MLB Player News

Manager Brad Ausmus said Heaney's (elbow) bullpen session Monday went well, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Heaney, who was scratched from his previous start due to left elbow inflammation, is on track to rejoin the rotation Friday against the White Sox after getting through Monday's 30-pitch bullpen with no issues. The Angels will likely still wait and see how the southpaw feels in the coming days before confirming his return, but he's certainly trending in the right direction. Assuming Heaney is cleared to take the mound Friday, he should still have plenty of time to get up to speed before Opening Day.

Manager Aaron Boone said German is a candidate to fill in for the injured Luis Severino (shoulder), Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

With Severino expected to miss the start of the season due to shoulder inflammation, German and Jonathan Loaisiga are the leading candidates to temporarily take his spot in the rotation. The right-hander started 14 games for New York in 2018, compiling a 6.19 ERA and 79:26 K:BB across 68.1 innings. He fared much better in a relief role last season (3.12 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 17.1 innings) and could return to the bullpen if he doesn't secure the team's vacant rotation spot in camp.

Severino will be shut down for two weeks with rotator cuff inflammation, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The diagnosis means Severino will almost certainly miss Opening Day. In the best-case scenario, he'll be back on a mound about a week before the first game of the season, but it will likely take longer than that for him to get up to speed. Barring setbacks, he'll have a chance to only miss a turn or two in the rotation, as manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Severino's MRI "looked pretty good" other than the inflammation.

Heaney (elbow) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Heaney has been dealing with elbow inflammation since his spring start against the A's on Feb. 26. After throwing from flat ground for three consecutive days with no issues, the left-hander was able to resume mound work Tuesday. If Heaney checks out OK in the coming days, he could be cleared to rejoin the rotation as soon as Friday against the White Sox.

Sale is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game March 11, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The outing is expected to mark the final step for Sale before the Red Sox incorporate him into their Grapefruit League pitching schedule, likely later that same week. Sale notably experienced a decline in velocity after returning from a shoulder injury in time for the Red Sox's run to the World Series last season, so the radar readings for the southpaw could bear watching this spring.

German could be needed in the Yankees' rotation if Luis Severino's shoulder injury turns out to be a significant one.

German was expected to be competing for a bullpen job, but he started 14 games for the Yankees last season and could be called on again. Of the Yankees' in-house options, Jonathan Loaisiga and Luis Cessa appear to be German's primary competition, though Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez remain options on the free agent market.

Heaney (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Heaney skipped his previous start due to elbow inflammation, but the issue is apparently a minor one. He threw from flat ground Monday and will throw again just one day later. If all goes well during the bullpen session, he should be ready to rejoin the Angels' pitching schedule in Friday's Cactus League matchup with the White Sox.

Severino was scratched from his start Tuesday against the Braves due to shoulder discomfort.

Severino will undergo an MRI later Tuesday to determine the extent of the issue. A minor setback wouldn't seriously threaten his start to the season, but if he's shut down from throwing for any significant period of time, a trip to the injured list would be likely, with just over three weeks remaining before Opening Day.

Severino was scratched from his scheduled spring start Tuesday against the Braves for undisclosed reasons, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Stephen Tarpley will start in his place. No specific reason for the scratch was announced.

The Tigers assigned Mize to their minor-league camp Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Mize, the top overall pick in the 2018 first-year player draft, made two appearances in Grapefruit League play, giving up one run and striking out a pair of hitters over two innings. He'll likely open the 2019 campaign at Double-A Erie or High-A Lakeland.