MLB Player News

Reyes was diagnosed with right elbow discomfort after leaving Sunday's spring game against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Reyes recorded one out against San Francisco during Sunday's Cactus League opener, but he exited the game with an elbow issue. It's not yet clear whether he'll be forced to miss additional time, but an absence would hinder his chances of making the team's Opening Day roster.

Reyes left Sunday's spring game against the Giants with an apparent injury, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old recorded one out and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk before leaving the field with an athletic trainer. Reyes likely needs a strong showing in spring training to have a chance of cracking the Opening Day roster, so any absence could significantly hurt his opportunities.

Ortiz is unavailable for Sunday's spring opener against the Royals due to soreness in an ankle tendon, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 25-year-old was apparently scheduled to pitch Sunday, but he won't be available because of the ankle issue. It's unclear when Ortiz is expected to retake the mound for the Rangers. He joined the team on a minor-league deal this offseason and is in big-league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Naughton was diagnosed with a Grade 1 flexor pronator strain in his left elbow Sunday and will be sidelined 3-to-5 weeks, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old was acquired from the Reds in August and was a likely bet to begin the season at the Triple-A level, but he could now spend the entirety of spring training recovering from the elbow injury. Even if Naughton recovers on the short end of the 3-to-5 week timeline, the delay could still affect his workload for the start of the season.

Wells will be pushed back in camp due to a sore oblique, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The 24-year-old dealt with a similar issue early in spring training last season before being reassigned to minor-league camp. Wells was added to the 40-man roster in November and last pitched in 2019 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 105:24 K:BB over 137.1 innings (24 starts).

Andriese will start Thursday's spring game against Baltimore, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The Red Sox are rolling out a six-man rotation during the first week of spring games but are not committing to that number for the regular season. Andriese has been used as both a starter and a reliever during his MLB career and will be stretched out during spring training.

Pivetta will start against Minnesota on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Pivetta is one of six pitchers that will start for Boston during the first week of the Grapefruit League, as the Red Sox will work with a six-man rotation early in camp. They have not committed to the six-man rotation for the regular season, so Pivetta is not assured of a spot in the rotation. However, he's out of minor-league options, so it appears he will make the Opening Day roster.

Patino was one of the pitchers that caught manager Kevin Cash's eye during live batting practice Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Patino was lauded by Cash for what the Rays skipper labeled as "constant strike-throwing" during the session, with the right-hander landing just one ball outside the strike zone. Patino is striving to earn a starting rotation spot during spring training while largely relying on his elite fastball and slider, and Cash noted Friday that the young pitcher's commitment to pounding the zone has a chance to eventually make him "special" if he can sustain it over the long haul.

Pearson is focused on improving his command this season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. "In the minors, you can definitely get away with being a little erratic because velo can help you out at times," Pearson said. "I definitely learned up in the big leagues you can't just throw it hard and spray it a lot. You've got to attack the zone and throw strikes and competitive pitches more often than not."

The young right-hander didn't disappoint with his raw fastball velocity in his debut last year, routinely hitting 100 mph or more, but Pearson's overall results were disappointing as his location both inside and outside the strike zone was often erratic. A flexor strain in his elbow didn't help matters, but even if Pearson stays healthy in 2021, his ability to improve his command will be the key to turning his impressive arsenal into actual production. "I felt like early last year I was trying to paint corners too much rather than just fill up the zone with strikes," the 24-year-old said. "That's exactly what I did when I came back off the IL; just attack hitters and fill up the zone. That's what I plan to do in spring training and that's one of my goals; throw competitive pitches and strikes. I think good things will always happen when you're filling up the zone."

Naughton underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed a Grade 1 UCL strain, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Naughton was traded from the Reds to the Angels last August and was expected to begin the 2021 season at the Triple-A level. However, he'll now be sidelined due to his left elbow injury. It's not yet clear when the 24-year-old will be cleared to return to action.