MLB Player News

White Sox manager Will Venable said that Thorpe (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Thorpe has experienced a couple of setbacks in his recovery from September surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow, resulting in him entering spring training behind the White Sox's other healthy pitchers. The right-hander still appears on pace to be ready for the start of the season, however, though he's probably at least a couple weeks away from pitching in Cactus League games. Assuming Tuesday's side session goes well, Thorpe will likely continue to throw at least a couple more bullpen sessions after that before advancing to facing hitters in live batting practice.

With Alex Cobb (hip) likely out for about a month, Maeda could be at least a temporary option to slide into the starting rotation, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Cobb's injury figures to prevent him from being able to ramp up properly for Opening Day, so the Tigers will have to fill his rotation spot for at least a turn or two. Detroit has Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson and Jack Flaherty locked in as starters, and the team could turn to the likes of Maeda, Jackson Jobe and Casey Mize to round things out. Maeda is a veteran option with plenty of MLB starts under his belt, so he could probably make the transition fairly quickly after pitching in relief to wrap up last season. The righty struggled in 2024, posting a career-worst 6.09 ERA, which ultimately prompted the move out of the rotation. If Maeda starts early in 2025, fantasy managers may want to take a wait-and-see approach given his rough performance a year ago.

The White Sox placed Bush (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Owen White, who has been claimed off waivers. Bush underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will miss the entire 2025 season.

The Athletics placed Medina (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday.

Medina was moved to the 60-day injured list to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Luis Urias, who signed a one-year deal with the club. The transaction won't have any affect on Medina's timeline for a return, as the right-hander is likely to miss most or all of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last August.

Castillo (hamstring) tossed a bullpen session Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Castillo finished last season on the injured list after sustaining a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during his final start Sept. 8, but he appears to be facing no restrictions in the early stages of spring training. The Mariners will once again be looking to Castillo to serve as a workhorse at the top of the rotation after he made at least 30 starts in both of his first two full seasons in Seattle. Before he was shut down with the hamstring injury, Castillo went 11-12 and turned in a 3.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 175:47 K:BB across 175.1 innings.

Macko has a meniscus tear in his left knee that will likely require surgery, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Macko injured the knee during a bullpen session this past weekend. He will be examined further Wednesday, at which point a decision on surgery will be made. The 24-year-old is on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster but has yet to appear in the majors. He spent most of the 2024 season at Double-A New Hampshire, where he posted a 4.87 ERA and 90:30 K:BB across 81.1 frames.

Means (elbow) agreed Monday with the Guardians on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $7.5 million club option for 2026, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

The two sides reportedly had made progress on a deal over the weekend and now they've crossed the finish line. Means underwent his second Tommy John surgery last June and could miss the entire 2025 season, so the Guardians are essentially making a roll of the dice on him for 2026. The left-hander has made just 10 starts at the major-league level since 2022 due to injuries but held a 3.62 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 134:26 K:BB over 146.2 frames covering 26 starts in 2021.

Rocker doesn't project to make the Rangers' rotation if the five starters ahead of him are healthy, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

With Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Cody Bradford and Tyler Mahle all healthy, Landry expects Rocker to begin the year at Triple-A as a depth option. Of course, those five starters may not all remain healthy between now and Opening Day, and Rocker has little to prove on the farm, so he should still make the majority of his 2025 appearances in the big leagues.

Buchanan will be sidelined for about a week after badly spraining his left ankle during a fielding drill, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The injury shouldn't have any long-term ramifications, but Buchanan was already a longshot for a roster spot, and the injury won't help his case. The 35-year-old made one big-league appearance with the Reds in 2024, which marked his first MLB action since 2015.

Corniell (elbow) has begun playing catch and could be game-ready by July or August, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Corniell is 10 months removed from a right UCL repair. The 21-year-old is on the Rangers' 40-man roster but has yet to advance past A-ball, so he's not a real candidate to see action in the majors this season. He could, however, be a candidate for the 60-day injured list if the Rangers need to free up a 40-man roster spot.