MLB Player News

Whitlock allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out one over one inning in Friday's spring game against the Marlins.

Whitlock made his Grapefruit League debut Friday and worked the fourth inning when Miami's regulars were still in the lineup. He's spent the last 10 months recovering from an internal brace procedure, but Boston manager Alex Cora still sees Whitlock as a high-leverage reliever that can throw multiple innings.

Finnegan faced hitters on a back field Friday afternoon, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander didn't re-sign with Washington until late February, putting Finnegan behind the team's other relievers, and Friday was the first time he'd seen game action in any setting this spring. He tossed 22 pitches and worked in the mid-90s with his fastball, suggesting he's close to ready for a Grapefruit League appearance. Finnegan recorded a career-high 38 saves in 2024, and he'll head into Opening Day back in the ninth-inning role for the Nats.

Sabrowski received an anti-inflammatory injection in his elbow Friday, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

The injection will cause Sabrowski to sit down for a few days, and the Guardians have yet to give a timetable for his return. The 27-year-old has yet to appear in a game this spring, but if healthy he should still have a spot in Cleveland's bullpen after posting a 19:4 K:BB over 12.2 shutout regular-season innings in the majors last year.

The Reds reassigned Staumont to minor-league camp Saturday.

Staumont only made one appearance for the Reds this spring, during which he struck out two batters and walked one in a scoreless inning. He'll head to Triple-A Louisville to begin 2025, but he could still make a few appearances out of the Reds' bullpen after posting a 3.70 ERA in 24.1 innings last year for the Twins.

Burr has been dealing with right shoulder fatigue and is not expected to pitch in games soon, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Burr's shoulder has been giving him problems for most of spring training, as he dealt with a bout of tendinitis in February. Now battling fatigue, the right-hander has been limited to light throwing, and Toronto will likely be extra cautious building him back up to ensure his shoulder isn't an issue in the future. It's unclear if he'll be available for Opening Day.

Johnson is expected to open the season as one of Atlanta's primary setup men in front of closer Raisel Iglesias, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Johnson had a solid first full season with Atlanta in 2024 that included a career-high six wins and 12 holds, and he will be counted on to handle more high-leverage duties with Joe Jimenez (knee) out until at least the All-Star break. If Johnson struggles, he could be pushed for late-inning work by Hector Neris, who didn't sign with the team until March 3 but racked up 31 holds as recently as 2023 with the Astros.

The Yankees optioned Arias to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

The Yankees acquired Arias from the Cubs in January, and he'll officially be headed to Triple-A to begin his tenure with his new organization. The 23-year-old reached Triple-A for the first time last season, finishing with a 5.45 ERA and 2.11 WHIP across 36.1 innings at Iowa.

Kittredge underwent successful left knee debridement surgery Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Lingering soreness in Kittredge's knee prompted an MRI on Wednesday, and he went under the knife days later. He's now on the mend, but Kittredge is expected to miss multiple months, which leaves Seranthony Dominguez as the clear backup to primary closer Felix Bautista in Baltimore. Bautista is not expected to pitch back-to-back days early on this season as he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Lopez surrendered five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game versus the Twins. He failed to record a strikeout.

Lopez worked up to 57 pitches (36 strikes) Thursday compared to 44 in his previous outing, though his velocity was noticeably down and inconsistent, as noted by David O'Brien of The Athletic. He averaged just 93 mph on his fastball after averaging 95.5 mph with his heater in 2024, and his slider and curveball experienced similar drops in speed as well. Arm fatigue is fairly common at this stage in spring training, though it may be worth keeping an eye on Lopez, who had issues with a tired arm last season after making the move from the bullpen to the rotation.

Cranton was removed from Friday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers after being hit in the chin by a line drive, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Cranton seemed to be in a relatively good mood following the incident, which may indicate minimal damage was done. The 24-year-old made nine appearances at Single-A Modesto last season, and he'll likely aim to reach High-A Everett or Double-A Arkansas by the end of 2025.