MLB Player News

Clevinger is being investigated by MLB due to allegations of domestic violence and child abuse, Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic report.

The allegations include physical, verbal and emotional abuse toward the mother of Clevinger's 10-month-old daughter. The White Sox were reportedly unaware of the allegations when they signed Clevinger to a one-year, $12 million deal in November. Details regarding a potential suspension for the righty have not yet been announced.

Houck (back) is throwing off the mound, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Houck is working his way back from a lumbar discectomy that sidelined the right-hander at the end of last season. He's been the subject of trade rumors, but for now is being prepped to compete for a spot in the Red Sox rotation.

Whitlock (hip) has begun throwing off the mound, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Whitlock is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right hip. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters that his recovery is on schedule, and the right-hander is expected to open the season as a member of the Boston rotation.

Sale (wrist) has begun throwing off the mound, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Sale broke his wrist in a bicycling accident in August, and he was limited to just two appearances in the 2022 season. The left-hander has dealt with injuries over the few years, but if healthy, still offers the potential to miss bats when on the mound.

Ober could begin the season at Triple-A St. Paul following the Twins' addition of Pablo Lopez, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

It's also possible the Twins could opt for a six-man rotation, something which might appeal to them as Kenta Maeda (elbow) works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Ober hasn't been a bastion of health himself but has pitched well when on the mound, including last season when he held a 3.21 ERA over 11 starts for Minnesota.

Lopez was traded from the Marlins to the Twins on Friday in exchange for infielder Luis Arraez, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to Lopez, prospects Jose Salas and Byron Chourio are also heading to Minnesota in the deal, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Lopez made 32 starts for the Marlins last season and had a 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 174:53 K:BB across 180 innings. The right-hander is under team control through the 2024 campaign and should slot in near the top of the Twins' starting rotation.

Paddack (elbow) signed a three-year extension with the Twins on Wednesday.

Paddack made five starts with the Twins last season and forged a 4.03 ERA before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in May. The right-handed hurler is expected to miss the majority -- if not all -- of the 2023 season while recovering from the operation, but he should have a good chance of carving out a role in Minnesota's rotation beginning in 2024.

Schmidt is a candidate to spend the first month of the season as the Yankees' fifth starter, with Frankie Montas out until at least May due to shoulder inflammation, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

The Yankees have yet to announce their plans and could still bring in another arm from outside the organization, but unless that happens, the competition would appear to be between Schmidt and Domingo German. Schmidt outpitched German in terms of ERA (3.12 vs. 3.61) and FIP (3.59 vs. 4.43) last season, though all but three of the former's appearances came as a reliever. German, by contrast, started 14 games while appearing just once in relief.

German and the Yankees agreed to a one-year contract Friday, avoiding arbitration.

The deal has little bearing on German's fantasy value, as he would have remained a Yankee even if an arbiter were needed. His fantasy appeal did get a bump Saturday, however, with the news that Frankie Montas is expected to miss at least a month with shoulder inflammation. German appears to have the inside track to open the season as the Yankees' fifth starter, with Clarke Schmidt his primary competition.

Cortes signed a one-year deal with the Yankees on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Cortes had an excellent 2022 campaign, his first as a full-time starter, finishing the year with a 2.44 ERA. A .232 BABIP indicates that he benefited from a fair amount of good fortune, but even if he slips back to his 3.12 FIP or 3.48 SIERA, he'll be a very valuable pitcher next season. His 26.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.2 percent walk rate were both solidly better than average, giving reason to have faith in him in 2023 despite his short track record.