MLB Player News

Meidroth has started at shortstop and batted leadoff in two straight Cactus League games for the White Sox and hit leadoff in all six of his exhibition starts in March.

Meidroth missed some time this month with a calf issue but has been getting a long look in the leadoff spot when on the field. The 23-year-old's on-base skills are his best asset, as he boasted a 71:105 K:BB and .437 on-base percentage at Triple-A Worcester with the Red Sox organization in 2024, making him a sensible fit for the leadoff spot. Meidroth also might be emerging as the favorite to start at shortstop for the White Sox, as Colson Montgomery is now in minor-league camp and Brooks Baldwin has been playing more second base and even center field.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday that Bradford (elbow) will begin the season on the 15-day injured list, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

An MRI on Bradford's left elbow came back negative for structural damage, but he will be shut down for up to 10 days to allow the soreness to subside. The left-hander will need to rebuild his stamina after that, so it's possible he'll require longer than a minimum stay on the IL. Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker are the primary candidates to fill Bradford's slot in Texas' rotation.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that DeGrom won't pitch Thursday as initially planned while the right-hander recovers from a stomach virus, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

DeGrom had been penciled in to start Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants or in a minor-league contest on the back fields of camp, but he won't be available in any capacity after he apparently fell ill overnight. Assuming he's able to quickly bounce back from the ailment over the next couple of days, deGrom should still be on track to open the season in the Texas rotation, but he can't afford to miss many more throwing sessions at this stage of camp. The Rangers had already been easing deGrom in during spring training, and he built up to 31 pitches in his first Cactus League start Saturday. DeGrom will likely need to push his pitch count into the 60-to-70 range by the end of the spring to head into his first start of the regular season without any major workload restrictions.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Giolito (hamstring) will open the season on the 15-day injured list, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Giolito suffered a low-grade left hamstring strain during Tuesday's Grapefruit League start versus the Phillies. He is able to continue throwing and doesn't appear headed for a long-term absence, but with Opening Day two weeks away and just one spring inning under his belt, Giolito won't have time to be ready. The Red Sox will also be without Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (knee) to start the season, so their rotation depth will be tested. Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts both appear likely to open the season in Boston's rotation.

Varsho (shoulder) threw out to around 105 feet Thursday and could be cleared to play the outfield by the time the Blue Jays open their season March 27 versus the Orioles, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

After he underwent surgery on his right shoulder Sept. 23, Varsho's availability for the start of the 2025 season appeared to be in peril, but the 28-year-old appears to be progressing well in his recovery. Though he hasn't yet been cleared to resume playing the outfield, Varsho has been able to stay on track with his normal spring hitting progression by serving as a designated hitter in six Grapefruit League games and going 5-for-16 with three home runs. A reigning Gold Glove Award winner, Varsho brings a good amount of his value in center field, but the Blue Jays could be open to deploying him as a DH to begin the season if he needs a little extra time to complete his throwing program.

Semien (illness) will start at second base and bat leadoff in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants.

Semien was scratched from the lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Reds after falling victim to a stomach bug, but he appears to have made enough strides in his recovery overnight to return to action. He's gotten off to a slow start at the dish during Cactus League play, recording six hits in 32 at-bats.

Scherzer resumed playing catch Thursday after an MRI on his right thumb didn't show anything alarming, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Scherzer developed right thumb soreness following his last Grapefruit League outing and was scratched from a scheduled start Thursday. However, he'll throw a bullpen session Friday or Saturday and should be able to make another spring start not long after that. Scherzer has been superb in nine frames this spring, yielding just two runs with a 14:0 K:BB.

The Astros reassigned Lavastida to minor-league camp Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Lavastida is likely to be part of a catcher committee at Triple-A Sugar Land this season after he spent the entirety of the 2024 campaign with the Guardians' Triple-A affiliate in Columbus, finishing with a .232/.334/.387 slash line, eight home runs and 26 stolen bases over 345 plate appearances. The 26-year-old's lone big-league action came in 2022, when he appeared in six games for Cleveland.

The Astros reassigned Walter to minor-league camp Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Walter previously saw big-league action out of the Boston bullpen in 2023, but he was released this past August after a left shoulder strain kept him from pitching throughout the 2024 season. He joined Houston on a minor-league deal shortly after his release from Boston and was cleared for spring training, but he fell short in his bid for a long-relief role with the big club after giving up four earned runs on nine hits and three walks over seven innings across his four Grapefruit League outings. Walter will likely open the season at Triple-A Sugar Land, and he could be a candidate to work out of the rotation.

Giolito was diagnosed Tuesday with a low-grade left hamstring strain, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Giolito suffered the injury on the first pitch he threw in his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday and was removed after completing one inning. He will be able to continue throwing, but it's uncertain if he'll be ready to make his next scheduled spring start. It's also too soon to know whether Giolito's Opening Day availability is in question, but he doesn't have much time.