MLB Player News

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Thursday that Berrios (elbow) will throw off the mound before the end of this week, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Berrios was diagnosed last week with a stress fracture in his right elbow, but he and the Blue Jays believe that the hurler will be able to pitch through the injury. The right-hander hasn't made a game appearance in three weeks, so even if things go smoothly with his elbow, Berrios will need time to get built up before Toronto considers him for its rotation.

Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said Thursday that Bieber (elbow) will throw off a mound this week, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander has been limited to throwing on flat ground while working his way back from shoulder fatigue, so a return to mound work is a significant development in his rehab program. Bieber still has a lengthy road ahead of him while building up to face live batters and eventually embarking on a rehab assignment, but a return in early May still appears to be on the table.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Thursday that Yesavage's (shoulder) velocity "bumped back up" during a "very effective" appearance in a minor-league game Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

It's an encouraging step for Yesavage, who did not make any spring training appearances while battling a right shoulder impingement. A rehab assignment for the rookie right-hander would appear imminent, and he will likely require several rehab starts before he's ready to rejoin the Blue Jays' rotation.

Simpson is out of the lineup for Thursday's season opener versus the Cardinals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Simpson closed out spring training with a six-game hitting streak and went 3-for-3 on steal attempts during that stretch, quelling most of the concerns about the left hamstring injury that had slowed him earlier in camp. He should be a fixture in the lineup against righties, but the Rays may be more selective in exposing the left-handed-hitting Simpson to same-handed pitching in 2026 after he produced a .299/.330/.299 slash line (79 wRC+) in 113 plate appearances versus lefties as a rookie. Simpson will cede left field to the right-handed-hitting Ryan Vilade while southpaw Matthew Liberatore takes the bump for St. Louis in the opener.

Carter is not in the lineup for Thursday's season opener against the Phillies.

Manager Skip Schumaker indicated during spring training that Carter will get some chances against left-handed pitching early in the season, but the outfielder will hit the bench Thursday with southpaw Cristopher Sanchez taking the ball for Philadelphia. Wyatt Langford shifts to center field while Sam Haggerty starts in left. Carter was limited to 63 big-league games last season and had a .728 OPS with five home runs and 14 steals.

Mayer is out of the lineup for Thursday's Opening Day matchup with the Reds, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Manager Alex Cora indicated earlier this week that Mayer would begin the season in a platoon at second base, so it's no surprise he's on the bench in favor of Isiah Kiner-Falefa with lefty Andrew Abbott on the mound for Cincinnati. Mayer had a .674 OPS over 44 regular-season games in his first taste of the majors last year and batted just .154 versus southpaws.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Thursday that Hader (biceps) will begin facing hitters by "mid-April," Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Working his way back from left biceps tendinitis, Hader has been throwing off the mound since early March and is slated for another bullpen session Friday. He's still a couple weeks away from facing hitters, though, and will surely need a rehab assignment before being activated, making it unlikely he'll be back before late April. Houston will use Bryan Abreu at closer while Hader is sidelined.

McGonigle is starting at third base and batting sixth in Thursday's Opening Day matchup against the Padres.

The 21-year-old shortstop will end up making his MLB debut at the hot corner while Javier Baez picks up the start at shortstop. McGonigle, who is one of the top prospects in baseball, is expected to split his playing time between the two positions. He posted a .254/.369/.550 slash line with 12 homers and seven steals in 46 games at the Double-A level last year and had an .888 OPS during spring training.

Frazier is absent from the lineup for Thursday's opener in Houston.

It's right-hander Hunter Brown on the bump for the Astros, but the left-handed-hitting Frazier will yield to righty Oswald Peraza at second base. There's a good chance the two will wind up sharing the position rather than operating in a straight platoon.

The Astros announced Wednesday that Matthews won a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Matthews is set to begin the season as a utility player for the Astros after producing an .817 OPS while seeing time at second base, left field and center field during spring training. The 24-year-old is also capable of playing shortstop, though the Astros will go with Carlos Correa at that position in Thursday's season opener versus the Angels as a replacement for the banged-up Jeremy Pena (finger). Matthews, who slashed just .167/.222/.452 in 47 plate appearances during his first taste of the majors last season, is likely to see most of his starts against left-handed pitching in the early going.