MLB Player News

Kopech (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday.

The transaction has no impact on Kopech's return timeline, as he's not expected to return at any point this season while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The move allows the White Sox to add Josh Osich to the roster after he was claimed off waivers from Baltimore.

Odorizzi gave up five runs on two home runs while retiring just two batters in Sunday's spring training loss to Toronto. Odorizzi said he was focusing on using his curveball and wasn't bothered by the results, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "I didn't throw many fastballs, but that was by design. I'm not going to go to my good stuff when I want to work on the other stuff that's not as good," he said.

This is an example of when spring training results may not indicate much with a veteran who is assured of a spot in the rotation. Odorizzi looks fully healthy and set to begin the season in the rotation. The Twins may use an opener for Odorizzi's starts, given that he struggles mightily the third time he faces a lineup, but this could actually lead to him qualifying for more wins in 2019.

Luzardo allowed an earned run on four hits and a walk over four innings in a Cactus League split-squad win over the Giants on Sunday. He struck out five.

Luzardo continues to press his rather unlikely candidacy for the Athletics' final rotation spot to open the season. Sunday's outing served as the latest example he may be ready for the rigors of the majors based on ability alone. Jane Lee of MLB.com reports that Luzardo impressively worked around trouble in the first after allowing the first two hitters to reach safely via a walk and a single, escaping the frame with just one earned run allowed. The southpaw then retired the next six hitters and didn't allow another run, finishing the start with 62 pitches. Luzardo has now racked up 15 strikeouts over 9.2 spring innings, and he'll remain in Arizona when the team travels to Japan later this week in order to remain on his regular throwing schedule ahead of a Bay Bridge series start in late March.

Snell had his contract renewed by the Rays on Sunday and will make $573,700 in 2019, a raise of $15,500 from last season, Ralph Long of MLB.com reports.

The numbers are a relative pittance for a pitcher coming off an AL Cy Young Award-winning season during which he racked up 21 victories and a 1.89 ERA. However, such is life for a non-arbitration-eligible player, so Snell will forge ahead with a modest raise for his 2018 efforts. The young southpaw will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next offseason, so he'll have no shortage of incentive to put together a successful encore campaign as the ace of the Rays staff.

Sale will take the mound Monday for a simulated game, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Sale will throw three innings of 15 pitches apiece as he's eased into game action, and his spring debut won't happen until this coming weekend. The Red Sox have held most of their rotation back until this week. Rick Porcello made his debut Sunday with David Price (Tuesday) and Nathan Eovaldi (Wednesday) beginning their Grapefruit League seasons later in the week.

Smyly allowed one run on three hits while striking out four over 2.1 innings Sunday against the Giants.

Smyly, who is attempting to return from Tommy John elbow surgery, ran his pitch count up to 50 and has three more starts to get it up to 90 pitches heading into the regular season. In three spring starts, Smyly has allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out seven over 5.1 innings.

Miley allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three over 3.2 innings Sunday against the Nationals.

The Astros are pleased with Miley's performance through three spring outings. He's allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five over 8.1 innings.

Giolito allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings Sunday against the Athletics.

Giolito was tested after giving up home runs in each of the first two innings, but he didn't unravel like he did last season. He got through the last 2.2 innings without incident. "I'm not stressing anymore with runners on base," Giolito told Madeline Kenney of the Chicago Sun-Times. "If I walk a guy -- I walked three today -- it's not eating at me like it would last year where I'm now thinking about something that happened in the past verses the next pitch. My focus is much more onto every single pitch, one at a time verses this inning is getting out of hand, things are getting out of hand." It's looking like Giolito will get plenty of opportunities to maintain his composure with runners on base. The right-hander's allowed 17 baserunners over 9.1 spring innings.

Blackburn was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Blackburn threw the ball well early in camp, but he's been sent to Triple-A where he'll open the 2019 campaign. He's surfaced in the major leagues with the Athletics in each of the last two seasons yet struggled to a 7.16 ERA with 19 punchouts over 27.2 innings last year.

Lively was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Lively was claimed off waivers by the Royals in September and was solid in spring training with two runs allowed on five hits over six innings. The 27-year-old had a 5.64 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 27:15 K:BB over 30.1 major-league innings last year.