MLB Player News

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale picked up a win in his season debut Sunday, giving up just one earned run on five hits and one walk in six innings while striking out eight in his team's 6-2 victory over the Twins.

Sale (1-0) got a late start to the season due to a foot injury but looked to be in top form Sunday. His only blemish came in the third inning, when the Twins managed to wrap a pair of doubles around his first out of the inning; Sale came back to strike out the final two batters of the third.

"You learn to enjoy those kind of matchups when you're facing the best the game has to offer," Twins manager Paul Molitor said after the game, per MLB.com. "You know it's going to be challenging, but that's what players want to be. They want to be challenged. He's tough. He has got that funky delivery and arm slot and three plus-pitches."

The White Sox have a pair of off-days next week, so Sale's next start isn't set in stone, but he should be set to face the Tigers in Detroit next weekend.

Tigers starter Justin Verlander, who is recovering from a triceps injury that caused him to miss the start of the season, will pitch a simulated game Wednesday, per MLive.com. 

Verlander threw bullpen sessions on Friday and Sunday and reported no pain from his triceps.

"Really good," Verlander said to MLB.com, "about as well as I could've expected. I didn't really feel anything at all, so just keep moving forward. It's a day-by-day thing, has been this whole time. Today I was able to throw a good bullpen. I didn’t feel anything. So next step is a simulated game."

The Tigers plan was to have Verlander throw a simulated game before coming off the disabled list, and his performance Wednesday may indicate when he will come off the DL. 

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday that he doesn't know when pitcher Alex Cobb (forearm) will return to the mound, MLB.com reports. Cobb has been limited to playing catch as he recovers from forearm tendinitis.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday that Drew Smyly will be stretched out to 100 pitches, leaving Smyly in line to make three more rehab starts before potentially returning in late April, the Tampa Tribune reports.

"I would say we're leaning towards building him all the way up," Cash said Sunday, per MLB.com. "Simply because, part of the reason he had maybe a setback was because he wasn't able to get totally built up in the offseason. Nothing's defined. He feels great, which is a good thing. But we want to make sure we do it right."

Smyly pitched two innings Thursday in his first rehab start as he works his way back from a shoulder injury. He's slated to pitch again Tuesday.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale has been reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and is set to make his season debut Sunday against the Twins.

Sale was unable to start on Opening Day due to an avulsion fracture in his foot, but he winds up missing only one start at the beginning of the seaosn. He is expected to be limited to six innings or about 90 pitches in Sunday's start.

The White Sox are favorites (-140) against the Twins Sunday.

White Sox prospect Carlos Rodon , the third overall pick in last year's draft, made his first start of the season for Triple-A Charlotte and made a case for a promotion to the Majors.

Rodon pitched five innings, allowing two runs--one earned--on two hits. Rodon struck out a career-high nine batters and walked two.

Rodon threw 87 pitches, 56 for strikes.  

One reason Rodon was sent to the minors at the end of spring training was to work on his changeup. That appears to be going well. 

"My fastball command was real good," Rodon said, per the Charlotte Observer. "My slider wasn’t at its best, but the changeup was a lot better. I don’t know, I threw 14 changeups and 17 sliders, but those 14 changeups were better than most of those sliders."

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber went 6 1/3 innings Saturday, allowing two runs on seven hits, including one home run, in Cleveland's 9-6 loss to the Tigers.

Kluber continued to roll through hitters, adding 10 strikeouts to his totals. After giving up two runs in the first inning, Kluber settled in and allowed just three hits the rest of the way. He will look for his first win of the season Saturday against the Twins.

Athletics starter Sonny Gray pitched seven and a third innings in a no decision on Saturday. 

Gray said he wasn't feeling well and knew warming up "that this one was going to be a grind," per Inside the A's.

Gray allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits, including a solo homer by Dustin Ackley. That home run ended Gray's scoreless innings streak, dating back to last September, at 20. He walked one and struck out four.

"Obviously I knew it was going to be one of those games," Gray said of the homer.

"Sonny really wasn’t feeling good," catcher Josh Phegley said. "He still looked pretty sharp."

Gray had 63 strikes in 96 pitches. His next start will be Friday, against the Royals and Jeremy Guthrie. 

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly will make his second rehab start of the year Tuesday for Class-A Charlotte as he recovers from a shoulder injury, reports the Tampa Tribune.

Smly, who is still currently on the 15-day DL with the injury, threw two scoreless innings on 23 pitches in his last rehab start Thursday. 

In order to clear the way for ace Chris Sale on Sunday, the White Sox optioned second baseman Carlos Sanchez down to Triple-A Charlotte following Saturday's game against Minnesota, per ESPN. The 22-year-old Venezuelan prospect went 2 for 3 on April 8 -- his only appearance of the season.