MLB Player News

Whitley (knee) is not likely to be on the Astros' Opening Day roster, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitley suffered the injury in a Grapefruit League game in mid-March and there has been no news of him resuming throwing or other baseball activities. However, general manager Dana Brown did say he expects Whitley to be available at some point in April.

The Blue Jays optioned Bloss to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.

Bloss allowed eight earned runs across eight innings in four appearances during spring training. His best outing came in his most recent appearance March 10, when he pitched three scoreless frames. It was thought the 23-year-old had a chance at cracking the rotation to begin the season depending on the availability of Max Scherzer (thumb), but Bloss will have to wait to make his Blue Jays debut.

The Padres placed Musgrove (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Musgrove will miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October, so the Padres will strip him of his spot on the 40-man roster and give it to camp standout Gavin Sheets. Musgrove has been working out using plyometric balls this spring, but he isn't expected to begin a proper throwing program until around midseason.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that Suarez (back) "felt a lot better today" and will play catch Friday, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Suarez underwent testing due to back stiffness, but nothing alarming was found and he's been cleared to resume throwing. The left-hander isn't out of the woods yet, particularly since he dealt with back issues last season, too, but it looks like he will have a chance to avoid a stint on the injured list.

Cavalli (elbow) is scheduled to throw against live hitters Thursday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Thursday will mark the first time Cavalli has faced hitters this spring. The 26-year-old righty is already slated to begin the season on the injured list as he finishes up his rehab from the Tommy John procedure he underwent two years ago, though it may not be long before he returns to a competitive setting if he gets through a few more live sessions with no setbacks.

Gallen will start Opening Day, March 27 against the Cubs, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Many anticipated Corbin Burnes to make his Diamondbacks debut in the first game of the season, but the team will instead give the Opening Day start to Gallen for the third consecutive year. The 29-year-old has made three appearances in the Cactus League this spring, giving up two earned runs while striking out eight batters and walking three over five innings. While Gallen may never return to his 2022 form (2.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), he hasn't lost his strikeout stuff and should be able to comfortably reach double-digit wins with Arizona's high-scoring offense behind him.

The Cubs optioned Wicks to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Ryan Herrera of JustBaseball.com reports.

Wicks was included on the Cubs' roster for their two-game set in Tokyo versus the Dodgers earlier this week, but he didn't make the cut for their domestic opener. The left-hander will be part of the rotation at Iowa as he waits for another big-league opportunity. With Wicks being sent down, Colin Rea appears to be locked into the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation.

White Sox manager Will Venable said that Thorpe will undergo imaging after leaving his appearance in a minor-league game Thursday due to right elbow discomfort, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

Thorpe has encountered multiple setbacks since he had surgery last September to remove a bone spur from the elbow. More will be known once the right-hander's test results are in, but Thorpe could be looking at an extended absence.

Wright (shoulder/hamstring) threw a live batting practice session Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Wright was initially behind early on in camp as he continues to work his way back from October 2023 right shoulder surgery, and he suffered an additional setback in the form of a hamstring strain in late February. The righty is now ramping things back up, but it's not clear when he might be ready to pitch in a game.

Weathers will begin the season on the injured list due to a left forearm strain, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.

Weathers had been having a fantastic spring, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out 11 batters through 11.1 frames. However, he came away from his last start with discomfort in his forearm and is expected to miss the first 4-to-6 weeks of the regular season. The Marlins now have an open spot in their rotation to fill before Opening Day, and manager Clayton McCullough has mentioned Janson Junk as a leading candidate to fill in while Weathers is out, per Azout.