MLB Player News

Garcia will be shut down for four weeks after an MRI revealed right elbow inflammation, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It's good that Garcia isn't dealing with any structural damage in his surgically repaired elbow. However, he's already been shut down for a couple weeks and will need at least another month before he's able to throw again. It's going to be a long ramp-up process after that, so Garcia probably isn't going to be an option for the Astros until at least June even in a best-case scenario.

Stuart is on Triple-A Rochester's 7-day injured list due to an elbow injury, Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline reports.

The organization is hopeful it isn't a serious injury, but Stuart should still be considered out indefinitely. Acquired from the Mets in last year's Jesse Winker trade, Stuart is a 6-foot-9 righty whose extension makes up for low-90s fastball velocity. His best pitch is his sweeper, but none of his offerings are near plus. Stuart had success last year at Double-A, but he gave up 14 runs in 16.2 innings over four starts at Triple-A.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Giolito (hamstring) is "not close" to rejoining the rotation, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports.

Giolito threw 51 pitches over 2.1 innings Wednesday in his first rehab start with Triple-A Worcester and will need at least a couple more rehab outings as he continues to build up. The right-hander is coming back from a strained hamstring and has not made a major-league start since 2023, having missed the 2024 campaign while recovering from an internal brace procedure.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Bello (shoulder) is "not close" to rejoining the rotation, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports.

Bello threw 47 pitches in his first rehab start and is slated to make a second rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Worcester. It would appear he will require at least one additional rehab outing after that as he continues to build up his stamina following a right shoulder injury. Richard Fitts and Sean Newcomb will continue holding down rotation spots for Boston until Bello and Lucas Giolito (hamstring) are ready.

Cabrera (finger) struck out four batters and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks across three innings Tuesday in a rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville.

Cabrera served up a solo home run in the second inning but was otherwise sharp over his three frames while spotting 27 of his 46 pitches for strikes. He'll likely get stretched out over one or two more rehab starts before returning from the 15-day injured list around mid-April.

Forret will begin the season with Double-A Chesapeake, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.

Forret, who turns 21 this week, built up to 99.2 innings in 2024 across Single-A and High-A, and he'll be one of the younger starters at Double-A this year. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Forret has some projection remaining and he was already touching 97 mph with his fastball last season while sitting 93-95 mph. He'll be in a loaded Baysox rotation that also features Nestor German and Zach Fruit, among others.

German will begin the season with Double-A Chesapeake, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.

This is a strong vote of confidence for German, as he only logged 25.1 innings at High-A last season after beginning the year at Single-A. The 23-year-old righty impressed this spring and was dominant in the lower levels last year, logging a 1.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 90:17 K:BB in 73.2 innings. German has a full four-pitch mix with several above-average offerings to go with above-average command.

Giolito (hamstring) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two over 2.1 scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Giolito threw mostly fastballs while adding a healthy dose of changeups and sliders during the start. The right-hander is expected to make at least two more rehab starts before being activated off the 15-day injured list.

Elder allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters over four innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Atlanta jumped out to a five-run lead through the top of the second inning, but Elder gave two runs back on a home run by Tommy Edman in the bottom of that frame. The Dodgers didn't score in the third, but Elder served up another long ball -- this time a solo shot by Michael Conforto -- in the fourth, and he didn't return for the fifth. The right-hander's start was his first of the season, which may partly explain why he was held to 70 pitches. Elder is in the rotation as a replacement for Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder), who landed on the injured list Monday. Lopez is likely to miss at least a few months, which could open the door for Elder to make additional starts, though he may lose his rotation role when Spencer Strider (elbow) is done with the rehab stint he began last weekend.

Rodriguez (elbow) threw a bullpen session ahead of Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Wednesday marked the second time Rodriguez has tossed a bullpen session since getting shut down with right elbow inflammation during spring training, and the right-hander remains in a throwing buildup. It's unclear how far out he is from going on a potential minor-league rehab assignment, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect Rodriguez to rejoin Baltimore's roster until late April at the earliest. In the meantime, Cade Povich is filling in for Rodriguez in the rotation.