MLB Player News

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is expected to miss at least three weeks with an avulsion fracture in his right foot, the team announced Saturday. Sale, who suffered the injury in an accident at his home, underwent X-rays and will undergo further testing once the swelling goes down.

He reportedly suffered the injury while unloading a item from his truck, according to general manager Rick Hahn. Sale is confident he can be ready by opening day, even though his status has yet to be determined.

He went 12-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 174 innings pitched with 208 strikeouts in 2014.

Mariners pitcher James Paxton is scheduled to start playing catch Monday as he recovers from a forearm injury, pitching coach Rick Waits said Saturday.

Paxton, who went 6-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 74 innings pitched in 2014, is building toward throwing a bullpen session and Waits wants to see him get to five innings pitched in the Cactus League.

White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana began his throwing program later than normal at the team's request but said Friday after throwing two simulated innings that he's ready to go, CSNChicago.com reports.

"I feel really good, my arm is good and I’m ready for the first day against the Dodgers," Quintana said. "I’m excited for opening day. It’s spring training, but it’s Opening Day, you know?"

The White Sox asked Quintana to delay his throwing program in the hopes of having him stronger and fresher if the team makes the postseason. After throwing 200 innings in each of the last two seasons, he hopes to feel strong long after he has in the past.

"It’s good for your arm because here you throw a lot, eight months throwing and you need a good rest," Quintana said. "I feel really good, better than last year. I hope this year I’m better."

Quintana went 9-11 with a 3.32 ERA and 178:52 K:BB ratio in 200 1/3 innings in 2014.

White Sox pitching prospect Carlos Rodon is not currently scheduled to start a Cactus League game, MLB.com reports.

Rodon, the team's top prospect, will throw innings while progressing as a starter, and he may be tabbed to pitch a "B" game during one of the team's two split-squad days. Pitching coach Don Cooper said he wants the young pitcher to feel comfortable in his first camp.

"In some ways I can almost see him, 'Am I in the right spot?' a little bit. 'I don't want to overstep my bounds,'" said Cooper. "I want him to be himself every day.

"He's got a good fastball that we are trying to see if we can locate better and better, not unlike anybody else. He's got a good slider and we are trying to do the same thing with that pitch. And, oh by the way, we are working on his changeup.

"Sometimes there's a little bit of frustration on his part because he has the bar high and expects himself to be able to do everything well right away. Certainly I understand that. We want the battle to be whatever we are working on. It's not that battle, and oh yeah, my frustration, too. Then there's two battles. We only want one battle. I think he expects a lot of himself."

Rodon threw 24 1/3 innings at three levels after being selected with the third overall pick in the 2014 draft.

Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel told reporters he was pleased with how he felt after his first live batting practice session, the Houston Chronicle reports. The left-hander threw 30 pitches and faced some of Houston's top prospects, including shortstop Carlos Correa.

"I felt good," Keuchel said. "I was pretty much trying to throw as many strikes and fill up the zone as possible. I was able to establish both corners. I was just trying to let the movement take shape and see where I was at in my first time ramping it up a little bit more than bullpens.

"You get your adrenaline flowing when you see a batter up there and your competitive juices start flowing," Keuchel said. "I was very happy with the way I was able to command the ball and some of the shape that was able to take place."

Keuchel led the club in victories in 2014, posting a 12-9 record with 2.93 ERA.

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said Thursday starting pitcher James Paxton is “progressing fine" in his recovery from a bruised left forearm, per MLB.com.

“He feels good. They just want to wait until the first of the week to have him throw," McClendon said.

The Athletics will hold back pitchers Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir during the first week of spring games, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Neither player is dealing with an injury, but the team has opted to bring them along slowly to kick things off. The move will also allow the Athletics to get a better look at the players competing for the fifth spot in the rotation. Those players will likely pick up innings in place of Kazmir and Gray. 

Gray, 25, is coming off the biggest workload of his major-league career. He posted a 3.08 ERA over 219 innings.

The 31-year-old Kazmir made 30 starts last year. It was the first time since 2007 Kazmir reached that milestone. He put up a 3.55 ERA over 190 1/3 innings. 

Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish was pleased after his latest throwing session on Wednesday, per the Dallas Morning News. Darvish, who missed the final weeks of the season due to elbow inflammation, threw 30 pitches to live hitters in a batting-practice format. It was the first time he has faced hitters since Aug. 9.

"I was able to do some things I'd worked on in the bullpen," Darvish said. "I felt power on some pitches. It felt good."

Rays starting pitcher Drew Smyly is on a different throwing program than the rest of the Tampa Bay pitchers, which is why he won't appear in a spring game until mid-March, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Smyly will throw bullpen sessions every third day, instead of every other as the other pitchers, and will throw more each time. He will also make one less exhibition appearance and is not expected to debut until March 10 or March 11.

Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes came away impressed after watching fellow starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco throw a bullpen session Monday. Hughes was particularly impressed with the movement Nolasco got on his sinker, per the Pioneer Press.

"He was throwing some two-seamers that were just falling off," Hughes said. "It was one of the best sinkers I've seen. That was encouraging to see. I think he's really going to have a bounce-back year. If he gets back on track, and obviously having Ervin (Santana), we'll be in good shape."

Nolasco, who has been throwing bullpens for weeks, said he already feels a difference in his elbow following an injury-marred first half in 2014.

"It's been good these last couple weeks, just kind of toning things up a little bit, being able to let things go a tad bit more (with) a little more extension," Nolasco said. "I think that will help to know I'm not re-straining anything.

"I feel a lot better. I could get all the way out there and not have to think twice about it. It's a good feeling for now."