MLB Player News

Whitlock (elbow) could return after a minimum-length stay on the 15-day injured list, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Whitlock has been cleared to resume throwing as he makes a swift recovery from right elbow ulnar neuritis. He'll be eligible for activation May 9, and he looks as though he'll have a chance to return that day or shortly thereafter.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Rodon (back) will undergo more testing Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rodon no longer has any issues with his pitching arm, but his back is still bothering him and the Yankees are trying to get a better handle on it. Apparently the back issue is affecting the lefty's mechanics. Rodon remains on the 15-day injured list, but given his recent setback, he could be a candidate to shift to the 60-day IL, which would make him ineligible to make his 2023 debut until May 29.

Severino (lat) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Tampa on Thursday, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that he hoped to get Severino back in 2-3 weeks, so expect the right-hander to make two and possibly three rehab starts. He's been on the shelf all season with a strained right lat muscle.

Cole's next start will be moved up a day to Sunday against the Rays, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Nestor Cortes will be pushed back due to a recent bout with strep throat. It will be normal rest for Cole after he held the Guardians to two runs over six innings Tuesday.

Cortes is no longer scheduled to make start this weekend at Tampa Bay, with manager Aaron Boone noting that the southpaw's next turn has been pushed back to Monday against the Athletics after Cortes recently overcame a bout with strep throat, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Cortes is feeling fine now, but the illness interrupted his between-starts preparation, which prompted the Yankees to push him back in the pitching schedule. Gerrit Cole will be moved up from Monday to start Sunday on normal rest.

The Royals transferred Bubic (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Austin Cox, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Omaha. Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery in late April and isn't expected to be ready to return to game action for the Royals until at least the middle of the 2024 campaign.

DeGrom (elbow) is slated to begin playing catch during the Rangers' May 5-14 road trip, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

When exactly he'll play catch during the road trip isn't clear, but it's good news that it's coming soon. DeGrom landed on the injured list last weekend with right elbow inflammation and is eligible for activation in mid-May. Whether he'll be ready to go at that time remains to be seen.

Tampa Bay selected Anderson's contract from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Tampa Bay acquired Anderson from the Reds for cash considerations earlier Wednesday, and though the expectation was that the veteran right-hander would report to Triple-A Durham, he'll instead move to the big club after closer Pete Fairbanks (forearm) was placed on the injured list in a corresponding move. While Anderson is up with the Rays, he'll likely serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen.

Espino underwent a right shoulder anterior capsule repair surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles and is expected to remain out of game action for 12-to-14 months, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The surgery was performed by renowned shoulder and elbow specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache. It's another significant setback for Espino, a right-hander who has showcased some of the best stuff among pitching prospects in baseball when healthy, but he's been able to accumulate only 18.1 innings since the start of the 2022 season. Assuming the 12-to-14-month recovery timeline holds, Espino will be out of commission until the summer of 2024.

Kaprielian started Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Sacramento on Tuesday, allowing an earned run on four hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out four and didn't factor into the decision.

Kaprielian's location wasn't exactly at its sharpest -- he got just 43 of his 72 pitches into the strike zone -- but the outing seemingly served as a solid starting point overall to his attempted reset at the Triple-A level. Kaprielian's earned himself a trip down to the farm after opening the season by pitching to an array of concerning numbers that included a 12.94 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, 7.9 BB/9 and 2.8 HR/9 across six outings (three starts). The right-hander is likely due for an extended stint in Las Vegas that will allow him to build confidence and sharpen up his game before a return to the major-league club is considered.