MLB Player News

Sale (illness) threw a bullpen session Sunday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Sale, who is working his way back from a bout of pneumonia, has thrown side sessions, but this was his first bullpen of the spring. Interim manager Rob Roenicke is hopeful the left-hander can take the next step. He and pitching coach Dave Bush plan to meet with Sale on Monday to outline his program for the remainder of spring training.

Valdez allowed one walk while striking out three over two scoreless innings Sunday against Washington.

Valdez, who is competing for the final rotation spot, submitted an impressive piece of evidence during his first spring start. He needed just 14 pitches to dispatch seven major-league hitters in his two innings. Josh James and Austin Pruitt will also have an opportunity to capture the final rotation spot.

Mize allowed two earned runs on three hits and a walk in an inning of work during Sunday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates. He struck out two.

Mize, the top overall pick in the 2018 draft, struggled in his spring debut. The 22-year-old pitched well last year at High-A and Double-A, and while he'll likely head back to the minors after spring training wraps up, it should only be a matter of time until he's back in the majors.

Manning pitched two innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves. He allowed a hit and an unearned run.

Manning, who is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, received an invite to major-league camp after a dominant 2019 at Double-A. The 22-year-old will likely begin the season at Triple-A, but he could make his MLB debut at some point this year for a Tigers team that isn't expected to compete for a playoff spot and could turn to younger players down the stretch.

Cease threw two scoreless innings, striking out three and walking none in his spring debut Sunday against the Reds, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Cease made a strong first impression in game action after focusing on a mechanical tweak in the early portions of camp. He touched 99 mph with his fastball multiple times while also executing his curveball, slider and changeup throughout the outing. A high-pedigree prospect, Cease will look to improve on his 5.79 ERA through his first 14 starts in the big leagues.

Kikuchi was happy with his fastball after his first spring start, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Kikuchi worked on mechanical adjustments in the offseason and relayed that the changes have felt natural. He also believes he will be able to reach his peak velocity more consistently during the season. Kikuchi closed his first outing of the spring after 1.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out two batters.

Giolito (chest) said he felt "100 percent" after completing a bullpen session Saturday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander is off to a late start in spring training due to a strained chest muscle, but he was able to mix in his off-speed pitches with no issues Saturday. Giolito never expressed any concern about his potential availability for Opening Day, and live batting practice could be up next this week following the successful bullpen.

Walker was solid in his first live batting practice session of spring Friday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "I thought he looked pretty good," manager Scott Servais said. "Taijuan has changed a few things mechanically. He's cleaned up his arm stroke, so he's made some adjustments there."

This spring is a particularly relevant one for the 27-year-old right-hander, who is trying to come back from two injury-marred seasons. Walker did take a hard comebacker off his leg during the session, but he worked through it and threw his full allotment of pitches. Walker is considered to have a good opportunity at a back-end rotation spot as long as he's able to prove his fitness this spring.

Greinke reported to spring training Saturday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Greinke reported late to camp as expected, but he is reportedly healthy and worked out Saturday. The right-hander could require some time to work with the team before being ready to compete in spring games, but it's unlikely that the veteran would face limitations going forward.

Paxton (back) is expected to be able to play catch in about 10 days, Marly Rivera of ESPN reports.

Throwing in 10 days would put Paxton near the early end of the 3-to-5-week range he was given in mid-February. The veteran lefty is hoping to return from the injured list by the start of May after recovering from back surgery.