MLB Player News

Wesneski has allowed one earned run across 6.1 innings while maintaining an 11:3 K:BB in the Grapefruit League this spring.

Wesneski is a top candidate to begin the season in the Astros' rotation with both Luis Garcia (elbow) and Lance McCullers (forearm) set to begin the season on the injured list. According to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, Wesneski has prepped for the role by adding a curveball to his arsenal. The results this spring have been strong, highlighted by his outing Saturday when he struck out five and walked one across 2.1 frames.

Blanco is prioritizing an attack of the strike zone this season, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Blanco had one of the biggest breakout performances in 2024, but he struggled to consistently find the strike zone, as his 10.1 percent walk rate in the regular season was the highest mark of any qualified starter. He escaped relatively unscathed thanks to a .187 BABIP with runners on base and .160 with runners in scoring position, both of which are unlikely to repeat in 2025. As a result, he plans to be less precise with his pitches in hopes of finding the strike zone more consistently.

Spence gave up two runs (one earned) over 3.1 innings with three strikeouts and two walks in Sunday's Cactus League loss to Arizona. He has a 1.13 ERA with a 6:2 K:BB in eight innings this spring.

Spence may be the leading candidate for the fifth starter role and has outperformed Joey Estes and Osvaldo Bido so far this spring. However, the final two spots in the Oakland rotation are uncertain at this point. While Spence had a subpar strikeout rate last season (19.4 percent), he did have an above-average groundball rate (48.4 percent) and swinging-strike rate (10.4 percent).

Estes gave up two runs over 3.2 innings with two strikeouts and one walk in Sunday's win over the Dodgers. He has a 5.87 ERA with a 5:1 K:BB in 7.2 innings this spring.

Estes is competing for a spot in the rotation but likely isn't making enough of an impression to win a job. Meanwhile, Mitch Spence has pitched well, and Osvaldo Bido may still be a lock despite struggling (12.91 ERA). If Estes loses out on a rotation spot, it's not clear if he'll move to the bullpen or to the rotation at Triple-A.

Valdez allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out one in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

Valdez had a rough outing on the surface, but he built up to 60 pitches before throwing 15 more in a bullpen session. Per Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle, Valdez had no concern about his line, instead noting that he was focusing on the movement on his pitches in favor of trying to rack up strikeouts or precisely hit his spots.

Lee went 1-for-3 with his second home run of the spring in Sunday's loss to Baltimore. He's hitting .308 (8-for-26) in nine spring training games.

Lee is competing with Edouard Julien for the starting second base job this spring with Willi Castro also likely to get time at the position. Lee is outperforming Julien so far this spring at the plate, and Julien has struggled in the field (two errors Sunday). However, Minnesota's plans for second base and Lee's role aren't clear at this point.

Woods Richardson gave up three runs, all unearned, in three innings with four strikeouts and no walks in Sunday's spring training loss to Baltimore. He has a 1.29 ERA with a 7:2 K:BB in seven innings this spring.

Woods Richardson entered spring as the leading candidate for the fifth starter role and hasn't done anything to lose that position after three spring starts. He's in a competition with David Festa and Zebby Matthews, and the Twins' fourth starter spot could be up for grabs as well if Chris Paddack falters.

Jordan was lifted for a pinch runner in Saturday's 9-8 Grapefruit League loss to the Twins after being hit by a pitch in his eighth-inning plate appearance.

The Red Sox didn't provide any details on Jordan's condition after the game, but it's possible that he was just lifted as a precaution. The 22-year-old first baseman slashed .261/.305/.388 over 380 plate appearances at Double-A Portland in 2024 and could be headed back to the Eastern League to begin the 2025 season.

Cole (elbow) was recommended to have Tommy John surgery, but he will receive a second opinion during the upcoming week before deciding on a treatment plan, a source tells Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

If the second opinion confirms the original diagnosis, Cole is expected to go under the knife for Tommy John surgery, which would bring an end to his 2025 season before it even began. The right-hander originally reported that he was struggling with his command in his most recent spring outing Thursday, which started him down the path of getting imaging on his elbow. If Cole does in fact require the season-ending procedure, it would be another big hit to a Yankees rotation that will already be without Luis Gil (lat) for at least the first three months of the season.

The Royals optioned Avila to minor-league camp Sunday.

Avila made three appearances out of the bullpen during spring training, tossing six innings of one-run ball while allowing five hits and two walks and striking out seven batters. The 23-year-old ended the 2024 campaign with Triple-A Omaha and will likely return to the International League to begin the 2025 season.