MLB Player News

Kaprielian (shoulder) said he "likes the way things are coming along" after throwing a two-inning simulated game Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 29-year-old righty threw roughly 30 pitches and reportedly felt good afterwards. Coming off having surgery done on his throwing shoulder in November, Kaprielian says he's doing everything in his power to be ready to go for Oakland's Opening Day rotation.

Boyd allowed one run on two hits and a walk across two innings of work in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles. He struck out four.

Boyd was making his spring debut for his first action with the Tigers since 2021, when he made 15 starts and recorded a 3.89 ERA. The lefty missed part of that season and most of 2022 due to a flexor tendon surgery, so Detroit will likely be cautious with him this season. Boyd has some strikeout upside, though he's certainly not without risk for fantasy managers due to his injury history.

Houck could be in line to open the season in the Red Sox' rotation with Garrett Whitlock (hip) and Brayan Bello (forearm) behind schedule, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Houck had seemed ticketed for a relief role when camp opened, but it appears he'll be needed more in the rotation initially. It's possible the assignment is temporary, as neither Whitlock or Bello are expected to miss much time if they do end up on the injured list. Of course, Houck could change that conversation if he gets off to a good start. The right-hander has a 3.22 ERA in 20 career starts and a 2.68 ERA in 33 relief outings.

Bello's (forearm) status and timetable are expected to become clearer next week, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Ian Browne of MLB.com Thursday.

Bello had some right forearm soreness crop up in mid-February, though he resumed throwing off a mound last weekend and hasn't had any issues since then. Realistically, he's running short on time to get built up for Boston's rotation, but if he needs an injured list stint to begin the season it doesn't seem like it would be a long one. With Bello and Garrett Whitlock (hip) a little behind in camp, it could open up a rotation spot for Tanner Houck, at least initially.

Wells (shoulder) will make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday against the Braves, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The Orioles have been slow-playing Wells in camp after he ended last season with right shoulder inflammation. He's been feeling fine, though, and is ready to test things out in game action. The right-hander is competing for a spot in the Orioles' rotation, so he's surely eager to get going.

Whitlock (hip) will throw two innings of live batting practice Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Whitlock hasn't appeared in a Grapefruit League game yet, as the Red Sox are easing him into things as he works his way back from hip surgery. It remains possible the right-hander will need a stint on the injured list to start the season, but any potential absence isn't expected to be significant. Manager Alex Cora said Thursday that more will be known about Whitlock's status next week.

Kikuchi walked one and struck out two over two scoreless, no-hit innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The southpaw has gotten his spring off to a quick start as he looks to secure the fifth starter role for the Blue Jays, tossing four scoreless innings in two starts with seven strikeouts and only one free pass. Kikuchi has struggled during his four years in MLB after a strong career in Japan, but he still has quality stuff and Toronto believes he can follow in the footsteps of the likes of Robbie Ray as a successful reclamation project for pitching coach Pete Walker.

Kaprielian (shoulder) is set to throw a two-inning simulated game Thursday.

The recovering right-hander threw a successful live batting practice Sunday as he continues to work his way back from November shoulder surgery. The simulated game is another important step in a quest to make the season-opening starting rotation, one manager Mark Kotsay still feels Kaprielian can pull off if he doesn't experience any setbacks.

German hurled 2.1 innings against Washington in a Grapefruit League game Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out three batters.

After Clarke Schmidt began his spring with a dominant start Sunday, the pressure was on German -- who is competing with Schmidt for the Yankees' fifth-starter role -- to keep pace. German did just that Wednesday, as the only tally against him came in the third inning, when he allowed an infield single to begin the frame that the Nationals converted to a run after German departed the contest. The position battle between German and Schmidt is one to keep an eye on throughout March, and it's quite possible that whichever pitcher has the better spring will end up in the rotation to start the campaign while the other begins in the bullpen.

Cole is expected to start Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Cole has been tossing bullpen sessions but has yet to throw in a game this spring. He'll likely toe the mound against Detroit on Friday, though Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports that New York is "leaving the door open" for the veteran right-hander to toss a live BP session instead. Cole will enter the regular season as the team's ace after posting a 3.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 257:50 K:BB over 200.2 innings last season.