MLB Player News

Peters (back) will throw a bullpen session soon, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

He has been battling back spasms since late last week and will likely need to get into game action fairly soon to be considered for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Even if he were to return and make the club, Peters would likely pitch in low-leverage situations.

Naughton (elbow) resumed throwing Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Naughton was diagnosed with an elbow strain in late February. He's back to throwing within two weeks of the diagnosis, which certainly appears to be a good sign. Naughton's not considered a candidate for the Opening Day roster, so he'll have plenty of time to build up before the Triple-A season begins.

Reyes will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Reyes was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in early March, and it turns out that the injury is bad enough to require surgery. A typical recovery timeline would see Reyes shut down until the middle of next season. At that point, he'll be a 29-year-old coming off major surgery with just 26 big-league innings to his name.

Ottavino allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning in Wednesday's spring game against Atlanta.

Ottavino made his spring debut in Grapefruit League play, following starter Matt Andriese in the fourth inning. He's competing to be Boston's closer along with Matt Barnes, who was impressive in his spring debut earlier this week. Ottavino has 19 career saves over 460 relief appearances and briefly served as a closer for a couple of stretches with Colorado in 2015 and 2016. Boston manager Alex Cora reiterated to Ian Browne of MLB.com that a closer will not be named until later in spring training, but the manager said Ottavino will be given the ball for clean innings, facing both righties and lefties.

Lopez is the scheduled starter for Thursday's game against the Reds, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Lopez, who pitched two perfect innings against Cleveland last Saturday, is vying for the final spot in the rotation. He's competition for the job is Carlos Rodon, who has not yet appeared in a Cactus League game.

Wilson retired only one batter (via strikeout) in Wednesday's Grapefruit League appearance versus Pittsburgh, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits.

It's safe to assume that this isn't how Wilson anticipated his first outing of the spring to go. He struck out the first batter he faced, then allowed a solo home run to Jared Oliva. The next three batters reached base (one via error) before Brian Goodwin ended Wilson's appearance with a grand slam to right field. Despite the rough start, the southpaw has a firm hold on a bullpen spot for the Yankees, especially with fellow left-hander Zack Britton out for an extended period due to elbow surgery.

Farmer allowed four runs on three hits and a walk while retiring just two batters in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out one.

Farmer allowed two home runs, and he now has a 30.86 ERA across 2.1 innings this spring. The righty is potentially in the mix to close, though he likely projects as more of a setup option. A sluggish performance in the Grapefruit League won't help him move up the bullpen pecking order.

Yates is expected to make his spring debut against the Tigers on Thursday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Yates missed most of the 2020 season due to bone chips in his right elbow, but he signed with Toronto in January and feels fully healthy early in spring training. "I feel like it's behind me. I feel like it's ready to move on. It's full go," Yates told Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun. Although the Blue Jays haven't yet named a closer for the 2021 campaign, Yates is the favorite for the role given his past success in the ninth inning.

Pivetta allowed one run on three hits and struck out three over three innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Rays.

Pivetta, the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, has allowed two runs in five innings over two Grapefruit League starts. He lamented the inconsistency of his curveball to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com, but he was able to get himself back into counts and didn't allow much hard contact. Boston manager Alex Cora described the right-hander's outing as a positive in a game the Red Sox lost 11-3.

Garcia pitched three scoreless innings against Detroit in a Grapefruit League game Tuesday, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out five.

The performance was a significant step up from Garcia's spring debut, when he allowed a pair of runs in two innings against Philadelphia. The young right-hander has now struck out eight batters across five spring frames as he seeks to cement his place as New York's fifth starter to begin the campaign.