MLB Player News

Bradley was forced to exit his start in the second inning after being hit by a batted ball Saturday in Grapefruit League action against the Yankees, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.

Bradley was hit in the right leg by a comebacker after his first pitch of the second inning. He was lifted as a precaution, but after the game, he told the media he escaped without suffering a bruise. Bradley has impressed this spring in two appearances, posting two scoreless innings while striking out one.

Guardians manager Terry Francona told reporters that Bieber is on track to start Opening Day against the Mariners, Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer reports.

Not a big surprise. Bieber will be starting Opening Day for the fourth consecutive season, and is coming off a 2022 season where he recorded a 2.88 ERA, 198 strikeouts and a 1.04 WHIP over 200 innings in 31 starts. While Bieber doesn't miss bats at the same level of some elite starters, he should again be a strong fantasy option for managers in the 2023 campaign.

DeGrom (side) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

DeGrom was able to throw a bullpen session Saturday, and Rangers manager Bruce Bochy announced that the right-hander was "on schedule" for the regular season on Sunday. Because of his injury history over the last two years, fantasy managers will want to pay close attention to the right-hander's development, but for now, it appears deGrom will be on the bump for Opening Day in his first campaign with the Rangers.

Gausman gave up an unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out three over 1.2 innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Two pitchers were charged with balks during the game but neither one was Gausman, so the veteran righty's first start of the spring should be considered a rousing success. His windup was one of the ones singled out by MLB when they announced a new focus on cracking down on balks this offseason, so Gausman has made it a priority to come to a complete stop on the rubber before delivering the ball. If he's able to make the necessary adjustments, there's little reason to think the 32-year-old won't produce another strong campaign after posting a 3.07 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 10.6 K/9 and dazzling 1.9 BB/9 in 64 starts between the Giants and Jays over the last two seasons.

Whitlock (hip) may not be game-ready to open the regular season, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Whitlock has been throwing off a mound and to hitters, but his recovery from hip surgery has prevented him from participating in fielding drills thus far. The Red Sox are unlikely to rush things with a key piece of their rotation, so Whitlock may begin the season on the shelf while he prepares to take on a starter's workload.

Bello (forearm) is unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The right-handed prospect first felt forearm soreness in a mid-February bullpen session and has been behind schedule ever since. Recent updates have suggested Bello is issue-free now, but the lost time in February was likely enough to delay his buildup and make Opening Day an unrealistic goal.

Paxton has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain and will be shut down from throwing, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The veteran southpaw left his start Friday with discomfort. While Grade 1 is the least severe classification of strain, it will likely delay Paxton's start to the season. With Brayan Bello (forearm) and Garrett Whitlock (hip) also unlikely for Opening Day, the Red Sox may need to roll with Tanner Houck and/or Josh Winckowski in the starting rotation. Kutter Crawford, projected as a reliever, is being stretched out this spring and could serve as starting depth as well.

Gonzales recorded the win in Friday's Cactus League victory over the Diamondbacks, firing 3.2 scoreless innings during which he allowed three hits and two walks while recording three strikeouts.

Gonzales pounded 33 of his 48 offerings in for strikes while working on what would be the sixth pitch in his arsenal, a slider. Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports catcher Tom Murphy came away particularly impressed with Gonzales' performance overall after the left-hander was bounced around for four earned runs on five hits over two innings by the Angels in his first Cactus League start. "I saw a great adjustment," said Murphy. "I felt his fastball command wasn't usual Marco today, then he just came out and just started pounding his breaking ball. For him to do that mid game, that's why Marco is so good at going seven innings."

Kopech is planning to throw his changeup more in 2023, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Kopech has reportedly been working on his changeup this offseason and is hoping the pitch helps boost the effectiveness of the rest of his arsenal, which already includes a fastball, a slider and a curveball. According to Baseball Savant, Kopech threw his changeup only 25 times in 2022 -- primarily using it against left-handed batters.

Rodriguez tossed three scoreless innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He allowed one hit and struck out three.

Rodriguez has now tossed five innings across two starts this spring without allowing a run. The lefty only made 17 starts for the Tigers in 2022 as he missed a big chunk of time due to personal reasons, and he recorded a 4.05 ERA across 91 innings. If he has a strong spring and can carry that into the regular season, Rodriguez could be in line for a much improved second year in Detroit.