MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that he's not sure when Stanton (elbows) will return to camp, but the skipper is hopeful it will happen "soon," Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton is dealing with tennis elbow in both arms and returned to New York earlier this week, although that trip was "personal in nature," per Boone. The manager indicated Monday that he hopes Stanton can return healthy "in the middle of the season," so it doesn't appear the Yankees expect to have their designated hitter playing in games anytime soon.

Cross (back) will start center field and bat eighth Thursday in a "B" game against the Rangers, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Cross finished the 2024 season on Double-A Northwest Arkansas' injured list on account of back discomfort, but he doesn't seem to be operating with any restrictions in the spring. He's already appeared in three Cactus League games and will get some more at-bats Thursday. The Royals are likely to reassign Cross to Triple-A Omaha or Northwest Arkansas before the end of spring training.

Varsho (shoulder) will make his Grapefruit League debut at designated hitter Friday versus the Yankees, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Recovering from last September's right rotator cuff surgery, Varsho has extended his throwing distance to 120 feet and continues to shag flyballs and hit as he normally would. It's not clear when he might be cleared to play defense in a spring game. Varsho has been ruled out for Opening Day but could be looking at a relatively brief absence to begin the season.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Vivas hasn't participated in any Grapefruit League games due to shoulder soreness, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Vivas is close to being ready for game action, per Boone. The 23-year-old hit .225/.347/.366 with nine home runs and 20 steals over 93 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2024 and is likely to head back to the minors to begin the 2025 campaign.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Thursday that Estevez has not appeared in a Cactus League game yet due to mild lower-back tightness, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Estevez was able to throw off a mound Wednesday and felt good. Quatraro believes there's still plenty of time for Estevez to appear in "6-to-7 outings later in camp." Signed to a two-year, $20.2 million contract in January, Estevez is the perceived favorite to serve as the Royals' closer. If Estevez is not physically ready or the Royals want to go in another direction at closer, Lucas Erceg would be the next man up.

McCullers (forearm) will throw live a live batting practice session Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers will face hitters for the first time since he underwent surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur. McCullers has already been ruled out for Opening Day but hopes to make some Grapefruit League appearances this spring. He hasn't appeared in a major-league game since the 2022 World Series due to multiple arm injuries.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday that Neto (shoulder) will not be ready for Opening Day but should make his season debut "soon after" in April, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The expectation has been that Neto would need a stint on the injured list to start the season, so Washington relaying that the shortstop is tracking toward a return in April is relatively good news. Neto underwent right shoulder surgery in November and began a throwing progression early last week. It's not clear when Neto might be cleared to play in games, but Washington's timeline suggests the 24-year-old could see some Cactus League action before the schedule runs out. Luis Rengifo, Tim Anderson, Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery are among those competing to fill in at shortstop for the Angels until Neto is ready to go.

Aleman underwent a left hip inguinal hernia repair Wednesday and will be sidelined 4-to-6 weeks.

Aleman was added to the 40-man roster this offseason but had always been likely to begin the season at Triple-A Columbus. He'll be assigned to Columbus once he's fully recovered, though an initial rehab assignment at a lower-level affiliate is possible. Aleman could be an option for the Guardians bullpen at some point this season.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Effross has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Effross suffered the moderate hamstring strain while delivering his one and only pitch during a Grapefruit League appearance earlier this week. The reliever has been given a platelet-rich plasma injection and is looking at an extended absence. Effross has made just 32 appearances over the last two seasons due to injury.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that LeMahieu is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut either Saturday or Monday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

LeMahieu entered camp healthy after missing significant time last season due to foot and hip injuries, but he's been held out of spring games thus far as the Yankees limit his workload. The veteran infielder is the perceived favorite to handle the bulk of the third-base reps for the Yankees in 2025, but with a .698 OPS since the start of the 2021 campaign, he'll have to impress during the spring to win the gig.