MLB Player News

With Derek Holland getting injured early, Rangers reliever Anthony Bass entered Friday's game against the Astros and pitched five innings. The Astros defeated the Rangers 5-1. 

Bass gave up one earned run on four hits. He struck out two batters and walked one. 

White Sox pitcher Zach Putnam threw 27 pitches in the top of the ninth inning of Friday's 6-0 loss to the Twins. 

Putnam gave up three runs, with two of them being earned. The lone unearned run came due to a throwing error. Putnam gave up three hits in the inning.

An at-bat against Torii Hunter went five pitches and an at-bat against Kennys Vargas went six pitches. Hunter singled and Vargas struck out. 

Astros reliever Josh Fields (groin) will begin a rehab assignment this weekend with Triple-A Fresno, manager A.J. Hinch said Friday. Fields has been sidelined since leaving a March 23 spring game with a right groin strain.

Twins will place starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco on the 15-day disabled list with elbow soreness, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Friday. The team will promote pitching prospect Trevor May from Triple-A Rochester.

Nolasco experienced "a little spike" on a pitch to Tigers catcher Alex Avila in the fourth inning during his season debut Wednesday, manager Paul Molitor said earlier in the week. He allowed six earned runs in three innings of work in his only start. He underwent an MRI on his injured elbow, which revealed elbow inflammation, according to MLB.com.

"Really good news," Molitor said. "I think we're all optimistic, if we can just back him off a little bit and get treatment and progress him along, it will only be the 15 days. We're optimistic that will be the case for now."

May threw a side session on Thursday, and is slated to start the Minnesota's home opener on Monday against Kansas City, Molitor confirmed.

"Great opportunity for him," Molitor said.

Yankees sources said reliever Dellin Betances' velocity wasn't down from last spring to this spring, although it was actually slightly down, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. 

However, one Yankees personnel admitted Betances is having issues with his pitching mechanics, which is why he did not win the closer's job outright this spring. He is expected to share save opportunities with Andrew Miller at the outset of the season.

Twins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco appears destined for the disabled list with elbow soreness, a source told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Friday. The team will promote pitching prospect Trevor May from Triple-A Rochester.

May, 25, was scheduled to make a minor-league start on Saturday for Rochester. Nolasco was slated to pitch Monday before experiencing "a little spike" on a pitch to Tigers catcher Alex Avila in the fourth inning during his season debut Wednesday, manager Paul Molitor said earlier in the week. The Twins have yet to announce a date for May's first start of the season.

Rangers pitcher Nick Martinez surrendered just four hits and two walks in seven scoreless innings while striking out five in his team's 10-1 win over the A's Thursday.

"Having that run support early and often definitely gives you that extra confidence that you need," Martinez said after the game, per the Associatd Press.

Martinez won the final spot in the rotation after pitching well for most of the spring, and though he struggled in his spring finale, he got back on track in his regular-season debut Thursday. All four of the hits he scattered were singles.

"Nick had a wonderful day," manager Jeff Banister said after the game, per MLB.com. "He was able to pitch off his fastball. He was able to throw the fastball in and also down. Nice command with the fastball. Had the changeup and breaking ball in play. Kept these hitters off balance pretty much all seven innings."

His next start is slated for Tuesday against the Angels.

Red Sox starting pitcher Joe Kelly (biceps) is now expected to start Saturday against the Yankees after originally being scratched in favor of Steven Wright, manager John Farrell said Thursday. Farrell said he switched his mind after watching Kelly throw in the bullpen Wednesday.

However, Farrell added Kelly will probably be on a fairly low pitch count since he didn't throw more than 78 pitches during spring training. Farrell said Kelly probably won't throw more than a few pitches over that number.

The Orioles have traded catcher Brian Ward  and relief pitcher Ryan Webb to the Dodgers for pitcher Ben Rowen and catcher Chris O'Brien on Thursday, reports CSNBaltimore.com. The Dodgers will also receive a competitive balance pick from the Orioles.

Ward, who was catching for Triple-A Norfolk, was expected to be an option as a backup catcher with the team prior to the trade. Webb posted an ERA of 6.75 in 6 2/3 innings pitched, giving up eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks this spring.

Rowen finished the spring with a 5.40 ERA, giving up five hits and striking out one batter. O'Brien spent spring training with Double-A Chattanooga in 2014.

Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances surrendered an unearned run on one hit and two walks while working the eighth inning Wednesday but earned the win in his team's 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

Betances opened the inning by forcing a groundout but then surrendered a walk and a single to put runners on the corners. After a throwing error brought a run home, Betances issued another walk before recording two more groundouts to escape the inning. The Yankees were able to score three runs in the bottom of the eighth to turn a two-run deficit into a one-run lead, which Andrew Miller protected in the ninth.

Though the results weren't great, Betances was happy that the velocity on his fastball was back Wednesday, NJ.com reports.

"I knew my strength in my arm would come," he said Wednesday. "I knew I would be where I'm at right now. ... Now it's just a matter of being more consistent with my delivery."

Betances and Miller are likely to share the closing role moving forward, but Betances may have to pitch better than he did Wednesday if he wants to keep at least a share of the ninth inning this season.