MLB Player News

Loperfido was removed from Tuesday's Grapefruit League game versus Cardinals with neck discomfort after colliding with the outfield wall, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.careports.

Loperfido was attempting to catch what wound up being a triple for Victor Scott and slammed into the wall awkwardly. It appears at this point that he has avoided a concussion, but it's not clear how long the neck issue might sideline the young outfielder.

Manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Abreu (illness) has been cleared to work out but "cannot do baseball activities yet," Christopher Smith of MassLive.com.

The 25-year-old has been sidelined by an illness early in camp, and he underwent additional lab tests Monday with the results expected to come Wednesday afternoon. Abreu should be considered day-to-day for now, and the lab results should soon provide more clarity on his status.

Loperfido left Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals after awkwardly slamming into the outfield wall, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Per Matheson, Loperfido was holding his neck/head area and exited with trainers. He is competing for a starting outfield job this spring.

Marsh (shoulder) is slated to throw another bullpen session Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Marsh has been throwing side sessions for the past week as he works his way back from right shoulder tightness. He's reportedly responded well to the bullpen work and appears to be inching closer to facing live batters. Marsh made 25 regular-season starts for the Royals last season, producing a 9-9 record, 4.53 ERA and 123:39 K:BB ratio over 129 innings.

Blanco (Achilles) will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Blanco was scratched from the lineup Monday against the Athletics. His X-rays came back negative, but he'll have more tests before being cleared to return. Blanco is competing for a reserve outfielder gig this spring after slashing .258/.308/.392 with four home runs and 13 RBI across 132 regular-season plate appearances for the Royals in 2024.

The Red Sox are aiming for Devers (shoulder) to play his first spring game March 5, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

"We are preparing him to play third base," manager Alex Cora said. "That's part of the progression. He'll DH here and there. I don't know if it March [5], he'll play third, but we'll get him reps. I think people are making decisions already, and we haven't made decisions." Cora said Alex Bregman will play second base during spring training. Devers has been doing separate infield and cage work away from other Red Sox players as he continues to build up strength following last year's shoulder injuries.

Vanasco (hip) is scheduled to complete a bullpen session Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The last report was that Vanasco had been playing catch almost daily, and now he has advanced to throwing bullpen sessions. Vanasco is recovering from a labral tear in his right hip and is in camp on a minor-league deal.

Hendriks is slated to pitch in Wednesday's game against the Rays, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

This will be Hendriks' first Grapefruit League action of the year and his first game action since June of 2023. Aroldis Chapman is also expected to pitch in Wednesday's exhibition, while Justin Slaten is scheduled to throw a live batting practice. Therefore, as Browne wrote, the closer competition will officially get underway. In addition to Hendriks, Chapman and Slaten, Garrett Whitlock is expected to get late-inning work, so how each pitcher fares this spring will be important for determining who gets the first save chances of the year in Boston.

Cobb (hip) received an epidural injection to further aid in his recovery process, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

He had already received a platelet-rich plasma injection earlier this month and played catch over the weekend. Cobb is scheduled to play catch again Wednesday but will not get into games until at least mid-March (a return timeline of a month was estimated Feb. 12). He was up around 150 innings in 2022 and 2023, but injuries greatly plagued him in 2021 and 2024, and it looks like 2025 is perhaps trending in a similar direction.

Raley was scratched from Tuesday's Cactus League lineup against the Dodgers.

The reason for his removal from the lineup could be an injury, but the team hasn't announced why Raley was scratched yet. Tyler Locklear enters the lineup in Raley's stead, batting fifth and manning first base.