MLB Player News

Assad (oblique) will throw two innings in an extended spring training game Friday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

He's expected to make an additional appearance in extended spring training after that before heading out on a formal rehab assignment. That would seem to point to Assad being at least a couple weeks away from rejoining the Cubs. Ben Brown is currently holding down the No. 5 spot in Chicago's rotation.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Friday that Hendriks (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Friday or Saturday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

It will be the first time Hendriks has thrown off a mound since he landed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Hendriks will be eligible for activation April 8, but given that he's just now getting back on the bump, he's unlikely to return at that time.

Alexander will be the Brewers' starting pitcher in Friday's game against the Reds, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Alexander's most recent of two relief appearances this season came Sunday, when he threw 47 pitches over 2.1 innings. While it won't be a traditional opener assignment, he will not be handling a full starter's workload Friday.

The Yankees activated Williams from the paternity leave list Friday.

Williams missed this week's three-game series against the Diamondbacks while welcoming a new addition to his family. He'll be available to close as the Yankees begin a series in Pittsburgh this weekend.

Whitlock allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out three over two innings in Thursday's 8-4 win over Baltimore.

Whitlock finished up the final two innings, and all three of his outings to start the season have lasted two frames. That was the blueprint Red Sox manager Alex Cora set for the right-hander during spring training; when possible, Whitlock would throw two innings every time he pitched. He's allowed just the one run through six innings while striking out six and walking one.

Nelson allowed one hit while striking out two over 2.1 scoreless innings in Thursday's 9-7 loss to the Yankees.

Nelson gave Arizona some length after the Yankees battered starter Merrill Kelly for nine runs in 3.2 innings. The long reliever was able to keep New York in check and dropped his ERA from 21.60 to 9.00. Nelson had a rough first appearance Opening Day (four runs, 1.2 innings) and sat on that for a week before Thursday's ERA correction. The right-hander was a key member of the Diamondbacks' rotation in 2024 and remains capable of being stretched out if needed as a starter.

Phillips (shoulder) allowed a run on a hit and a walk over one inning while striking out one batter in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Phillips kicked off a minor-league rehab stint after being slow-played during spring training as he rehabs from a torn muscle in his rotator cuff. The righty reliever reached 94 mph on the radar gun with his fastball Thursday and completed one inning of work. It's not yet clear how long Phillips will spend with Oklahoma City, but he could be ready to make his regular-season debut with the big club in mid-to-late April.

Payamps picked up the save after throwing a clean ninth inning Thursday against the Reds. He struck out one.

With closer Trevor Megill having worked each of the past two days, Payamps got the call to preserve a narrow 1-0 lead in the ninth inning and made quick work of Cincinnati on just 11 pitches (nine strikes). It was the first save of the year for Payamps, who got back on track Thursday after yielding five runs in his first three frames of the campaign. The right-hander is likely to remain a setup man for the Brewers throughout 2025, but he appears to be the next man up for ninth-inning work on occasions when Megill is unavailable.

Weaver picked up the save after not allowing a baserunner in 1.1 innings Thursday against Arizona. He struck out one.

The Yankees got out to a massive 9-3 lead Thursday, but the Diamondbacks made the game interesting with a four-run surge in the seventh inning. That prompted manager Aaron Boone to turn to one of his high-leverage arms, and Weaver locked down his first save of the campaign while pouring in 15 of his 19 pitches for strikes. Although the right-hander is not the team's first option in save situations due to the arrival of Devin Williams (personal), Weaver emerged as a major weapon out of New York's bullpen in the second half of last season and should still see some save chances in 2025.

Hader picked up the save in Thursday's 5-2 win over Minnesota, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Hader is now 3-for-3 in save opportunities to start the year -- he's allowed one run while striking out three over three innings. The left-hander remains one of the top ninth-inning options in the league after logging 34 saves while posting a 3.80 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP and 105 strikeouts across 71 regular-season innings last year.