MLB Player News

Whitlock (hip) did weight training and ran sprints Tuesday in Red Sox camp, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

Whitlock arrived early to camp in Fort Myers, Florida, and appears to be fully recovered from September surgery on his right hip. Assuming there are no setbacks along the way this spring, the 26-year-old right-hander should be locked into a spot at the back end of Boston's season-opening starting rotation. He registered a strong 3.45 ERA and 82:15 K:BB across 78.1 innings (nine starts, 22 relief appearances) for the Sox during the 2022 campaign.

Means (elbow) said Sunday's he's throwing from 140 feet and expects to throw off a half-mound at the start of spring training, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last April and isn't expected to be ready for big-league action until at least July, but it's still a good sign he's ramping up his throwing program. A more detailed return timeline should come into focus as Means increases his throwing intensity over the next couple months.

Means (elbow) won't rejoin the Orioles' rotation until at least July, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Means underwent Tommy John surgery in late April of last year, so it's not a surprise to hear the team isn't expecting to have him available at least until around the All-Star break. Fantasy managers would be wise to keep expectations low for the left-hander in 2023, with the hope that he can regain his form and workload in 2024.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told reporters Wednesday that Castillo won't pitch in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

"It's a choice that we made together," Dipoto told reporters. The Mariners want Castillo to have a full spring training in his first full season with the club, and Castillo agreed. The right-hander was excellent in his time with Seattle after being traded from the Reds shortly before last season's deadline, producing a 3.17 ERA, 77:17 K:BB and 1.10 WHIP over 65.1 innings across 11 starts. He'll open the year as the ace of Seattle's pitching staff, with the combination of last season's body of work and that of his previous campaigns suggesting he'll be a top-end fantasy asset again in 2023.

Greinke agreed Monday with the Royals on a one-year contract, Bob Fescoe of 610 Sports Kansas City reports.

The deal will pay him $8-to-10 million with the chance for more with performance incentives, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Greinke returns to the Royals after a 2022 season in which he went 4-9 with a 3.68 ERA and 73:27 K:BB over 137 innings in 26 starts. The 39-year-old right-hander will assuredly be a part of the Kansas City rotation, but his inability to miss bats at this stage of his career renders him little more than a risky streaming option for the 2023 campaign in the majority of fantasy formats.

Orioles GM Mike Elias said Sunday he expects Rodriguez to make the team's Opening Day starting rotation, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

The 23-year-old was poised to make his big-league debut last summer before a Grade 2 lat strain resulted in a three-month absence, though he returned from the injured list to make six appearances in September. Rodriguez made 14 starts for Triple-A Norfolk in 2022 and had a 2.20 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 97:21 K:BB across 69.2 innings, and he should crack Baltimore's Opening Day rotation with a decent showing during spring training. The young right-hander's reduced workload last year likely means he'll face some workload limitations in 2023.

Maeda (elbow) will have no restrictions during spring training, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Maeda missed all of the 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in September of 2021. The right-hander struggled to a 4.66 ERA in 21 appearances before the injury that season, but he has been an effective option in previous seasons. He's someone to monitor in the Grapefruit League, as a return to prior form could pay dividends for fantasy managers in 2023.

Kaprielian (shoulder) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, Athletics general manager David Forst told Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday.

The question on Kaprielian's status came in relation to the A's recent trade of Cole Irvin to the Orioles. That move was quite clearly a salary dump, but Oakland does have the depth to deliver a respectable Opening Day rotation if there are no setbacks on the health front. Kaprielian is said to be moving in the right direction in his recovery from offseason surgery to repair the AC joint in his throwing shoulder.

Irvin was traded from the A's to the Orioles on Thursday in exhange for minor leaguers Darell Hernaiz and Kyle Virbitsky, ESPN.com's Jeff Passan reports.

Irvin put together the best season of his career in 2022, working to an overall 3.98 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 30 starts covering 181 innings. He's never been a big strikeouts compiler, which stunts his fantasy appeal, but the 28-year-old lefty looks like a solid mid-to-upper rotation pickup for the O's as they aim to continue gaining ground in the AL East.

Springs signed a four-year, $31 million contract extension with the Rays on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The deal can max out at $65.75 million if Springs gets his club option picked up for 2027 and reaches all of the included performance-based incentives. The 30-year-old left-hander impressed his way into a full-time rotation spot in Tampa Bay last season, delivering a 2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 144 strikeouts (31 walks) across 135.1 innings. With his projectable workload on the rise, Springs should have late-round appeal in all standard fantasy drafts leading into the 2023 campaign.