MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Gil will open the year as the team's fifth starter, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

A slot in the rotation became available when it was announced that Gerrit Cole (elbow) would miss extended time at the start of the campaign, and Gil was among a group of hurlers competing for the role in spring training. The right-hander posted an excellent 2.87 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB over 15.2 Grapefruit League innings and drew positive comments from rival scouts, so his spot in the Opening Day rotation is well-deserved. Gil has made seven big-league appearances (all starts) in his career, posting a 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 43:21 K:BB across 33.1 frames. He should get several turns in the rotation to try to establish himself since Cole is not expected to be able to return until late May or early June at the earliest.

The White Sox designated Toussaint for assignment Sunday.

Toussaint's removal from the 40-man roster opens up a spot for outfielder Kevin Pillar, who was re-signed Sunday to a one-year deal. Perhaps more significantly, the roster move also opens up a spot in the rotation for rookie Nick Nastrini, who now looks in position to replace Toussaint as the White Sox's No. 5 starter to begin the season. Toussaint made bats miss at a solid clip upon joining the White Sox last June as a waiver-wire pickup from the Guardians, but command remained a concern for the right-hander, which has been a familiar refrain throughout his career. It was especially true during spring training, as Toussaint had posted a 12.91 ERA, 2.74 WHIP and an ugly 2:11 K:BB across 7.2 frames during Cactus League play.

The Red Sox placed Giolito (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The transaction is merely a procedural move, as Giolito is already set to miss the entire 2024 season while he recovers from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow earlier this month. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Chase Anderson, who is projected to serve as a long man out of the bullpen after Chris Murphy also recently suffered an elbow injury that's expected to require season-ending surgery. Signed by Boston this past offseason, Giolito will pocket $18 million in 2024 before likely exercising his $19 million player option for 2025 this coming winter.

Bello allowed one run on five hits and three walks while striking out seven over 5.1 innings in Saturday's spring start against the Pirates.

Bello hit the 91-pitch mark and finished his spring with a pair of strong outings following a shaky start. His spring ERA was at 6.75 after three starts, but Bello allowed two runs while striking out 12 over his final 10.1 innings. Next up for the 24-year-old righty is an Opening Day start, which will take place Thursday on the road in Seattle.

Eovaldi allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three over four scoreless innings in Saturday's spring start against Kansas City.

Eovaldi wrapped up spring with Saturday's effort and now turns his focus to Thursday's Opening Day start at home against the Cubs. He recorded a 2.63 ERA with 13 strikeouts and six walks over 13.2 spring innings (four starts).

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last week that Cole (elbow) is a candidate for the 60-day injured list if the team needs to clear space on the 40-man roster, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

This news is far from surprising given that Cole isn't expected to be able to start throwing until at least mid-April and would presumably need considerable time to build back up even if he doesn't encounter any setbacks along the way. The right-hander was diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his right elbow in mid-March and was originally estimated to be sidelined for 1-to-2 months, though Cashman's comments suggest the ace hurler is unlikely to make it back near the early end of that timeframe. It's logical to expect New York to avoid rushing Cole back into action considering the investment it made in him when it signed the former Astro to a nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 campaign.

Manager Matt Quatraro informed Sauer he made the Royals' Opening Day roster, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports Saturday.

Sauer will be a member of the Royals' bullpen to begin the season. As a Rule 5 pick, Sauer has a fair amount of job security, though he's also earned the spot with a 2.53 ERA over 10.2 innings across eight Cactus League appearances. Sauer has experience as a starter in the minors while in the Yankees organization, so he should be able to provide a multi-inning option out of the bullpen with the Royals.

Anderson signed a major-league contract with the Red Sox on Saturday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Anderson was let go by the Pirates earlier Saturday, and it didn't take long for the 36-year-old righty to latch on with another organization. The Red Sox will be without Liam Hendriks (elbow) and Chris Murphy (elbow), and Cotillo notes that adding Anderson brings experience as a multi-inning reliever to go alongside Josh Winckowski.

Gil tossed four innings in a Grapefruit League game against the Mets on Friday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

Gil served up a two-run homer to Mark Vientos in the second inning but was otherwise strong over his four frames. The right-hander has been mentioned as a candidate to step into the Yankees' Opening Day rotation in the wake of Gerrit Cole's extended absence due to an elbow injury, and Gil has made a compelling case for himself with a 2.87 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB over 15.2 spring innings. Per Erik Boland of Newsday, rival scouts have raved about Gil looking "electric" over the past few weeks, and he's "very much in the mix" to break camp with the big club. However, Will Warren and Clayton Beeter -- who are also in contention for the vacated rotation spot -- have also looked good this spring, and veteran Luke Weaver is also a candidate for the role, so Gil could still feasibly begin the campaign in the minors.

Castillo allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings in a Cactus League spilt-squad tie with the Brewers on Friday. He struck out nine.

Castillo was tagged for an RBI double by Jake Bauers and a run-scoring single by Joey Wiemer in the fourth inning, but he was otherwise busy overpowering most of the other hitters put in front of him. The right-hander put together a successful spring that saw him post a 2-1 record, 2.95 ERA and 22:6 K:BB across 18.1 innings, and he'll be on the hill for Seattle in an Opening Day matchup against the Red Sox on Thursday.