MLB Player News

Whitley gave up five earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six in 4.2 innings Tuesday against Triple-A Las Vegas.

This was Whitley's first stumble of the year, as he gave up just one run while striking out 11 in eight innings over his first two appearances. He was done in by the long ball in his third start of the year, as he gave up two home runs at home for Sugar Land. Despite this hiccup, Whitley has put himself squarely back on the dynasty and redraft radar with a 0.95 WHIP and 17 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

Espino (shoulder) is on track to return from the 60-day injured list by June or July, Brad Bournival of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Espino is on the 60-day IL with a subscapularis strain and anterior capsule tear in his right shoulder. The Guardians seem to be holding him back as a precaution, as Double-A Akron manager Rouglas Odor noted that Espino was already throwing and playing catch when minor-league camp ended in late March. The right-hander has impressive raw stuff but has had trouble staying healthy during his professional career; he hasn't made a start since last April.

Lopez signed a four-year, $73.5 million contract extension with the Twins on Friday.

It was reported earlier this week that the extension was nearing the finish line and it's now been officially announced. Lopez had been set to enter free agency following the 2024 campaign, but he'll now remain in Minnesota through 2027. The right-hander boasts a 1.73 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 33:6 K:BB across 26 innings through his first four starts this season.

Boston will stick with a six-man rotation through the end of its upcoming road trip, meaning Houck will make at least one more start before manager Alex Cora settles on a decision about a five-man rotation, Molly Burkhardt of MLB.com reports. Houck is tentatively expected to start next Wednesday in Baltimore.

Brayan Bello's season debut this week gave the Red Sox six capable starters, each of whom has pitched in the previous six games, with James Paxton's return from a hamstring injury also looming. A tentative plan which would send Houck to the bullpen when everyone was healthy may have changed Thursday, when he threw a seven-inning gem against the Twins. Houck has been one of the team's most consistent starters, going at least five innings in three of four outings and never allowing more than three earned runs. Paxton's most recent rehab appearance came out of the bullpen, which suggests the club is leaning toward a long-relief role for him. That would leave Houck and Nick Pivetta, who starts Friday, battling for the No. 5 starter job.

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

Sandoval was in trouble from the get-go, allowing the first three batters he faced to reach base. The southpaw ended up being tagged for five runs in the opening frame, and the damage was partly due to poor control, as he issued three walks. To Sandoval's credit, he was able to give the Angels three more innings and didn't allow any additional runs despite not having his best stuff, but the first-inning damage proved too much to overcome. Altogether, he issued six free passes, tying a career-high mark and matching the total he had given up in his first three starts combined. This was also Sandoval's first outing this season allowing more than one earned run. As a result, his ERA jumped from 1.23 to 3.38.

Cortes (3-0) earned the win over the Angels on Thursday, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out seven.

Cortes cruised through four hitless innings before Brandon Drury opened the fifth with a leadoff single. Los Angeles put together two more hits and a pair of runs in that frame, but Cortes bounced back with a scoreless sixth before departing after issuing a walk to begin the seventh. The lefty hurler ended up being charged for one more run, but he still notched his second straight quality start and third win of the campaign. Cortes has punched out seven batters in consecutive contests and holds a 3.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 22:4 K:BB across 23.1 innings on the season.

Houck (3-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk over seven innings against Minnesota. He struck out seven.

He was sharp Thursday and allowed just three runs, with most of the damage coming on a two-run homer by Willi Castro during his final frame. Houck threw a season-high seven innings as the Red Sox cruised to an 11-5 win, improving his record to 3-0. He has a 4.29 ERA. 1.24 WHIP and 22:8 K:BB through his first four starts this season (21 innings) and has yet to surrender more than three runs in any outing. While Boston may still consider moving the 26-year-old right-hander to the bullpen when James Paxton (hamstring) returns, Houck has made a solid case to stay in the rotation.

Kent is on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Round Rock with a strained oblique, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 6-foot-3 righty struck out three in three scoreless innings during his first start of the year for the Express on April 4 but has not pitched since. Kent boasts an excellent fastball/slider combination, but he is still working on developing starter-caliber command and secondaries beyond his breaking ball. He has six career starts at Triple-A under his belt and is on the 40-man roster, so we could see Kent pitching in the majors in some capacity later this season.

Teodo is on the injured list at High-A Hickory with minor forearm tightness, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

With young, hard-throwing pitching prospects, there usually isn't such a thing as "minor" forearm tightness, but per Grant's report, Teodo is only expected to need several days off from throwing before ramping back up. He has some of the best stuff in the system, but Teodo may not have good enough command or control to start long-term. The 22-year-old can touch 101 mph with his four-seam fastball as a starter and also has a plus slider that can touch 94 mph.

The Twins don't want to rush Prielipp back as he gets symptomatic treatment for general elbow soreness, according to president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

We can't really downplay any elbow issue with a pitcher, especially one like Prielipp who recently returned from Tommy John surgery. However, as Falvey notes, Prielipp's fastball/slider combination was outstanding in camp prior to him getting shut down, so there is enough upside here to be patient in deeper dynasty leagues unless the diagnosis worsens.