MLB Player News

Manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Burnes will start Friday's spring opener against the Rockies, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Burnes, who worked the spring opener for Baltimore in 2024, wants the ball for his new team's Cactus League opener and will get it. The right-hander signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the Diamondbacks in December and appears primed to step in as the staff ace.

Taillon, who saw his average fastball velocity dip as the 2024 season went on, is hoping improved health helps him dial the pitch up some in 2025, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Taillon saw his four-seam fastball drop from an average of 93.2 mph in April last year to 92.2 mph in September, giving him a career-low mark of 92.4 mph overall. Along with the reduced velocity, the veteran also generated a career-low 6.8 K/9. The righty said back issues he dealt with during the season may have played a part, though he still managed to log a respectable 165.1 innings and turn in a 3.27 ERA, his best mark since his 2018 campaign with the Pirates. If Taillon stays healthy and regains a little zip on his fastball, he could be primed for a jump in strikeouts and another productive season in 2025.

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.

Glasnow (elbow) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Glasnow finished his first season in Los Angeles on the injured list due to a right elbow sprain, but he didn't require offseason surgery and said in November that he had fully healed from the injury. The Dodgers' decision to let him face hitters in the second week of spring training supports the notion that Glasnow is back to full health, putting him on track to be available when Los Angeles opens its regular season March 18 versus the Cubs in Tokyo. Despite concluding the 2024 campaign on the shelf, the oft-injured Glasnow was still able to establish career highs in starts (22) and innings (134) while going 9-6 with a 3.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 168:35 K:BB. In an effort to help preserve Glasnow and the team's other starting pitchers throughout the long season, the Dodgers are once again expected to utilize a six-man rotation in 2025. The arrangement will suppress Glasnow's counting statistics relative to other starting pitchers coming off the board around his range in fantasy drafts, but the 6-foot-8 right-hander should remain one of the top performing starters on a per-inning basis.

Ross is building up a starter during spring training, but he's expected to open the season in the bullpen if all five members of the Philadelphia rotation are healthy heading into Opening Day, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

The right-hander seems to be the next man up for a starting spot if any of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo or Cristopher Sanchez aren't available to make their first turn through the rotation to begin the season. Ideally though, manager Rob Thomson said Monday that Ross will serve primarily as a multi-inning or one-inning leverage option out of the bullpen. While with Milwaukee during the 2024 regular season, Ross struggled over his 10 starts (4.98 ERA, .321 wOBA, 39:18 K:BB in 47 innings), but he was effective across 15 relief appearances (1.67 ERA, .258 wOBA, 27:11 K:BB in 27 innings).

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.

Flexen and the Cubs agreed on a minor-league contract Monday, pending a physical, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Flexen will join the Cubs organization after compiling a 4.95 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 123 strikeouts over 160 innings in 33 appearances, including 30 starts, with the White Sox in 2024. The right-hander will now have a chance to prove himself with the team at spring training.

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.

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.