MLB Player News

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Painter will begin pitching in extended spring training games in a couple weeks, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Painter is considered healthy, but the Phillies slow-played him this spring after he missed nearly all of the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery in July 2023. He will build up in extended spring training games and eventually the minors before becoming an option to join the Phillies' rotation around midseason.

Birdsong has made the Giants' Opening Day roster, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Birdsong has been in a battle with Landen Roupp for the final spot in the Giants' rotation, and while the team has yet to confirm it, it appears Birdsong will break camp as the fifth starter and Roupp will be used in the bullpen. The 23-year-old Birdsong earned the spot following a fantastic Cactus League showing that saw him allow just one run with an 18:0 K:BB over 12 innings of work.

The Yankees placed Gil (lat) on the 60-day injured list Monday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who signed a one-year deal Monday. Gil is expected to be sidelined until at least June while he recovers from a high-grade right lat strain.

Fried completed 5.1 innings in a Grapefruit League game against Tampa Bay on Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters.

Fried fell behind early when he served up a two-run home run to Junior Caminero in the first inning, but the star hurler allowed just one more run (and no additional extra-base hits) during the remainder of his outing. Fried pitched well during his first spring with the Yankees, compiling a 3.38 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 12:4 K:BB over 16 innings. The next time he takes the mound in a game, the lefty will be making his regular-season debut for New York. That start is expected to take place Saturday versus Milwaukee.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that he is hopeful Suarez (back) "would pitch sometime in April," Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Suarez is dealing with a back injury and will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. He is throwing on flat ground but will need time to get built back up, which Dombrowski believes will take "three weeks or something at least." Philadelphia will use Taijuan Walker as its fifth starter until Suarez is ready.

Cabrera (blister) will throw a bullpen session Monday ahead of a simulated game Wednesday, Justin Morris of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander last pitched in a Grapefruit League game March 13 before being shut down due to a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Cabrera is aiming for a mid-April return to the rotation, and he likely won't need too many outings to build back up for the regular season -- he threw 51 pitches, albeit only 24 of them for strikes, on March 7 in the spring start prior to developing the blister.

McClanahan said Monday that he remains without a timeline to make his season debut, but he acknowledged that his left arm is already feeling better after he exited his final Grapefruit League start Saturday due to nerve irritation in his tricep, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

McClanahan noted that he's still waiting for the nerve to calm down before he's re-evaluated, at which point the Rays could have a clearer timeline for the lefty to resume his throwing program. Given that McClanahan previously underwent Tommy John surgeries in 2016 and in August 2023, the Rays will likely proceed deliberately with his recovery from the tricep issue, even though all indications are that the 27-year-old avoided a significant injury. With McClanahan ticketed for a stint on the injured list to begin the season, the Rays should have room at the back end of their Opening Day rotation for both Zack Littell and Drew Rasmussen.

Olson allowed two runs on four hits across 5.1 innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He walked two and struck out three.

Olson wrapped up a solid spring slate in which he recorded a 4.30 ERA and 13 strikeouts across 14.2 innings. The righty is in line to serve as Detroit's No. 3 starter this season behind Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty, with his debut likely coming on Saturday against the Dodgers on the road. Olson has posted sub-4.00 ERAs in each of his first two MLB campaigns, though he's a risky play against the loaded Los Angeles lineup.

Boyd allowed three runs on six hits across 5.2 innings in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Athletics. He walked one and struck out three.

It was an uneven start for Boyd, who served up a pair of Oakland home runs. However, the veteran southpaw also had his longest outing of the spring, which is a positive step for a player who has dealt with numerous injuries the past few years. Boyd is in line to serve as the Cubs' No. 4 starter this season and projects to make his debut next Sunday against the Diamondbacks on the road. If healthy, he could be a sneaky fantasy option, though Chicago will likely monitor the 34-year-old's workload closely.

The Blue Jays haven't yet decided where Yesavage will begin his pro career, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports.

The 20th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft didn't debut last year after completing his collegiate career at East Carolina, but his stuff is already good enough to potentially handle High-A or even Double-A. Early-season weather concerns in the Northwest and Eastern Leagues may cause the Jays to play it safe with the 21-year-old right-hander and assign him to Single-A Dunedin in the Florida State League instead, to ensure he gets into a rhythm before facing more advanced hitters. Yesavage touched 97 mph with good movement on his fastball during his Spring Breakout game performance March 15 while generating whiffs on all four of the cutters he threw, and his splitter flashed plus as well.