MLB Player News

Baz (elbow/oblique) threw 25 pitches off a mound Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Baz is closing in on a return from Tommy John surgery, but an oblique injury more recently slowed him. It appears that he's nearing a full recovery from the latter issue, which should allow him to attack the final stage of his rehab from the elbow injury. The Rays are expected to be cautious with Baz, and he's projected to return in late spring or early summer.

Springs (elbow) has thrown off a mound twice in the last week, Marc Topkin of Tampa Bay Times reports.

Springs underwent Tommy John surgery in April, and his recent throwing sessions mark his first off a mound while recovering. It's a positive step, but he's still not expected to return until sometime in July.

Mize has pitched well this spring but is still competing for a rotation spot to begin the season, Matthew Ritchie of MLB.com reports.

Mize, the former No. 1 overall pick, seems likely to snag a rotation spot if he's fully healthy in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. However, the Tigers are being cautious with him, which could explain why they're not trying to put too much on the righty's plate. Reese Olson and Matt Manning are also in the mix for Detroit's final two rotation spots, with Tarik Skubal, Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty all locked in as starters.

Kirby has an 8.31 ERA and 1.73 WHIP over 8.2 innings across three Cactus League starts.

The right-hander is expected to slot into the No. 2 role in the rotation this year despite the rough spring. Kirby showed some signs of progress in his most recent start Saturday against the Reds, allowing three earned runs on five hits and a walk over five innings while recording three strikeouts. Kirby had allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and a walk over eight innings over his first two starts, albeit with five strikeouts. Kirby is slated for one more Cactus League start to work out any kinks before a projected regular-season debut against the Red Sox on March 29.

Lyles could be trailing Alec Marsh in the fifth starter competition for the Royals, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Not only has Marsh out-pitched Lyles by a wide margin, but the latter has also been plagued by a lower-back issue this spring that has limited him to just five innings. Lyles will make another start Thursday, but he might not be stretched out sufficiently enough to open the year in the rotation. The Royals could opt to put Lyles on the injured list to begin the season, allowing him to build up his stamina while giving Marsh a shot in the rotation to see what he can do.

Gausman (shoulder) felt good after a 36-pitch simulated game Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.careports.

The right-hander continues to ramp up his workload after a bout of shoulder fatigue slowed him down in early March. The next step for Gausman is to get into a game, with the goal being to progress to 60-to-65 pitches across three innings early next week. The 33-year-old won't be ready for Opening Day, but at this rate he should be able to join Toronto's rotation within the first couple weeks of the season.

Gipson-Long (groin) will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

It will be his first time facing hitters since he suffered a left groin strain a month ago. The injury has prevented Gipson-Long from being part of the rotation competition for the Tigers, but he is trending toward being ready or close to it for the start of the minor-league season.

Crawford allowed two runs on four hits and struck out six over 5.2 innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Rays.

Crawford allowed three singles, two stolen bases and two runs in the first inning, then retired 17 of the final 18 batters faced. He threw 68 pitches (50 strikes) in what was his fourth Grapefruit League start and will get one more Grapefruit League outing. It's been quite the spring for Crawford, who sports a 1.98 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and no walks through 13.2 innings.

Urquidy (forearm) is hoping to resume throwing in 10-to-15 days, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Urquidy will be shut down for a bit after an MRI revealed right forearm inflammation. The good news is the exam showed no issues with his UCL, so the hope is that a little rest and treatment will allow things to clear up. Urquidy will need time to be built back up, so a return before the end of April seems unlikely even in a best-case scenario.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Urquidy (forearm) will be shut down from throwing "for a while," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Urquidy was diagnosed with a right forearm strain Monday and it sounds like he will be given an extended period of rest, although Espada's update didn't offer much in the way of specifics. The Astros will also be without Justin Verlander (shoulder) for a while, leaving J.P. France and Ronel Blanco to fill the final two spots in the rotation indefinitely.