MRI exam on Holland’s knee shows mild sprain

Derek Holland injured his right knee during agility drills over the weekend, but an MRI exam taken yesterday revealed only a mild sprain. He’s slated to begin throwing again later this week and will merely wear a brace on the knee for a while. Or as assistant general manager Thad Levine put it: “He can do more than sit on a table in the trainer’s room and do crossword puzzles.” Holland struggled as a 22-year-old rookie last season, going 8-13 with a 6.12 ERA in 138.1 innings split between the bullpen and rotation, but has significant long-term upside and is competing for the fifth-starter gig this spring. Rotoworld’s Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide projects him to post a 4.21 ERA as a sophomore.