MLB Player News

Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said Sunday that Hancock (arm) sustained a minor lat strain about three weeks ago and has been shut down from throwing since then, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Hancock was shut down to close out the 2021 campaign while focusing on arm care and strengthening his shoulder, and he's now dealing with a lat issue as spring training gets underway. Although the righty hasn't been throwing recently, he's been working out and conditioning with the other pitchers in the team's minor-league camp. Even if Hancock is forced to miss time to begin the minor-league season, it's unlikely that he'll face a lengthy absence.

Velasquez agreed to a contract with the White Sox on Sunday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The specific terms of the deal remain unclear, though James Fegan of The Athletic reports it's a major-league contract. Velasquez had the worst season of his big-league career between the Phillies and Padres in 2021, as he had a 6.30 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 101:49 K:BB over 94.1 innings. The veteran right-hander may have a tough time cracking the White Sox's starting rotation to open the season, and he's more likely to serve as a depth and bullpen option.

The Twins acquired Gray and minor-league pitcher Francisco Peguero from the Reds on Sunday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Chase Petty.

Gray had an up-and-down 2021 campaign with a 4.19 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 155:50 K:BB over 153.1 innings (26 starts), and the Reds opted to move on while acquiring Petty, who was the Twins' 2021 first-round pick. Gray also has a team option worth $12 million for 2023, which Minnesota is likely to pick up if he pitches well this year. Gray will headline a Twins rotation that otherwise features Joe Ryan, Dylan Bundy and Bailey Ober.

Verlander (elbow) threw 35 pitches across two simulated innings during live batting practice Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Verlander is ramping things up at the start of spring training as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery. The veteran right-hander has pitched in only one game over the past two seasons, but he was as effective as ever in 2019 with a 2.58 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 300:42 K:BB across 223 innings. Verlander should be ready for game action by Opening Day, but he could face some workload limitations given the shortened spring training and length of his absence.

Houck isn't a lock to be in the Opening Day rotation, but he is being stretched out this spring to help with innings early on, according to manager Alex Cora, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

This vague report is a good reminder that Boston already has five veteran starters on the roster, with Houck and Garrett Whitlock representing the team's young, high-upside alternatives. Houck's devastating fastball/slider combination should allow him to have success in any role, so he should retain value in deeper leagues regardless of whether he's a starter, swing man or reliever. However fantasy managers need to be aware that he may not operate as a traditional starter all season.

Whitlock is getting stretched out this spring, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Manager Alex Cora wouldn't say if Whitlock or Tanner Houck would be in the Opening Day rotation, explaining that they are being stretched out to help with innings early on. The Red Sox have five veteran starters on the roster, with Whitlock and Houck representing the exciting potential next wave. We already know Whitlock's stuff plays well in a high-leverage relief role, but he could be more valuable to Boston long term if he successfully transitions back to being a starter. The 25-year-old righty has a starter's pitch mix and came up as a starter with the Yankees before being poached by Boston in the Rule 5 draft last offseason.

Kikuchi signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Blue Jays on Saturday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Kikuchi declined his $13 million player option with the Mariners in early November, and he'll now land a multi-year deal with Toronto as spring training gets underway. The southpaw has made at least 29 starts in each of the last two full seasons, and he posted a 4.41 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 163:62 K:BB in 157 innings during the 2021 campaign. He'll have a spot at the back end of the Blue Jays' talented rotation to begin the year.

Perez agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Rangers on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Perez had his $6 million team option for 2022 declined by the Red Sox in November, and he'll now join the Rangers with the transaction freeze lifted. The 30-year-old appeared in 36 games (22 starts) for Boston last season and had a 4.74 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 97:36 K:BB over 114 innings. The veteran lefty could have a spot in Texas' starting rotation with a decent showing in spring training.

Glasnow's (elbow) agent, Joel Wolfe, said in late February that his client has began a throwing program, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Due to the MLB lockout, Glasnow is unable to train with the Rays or have his rehab monitored by team doctors, so updates from the pitchers and his agent regarding where he stands in his recovery from his Tommy John surgery may be all the news that fantasy players will have available until labor peace is reached. Even though Glasnow's Aug. 4 procedure to address a partially torn UCL was characterized as more of a hybrid surgery that could shorten his recovery timeline compared to typically Tommy John cases, he's still expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2022 season.

Faedo (elbow) began throwing bullpen sessions Jan. 11 and expects to be ready to pitch in games by the middle of March, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Faedo should ramp up the intensity of his bullpen sessions and graduate to facing hitters in live batting practice over the next week or so before completing his rehab program following December 2020 Tommy John surgery. The Tigers still view Faedo as a candidate to fill out a rotation spot at Double-A Erie or Triple-A Toledo in 2022, but he may not be fully stretched out to handle a starter's workload by the time the minor-league season begins in early April. Even so, Faedo shouldn't face significant restrictions for long, especially if he incurs no setbacks in the final stages of his rehab.