MLB Player News

Giolito, who was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier Tuesday with a left abdominal strain, said he feels significantly better than when he first suffered the injury Friday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Giolito appears to be optimistic that he'll require a minimum-length IL stint or close to it, as the White Sox won't shut him down from throwing while he recovers from the injury. He noted that he's been throwing a plyometric ball against a wall over the past few days to keep his arm active, and he intends to begin playing catch later Tuesday. While Giolito's continued activity is a good sign, how his injury responds to throwing bullpen sessions and live batting practice will likely be more telling with regard to when he might be ready to come off the IL.

Richardson will miss all of the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the offseason, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

According to Mayo, Richardson had been pitching hurt in 2021, which explains the 5.09 ERA and 1.47 WHIP he posted in 76 innings at High-A Dayton. It's unclear when exactly he had the surgery, but he could potentially return in April or May of 2023 if he avoids setbacks.

Cueto has yet to face hitters at the White Sox's extended spring training facility in Arizona but could be ready to throw live batting practice within the next few days, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Since Cueto didn't sign his minor-league deal with the White Sox until April 4, he's only about one week into his own version of spring training. The White Sox envision Cueto serving as rotation depth, so he'll likely need at least a couple of weeks to get adequately stretched out for starting duty before the team determines whether there's room for him on the big-league roster. Lucas Giolito (abdomen) was added to the injured list Tuesday, but Cueto looks to be a more logical candidate to replace Lance Lynn (knee), who is sidelined with a longer-term injury than Giolito.

Velasquez is expected to handle four innings Tuesday against the Mariners, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Velasquez looked like a depth option when he signed in mid-March but is already needed in the fourth game of the year after injuries to Lance Lynn (knee) and Lucas Giolito (abdomen). He won't pitch long enough to earn the win Tuesday, which further decreases the fantasy appeal of a pitcher with a career 4.95 ERA and a 6.10 mark over the last two seasons.

Herz struck out five and walked one in three scoreless innings in his season debut for High-A South Bend.

One of the Cubs' top pitching prospects, Herz also allowed just one hit in his season debut. If he can keep the walks in check, he could be a factor in the big-league rotation in 2023 or 2024. His premium stuff would also play up in relief.

Walker (shoulder) announced Tuesday in a post on his personal Twitter account that he was encouraged by the results of his MRI. "Everything is all good!" the pitcher wrote.

The Mets haven't provided an official update on what the MRI revealed, but Walker's Twitter post seemingly suggests that he's avoided a major injury. Even so, Walker's availability for his next scheduled outing Sunday at home against the Diamondbacks remains undetermined, and a trip to the injured list can't be dismissed at this point.

Thompson (shoulder) made his season debut Sunday for Double-A Tennessee, tossing three innings and giving up two earned runs on two hits while striking out five in the affiliate's 9-5 loss to Chattanooga.

Thompson was shut down for the entire 2021 season while dealing with right shoulder tightness, but he reported to spring training at full health. Even though Thompson lost two years of development time due to the injury and the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, the Cubs felt comfortable with having him bypass the High-A level entirely.

Elder's contract was selected by Atlanta on Tuesday ahead of his scheduled MLB debut against Washington.

Elder will step in for a spot start with Atlanta looking to give Max Fried an extra day of rest prior to his second outing of the year. The 22-year-old righty was merely a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, but he looked good across the three highest minor-league levels last season. In 25 starts, he cruised to a 2.75 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, with a strong 27.7 percent strikeout rate offsetting his 10.2 percent walk rate.

The Reds announced that Lodolo will have his contract selected from Triple-A Louisville in advance of his scheduled start Wednesday against the Guardians in Cincinnati.

Manager David Bell heavily implied at the end of spring training that Lodolo would break camp as a member of the Cincinnati rotation, but the Reds delayed adding the 24-year-old lefty to the 40-man and 28-man active rosters until a fifth starter was first needed Wednesday. Lodolo should make at least two turns through the rotation before the Reds return either Luis Castillo (shoulder) or Mike Minor (shoulder) from the injured list, and whether the rookie sticks around with the big club on a more permanent basis will likely hinge on how he performs in his initial MLB action. Between his stops at Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville in 2021, Lodolo was one of the minor league's most dominant pitchers. He made bats miss at a prolific clip (38.8 strikeout rate) and generated groundballs at a 54 percent clip over 50.2 total innings.

Giolito (abdomen) hit the injured list as expected Tuesday.

Giolito struck out six in four scoreless innings in his season debut Friday against the Tigers before exiting with an abdominal strain. The White Sox are optimistic that he'll miss no more than two starts, which puts his potential return date in late April. Jimmy Lambert was recalled to take Giolito's place on the roster and may also be tasked with stepping into his spot in the rotation.