22 Chris Archer SP

Archer's velocity and slider were both where the Rays expected when the right-hander faced live hitters Sunday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

There are plenty of eyes on the veteran in the nascent days of his return to the Rays, as Archer missed all of last season for the Pirates following surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. Archer reported having added muscle this offseason and feeling back to full health overall, and manager Kevin Cash noted that the 32-year-old will throw one more session against live hitters before making his Grapefruit League debut.

Archer has been a full participant in the Rays' workouts for pitchers and catchers thus far and reported to spring training with 6 to 7 pounds of additional muscle, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The right-handed reclamation project is seemingly in a very good place both physically and mentally as he begins his second tour of duty with the Rays after missing all of 2020 due to neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. The surgery Archer underwent was a complete success, freeing him up to pack on some muscle onto his usually lithe frame this offseason and eclipse the 200-pound mark in bodyweight. Archer is throwing bullpen sessions without restrictions as he prepares to fill a spot in the back half of Tampa Bay's starting rotation.

Archer (shoulder) said Tuesday that he won't be throwing any two-seam fastballs this year, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Archer leaned heavily on the two-seamer early in his career, throwing it as often as 41.1 percent of the time in 2014. He then largely shelved it for the next three seasons before bringing it back and using it 9.4 percent of the time in 2018 and 2019 with mostly poor results. He seemingly needs a tweak to bounce back from his poor 2019 season, in which he struggled to a 5.19 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. His health remains the biggest question mark after he missed all of 2020 due to thoracic outlet surgery.

Archer (shoulder) is expected to be fully healthy for Opening Day, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Archer didn't pitch at all in 2020 due to thoracic outlet surgery, one of the more worrisome procedures for a pitcher to go through. While it's certainly a positive that the Rays expect him to be ready to go, the surgery nevertheless adds plenty of risk to Archer's profile. He would already be plenty risky even without health concerns, due both to his age (32) and the fact that he recorded a career-worst 5.19 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 2019 for the Pirates prior to the injury.

Archer (shoulder) signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Rays on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The veteran righty is set to return to the place where he first made his name. He recorded a 3.69 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over parts of seven seasons as a Ray. Things didn't go nearly as well for him over a year and a half in Pittsburgh since then, as he struggled to a mediocre 4.92 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. He missed all of 2020 due to thoracic outlet surgery, a procedure which has derailed the careers of many pitchers. Exactly what he has left in the tank heading into his age-32 season is something of a mystery, but the Rays have a well-earned reputation for getting the most out of their pitchers, so it's certainly possible he could have a bounceback campaign.

Archer (shoulder) had his $11 million club option for 2021 declined by the Pirates on Saturday.

The 32-year-old missed the shortened 2020 season after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in June, and the Buccos opted to pay the $250,000 buyout rather than pick up next year's option. Archer was acquired from Tampa Bay ahead of the 2018 trade deadline and had a 4.92 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 203:73 K:BB over 172 innings across his season and a half in Pittsburgh, so he'll be entering free agency as somewhat of a reclamation project.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Archer (shoulder) remains at his offseason home in California and is focusing on regaining his range of motion and strength, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The Pirates will continue to check in with Archer periodically over the next two months while he recovers from season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome, but he'll likely be on his own in the rehab process come November, when Pittsburgh will almost certainly decline his $11 million team option for 2021. Even if his recovery from surgery proceeds as anticipated, the two-time All-Star will likely have to settle for a low-cost, one- or two-year deal after posting a 5.19 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 2019.

Archer (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday.

He will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery to relieve symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. Chad Kuhl and Steven Brault (shoulder) appear to be the top two options to win the fifth starter's spot.

Archer underwent surgery Tuesday to relieve symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome and has been ruled out for the 2020 season.

Archer wasn't known to be dealing with any physical concerns during spring training before MLB suspended its season in mid-March, so the assumption is that his thoracic outlet symptoms are related to the right shoulder discomfort he experienced last August. The Pirates are optimistic that Archer will make a full recovery from surgery before the 2021 season, but his rehab will be worth tracking throughout the winter and during spring training next year. It's possible that Archer could find himself in a different uniform next season, as his contract contains a pricey $11 million team option for 2021 that the Pirates could buy out for just $250,000.

Archer hurled two scoreless innings in his spring training debut Friday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four against Toronto, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Archer was not only encouraged by his results, but also by his health. "I felt really good about what I accomplished today," he said. "Most importantly, I walked away healthy. I'm really happy about that." The righty had previously been bothered by neck tightness. He's in competition with Joe Musgrove for the team's Opening Day assignment in Tampa Bay on March 26.

Archer (neck) has been confirmed as the starting pitcher for Friday's spring game against the Blue Jays, according to Adam Berry of MLB.com.

It was announced Thursday that Archer would take the ball Friday for the first time this spring, and the Pirates' lineup reveals he will do just that. Given he's a couple weeks behind his fellow starters, It's unlikely Archer goes more than a inning or two in Friday's contest.

Archer (neck) is scheduled to make his spring debut Friday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

It has been nearly two weeks since Archer was scratched with a stiff neck, but he is now on the verge of taking the ball for the first time this spring. While he is a bit behind the rest of his fellow starting pitchers, the Pirates have not ruled him out for Opening Day.

The Pirates are expected to have a decision on how they are going to proceed with Archer (neck) on Thursday or Friday, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Manager Derek Shelton gave no update on Archer following his throwing of live batting practice Monday. The team has already lost one potential starter, Steven Brault (shoulder), for an undetermined amount of time. Archer still has time to begin the season in the starting rotation, provided he returns within the next week.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Archer's (neck) live batting practice session went well Monday, Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Pittsburgh hasn't laid out the next step for Archer just yet, but he'll presumably be included on the team's pitching schedule over the weekend or early next week. If Archer can avoid any further setbacks with his neck, he should have enough time to prepare for a potential Opening Day starting assignment.

Archer (neck) will throw live batting practice Monday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Archer was scratched from his scheduled start last Monday due to neck tightness, but his quick return to mound work indicates it's not a serious concern. A good showing Monday could have Grapefruit League games up next for the right-hander.

Archer (neck) played catch Wednesday and will likely throw a bullpen session over the weekend.

He's expected to continue playing catch for the next several days. Barring a setback, he'll then throw the bullpen session. Archer has plenty of incentive to rebound from a disastrous 2019. The better he pitches, the better the chance his value increases and he's dealt to a contender.

Archer was scratched from his start scheduled for Monday with neck tightness.

Archer had been scheduled to make his first start of the spring against the Yankees on Monday, but the Pirates will hold him back as a precaution after he experienced neck tightness. The issue doesn't sound too severe, but the right-hander could be limited over the next few days as a result. Archer missed the end of the 2019 season with a shoulder injury but didn't face any limitations during the offseason.

Archer (shoulder) is fully healthy and shouldn't have any limitations for offseason training, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The right-hander missed a sizeable portion of the second half of the season as a result of inflammation with his throwing shoulder, but the team said Monday that he should be "full systems go" for offseason training. Prior to the injury, Archer posted a career-worst 5.19 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 2019 and will look to bounce back in 2020 after having a normal offseason of work.

Archer (shoulder) will have his $8.25 million option picked up for the 2020 season, Nubyjas Wilborn of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The move was widely expected despite Archer's struggles in his injury-plagued 2019 season, as he posted a 5.19 ERA with a 143:55 K:BB over 119.2 innings. The 31-year-old's above-average strikeout rate props up his fantasy value, and he'll look to remain healthy and limit run production in 2020.

Archer will likely have his $8.25 million option picked up for the 2020 season, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The 31-year-old had a down year in 2019 as he battled various injuries, posting a career-worst 5.19 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP over 23 starts. Still, Archer has an above-average fastball velocity and still was getting plenty of empty swings against him this past season. An official decision will need to be made by Monday.