MLB Player News

Whitlock (hip) threw 63 pitches across four innings in a minor-league game Friday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Whitlock is set to open the year on the injured list after building up slowly this spring as he recovers from September hip surgery. He's making good progress, however, and is scheduled to start Triple-A Worcester's home opener March 30. Given that he's already up to four innings of work, he should be ready to handle a starter's workload once he's activated off the injured list.

Brito may be needed as the Yankees' fifth starter to open the season with Luis Severino dealing with a low-grade lat strain, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

The Yankees likely didn't enter the spring with Brito in their Opening Day plans, but with Severino, Carlos Rodon (forearm) and Frankie Montas (shoulder) all bound for the injured list, they'll need to turn to their eighth starter right away. The Yankees have yet to lock in Brito as their choice, but he was the only candidate explicitly mentioned by manager Aaron Boone. Brito produced a 2.96 ERA in 26 outings (23 starts) in the upper minors last season, though that came with a modest 20.0 percent strikeout rate. He's given up five runs (three earned) on 12 hits in 7.2 innings this spring, striking out seven while walking none.

Severino is dealing with a low-grade lat strain, likely sending him to the injured list to open the season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

The Yankees are hopeful that the injury won't become a long-term problem, but its timing means that Severino is very likely to miss at least a couple starts. Per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Severino isn't expected to throw for at least five-to-seven days, so it may take some time to know just how long he's likely to be out. The righty also dealt with a lat strain last season, which kept him out from mid-July through late September despite originally carrying the same "low-grade" descriptor. Jhony Brito could step into the rotation in his place, with Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German already earning jobs due to injuries to Carlos Rodon (forearm) and Frankie Montas (shoulder).

Bello (forearm) threw three innings for Double-A Portland on a back field Friday.

Bello increased his pitch count to 42 and will continue to ramp up in minor-league games before the Red Sox activate him. He's expected to join Boston's starting rotation in mid-to-late April.

Severino has been scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start Sunday, but the reason has not yet been disclosed, Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media reports.

Severino has struggled at times this spring, giving up 15 earned runs and six home runs across 15 innings. However, he's stated that he feels healthy and has struck out 23 batters -- including nine in four innings in his most recent outing -- so it's unclear if he's battling an injury. Severino has dealt with various arm issues over the past several seasons, so there's reason for New York to be cautious if he's feeling any sort of discomfort, but the team has not yet discussed the decision to pull him from what was scheduled to be his final appearance of the spring. As such, there's no indication yet as to whether Severino will need to miss any starts to begin the campaign.

Maeda gave up two runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in Friday's spring training win over the Yankees. He lowered his spring ERA to 4.91 and has a 14:10 K:BB in 14.2 innings.

Maeda improved from his previous spring outing where he gave up five runs and two home runs in four innings. Walks continue to be an issue for Maeda this spring, however. He is working his way back from August 2021 Tommy John surgery and pitching in his first games this spring. His high walk totals this spring could be a sign his command isn't sharp yet after undergoing surgery. It could also just be a byproduct of a veteran in spring training working on pitches without too much regard to the results. Monitor his performance early in the season, but he's set to begin the year in the Minnesota rotation.

Paxton (hamstring) will throw live batting practice Saturday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

This represents a significant step forward for Paxton, who, as Abraham notes, essentially had to start all over again with his throwing program after suffering a hamstring strain earlier this month. Paxton will not be ready for Opening Day and the lefty may end up needing a minor-league start or two to prepare for his return. Tanner Houck is expected to fill a rotation spot in the meantime.

Dunning allowed two hits and one walk in a scoreless relief inning in Friday's spring game against the Cubs.

Dunning made four starts during the Cactus League and recently threw six innings, but there's no room for him in the rotation. The right-hander recently told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com that he would like to be a starter but is open to relieving. His eventual role will be as a multi-inning reliever, which will come in handy early when some starters, like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, may be on restricted pitch counts after dealing with injuries this spring.

Heaney allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings in Friday's spring start against the Cubs.

This was Heaney's final Cactus League outing, and the left-hander admitted to not being at his best, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Heaney worked this spring to incorporate his changeup -- an offering he threw just 5.1 percent of the time in 2022. The goal is to have a third pitch to play off his fastball/slider mix. The 31-year-old finished the spring with a 6.75 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over 12 innings. Perhaps tinkering with the changeup played a role in those numbers. Heaney is expected to start the Rangers' fifth game of the season, facing the Orioles on April 4.

Flexen will not open the season in Seattle's starting rotation, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

The Mariners will have Luis Castillo on the mound for Opening Day, and he'll be followed in order by Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, Marco Gonzales and George Kirby. That means Flexen will be a multi-inning relief option to begin the season despite a strong 2.65 ERA in 17 innings so far in the Cactus League. If anything was to happen to the names above Flexen would be the obvious replacement.