MLB Player News

Sandoval is having his first start of the season pushed back to Tuesday against the Marlins, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Sandoval was originally slated to start Friday against the Astros, though he's flipping spots in the rotation with Reid Detmers. Sandoval's 2021 campaign ended prematurely due to a back injury, though he claims that the decision to push him back is unrelated. Instead, he needs more time to stretch out prior to his initial start of the regular season. Assuming Sandoval is healthy enough to take his newly scheduled turn through the rotation, he could benefit with a better matchup against Miami as opposed to Houston.

President of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Thursday that Paddack will be one of six starters the Twins will use in the first turn through the rotation to begin the season, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Before he was dealt to Minnesota on Thursday, Paddack appeared to be on the outs for a spot in a crowded San Diego rotation, but the right-hander looks like he'll make at least one start for his new team. Falvey said that after all six starters have had a start, the Twins will re-evaluate the rotation ahead of the second turn. While Falvey's comments perhaps hint that the Twins could eventually revert to a five-man rotation, Paddack should have a starting role so long as he's pitching well. It can't be taken as a certainty that he'll be able to do that, given that he's turned in a 4.95 ERA over 167.1 innings between the past two seasons.

The Athletics placed Kaprielian (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kaprielian's move to the IL was a formality after he didn't make any Cactus League appearances following the diagnosis of AC joint inflammation in his right shoulder early in spring training. The 28-year-old was able to complete a 30-pitch live batting practice session Tuesday, so he could be ready to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment as soon as next week if his shoulder continues to respond well. He'll likely need at least two or three outings in the minors to get fully stretched out for starting duty with the big club.

Manager Mike Matheny said Thursday that Lynch will open the season as the Royals' No. 5 starter, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lynch won out in the battle for the final spot in the rotation over Brady Singer, who is expected to fill a hybrid role out of the bullpen. The 25-year-old lefty earned his place in the rotation despite an uneven spring in which he surrendered four home runs and struck out seven over 12.1 innings. Lynch is set to make his first start of the season Tuesday in St. Louis and lines up for a two step, with his second turn of the week coming next Sunday at home versus Detroit.

Baz (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, radio broadcaster Steve Carney reports.

Baz underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow March 21, and he's in the midst of a shutdown from throwing. The 22-year-old will need time to build up once he resumes throwing, and he'll likely report to Triple-A Durham to essentially replicate a spring training progression. A better timetable for Baz's return should come into focus once he's cleared to begin a throwing program.

MuCullers (forearm) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

McCullers suffered setbacks in his rehab from a forearm injury during the offseason, and he'll be unavailable to begin the regular season. The right-hander has yet to resume throwing, but the fact that the Astros didn't place him on the 60-day IL implies the organization has some hope McCullers will be ready to make his season debut in less than two months. Jake Odorizzi will begin the season in the rotation as a result of McCullers' placement on the shelf.

Singer will work out of the bullpen initially in 2022, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Singer has started all 39 of his major-league appearances to date, but that will likely change in 2022. The 25-year-old went 5-10 and struggled to a 4.91 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 131:53 K:BB in 128.1 innings last season. Daniel Lynch and Jonathan Hernandez won rotation spots, but Lewis added that the Royals still view Singer and Jackson Kowar as starters. Should injuries arise, Singer will be near the top of the list of candidates for a spot start, and he could also win back a starting role through strong performance.

Lynn (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to April 4.

Lynn isn't expected to resume mound work for approximately four weeks after he underwent knee surgery recently, so his placement on the injured list isn't a surprise. Since the right-hander will need time to build up following his shutdown, he's unlikely to return to game action until at least late May or early June.

The Twins acquired Paddack and reliever Emilio Pagan from the Padres on Thursday in exchange for reliever Taylor Rogers and outfielder Brent Rooker, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

In the two seasons since his brilliant 2019 rookie campaign in which he submitted a 3.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 153:31 K:BB in 140.2 innings, Paddack's run in San Diego went sour. Dating back to the start of the 2020 season, Paddack has submitted a 4.95 ERA (4.22 FIP), with injury concerns and a shallow repertoire beyond his changeup contributing to his demise. He was on track to open the 2022 campaign outside of San Diego's rotation entirely, so the move to a new organization can only help him, even though it's not immediately clear if Paddack is one of the Twins' top five starters. At the very least, the 26-year-old Paddack gives Minnesota a young pitcher under club control for the next three seasons who has already had success in the majors.

Suarez is projected to be one of the Angels' six starters this season, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Suarez notched a 4.44 ERA across 14 starts for the Angels last season, and that was enough for the team to give him the chance to retain his role in the rotation to begin 2022 despite the fact that his numbers (including a 1.98 ERA) were better out of the bullpen. The southpaw fared well enough in Cactus League play, posting a 4.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB across 10 innings. He likely won't have a long leash if he struggles out of the gate during the regular season, however.