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.

Rodriguez continues to work his way back from the knee issue he suffered in December during Venezuelan winter ball. The Red Sox will bring him along conservatively, but barring any setbacks in camp or the World Baseball Classic, he should be ready for Opening Day. The next question: Will he break camp in the rotation?

Mejia will be in the competition for Minnesota's fifth starter role this spring, ESPN 1500 am Twin Cities reports.

Mejia will compete with Jose Berrios, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Justin Haley, Ryan Vogelsong and Nick Tepesch for the final spot in the rotation. Mejia is a long shot and will likely begin the season at Triple-A. Mejia improved significantly in his second season at Double-A Richmond last year with a 3.94 ERA and 58:16 K:BB in 65 innings. He then saw his strikeouts climb to 9.6 K/9 at Triple-A Sacramento, although he had a 4.20 ERA. He'll likely get a crack at the big league rotation at some point this summer if he begins the season at Triple-A.