NOTEBOOK Padres place RHP Darvish on IL
San Diego Padres ace Yu Darvish landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with neck tightness.
The 37-year-old right-hander’s designation is retroactive to Monday.
The Padres’ Opening Day starter is 0-1 with a 4.18 ERA through five starts this season.
Darvish last appeared on Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings in a no-decision against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
The five-time All-Star is 103-86 with a 3.60 ERA and 1,951 strikeouts in 271 career games (all starts) with the Texas Rangers (2012-14, 2016-17), Dodgers (2017), Chicago Cubs (2018-20) and Padres.
San Diego recalled right-hander Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding transaction. He is 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA in five relief appearances there this season.
Astros’ Verlander to make season debut Friday vs. Nats
Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander will make his season debut on Friday against the host Washington Nationals, manager Joe Espada said.
Verlander, 41, opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. The three-time Cy Young Award winner declared himself ready to go after rehabilitations starts for Triple-A Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus Christi.
“The first thing is health, and I came out of (Saturday’s game with Corpus Christi) feeling good,” Verlander said. “Obviously, I have some stuff to work on pitching-wise, but that’s kind of what spring training is for and what rehab starts are for. I felt better last time than I did the [rehab start] before, so just keep building on that, and like I always do, kind of work on stuff in the bullpen in between and keep trying to make it click.”
Rockies place Bryant on IL
The Colorado Rockies placed veteran Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a low back strain.
The 32-year-old designated hitter/ infielder/outfielder’s designation is retroactive to Sunday.
Bryant is batting just .149 through 13 games this season with one home run, six RBIs and 18 strikeouts.
A four-time All-Star and the 2016 National League MVP with the Chicago Cubs, Bryant is a career .274 hitter with 183 homers and 538 RBIs in 1,019 games with the Cubs (2015-21), San Francisco Giants (2021) and Rockies.
Red Sox RHP Whitlock lands on IL
Already deeling with multiple pitching injuries already this spring, the Boston Red Sox placed another hurler on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, a day after right-hander Garrett Whitlock (strained left oblique) left his start after four innings.
Whitlock, 27, suffered the injury in a 10-7, 11-inning loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Left-hander Joe Jacques was recalled from Triple-A to fill Whitlock’s roster spot.
Whitlock is 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his four starts this season, though he had only pitched five innings or fewer in his first three outings.
Manager Alex Cora told reports the team hopes Whitlock can return when he’s eligible.
Guardians acquire RHP Avila
The Cleveland Guardians acquired right-hander Pedro Avila from the San Diego Padres for cash on Wednesday.
In a corresponding move, the Guardians transferred infielder Angel Martinez to the 60-day injured list.
Avila, 27, was designated for assignment on April 12. He went 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA in four relief appearances this season. He’s 3-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 22 career appearances (eight starts) across five seasons in San Diego.