MLB Player News

Manager Scott Servais announced Saturday that Dunn will open the season as Seattle's No. 6 starter, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The 25-year-old was competing with Nick Margevicius for the sixth spot in the rotation and showed enough during spring training to earn the job. Dunn made 10 starts for Seattle last season and had a 4.34 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 38:31 K:BB over 45.2 innings. Margevicius will begin the season in the bullpen for the Mariners.

Gonzales allowed six earned runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings in a Cactus League loss to the Padres on Friday. He struck out four.

Gonzales won't exactly head into his projected Opening Day start against the Giants on Thursday with much momentum, as he gave up a combined 11 earned runs on 18 hits, three walks and a hit batsman over his last two Cactus League starts. The left-hander did provide glimpses of his customary form in his first two trips to the mound this spring (six scoreless innings), so the hope is he was simply working through some kinks in these last two outings.

Irvin recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed just a hit and two walks over six innings in a Cactus League win over the Dodgers on Friday.

Irvin, who already came into the outing with a 1.50 ERA, was masterful while facing a Dodgers lineup replete with regulars, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. His dominance couldn't have been more timely, considering the Athletics announced Friday that Mike Fiers (hip) will start the season on the injured list. The southpaw is still competing with the similarly impressive Daulton Jefferies and A.J. Puk for the vacancy that absence creates, but Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports Irvin's candidacy is unsurprisingly strong in the eyes of his boss. "I know it's just a spring training game, but when you're coming down to the end and you're fighting for a spot, and you run up against the lineup like this and pitch in a fashion that he did, that carries a lot of weight," manager Bob Melvin said.

Ray (elbow) won't make his first start of the season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Ray suffered a bruised elbow after falling down some stairs early in the week, and he'll miss at least one turn through the rotation while he recovers. The Blue Jays haven't determined who will start in his place, but it's unlikely that Ray's injury will force him to miss significant time.

Quantrill appears to have lost his bid for a rotation spot, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Quantrill and Logan Allen are competing for Cleveland's final rotation role, and their respective usage Friday against the Rockies suggests Allen has won the job. Allen started and threw five innings, while Quantrill appeared in relief for just a single frame. The team hasn't officially announced the winner of the job, but that usage wouldn't make much sense if Quantrill was still in the mix to start. The two contestants' respective spring numbers seemingly made this a rather easy choice, as Allen owns a 18:3 K:BB in 14 innings, allowing just one run, while Quantrill has struggled to a 10:9 K:BB while allowing 12 runs in 12 frames.

Schmidt (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Schmidt suffered an extensor strain in his right elbow in late February and has yet to resume throwing. While manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Schmidt's return to throwing could be "imminent," the right-hander will miss extended time to begin the regular season while he builds back up.

Rodriguez (arm) threw a successful bullpen session Saturday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Rodriguez was pushed back from starting Opening Day after he experienced a dead arm period, but manager Alex Cora was impressed with the left-hander's performance during his throwing session Saturday. Rodriguez threw all of his pitches and had good control, and the team will see how he reacts Sunday. A better timetable for his return could be revealed once the Red Sox complete their evaluation.

Whitlock will break camp with the Red Sox, Mark Feisand of MLB.com reports.

Whitlock, the Rule 5 draft pick from the Yankees, hasn't appeared during the regular season since 2019 when he went 3-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 starts for Double-A Trenton. He'll work out of Boston's bullpen in 2021 after giving up one run on eight hits while striking out 12 and walking none over nine Grapefruit League innings. It's expected he'll be used as a multi-inning reliever.

McCullers will pitch the third game of the regular season, Chandler Rowe of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Astros manager Dusty Baker set the rotation for the first four games, and McCullers slots in for the third game, although he's viewed as the team's second-best starter. Zack Greinke will start Opening Day followed by Cristian Javier. McCullers, who is ready to go after throwing 90 pitches in a "B" game Wednesday, finished Grapefruit League play with two runs allowed on five hits and two walks while striking out 11 over seven innings.

Javier will start the Astros' second game of the regular season Friday against the Athletics, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Astros manager Dusty Baker named the first four starters of the regular season and has Javier following Opening Day starter Zack Greinke. Javier's start will likely involve heavy bullpen management, as the right-hander's preseason buildup was impacted by a week-long absence due to issues related to COVID-19. He's thrown just three innings during Grapefruit League play, which means someone like Brandon Bielak or Bryan Abreu could be asked to pitch multiple innings that day.