MLB Player News

Whitlock threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Friday following a week of downtime, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

As part of the rehab plan this offseason to bring Whitlock back from an internal brace procedure, the Red Sox introduced the concept of what was coined a "de-load" week. The right-hander would throw normal bullpens, then get a week off. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said this most recent de-load was the last one. If healthy, Whitlock should serve in a high-leverage bullpen role, including save opportunities.

Bregman started at third base and went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and two RBI in Sunday's spring game against the Blue Jays.

Bregman's debut in a Boston uniform could not have gone any better. Batting second, he singled in his first at-bat, laced a two-run home run in the second inning, then had a double off the replica Green Monster at JetBlue park. The 30-year-old told Christopher Smith of Mass Live following the game that he worked on his swing mechanics during the offseason. After posting a career-low .768 OPS in 2024, Bregman studied video and noticed his hands were launching from further back over the last few seasons, so he worked to bring his hands inside the frame of his body.

Bradford allowed one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Cubs.

Bradford, who could land in the rotation or the bullpen, submitted evidence during his Cactus League debut of his worthiness to be a starter in the regular season. Sixteen of his 24 pitches were strikes, which impressed manager Bruce Bochy. "Outstanding, wasn't he?" Bochy told Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. "Really nice job, throwing his strikes, Cody was Cody today. Good day for him." The left-hander pitched well in 2024 when healthy, posting a 3.54 ERA over 14 outings (13 starts).

Brito started at second base and went 0-for-2 in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.

Brito made his Cactus League debut Sunday. The 23-year-old is one of several players that should see time at second base, a position that remains up for grabs. Gabriel Arias started Saturday's spring opener followed by Brito on Sunday. Expect to see a carousel of names in daily box scores, including prospect Travis Bazzana.

Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said Sunday that Rodriguez is in the mix for the available job in right field, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports.

Add Rodriguez's name to the competition for right field, which also includes Will Brennan and Jhonkensy Noel. Rodriguez has done damage in the minors, including its highest level where the outfielder has a .295 average and 40 home runs over 165 games at Triple-A Columbus. "What he's done at Triple-A the last couple of years, we're excited about the future for J-Rod," Vogt said. Noel (Saturday) and Brennan (Sunday) have started the first two spring games with Rodriguez coming off the bench Saturday.

Kwan started in left field and went 2-for-3 with a home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.

Kwan made his Cactus League debut and made an immediate impact. He singled to leadoff the bottom of the first inning and came around to score on a Tyler Freeman double. He later opened the bottom of the third with a solo home run. He's coming off a season in which he earned his first All-Star selection and should resume a role as the Guardians' leadoff batter.

Lively allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out one over two innings in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.

Lively made his first Cactus League start and allowed much base traffic but managed to stifle the damage to just one run. He threw 23 strikes among his 33 offerings, which was his goal coming in. "All good, just trying to locate everything, not letting it rip all the way," the pitcher told Steve Stockmar of MLB.com. "Felt good to be out there." Lively is coming off his best season in the majors, posting a 3.81 ERA over a career-high 151 regular-season innings. The accumulation of innings was the prominent reason he was left off the ALDS roster last year and limited to the one relief appearance in the ALCS. The right-hander's goal is to prove he has the stamina to be included in any postseason series.

Bubic is seen as the frontrunner for Kansas City's fifth starter role, MLB.com reports. He gave up one run over two innings with two strikeouts in his spring debut Sunday.

Bubic also debuted a new sinker, which he hopes to use against lefties, the MLB.com report adds. It was Bubic's first spring training start in two years as he spent the first three months last season rehabbing from April 2023 Tommy John surgery. The lefty thrived out of the bullpen last season, working his way into high-leverage innings and collecting seven holds and a save. His 32.2 percent strikeout rate was by far his career best, but it's not clear he'll be able to handle a starter's workload or maintain that high a strikeout rate with more usage.

Festa threw two scoreless innings Sunday against Pittsburgh with two strikeouts and no walks in his spring debut. He pitched exclusively out of the stretch, which he plans to do this season, MLB.com reports. He also debuted a new sinker during the outing.

Festa is competing with Chris Paddack, Simeon Woods Richardson and Zebby Matthews for the final two spots in the rotation. Paddack and Woods Richardson are the favorites, but Festa could force his way into the rotation with a strong spring. Festa showed promise last season with a 10.8 K/9 and 12.7 percent swinging strike rate, but he recorded a 4.40 ERA (though a 3.75 FIP) in 14 games.

Martin will primarily focus on playing the outfield this spring, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. "I want him to be a defensive star out there. I think he has the ability and the work ethic to do so," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. Martin started in center field Sunday and went 1-for-2 in is spring debut.

Martin is battling for a reserve spot on the roster, and he could be a key reserve since he can play both center field and second base. He was regarded as a top prospect as the fifth overall pick in 2020, but he hasn't lived up to that billing given his lack of power (.099 ISO last year in the majors).