MLB Player News

Stripling agreed to a minor-league contract with the Royals on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Stripling has been a successful swingman at times throughout his career but had to settle for a minor-league deal after posting a 6.01 ERA across 85.1 innings with the Athletics last season. While the veteran right-hander will compete for a place on the Opening Day roster, he should be considered more likely to begin the campaign at Triple-A Omaha.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Hampton is dealing with a right flexor strain and "something going on with his UCL," Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Hampton is back in New York to be examined, and elbow surgery appears to be a distinct possibility. The 23-year-old was limited to just seven starts in 2024 due to elbow, shoulder and groin injuries. Hampton is one of the Yankees' better pitching prospects, and he likely would have began the season at Double-A Somerset if he hadn't suffered the elbow injury.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Stroman will start Friday's Grapefruit League opener versus the Rays, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Just under a week after he made a delayed arrival to spring training and told reporters that he had no intention of pitching out of the bullpen in 2025, Stroman will end up getting the starting nod for the Yankees' exhibition opener. Stroman looks like he'll remain on a starter's throwing schedule throughout the spring, but unless he's traded, he likely won't have a path to a rotation spot unless at least one of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt isn't available to begin the season. Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Boone said Wednesday that Schmidt is dealing with a "cranky back," but the injury doesn't yet appear to be anything that will jeopardize Schmidt's availability for Opening Day.

Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Schmidt is dealing with a "cranky" back, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The skipper is not concerned, noting that Schmidt threw an "aggressive" flat-ground session Wednesday and is expected to throw off the mound Friday. It remains to be seen when Schmidt might be ready to play in a Grapefruit League contest, but at this juncture it does not appear to be an injury fantasy managers should be worried about.

Faedo (shoulder) tossed a live batting practice session Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

As a member of the Tigers last season, Faedo didn't pitch after Aug. 20 due to a strained right shoulder, but his ability to throw a live BP session in the early stages of spring training confirms that he's healthy. The 29-year-old right-hander will be competing for a spot in the Tampa Bay bullpen after turning in a 3.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 55:28 K:BB in 57.1 innings over his 37 appearances for the Tigers in 2024. Faedo doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so the Rays would have to expose him to waivers if he isn't kept on the Opening Day roster or placed on the injured list to begin the season.

Maeda was throwing 92 mph during a live batting practice session Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

It's up from the 90.8 mph he averaged with his four-seamer last season and significantly more velocity than he was showing during spring training last year. With Alex Cobb (hip) slated to begin the season on the injured list, Maeda has a chance to make the Tigers' rotation out of spring training. That said, after collecting a 6.09 ERA over 17 starts and 12 relief appearances last season, Maeda has a lot to prove this spring. He will start Detroit's Grapefruit League opener Saturday.

Thorpe (elbow) sat at 84-to-85 miles per hour with his fastball during a 20-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The reduced velocity was by design as he gradually ramps up while working his way back from September surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. Thorpe will throw bullpen sessions for three weeks before progressing to live batting practice. Given that timeline, Thorpe appears unlikely to be ready in time for Opening Day, though the White Sox have not revealed a concrete timetable for the young right-hander.

Schultz will make his Cactus League debut Feb. 26 against the Padres, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The White Sox were very careful with Schultz's workload in 2024, but he's been throwing live bullpen sessions earlier this season and will be challenged with taking on a bigger workload in 2025. Last year, Schultz never pitched beyond four innings, all the way through the Southern League postseason. However, this year those restraints are being taken off and he's moving into a true five-man rotation. With that in mind, Schultz focused on strength and conditioning this past offseason. He didn't add to his repertoire, instead focusing on throwing his cutter and four-seam fastball more to keep hitters guessing -- Schultz's slider is his best pitch. There's a chance Schultz creates a significant buzz this spring, which could set the stage for a big-league debut this summer.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Gausman looks "sturdier" in spring training after the right-hander deliberately put on added weight over the offseason, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. "I've never really pitched an entire season at over 200 pounds, but I think that might be a possibility for me this year," Gausman said. "We'll see what happens. I usually always lose a good amount of weight during the season, so that's why I try to gain as much as I can, knowing I'll lose some of it."

Gausman is listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds on the Blue Jays' official roster, and he's hopeful that by bulking up during the offseason through both his diet and strength training, he'll be able to maintain that weight over the course of the long season. The 34-year-old righty is also optimistic that a sturdier build will boost his odds of staying healthy and having something closer to a normal spring training in 2025. While he didn't go on the injured list at any point in 2024, a bout with shoulder fatigue early in camp slowed his ramp-up process and may have played a part in the steep drop in both his ERA (3.83) and strikeout rate (21.4 percent) compared to his first two seasons in Toronto (3.25 ERA, 29.7 K%).

Manoah (elbow) said Monday that he's scheduled to begin throwing off a mound in a couple weeks, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Manoah underwent a hybrid internal brace procedure last June to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow. The right-hander is hopeful to face hitters by June, begin a rehab assignment in July and be available as an option for the Blue Jays in August. In order to meet his goals, Manoah will have to avoid any bumps in the road in his recovery, which isn't always a guarantee coming back from UCL surgery.