MLB Player News

Carrasco (hip) has been cleared to start Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Angels, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The right hip flexor injury Carrasco picked up during a Feb. 20 workout proved to be only a short-term concern, as the right-hander was cleared to face hitters in a live batting practice session just over a week later. With Carrasco coming out of that workout no worse for the wear, he'll now take the hill for his first start of the spring. Carrasco should have enough time to build up his arm for a starter's workload when his first turn through the Tribe's regular-season rotation comes up in late March.

Verlander (groin) has been confirmed as the Astros' starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Cardinals, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager Dusty Baker suggested a few days earlier that Verlander was on track to make his spring debut Tuesday, and the veteran right-hander's inclusion on the Astros' lineup card now makes it official. While contending with the minor groin concern, Verlander was still able to throw approximately 30 pitches in a live batting practice session last week, so he's right where he needs to be at this stage of the spring as he prepares for a likely Opening Day starting assignment.

Snell (elbow) said he's on track to throw a bullpen session Friday, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

The cortisone shot Snell received last week for his left elbow appears to have had the desired effect, as the 27-year-old was able to play catch from 60 feet Tuesday without discomfort. He plans to increase his flat-ground distance to 90 feet Wednesday before getting back on the mound Friday. Assuming he gets through the bullpen session without incident, Snell could be cleared to face live hitters early next week.

Sale (illness) felt sore following a live batting practice session Sunday and was sent for an MRI on his elbow, the results of which will be read by Dr. James Andrews, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports

The lefty just can't catch a break. Already ruled out for the start of the season after missing time this spring due to a bout of pneumonia, he's now been linked to one of the most dreaded names in baseball. Dr. Andrews' name brings with it fears of Tommy John surgery, a procedure which was deemed unnecessary when Sale dealt with elbow trouble late last season. Whether or not that's on the table this time around remains to be seen.

Gibson allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one over two scoreless innings in Monday's spring game against Cleveland.

Gibson, who made his spring debut Monday, is slightly behind schedule in building up innings as he manages an ulcerative colitis diagnosis that impacted his 2019 season. "I felt pretty good in all the live BPs that I threw in the bullpen," Gibson told Sam Blum of the Dallas Morning News. "So I wasn't feeling like I needed to work on one thing. I think next time I'll work on a little more consistency with my curveball and my changeup a little bit." The right-hander is lining up to be the No. 4 starter in Texas' rotation.

Keuchel allowed one run on six hits while striking out one over four innings in a spring game against the Padres on Monday.

Keuchel looked in midseason form during his spring debut, inducing nine groundball outs with a lot of soft contact. The left-hander worked his pitch count to 50 (34 strikes) and was pleased with where he's at. ''I've been saying all spring that I felt ahead of schedule physically and mentally where I'm at,'' Keuchel, who missed spring training as a free agent a year ago, told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. ''That's just a huge sign for me.'' The groundball pitcher also suggested the White Sox might deploy defensive alignments behind him, which could allow fewer balls to get through the infield.

Teheran tossed two perfect innings against the Cubs on Monday, striking out two. According to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, the hurler touched 93 mph with his fastball during the outing.

Teheran mostly sat in the 91-92 mph range with his four-seamer Monday, representing a marked increase over his 89.7 mph average on the pitch last season. Still, Bollinger notes that the right-hander reportedly experienced a bump in his velocity last spring as well, so it remains to be seen whether Teheran can carry over the improvement into the regular season.

Anderson has given up five runs with a 1:4 K:BB through 2.2 innings over his first two spring starts.

Picked up from the Brewers in the offseason to bolster the team's pitching depth, Anderson is being counted on to break camp in the middle of the Jays' rotation and at least give the club consistent, serviceable innings. Rough performances early in the spring are often long forgotten by Opening Day, but if Anderson continues to struggle over the next couple of weeks, it could put Toronto in a tough position with regard to its rotation plans.

Teheran (hamstring) will make his first Cactus League start Monday against the Cubs.

Teheran's spring debut was pushed back a week after he experienced left hamstring tightness, but the right-hander erased any concerns about his health after completing a bullpen session over the weekend. Though he's slightly behind the Angels' other starting candidates at this stage of the spring, Teheran should be ready to go for Opening Day if he can build up to around five innings before the Angels head back to California in three weeks.

Snell (elbow) was "feeling good" Monday and is still on track to play catch Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Snell received a cortisone shot in his elbow Friday after feeling some discomfort after his start Wednesday, but he appears to be on track in his recovery. The southpaw is expected to play catch Tuesday and throw a bullpen session Friday, so he'll have several chances to test the elbow over the next few days. A clearer picture for his return could become more apparent after he resumes throwing.