MLB Player News

Rodon (forearm) will be about a month away from joining the Yankees' rotation once he throws a live batting practice session, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Rodon threw a bullpen session Thursday and will toss 2-3 more before progressing to live batting practice. That would seem to leave him at least a week away from live BP, making a return before the end of April unlikely. It's a rough timetable for the time being, but Rodon does seem to be recovering well from his minor forearm strain.

Lorenzen (groin) will progress his throwing and begin a running progression over the weekend, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Lorenzen was scratched from his scheduled start Monday against Toronto due to a mild left groin strain. No official update has come out regarding his Opening Day status, but considering the slow rate at which he is progressing, it's beginning to seem more and more unlikely that he'll be able to make his first start on time. Joey Wentz appears to be the next man up for Detroit in the rotation.

Bieber will start Opening Day against the Mariners on Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Bieber will officially be making his fourth straight Opening Day start for the Guardians. The right-hander has elevated himself to the upper echelon of starting pitchers in the league over the past few seasons, most recently producing a 2.88 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 198 strikeouts over 200 innings in 31 starts with Cleveland last year.

Castillo has been named the Mariners' Opening Day starter, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Robbie Ray was another good candidate, but Castillo gets the nod. The right-hander will take the ball March 30 at home against the Guardians and Shane Bieber.

Bubic could join the Royals' rotation following an injury to Daniel Lynch (shoulder), Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lynch could potentially be sidelined for multiple weeks with a strained pitching shoulder. Bubic was dreadful for the Royals last season, holding a 5.58 ERA over 129 innings. The left-hander isn't someone fantasy managers want to be invested in.

Lynch is expected to land on the injured list after being diagnosed with a left shoulder strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lynch suffered the injury during the Royals' Cactus League game against the Padres on Thursday. He will be shut down for 7-10 days before being re-evaluated. The injury opens up a spot in Kansas City's rotation, with Kris Bubic being the most likely candidate to fill it.

Valdez will start Opening Day versus the White Sox on Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Valdez will toe the rubber for the Astros' season opener as they head to Chicago for the first weekend of the year. The left-hander skipped the WBC after he came to an agreement with Houston to do so and in turn, that likely made him the top choice to start Thursday. Valdez produced an impressive 2.82 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 194 strikeouts over 201.1 innings in 31 starts last season, and he could step right into the Astros' ace role with Justin Verlander now a member of the Mets.

Rodriguez will start for the Tigers on Opening Day versus the Rays, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Rodriguez will be looking to shake off a 2022 campaign which saw him limited to just 17 starts because of injury and personal issues. The left-hander has been excellent this spring, spinning 13 scoreless innings with a 15:2 K:BB.

Cease will start Thursday's Opening Day contest versus the Astros.

Cease will be making the first Opening Day start of his career. When asked about the possibility of doing so last week he said, "it would definitely be special. It would be an honor". Speaking of special, Cease will look to repeat his success from 2022 after he produced a 2.20 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with a 11.1 K/9 last season.

Muller has been named the Athletics' Opening Day starter for their March 30 matchup against the Angels, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

It wasn't even a sure thing Muller was locked into a rotation spot prior to this announcement, but the A's don't exactly have any good options for the assignment. The left-hander has been hit and miss this spring, posting a 5.65 ERA and 10:3 K:BB over 14.1 innings of work. Muller has some fantasy potential but should probably be viewed as a streaming option initially.