MLB Player News

Buehler threw his first live batting practice Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Boston manager Alex Cora was pleased with the session, noting Buehler's volume of strikes. The right-hander is coming off a rough regular season with the Dodgers, but he was effective during the postseason and hopes to build off that.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that the team is thinking of Gray as a starter, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. Recent rumors and reports suggested the Rangers are considering using Gray as a closer.

Gray confirmed that he hasn't been approached by anyone in the organization about the possibility of being a closer or reliever, although the pitcher said he'd do whatever is best for the club. "[Gray closing], it's not in our focus right now," Bochy said. "During the season, as always, you make adjustments. I'm not saying that we plan on doing it, but you've got to figure ways to make a team better." The 33-year-old right-hander, who spent three separate occasions on the injured list in 2024, was good out of the bullpen in a small sample size. Gray allowed one run across 5.2 relief innings against the Astros and Diamondbacks on the way to Texas winning the World Series in 2023.

DeGrom threw a bullpen session Saturday, his first since the start of training camp, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

DeGrom entered camp healthy after dealing with a second Tommy John elbow surgery that wiped out much of 2023 and 2024. The right-hander made three starts last September and recorded a 1.69 ERA over 10.2 innings. A healthy deGrom is key for the Rangers, who have won seven of the pitcher's nine starts over the last two seasons.

Bieber (elbow) threw off a mound Saturday, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports.

Bieber threw a 15-pitch session, and his velocity was in the 87-to-89 mph range, which is higher than he anticipated. The right-hander underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in April of 2024 and is targeted for a return this summer.

McClanahan will start Opening Day, March 28 against the Rockies, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

McClanahan missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in August 2023 -- already the second such operation of his career. Despite his extended hiatus, the Rays will entrust him with starting the first game of the season, as he owns a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over his three seasons in the majors. The 27-year-old southpaw said Wednesday that he won't have any sort of restrictions during spring training, though the Rays are still expected to put a ceiling on his workload -- likely around 150 innings -- during the regular season.

Teodo was pulled from his bullpen session Saturday due to right thumb soreness, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers have marked Teodo as day-to-day, so the injury doesn't seem to be anything worthy of major concern. The 24-year-old righty earned a spot on Texas' 40-man roster this winter after turning in a 1.98 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 86.1 innings at Double-A Frisco. He'll likely be bumped up to Triple-A Round Rock for the start of the 2025 campaign, and his MLB debut may not be far away if he continues to dominate in the minors.

Sugano reported to Orioles camp Saturday.

Sugano's arrival was delayed a few days due to visa issues, but he's now managed to make his way to the Orioles' facility in Florida without falling too far behind. He expects to throw his first bullpen session Monday, per Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, and the 35-year-old righty is projected to open the season in Baltimore's starting rotation.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Saturday that McDermott has a mild lat/teres strain, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The plan is to shut McDermott down for 10-to-14 days before he restarts his throwing program. The 26-year-old right-hander entered spring training with an outside chance to make the Opening Day roster, but his latest injury makes it even more likely he begins the year at Triple-A Norfolk.

Mahle has no restrictions heading into spring training, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. The right-hander was limited to three starts in 2024 after rehabbing from Tommy John elbow surgery.

Mahle was eventually shut down after three August starts due to shoulder soreness. After being shut down, Mahle worked on mechanical adjustments during the winter designed to limit the stress on his shoulder. "It was probably good that [the shutdown] happened, because we figured out what was wrong with my shoulder," Mahle explained. He's healthy and expected to take up a spot in the middle of the Rangers' rotation. The 30-year-old has been plagued by injuries during his major-league career, throwing more than 130 innings just once (180 innings in 2021).

Varland is likely to work as a reliever this spring and try to win a spot in the bullpen, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. "It's very possible that we see a good amount of him out of the bullpen this year," manager Rocco Baldelli said.

However, Baldelli did say the move to the bullpen wasn't certain. If Varland is kept as a starter, he'd likely begin the season in the minors. He struggled last season as a starter in Triple-A with a 4.75 ERA. As a reliever in 2023 in the majors, he showed promise with a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings and a 17:1 K:BB. If he claims a spot in the major-league bullpen, Varland could be in the high-leverage mix due to a fastball that can touch triple digits.