MLB Player News

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Rafaela (hamstring) will do some running Thursday and could return to Grapefruit League play this weekend, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Rafaela hasn't played since Sunday because of hamstring tightness, but he is making progress and it doesn't sound like his absence will extend much longer. The 24-year-old is expected to be Boston's primary center fielder this season.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that he expects Gil (lat) to be sidelined for at least three months, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Gil is nursing a high-grade right lat strain, a diagnosis which was confirmed by a second MRI back in New York. The righty will be shut down for at least six weeks and will need to be built back up from scratch, so Cashman's revelation that Gil won't be an option until June, at the earliest, doesn't come as a surprise. Marcus Stroman and Will Warren are competing to fill Gil's spot in the Yankees' rotation.

The Orioles list Wagner (back) on the roster for their March 15 Spring Breakout game against Yankees prospects.

While with Double-A Bowie last season, Wagner didn't play after June 21 due to a back injury, but his inclusion on the roster for the Spring Breakout game implies that he's healthy heading into the 2025 campaign. Before being shut down with the injury, the 23-year-old infielder slashed a lowly .109/.208/.156 across 72 plate appearances with Bowie.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that Stanton will rejoin the club in Florida this weekend after he receives a second round of platelet-rich plasma injections in his elbows, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Cashman added that Stanton -- who is dealing with tennis elbow in both arms -- will still not be able to do much when it comes to baseball activities, but the hope is that the PRP injections help hasten the recovery process and allow him to avoid surgery, which is seen as a "last resort." Stanton has already been ruled out for Opening Day, and his timetable to return is currently open-ended.

Kinney (shoulder) is listed as an available bench player for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Kinney's inclusion on the lineup card is an indication that he's back to full health after finishing the 2024 season on High-A Bowling Green's injured list due to a right shoulder issue. Before being shut down with the injury, the 22-year-old infielder slashed .289/.352/.494 with 10 home runs and six stolen bases across 361 plate appearances with Bowling Green.

Pena has focused on being more selective with his swings this spring, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena adjusted his swing in preparation for the 2024 season, and this year, his focus has been laying off bad pitches in live batting practice. Across 1,842 career plate appearances, Pena has only a 4.9 percent walk rate but has still managed exactly a 100 wRC+. Despite this report, it is worth noting that Pena has not drawn a walk across 10 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action.

Rasmussen threw two scoreless innings during which he allowed one hit and one walk in Monday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Rasmussen has dealt with elbow injuries across the last two seasons, severely limiting his innings. However, he's still being stretched out as a starter this spring and managed 29 pitches in his spring training debut. Per Adam Berry of MLB.com, manager Kevin Cash has stated the team will use common sense when monitoring Rasmussen's workload, which could mean he is initially used in shorter stints or his turn through the rotation is occasionally skipped.

Williams went 1-for-4 with a double against the Red Sox in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game.

Williams got the chance to start at shortstop while hitting fifth in the order. He faced Garrett Crochet in the second inning and fell behind 0-2 in the count before lacing a double to left field that landed just before the wall. Williams is a candidate for a mid-season promotion to the majors and has gone 2-for-13 with three strikeouts and two walks so far in spring training.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that Topa was removed from Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles due to right shoulder tightness, Bobby Nightengale of The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Topa served up a home run and tossed just seven pitches before meeting with a trainer on the mound and then getting pulled from the contest. Baldelli said Topa's shoulder will be further evaluated Thursday, and while the skipper is hopeful that the right-hander isn't dealing with anything overly serious, it could affect his availability for Opening Day. The 33-year-old has had rotten luck on the injury front during his career, having missed most of the 2024 season due to torn patella tendon in his right knee and having previously required a flexor tendon surgery and two Tommy John surgeries for his elbow.

Rortvedt (shoulder) will start at catcher and bat fifth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

After getting an injection to relieve pain in his sore right shoulder, Rortvedt had been limited to designated-hitter duties in his last two spring games, but he'll step in behind the plate Thursday for the first time since Feb. 23. Provided that the shoulder issue provides no complications with his throwing over the rest of the spring, Rortvedt will be part of a timeshare at catcher with Danny Jansen to open the season.