MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Schlittler (back) will make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against the Rays, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Schlittler has been slow-played by the Yankees this spring after he developed some early-camp back inflammation. He's progressed without issue since then and is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day, though he will likely be built up initially to throw just 65-80 pitches in his first start or two of the season.

Carter was scratched from the lineup for Wednesday's exhibition versus Team Brazil due to an illness, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

He had been slated to start in center field, but Carter will be replaced by Michael Helman in the lineup after feeling under the weather. Through his first six Cactus League games, Carter has gone 2-for-12 with a triple, a stolen base and a 3:5 BB:K.

Hendriks (elbow) struck out one batter and gave up one hit and no walks over a scoreless inning Tuesday in the Twins' 5-3 loss to the Rays in Grapefruit League play.

Hendriks took the hill for his spring debut Tuesday, signaling that he's back to full health after undergoing right elbow ulnar nerve transposition with posterior interosseous nerve release surgery back in September. The 37-year-old righty has been limited to just 19 big-league appearances over his last three seasons and hasn't been particularly effective when available, so the Twins likely aren't envisioning him filling a high-leverage role in 2026. Hendriks' main objective is to pitch well enough in spring training to earn a spot in the Twins' Opening Day bullpen, as he's attending camp as a non-roster invitee.

Erceg (shoulder) allowed no hits or walks across a scoreless inning in Tuesday's exhibition win over Team Cuba. He struck out one.

Erceg made his first appearance of the spring and didn't show any lingering effects from the right shoulder impingement that ended his 2025 season early, an encouraging sign for his health moving forward. The right-hander posted a 2.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 22 holds across 61.1 innings last season, though a diminished 7.0 K/9 and elevated 3.49 FIP are worth noting. Erceg is expected to serve as the primary setup man to Carlos Estevez and could see opportunities in the ninth inning if Estevez falters.

Civale allowed a run on six hits and a walk across 2.2 innings in Tuesday's exhibition win over Team Brazil. He struck out one.

Civale allowed a fair amount of traffic on the basepaths but limited the damage in his first start of the spring. The right-hander's velocity was down a few ticks across the board, though his average fastball sat at just 92.1 mph last season, and it's not uncommon to see diminished velocity in a pitcher's first outing of the spring. If the dip persists over his next few appearances, it could become more notable. After splitting time between the Brewers, White Sox and Cubs with a combined 4.85 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 23 regular-season appearances (18 starts) and 102 innings in 2025, Civale signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Athletics on Feb. 10 and is expected to slot into the middle of their rotation.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz confirmed Wednesday that Wells will be used as a reliever at the beginning of the season, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

President of baseball operations Mike Elias said as camp opened that Wells would be built up as a starting pitcher, but since then the club tipped its hand in regards to Wells' role by using the righty in one-inning stints. Wells has looked sharp in Grapefruit League action, yielding just one hit with a 5:0 K:BB over three scoreless frames. He could be ticketed for a high-leverage bullpen role from the right side while Andrew Kittredge (shoulder) is out.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Wednesday that Kittredge is battling right shoulder inflammation and is "a low probability" to be ready for Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Kittredge struggled in his lone Grapefruit League appearance last week and now it's clear why he hasn't pitched since. While he appears to have avoided structural damage in his shoulder, it's unclear at this point how long the setup man might be shelved.

Nittoli underwent an MRI on his right elbow Tuesday after feeling pain during his most recent Grapefruit League appearance, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The results of the imaging are not in yet. Nittoli is in Red Sox camp as a non-roster invitee and has been roughed up for four runs over 2.2 innings in his three spring training outings. Even if the MRI is clean, Nittoli will be ticketed for Triple-A Worcester.

Holliday (hand) will begin swinging a bat Thursday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Holliday has been restricted to one-handed swings to protect his surgically repaired right hand, but he's now been cleared to resume swinging with both hands. He also began throwing last week. Holliday will begin the season on the 10-day injured list, but all signs point to a brief absence as long as his recovery continues at its current trajectory.

Bautista (shoulder) threw a baseball Tuesday for the first time since undergoing surgery last August, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The right-hander made 25 throws on flat ground from about 45 feet, clearing his first major hurdle. He said afterward that his arm feels good and that he's still hoping to pitch later this season. Bautista will be cutting it close to return in 2026, as the procedure to repair a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff typically carries a 12-month recovery timetable.