MLB Player News

Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson went 5 2/3 innings Monday, allowing just one run on five hits with four strikeouts against the Twins.

Masterson is now 2-1 this spring with a 3.50 ERA in five appearances.

Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks in seven innings while striking out five in Monday's 5-3 win over the Angels.

Walker entered the game without having allowed a run in 18 spring innings, and while the Angels were able to break the streak in the second inning, it was still an excellent performance for the presumed fifth starter. Walker has posted a 0.36 ERA and 24:4 K:BB ratio in 25 innings this spring.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday he's pleased with the progress of injured starting pitchers Alex Cobb (forearm), Drew Smyly (shoulder) and Alex Colome (illness), MLB.com reports.

"Especially [with] Colome," Cash said. "His wasn't an arm issue. Just putting weight back on. He just had a two-week delay there. But from all reports, when you ask them how's it going, there hasn't been anything given why we wouldn't be optimistic."

Smyly threw a bullpen session Sunday and is scheduled to face hitters in a batting-practice session Wednesday. After following that with another batting-practice session, he could progress to minor-league games and would need to get stretched out and ready for the regular season.

"Depending on need," Cash said. "If he got up to 75 pitches, does that help us? Or do we want to build him up to 105? We'd have to talk to him about that."

Cash added that there's a chance Smyly could rejoin the rotation by the end of April.

Colome threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Saturday and is set to throw 50 pitches Tuesday. Cobb played catch Monday for the second time and said all went well.

The White Sox will start pitcher Carlos Rodon at Triple-A Charlotte this season, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Rodon had a solid spring, striking out 19 batters, walking three and recording a 3.65 ERA in 12 1/3 innings. The third overall pick in the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft, Rodon posted a 2.96 ERA in 24.1 innings with three teams in the minors a year ago. 

“Whatever it is they need me to do and whatever it is they want to see so I can be in a position to pitch for them, so be it,” Rodon told the Sun-Times. “If I have to wear my underwear inside out, I’ll do it. I just want to help this team win.

“I’m going to be up there eventually. Just being comfortable with the opponents and my teammates [was valuable]. It was just an overall fun experience.”

Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson will not start Monday's game against the Red Sox due to an illness, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Gibson has posted a 2.75 ERA in 19 2/3 innings over five spring outings while striking out 17 batters and issuing seven walks. Blaine Boyer will start Monday's game in place of the sick pitcher.

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander is not expected to pitch Thursday's spring finale as originally anticipated, MLB.com reports.

Verlander was lined up to start Thursday's game after suffering a triceps cramp Friday, but the probable pitcher notes for Thursday's game lists Shane Greene as the expected starter. However, he was able to light toss Sunday. If Verlander doesn't pitch by Friday, it's unlikely he'll be able to start the second game of the regular season.

"Once the soreness gets out of there, I've got to throw without soreness and get back into my throwing routine," Verlander said. "These are all things we'll have to address as it goes along. I really feel like today's like the crest of the wave. It's gotten a little bit better every day and I feel like today the soreness is just kind of in one spot. It should start to work itself out pretty quickly."

Verlander said that he did not throw Monday and will have to decide on a daily basis whether his triceps will allow him to throw.

Rays starting pitcher Drew Smyly emerged from his bullpen session Sunday without any issues, so he is now scheduled to throw batting practice Wednesday and Saturday before he starts throwing in rehab games, per the Tampa Bay Times.

Manager Kevin Cash said Smyly's return to the rotation depends on whether the teams want to stretch him out to 75 or 105 pitches, per The Tampa Tribune. Smyly is targeting an April return.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly threw a fourth bullpen session Sunday to rehab from shoulder tendinitis and his hoping to be back in action in April, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

"I'm very hopeful that I'll be pitching in April, for sure," he said. "Something would have to go wrong, there'd be a step backward for me not to pitch in April I feel like."

Smyly is hoping to throw batting practice at some point this week.

Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks in six innings while striking out three in his team's 6-5 win over the Orioles Sunday.

Nolasco served up back-to-back home runs in the first inning but was able to settle down after, giving up just an unearned run over the last five innings of work.

"I kind of picked the wrong day to give up fly balls," Nolasco said after the outing, per MLB.com. "I'd been getting ground balls all spring, but gave up some fly balls today with the wind blowing. I just tried to limit the damage from there and get my work in."

Nolasco was able to retire 10 batters in a row during his best stretch of the game. He has posted a 4.12 ERA and 16:5 K:BB ratio in 19 2/3 spring innings.

Yankees pitcher Nathan Eovaldi allowed just three hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out five and walking none in his team's 7-0 win over the Astros Sunday.

Eovaldi gave up a run in his spring debut but has strung together three straight scoreless outings to head into the spring's final week with a 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. He's also racked up 14 strikeouts without walking a batter.

"All of my pitches are working really well right now. I’ve just got to work on rushing to the plate," Eovaldi said to ESPNNewYork.com.

"I worked a lot of 3-2 counts. It was just tough for me to put them away," he said. "I felt like they were fouling off every pitch. I felt like I’d get ahead 1-2, 0-2 and then they’d work the count 3-2. It’s important to me to be able to put them away with one or two pitches."