MLB Player News

Raya (left quadriceps) made his first appearance in a spring training game Saturday but gave up five runs on two walks and hit three batters without recording an out.

Raya strained his left quadriceps early in camp and his first spring appearance was pushed back. It was an inauspicious debut, but his struggles didn't sound like it was due to any injury setback.

Wright (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Wright continues to recover from a procedure in October of 2023 to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder. He suffered a minor setback in February when he sustained a mild hamstring strain, but he was able to get back on the mound Saturday. Wright showed a glimpse of his potential in 2022 with Atlanta, when he went 21-5 over 30 regular-season starts while posting a 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 174:53 K:BB across 180.1 innings to finish 10th in the National League Cy Young vote.

Warren may begin the regular season as the Yankees' fifth starter due to injuries to Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Luis Gil (lat), Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Gil has already been ruled out for multiple months, and Cole -- who is awaiting the results of tests on his right elbow -- may be sidelined for an extended period as well. If the latter scenario takes place, Warren is likely to be needed as a starter from the get-go, joining Marcus Stroman as replacements in the rotation before the arrival of Opening Day. Warren struggled in his first taste of the big leagues last year, posting a 10.32 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and 29:10 K:BB over 22.2 regular-season innings. However, he's pitched very well this spring, giving up just one run on two hits and two walks while striking out 11 over eight frames.

Lugo gave up one run in 2.2 innings with five strikeouts and two walks in Friday's spring start. He has a 8.22 ERA with a 9:3 K:BB ratio over 7.2 innings this spring.

Lugo improved after giving up three runs in each of his first three spring starts as his five strikeouts showed he's nearly in regular-season form. However, spring stats hardly matter for the veteran who is locked in as the No. 2 starter for the Royals. Lugo won 16 games with a 3.00 ERA over a league-high 33 starts last season. A 21.7 percent strikeout rate left something to be desired, but Lugo provided so much volume with a surprising 206.2 innings that he accumulated 181 punchouts.

The Guardians optioned Espino (shoulder) to Triple-A Columbus on Saturday.

Espino underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder capsule and rotator cuff in March of 2024. He's not expected to be game-ready until July, but he has recently extended his throwing distance to 120 feet, and once he's fully healthy he'll work out of Columbus' rotation.

Thorpe (elbow) will begin throwing live batting practice Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Thorpe has been throwing bullpen sessions since mid-February, and he has now officially been cleared to face live hitters. The plan is for him to throw several rounds of live BP before getting into a routine of throwing every five days. Assuming all goes well, he'll then begin a rehab assignment with one of the White Sox's minor-league affiliates.

Matthews (hip) is expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Matthews left Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees due to what appeared to be an ankle injury but turned out to be a hip strain. The injury doesn't appear to be serious, and how he responds to Sunday's bullpen session will determine his availability for the rest of spring training. Matthews spent most of the 2024 regular season in the minors, but he did make nine major-league starts for the Twins and posted a 1-4 record with a 6.69 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 43:11 K:BB across 37.2 innings.

The Angels optioned Dana to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Dana was wildly inconsistent across his three Cactus League outings. He surrendered three earned runs over 1.2 innings in his spring debut before tossing three scoreless frames in his second start. He then struggled again in his most recent outing, giving up seven runs in one inning while striking out two and walking four. The 21-year-old prospect will look to find his footing in Triple-A to begin the year and attempt to return to the Angels' rotation at some point this summer.

The Angels optioned Aldegheri to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Aldegheri made just one appearance this spring, giving up two home runs and striking out three batters in his lone inning of work. He turned in a 4.85 ERA and 1.92 WHIP across 13 innings with the Angels last season, but he'll head back to the minors to begin 2025 and will likely need to demonstrate success over an extended period of time before getting the call back to Anaheim.

The Tigers placed Gipson-Long (elbow/hip) on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Gipson-Long underwent Tommy John surgery in April followed by another surgery on his hip in July. He's begun throwing bullpen sessions since the start of spring training, though his return from the injured list likely won't come until closer to the All-Star break.