MLB Player News
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Shane Bieber SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Shane Bieber: Remains limited to flat-ground work
Bieber (forearm) will continue throwing from flat ground over the next several days and will be reevaluated late next week, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Bieber has yet to progress to mound work this spring, and he'll need to wait before being cleared to ramp up his throwing program. The Blue Jays have been cautious with Bieber's return to the mound after he dealt with forearm fatigue last season in his return from April 2024 Tommy John surgery. Bieber has already been ruled out for Opening Day, and he'll likely need at least six weeks to build up once he's ready to start building up.
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Jose Berrios SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Will visit doctor Tuesday
Berrios will have an in-person visit with a doctor Tuesday to evaluate his elbow inflammation, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Dr. Keith Meister has viewed Berrios' MRI, but the veteran right-hander will meet with the specialist in person to determine the best course of action. Berrios dealt with elbow inflammation and a biceps issue down the stretch last season. The 31-year-old has started three games this spring, registering a 3.38 ERA and 7:4 K:BB across 10.2 innings.
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Kris Bubic SP | KC
Royals' Kris Bubic: Punches out four in spring outing
Bubic allowed two hits and a walk over three scoreless innings in Thursday's Cactus League win over the Padres. He struck out four.
Bubic delivered another solid spring effort, keeping the opposition off the scoreboard for a second straight appearance. Through three outings and eight innings in Cactus League play, the southpaw has allowed one run on nine hits and three walks. After posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 20 starts and 116.1 innings last season before a left rotator cuff strain ended his campaign prematurely, Bubic will look to maintain his health and deliver strong results out of the Royals' rotation in 2026.
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Hunter Gaddis SP | CLE
Guardians' Hunter Gaddis: Throws off mound
Gaddis (forearm) threw off a mound Thursday, MLB.com reports.
The session was a low-intensity mound workout that emphasized mechanics over velocity. It's typically an intermediary step between flat-ground throwing and a full bullpen, helping a pitcher transition back toward facing live hitters. As yet, Gaddis' availability for Opening Day remains uncertain.
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Slade Cecconi SP | CLE
Guardians' Slade Cecconi: Lowers spring ERA
Cecconi allowed two hits and one walk while striking out six over four scoreless innings in Thursday's spring start against the Brewers.
Cleveland's pitchers dominated in a 1-0 win, with Cecconi leading the way. In his fourth Cactus League outing, the right-hander worked up to 67 pitches (43 strikes) and lowered his spring ERA to 2.13. Over the last three starts, Cecconi has recorded 13 strikeouts and three walks over 10.2 frames.
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Sawyer Gipson-Long SP | DET
Tigers' Sawyer Gipson-Long: Throws bullpen session
Gipson-Long (oblique) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and appears to be on track for the start of the regular season, MLB.com reports.
Gipson-Long strained his left oblique early in spring training but has been throwing over the past few weeks as he attempts to get back to full health. It looks like the righty should be good in time for Opening Day, though it remains to be seen what his role might be. The Tigers added depth to their rotation in the form of Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander during the offseason, so Gipson-Long would likely need to settle for a bullpen spot if he makes the MLB roster.
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George Klassen SP | LAA
Angels' George Klassen: Could be candidate for rotation
Klassen has had a strong spring training so far and may be looked at as an option for the Angels' Opening Day rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com implies.
Alek Manoah remains the favorite for the team's fifth-starter role, but he's had two straight rough spring starts, surrendering nine runs with a 7:7 K:BB over 6.1 innings. That could open the door for the Angels to consider other options, and Jack Kochanowicz -- who's pitched well so far -- may be the lead candidate for the rotation should Manoah not get the role. However, Bollinger points that Klassen has excelled this spring, as the young hurler has given up just two runs while registering a 9:3 K:BB over eight innings spanning three appearances. Klassen isn't on the 40-man roster and has just one Triple-A outing under his belt, so he's probably still a longshot to open the season in the majors. He's one of the Angels' top prospects, however, and the organization certainly hasn't been shy in recent years about rapidly advancing prospects through the minors and up to the majors.
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Jack Kochanowicz SP | LAA
Angels' Jack Kochanowicz: May be option for rotation
Kochanowicz is competing for a rotation spot this spring, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
The top three slots in the Angels' Opening Day rotation seem to be locked up by Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers, while Grayson Rodriguez appears to have the inside track to the fourth slot as long as he remains healthy. Beyond that, Alek Manoah is the favorite for the fifth-starter role, per Bollinger, but the former Blue Jay has struggled in his past two spring outings, giving up nine runs with a 7:7 K:BB over 6.1 innings. Manoah, who has minor-league options remaining, thus may be on shaky ground in terms of breaking camp with the big club, which puts Kochanowicz and George Klassen, among others, potentially in position to be competing for a rotation spot. If that is indeed the case, Kochanowicz has made a strong pitch for the role, allowing just two runs on eight hits with a 5:1 K:BB over 8.2 frames across his first three appearances this spring.
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Alek Manoah SP | LAA
Angels' Alek Manoah: Rotation slot may be in jeopardy
Manoah may not be a lock for the Angels' Opening Day rotation, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, after the veteran hurler allowed four runs on eights hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings in a Cactus League start against the White Sox on Wednesday.
Manoah signed with the Angels on a one-year, $1.95 million contract in early December, and he still has minor-league options remaining, so it's far from certain he'll break camp with the big club. Manager Kurt Suzuki said early in camp that Manoah would have to earn his spot in the rotation, and the hurler made a strong case early, beginning the spring slate with five scoreless frames despite an ominous 1:3 K:BB. Things haven't gone well for Manoah since, as he's yielded nine runs and posted a 7:7 K:BB across 6.1 frames over his past two outings. Suzuki said following Wednesday's game that Manoah is "still definitely in the mix" for the team's fifth rotation spot, but how he fares in his final starts this spring could go a long way to determining whether he makes the cut. Should Manoah begin the campaign in the minors or the bullpen, George Klassen and Jack Kochanowicz are candidates to step into the rotation.
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Gerrit Cole SP | NYY
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Could make spring debut next week
Cole (elbow) said following a 35-pitch live batting practice session Thursday that he and the Yankees "will likely" have a conversation about his next throwing session coming in a Grapefruit League game, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Cole's next outing will come in six days, but it has yet to be decided whether it will be in an official spring training game or a different capacity. The right-hander's rehab from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace has gone well, but if the Yankees put Cole on the 60-day injured list -- which still seems likely -- he will not be eligible to make his season debut until late May.