MLB Player News

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Bello (shoulder) will make at least one more rehab start for Triple-A Worcester, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Bello made a third rehab start Friday, reaching 64 pitches and four innings. "He was OK. He was good," Cora said of Bello, who allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out five batters Friday. "Now, we'll see how he recovers today. There's definitely one more. Definitely." There are some weather issues forecasted for Worcester's upcoming road trip, which could impact when Bello next takes the mound, but Boston's injury-ravaged rotation could use him as soon as possible with Richard Fitts (pectoral) being the latest starter to hit the IL on Sunday. Bello is tentatively scheduled to pitch Wednesday, which would put him on a path to return to the Red Sox during a series against the Mariners at Fenway Park from April 22-24.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Sunday that Festa will start Wednesday against the Mets, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Festa was called up from Triple-A St. Paul to start Friday with Pablo Lopez (hamstring) on the injured list. He performed well, allowing one unearned run in 4.2 innings with four strikeouts in a no-decision against the Tigers. The Twins had said they planned to give two starters extra rest this week ahead of a long stretch of consecutive games, so Festa could be in line for just one more start in the majors before returning to Triple-A. However, with the Twins possibly shaking up the roster after a sluggish start to the season, it's possible the right-hander could remain in the majors with another strong outing.

The Red Sox placed Fitts on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right pectoral strain, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Fitts was removed from Saturday's 3-2 loss to the White Sox in the sixth inning when he experienced pain in his shoulder. The Red Sox haven't provided a timeline for his return, but given the nature of his injury, Fitts will likely need more than the minimum 15 days. Boston selected the contract of right-hander Michael Fulmer from Triple-A Worcester to provide some bullpen depth in the short term, but long reliever Josh Winckowski or Triple-A starters Cooper Criswell or Hunter Dobbins would appear to be the most likely candidates to fill Fitts' spot in the rotation.

Schmidt (shoulder) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Royals, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The Yankees will wait until Wednesday to officially reinstate Schmidt from the IL, but he's been given the green light to make his 2025 debut after turning in a pair of strong rehab starts at Double-A Somerset. In his most recent outing Thursday, Schmidt struck out four over four scoreless innings while allowing three hits and and no walks. He tossed 61 pitches in that start, and while Schmidt will likely have his workload monitored closely Wednesday, he should be capable of reaching five innings if he's efficient.

Hill has a 2.45 ERA and 13:2 K:BB in 7.1 innings through his first two starts for Single-A Fort Myers. He reached 97.2 mph with his sinker during the outing, Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com reports.

Hill, the 69th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, had an aggressive placement at Single-A out of high school to begin the season, and the initial results are encouraging. If the velocity gains he's showed hold up, the 19-year-old could move up prospect lists quickly.

Baz will no longer start Sunday's game against Atlanta as planned and will instead make his next turn through the rotation Monday versus the Red Sox in Tampa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays are in the midst of a busy period in their schedule, so the team has elected to temporarily add a sixth man to the rotation. Joe Boyle was recalled from Triple-A Durham and will take the hill Sunday, and he will either shift to the bullpen or head back to the minors after the game. Baz now lines up for two starts during the upcoming week, with his second turn potentially coming next Saturday at home versus the Yankees.

Rocker (0-2) took the loss against Seattle on Saturday, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out two batters over 3.1 innings.

Rocker began his outing with two scoreless frames, but he was torched for four runs in the third. The right-hander returned for the fourth inning but was pulled after giving up a one-out single. Rocker has struggled in two of his three outings so far this season, resulting in a poor 7.94 ERA and 1.94 WHIP overall. He hasn't been able to miss many bats, tallying just six strikeouts while issuing four walks through 11.1 frames.

Woo (2-0) earned the win over Texas on Saturday, allowing one run on six hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over seven innings.

Woo gave up a run in the first frame, but he put the clamps on the Rangers' offense thereafter and didn't allow another player to cross the plate. The right-hander impressed by racking up 15 whiffs and throwing 61 of an efficient 91 pitches for strikes. Woo has gone at least six innings in all three of his starts this season, and this was his second quality start of the campaign. He's been ace-like to begin 2025 with a 2.84 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB through 19 innings.

Warren (1-0) picked up the win Saturday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks over five innings in an 8-4 victory over the Giants. He struck out six.

The right-hander was handed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning but promptly gave it back in the top of the second, before settling in and letting the Yankees' offense carry him to his first career win in the majors. Warren tossed 54 of 91 pitches for strikes and racked up a dominant 35 called or swinging strikes in his best performance yet this season. While Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) is poised to come off the IL next week, a knee injury to Marcus Stroman and the struggles of Carlos Carrasco have given Warren some extra job security in the Yankees' rotation. He's scheduled to make his next trip to the mound on the road next week against the Rays.

Ortiz (1-2) earned the win against the Royals on Saturday, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with 10 strikeouts over 5.2 innings.

Ortiz was a solo homer away from a spotless outing, racking up 16 whiffs on 100 pitches to earn his first win of the season. The 26-year-old owns a 6.06 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB across 16.1 innings, though much of the damage to his ratios stems from a seven-run outing March 31. He's slated to face his former team, the Pirates, in Pittsburgh next weekend.