MLB Player News

Injured Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco will start his minor league injury rehab assignment a day later than expected. 

Nolasco was originally supposed to start for Class-A Cedar Rapids on Saturday. Instead, he'll take the mound on Sunday, per the Star Tribune.

There is a 90 percent chance of rain on Saturday, which led to the change in the schedule. 

White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija seemed at least somewhat regretful a day after leaving the bench to join a brawl with the Royals on Friday. 

"You're not happy about it, you're not proud of it," Samardzija said Friday, via CSN Chicago. 

Samardzija drew plenty of criticism for his role considering he wasn't pitching Thursday night, yet decided to engage in the scrum. According to the Chicago Tribune, multiple Royals players said they do not approve of Samardzija's demeanor in games.

"For me, I'm not a big fan of him," Lorenzo Cain said. "I don't know what the deal is.”

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale was also among those ejected in the game. He said he wants to turn the page, saying his team is "not a fight club," according to the Tribune. 

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb threw his first bullpen session Friday after being diagnosed with forearm tendinitis in spring training and said the session went well, reports The Tampa Tribune.

"You can see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

Cobb has yet to pitch in a major league game this season because of the forearm tendinitis. Cobb said he thinks his next bullpen session will be Monday.

The Rays removed first baseman James Loney and pitcher Drew Smyly from the 15-day disabled list Friday, according to the MLB.com transactions page.

Loney has been dealing with an oblique injury, while a shouler injury has kept Smyly sidelined. He is set to make his season debut Friday against the Blue Jays.

"He's worked really hard to get back here, he's chomping at the bit, and we have to be smart with him," Rays manager Kevin Cash said, per MLB Network Radio. "We'll be cautious."

Meanwhile, with Smyly and Loney no longer on the disabled list, the team sent Mike Mahtook and Allan Dykstra to their Triple-A affiliate.

Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi didn't factor into the decision Thursday after giving up just one earned run on three hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings while striking out three in his team's 2-1 win over the Red Sox.

Odorizzi allowed his only run on a sacrifice fly in the second inning, but the Rays weren't able to take a lead in the game until the final play of the night, which was a walkoff RBI single by catcher Rene Rivera. The pitcher has posted a 1.65 ERA and 22:8 K:BB ratio in 27 1/3 innings. He's scheduled to face the Yankees in New York Tuesday in his next start.

The Rays are set to activate pitcher Drew Smyly and first baseman James Loney from the 15-day disabled list Friday after optioning two players following Thursday's 2-1 win over the Red Sox.

Smyly will make his season debut against the Blue Jays on Friday after opening the season on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury suffered this spring.

"Last time I faced them, I had the best game I've played," Smyly said, per MLB.com. "But I'm sure they could hit quite a few home runs, too, if I'm a little bit off. They have a lot of power up and down the lineup. A lot of righties. They're a very, very dangerous lineup. But baseball's crazy, man. You never know what's going to happen. It could work out well, it could work out bad. You just have to go out there and compete. That's all there is to it."

Loney has been dealing with an oblique injury but was able to serve as the designated hitter in his rehab debut Thursday.

A comebacker by White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton to Royals starter Yordano Ventura for the final out in the seventh inning ignited a benches-clearing brawl in Thursday's game between the two teams, resulting in five players getting ejected.

Ventura could be seen mouthing an expletive to Eaton, taking apparent umbridge with the comebacker or something that Eaton may have said on his way to first base. After the ruckus was finally settled, the umpires ejected Ventura along with outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitcher Edinson Volquez. White Sox starter Chris Sale and teammate Jeff Samardzija were also hit with ejections, ending the night of both starting pitchers in one fell swoop.

Ventura, who was ejected for the second time this season and is likely facing a lengthy suspension, finished the night with two earned runs on five hits and one walk in seven innings along with eight strikeouts.

Sale threw 70 of his 99 pitches for strikes but managed to rack up just two strikeouts before being ejected. He also allowed two earned runs on nine hits and one walk in seven innings of work.

Play resumed in the top of the eighth inning with the two teams tied 2-2.

The Athletics recalled pitcher Chris Bassitt from Triple-A Nashville prior to Thursday's clash against the Angels, reports MLB.com. In a corresponding move, the club optioned Arnold Leon to Nashville.

Bassitt went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA over 16 innings pitched in the minors this season.

"He’s the one guy we’ve got now who can give us length," manager Bob Melvin said of Bassitt, per the Bay Area News Group. "He seems to have made adjustments from the issues of the spring. He can pitch long relief and he can spot start. And now he’s having better success."

Leon allowed one earned run on two hits and a walk while striking out one in an inning of work during his MLB debut on Wednesday.

The Athletics will recall pitcher Chris Bassitt from Triple-A Nashville prior to Thursday's clash against the Angels, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Bassitt, who was acquired in the deal that  sent Jeff Samardzija to the White Sox, will be available in long relief. He went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA over 16 innings pitched in the minors this season.

Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray threw seven strong innings in Wednesday night’s 9-2 win over the Angels.

Gray went seven innings and allowed only two hits and one earned run. He struck out seven batters and walked only two. In four starts, Gray has allowed only 20 total hits, with 11 coming on April 17 against the Royals. Gray is now 2-0 with a 1.91 ERA.

Gray’s next projected start is on April 28 against the Angels.