MLB Player News

Sandoval is being stretched out as a starter during spring training, but he is also being considered for a big-league bullpen role, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Sandoval has looked superb in Cactus League play thus far, throwing six scoreless innings and racking up nine strikeouts. However, there may not be room in the rotation for the left-hander, even with manager Joe Maddon committed to a six-man starting staff. Should Sandoval break camp with the club, he could function as a multiple-inning relief option with the ability to step into the rotation if the need arises. He could also start off the campaign logging innings in the minors, though Sandoval seems to be reducing the likelihood of that scenario with his strong start this spring.

Boyd allowed one run across three innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He gave up three hits and a walk, while striking out three.

Boyd is off to a solid start this spring, allowing just one run through five innings with four strikeouts. It would be nice to see the lefty begin generating more strikeouts in his upcoming Grapefruit League starts, as his K/9 fell to 9.0 last season after sitting at 11.6 in 2019. If Boyd can get the whiffs back up, he should be able to maintain fantasy value even if he struggles with his ratios and wins.

Whitley will undergo Tommy John surgery, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Whitley was told by a doctor over the weekend that he'd require Tommy John surgery, and manager Dusty Baker revealed Wednesday that he received a second opinion that confirmed the prognosis. Whitley won't pitch until 2022 as a result, and the right-hander has thrown just 86 innings since the start of the 2018 campaign due to a suspension and various injuries.

Ryu faced hitters in an intrasquad game Wednesday at the Blue Jays' spring training facility, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Though he has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut, Ryu remains on schedule with his build-up program for the regular season. As is the case for many veteran starters around the league, Ryu is simply getting his arm conditioned on the back fields at the spring facility, giving the Jays' lesser established pitchers the chance to showcase their skills in the Grapefruit League. Toronto has yet to name an Opening Day starter, but Ryu is the leading candidate to get the ball April 1 against the Yankees after compiling a 2.69 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 67 innings in his inaugural season in Toronto.

Stripling worked two scoreless frames Wednesday versus the Orioles in his Grapefruit League debut. He scattered three hits and issued no walks while striking out two.

Stripling's control was on point throughout the afternoon, as he peppered in 28 of his 38 pitches for strikes, per Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star. Though Stripling worked as a swingman for the Blue Jays last season upon coming over from the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Toronto team president Mark Shapiro said Tuesday that he projects the right-hander to begin the 2021 campaign as a member of the rotation, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Stripling's hold on a starting role could slip once Nate Pearson (groin) is fully healthy, however.

Montas is expected to be ready to begin the 2021 season in the rotation, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Montas had been dealing with some mild residual breathing issues after he tested positive for COVID-19 in February, but he recently hit 98 mph during a sim game. Manager Bob Melvin said that the team "didn't see any ill effects" during his throwing session. Barring any setbacks, the right-hander should open the season in the rotation and could potentially serve as the team's Opening Day starter.

Kirby was invited to major-league spring training Wednesday.

Kirby spent the entire 2020 campaign at the Mariners' alternate training site, and he'll now join the team for developmental purposes as a non-roster invitee. The right-hander cleared intake testing Wednesday and will be immediately eligible to join the team for workouts. Kirby is slated to begin the year in the minors, but he'll have several weeks to work with the major-league coaching staff prior to Opening Day.

Eovaldi pitched a three-inning simulated game Tuesday, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. He allowed a run on two hits and a walk while striking out four.

Abraham believes Eovaldi was squeezed on one call, which could have turned one of the walks into a strikeout. Eovaldi had been scheduled to start Saturday, but he was pushed back due to personal reasons. This outing serves as his second spring start.

McCullers allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out four over two innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Nationals.

In what was a rather odd outing for McCullers due to 2021 spring training rules. McCullers was pulled with two outs in the second inning, then came back out to start the third and was actually dinged with a blown save in a game he started. The right-hander reached the 50-pitch threshold he was shooting for and was able to introduce his changeup and cutter, Chandler Rome of Houston Chronicle reports. He also wanted to get up and down three times, so in that regard, mission accomplished for McCullers.

Kopech struck out one over a scoreless inning in Tuesday's spring game against San Diego.

Kopech made his first game appearance in nearly a year, as his last one came March 10, 2020. Seven of his nine pitches went for strikes, and his fastball clocked in between 97 and 99 mph, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. The flame-throwing prospect will pitch out of the bullpen to start the season, but he could eventually move into the rotation.