MLB Player News

Gausman (shoulder) threw a bullpen session at Tropicana Field on Friday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Gausman is slated to make his season debut either Sunday against the Rays or Monday versus the Astros, with Blue Jays manager John Schneider saying a decision would likely be announced Saturday. The fact that he's throwing a bullpen session Friday would seem to point to Gausman taking the ball Sunday, however.

Muller fired 2.2 scoreless relief innings in a loss to the Guardians on Thursday, allowing a hit while recording two strikeouts. He also hit a batter.

Muller came on in relief of starter Alex Wood and threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes. The strong outing is a welcome sight for Muller following a rough 2023 in which he produced a 1-5 record, 7.60 ERA and 1.96 WHIP across 21 appearances (13 starts) for the Athletics, and an uneven Cactus League performance that included a 1.85 WHIP and .328 BAA over 13 innings.

The Guardians selected Carrasco's contract from Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

Carrasco's addition to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster was merely a formality after he was informed earlier in the week that he would be included in the Guardians' Opening Day rotation. The 37-year-old right-hander is lined up to make his first start Sunday in Oakland.

The Guardians placed Williams on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right elbow inflammation.

Williams suffered the injury just under three weeks ago, when he experienced discomfort in his elbow after taking part in a weighted-ball workout. Though Williams has since resumed throwing, his brief shutdown period after suffering the injury was enough to derail his bid for the Opening Day roster. Williams still looks on track to return at some point in April, as he joined the Guardians for their season-opening road trip and will soon head back to the team's spring facility in Arizona to start throwing bullpen sessions before heading out on a rehab assignment, per MLB.com.

The Guardians placed Lively on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a viral illness.

Lively and Xzavion Curry are opening the season on the shelf due to a respiratory virus that made its way around the Cleveland clubhouse during spring training, according to MLB.com. Lively shouldn't need much longer than the minimum 15 days to regain his conditioning and get ramped back up, and he'll likely be ticketed for a long-relief role once available. He could become a rotation option down the road if Carlos Carrasco or Logan Allen struggle.

The Mariners placed Woo (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Woo was on track to be included in the Mariners' Opening Day rotation until he was unable to get loose during a bullpen session earlier this week. According to MLB.com, Woo underwent an MRI that revealed "mild inflammation" and no structural damage. Though he seems to have avoided a major setback, Woo will still be shut down from throwing until early next week and will require some time to build back up. Emerson Hancock was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and will fill a back-end spot in the Seattle rotation until Woo is ready to come off the IL.

Castillo (0-1) took the loss against Boston on Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters over five innings.

Castillo struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 first inning, but he didn't record any clean frames thereafter. The right-hander was stung by Rafael Devers' two-run homer in the third and followed by giving up a run in each of the next two frames. On a positive note, Castillo worked up to 91 pitches in his season debut and averaged 95.8 mph on his fastball, so he seems to be in good form despite the rough outing. He'll look to bounce back next week, as he is projected to make his next start at home against Cleveland.

Kopech allowed one hit and one walk while also hitting a batter and striking out one across a scoreless inning in Thursday's loss to the Tigers.

Kopech entered the game in the eighth inning with the White Sox down by a run. He loaded the bases with two outs, but he managed to get Matt Vierling to strike out swinging to end the threat. While it was a high-leverage situation, Kopech's usage in the loss suggests that he may not be the top candidate for saves in a murky Chicago bullpen.

Bello (1-0) earned the win against Seattle on Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out two batters over five innings.

Bello wasn't overpowering in the outing, notching just eight swinging strikes and two punchouts, but he got key outs when needed and kept the Mariners off the board in four of his five frames. The 24-year-old earned his first Opening Day start after posting a 12-11 record in his second MLB campaign last year, though his 7.6 K/9 and 4.24 ERA aren't typical of an ace. As Bello showed Thursday, he has the skill set to get big-league hitters out and limit damage when runners reach base, but fantasy managers are unlikely to see him as more than rotation filler as long as his punchout numbers remain low.

Lopez (1-0) tossed seven innings, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts to earn the victory in Minnesota's 4-1 win at Kansas City on Thursday.

It took Lopez just 84 pitches to complete seven frames as he walked none in a dominant effort. His lone blemish in the box score was a leadoff home run by Royals' third baseman Maikel Garcia, but otherwise Lopez was in control, throwing first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 24 batters he faced. Lopez earned his first all-star appearance last year and finished with 11 wins and a 3.66 ERA and 234 strikeouts over 194 innings.