MLB Player News

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Scherzer (thumb) will not play catch Friday but hopes to at some point during the team's upcoming road trip, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Friday had been deemed the first day Scherzer could potentially resume throwing after he was given cortisone injections in his injured right thumb. This isn't viewed as a setback and the righty will continue to be evaluated on a day-to-day basis to determine when he's ready to begin a throwing program.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Friday that Crawford (knee) has not yet been cleared to face hitters, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Crawford's recovery from right patellar tendiopathy seems to be coming along as expected, but the Red Sox are proceeding cautiously with him. The right-hander is able to throw off a mound but it's not clear when he might be ready to face hitters and go out on a rehab assignment.

Cobb (hip) said Friday that he expects to throw a live batting practice session early next week, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Cobb has been throwing bullpen sessions, but this will be his first time facing hitters since he was diagnosed with right hip inflammation at the beginning of spring training. There is no timeline for the veteran right-hander's return, but it likely won't happen for at least another month or so.

Rojas is dealing with a midsection injury and didn't break camp with an affiliate, Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline reports.

It's not an arm injury for Rojas, which is encouraging, and he should be able to return before the end of April. The 22-year-old southpaw threw two hitless, scoreless innings against the Twins on March 15 in the Spring Breakout game and logged a 2.43 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 61:12 K:BB in 55.2 innings at High-A last year, so he might be ready to get his first assignment to Double-A once cleared.

Crouse appeared to suffer an injury and departed Thursday's game with Triple-A Salt Lake after throwing four pitches, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Crouse entered the contest in the eighth inning and worked a 1-2 count on the only batter he faced before being pulled. The right-hander went down to a knee while waiting for a trainer to examine him on the mound, then walked off the field in apparent frustration after it was determined that his outing was over. The organization hasn't yet provided an update on Crouse, so it's not clear what caused his early exit Thursday. He logged 25 outings with the Angels last season, posting a 2.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 34:17 K:BB over 25.1 innings, but he wasn't able to crack the Opening Day roster this year.

Carrasco (1-0) picked up the win after allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in 5.1 innings Thursday against the Diamondbacks. He struck out five.

After giving up three runs in two innings of mop-up duty during Saturday's 20-9 rout of Milwaukee, Carrasco was sharper Thursday while being staked to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Two Alek Thomas groundouts resulted in a pair of runs in the second and fourth innings, and Lourdes Gurriel doubled to plate another during Carrasco's two-run fourth frame. It's unclear how long the veteran right-hander will maintain a rotation spot, with Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) targeting a mid-April return, but Carrasco's next start is currently penciled in for early next week in Detroit.

Ryan (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Astros, allowing four runs on five hits across five innings. He struck out six.

Ryan started the day on a high note, striking out the side in the first inning. However, then gave up back-to-back home runs to Christian Walker and Jeremy Pena to start the second before Houston added two more runs in the fourth. The 28-year-old Ryan has allowed five earned runs on 10 hits while striking out 11 through his first 10 innings this season. He'll look to get in the win column in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week in Kansas City.

Brown (1-1) earned the win Thursday over the Twins, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out eight.

The Twins got to Brown early Thursday, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. However, the right-hander would settle in and follow up with five scoreless frames to turn in a second straight quality start. The 26-year-old Brown has allowed four earned runs while striking out 15 through his first 12 innings this year. Brown is currently lined up for a road matchup with the Mariners in his next outing.

Houck did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 8-4 win over Baltimore, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out six.

While Houck was staked to a 4-1 lead after two innings, the right-hander failed to qualify for a win after needing 82 pitches to make it through four frames. It's been a shaky start to the year for Houck, who's now given up seven runs across 9.2 innings in his first two outings. He'll look to get on track in his next start, currently lined up for next week at home against the Blue Jays.

Morton (0-2) took the loss Thursday against the Red Sox, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out ten.

Morton had the strikeout pitch working Thursday, recording double-digit punchouts for the first time since 2023. However, the veteran right-hander fell victim to the home-run ball early, giving up a pair of two-run homers to Alex Bregman and Kristian Campbell in each of the first two innings. Morton has now given up nine runs through his first two starts (8.1 innings) with Baltimore. He'll look to get in the win column in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week in Arizona.