MLB Player News

Vanasco (hip) is scheduled to complete a bullpen session Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The last report was that Vanasco had been playing catch almost daily, and now he has advanced to throwing bullpen sessions. Vanasco is recovering from a labral tear in his right hip and is in camp on a minor-league deal.

Hendriks is slated to pitch in Wednesday's game against the Rays, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

This will be Hendriks' first Grapefruit League action of the year and his first game action since June of 2023. Aroldis Chapman is also expected to pitch in Wednesday's exhibition, while Justin Slaten is scheduled to throw a live batting practice. Therefore, as Browne wrote, the closer competition will officially get underway. In addition to Hendriks, Chapman and Slaten, Garrett Whitlock is expected to get late-inning work, so how each pitcher fares this spring will be important for determining who gets the first save chances of the year in Boston.

Bautista (elbow) will throw a couple more live batting practice sessions before getting into game action, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

It's worth noting that Kubatko reported Monday that Bautista said he "should" get in a game after this week's session, and now it sounds like he'll need at least one more live BP before getting into games next week at the earliest. He will either throw Wednesday or Thursday after throwing 25 pitches Sunday.

The Astros reassigned Otto (shoulder) to minor-league camp Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Both pitchers have been behind schedule due to right shoulder issues, which effectively ended any chance they had to make the Opening Day roster. Otto missed time with a shoulder problem last season at Triple-A El Paso in the Padres organization, and it's not clear when he might be ready to pitch in games.

Dubin will be shut down after being diagnosed with right shoulder inflammation, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It's not known how long the shutdown period will last, but it would appear unlikely that Dubin will be ready in time for Opening Day. The right-handed reliever held a 4.17 ERA and 49:26 K:BB over 45.1 regular-season innings for Houston in 2024.

Murfee (elbow) recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rangers.

Murfee has been given a clean bill of health after recovering from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the 2024 season. He looked sharp in his spring debut, though the team will presumably monitor the right-hander closely throughout camp given his previous injury. Murfee should have a chance to earn a high-leverage role with the White Sox heading into the 2025 campaign.

Fulmer (elbow) surrendered three hits and one walk while striking out one over 1.2 scoreless innings during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Fulmer missed the entire 2024 campaign while rehabbing from UCL revision surgery and has since been given the green light to return to game action. It was reported over the offseason that the club was considering utilizing Fulmer as a starter, and the fact that Boston sent him out for multiple innings in his spring debut supports this update. It'll be worth keeping a close eye on the right-hander's role as camp rolls on.

Paddack gave up one run (on a home run) with two strikeouts over two innings Monday against Tampa Bay in a game that was canceled after two innings due to rain. It was his first appearance in a game since July after he missed the second half of the season due to a forearm strain.

Paddack has been throwing all offseason and has looked healthy this spring, with his fastball topping out at 95.4 mph. He's seen as the leading candidate for the fourth starter role but will face competition from Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa and Zebby Matthews for the final two rotation spots.

Marsh (shoulder) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Monday, Jaylon Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

Marsh reportedly threw a side session Friday, though he noted Monday that he considers his latest throwing session his first of camp. "That was pretty much my first bullpen of the year," said Marsh. "I touched the mound once before I got shut down, so I wouldn't even count that as a bullpen. That was the first time I had gotten off the mound since last year." This is a promising step forward for the right-hander, who is in the process of recovering from tightness in his right shoulder. The club will likely see how he feels following Monday's bullpen before determining if he's ready to face live hitters.

Adams (forearm) allowed one hit and struck out three over one scoreless inning during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Adams closed out the 2024 campaign on the injured list due to right forearm tendinitis. He's officially received a clean bill of health and looked sharp Sunday as he continues to fight for a spot on the Opening Day roster.