MLB Player News

Cole (elbow) tossed one simulated inning of live batting practice Wednesday, per MLB.com.

Cole is nearing the final stage of his recovery from Tommy John surgery and seems to be progressing smoothly. He got into a couple Grapefruit League games, completing 2.2 innings, and is expected to kick off a minor-league rehab stint within the next few weeks. If all goes well, Cole could rejoin the Yankees' rotation before the end of May.

Butto was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right arm and will undergo a procedure Friday to remove it, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Butto exited his appearance Wednesday alongside a trainer before landing on the injured list Thursday with right forearm fatigue. The Giants haven't announced a timeline for the 28-year-old's return, but he's now likely to spend far more time on the injured list than the 15-day minimum.

Avila will not make his scheduled start Friday against the Brewers, as the game has been postponed due to inclement weather.

Friday's game will be made up right away Saturday as part of a split doubleheader. Avila was set for a spot start with Michael Wacha under the weather, and Avila will still get his opportunity in Saturday's matinee, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

The Blue Jays signed Corbin to a one-year contract and optioned him to Single-A Dunedin on Friday.

Toronto, already without Shane Bieber (elbow), Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Jose Berrios (elbow) to begin the 2026 season, just lost Cody Ponce (knee) for an extended period of time this week. Corbin will help replenish the team's starting depth and could be a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation once he's fully stretched out in the minors, although Yesavage and Berrios could both be ready to go before then. The veteran southpaw put up a 4.40 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB in 155.1 innings spanning 31 appearances (30 starts) with the Rangers last season.

Cease did not factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the White Sox, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts over 4.1 innings.

Cease allowed a run via his own error in the first inning and two more in the third. He threw just 51 of 93 pitches for strikes despite generating a whopping 16 whiffs, exiting after a one-out walk in the fifth. While the 30-year-old is no stranger to inconsistency, it was an obvious step back from his 12-strikeout debut with the Blue Jays on Saturday. He's slated for a tough home matchup against the Dodgers next week.

King (0-1) took the loss against the Red Sox on Friday, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts over 5.2 innings.

King was charged with runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings, exiting with two outs in the sixth before an inherited runner came around to score. Despite the final line, he threw 58 of 81 pitches for strikes and walked just one batter after issuing four free passes in his March 27 debut. The 30-year-old owns an 11:5 K:BB across 10.2 innings this season after missing most of the 2025 campaign due to injury and lines up for a road matchup against the Pirates next week.

Gray (1-0) earned the win against the Padres on Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks with three strikeouts over six innings.

Gray allowed two runs in the fifth inning but held the Padres scoreless otherwise en route to his first quality start in a Red Sox uniform. While the veteran generated just eight whiffs on 87 pitches, it was a solid rebound after he lasted only four frames in his season debut Saturday. He's posted an 8:1 K:BB through 10 innings to open the 2026 campaign and lines up for a home matchup against the Brewers next week.

Atlanta placed Smith-Shawver (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Friday.

The right-hander is working through his rehab program after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of last year, so his move to the 60-day IL early this season was an eventuality. Smith-Shawver could rejoin Atlanta during the second half of 2026 if he can avoid any setbacks.

Eflin is traveling to receive a second opinion for the MRI he underwent on his right elbow Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Eflin departed his season debut Tuesday against the Rangers due to right elbow discomfort and landed on the injured list a day later. It's unclear what the initial reading of the MRI revealed, but heading for a second opinion is rarely a positive development.

The Royals placed Falter on the 15-day injured list Friday with left elbow inflammation.

Falter was knocked around for three runs while recording just one out in a relief appearance Wednesday versus the Twins, but it seems he might not have been pitching at 100 percent. The lefty will be eligible to return in mid-April, but it's unclear at this juncture how much time he might miss.