MLB Player News

Means will be the Orioles' Opening Day starter, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

It's no surprise to see Means get the honor, as he was the Orioles' lone All-Star last year. He wouldn't be the Opening Day starter for many teams in the league, as his 3.60 ERA came with a modest 19.0 percent strikeout rate and a 4.41 FIP, but he's the best option Baltimore has at the moment. His tough home park and difficult schedule (in which the Orioles will play two thirds of their games against the strong AL East) further suppress his fantasy value.

Skubal was placed on the 10-day injured list for undisclosed reasons Friday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Privacy concerns prevent the Tigers from specifying whether or not Skubal's absence is due to COVID-19. It's not clear when he's expected back on the field. The promising young lefty could play a role in the majors at some point this season, though he's yet to reach Triple-A and has only made nine Double-A starts.

Faedo (undisclosed) was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

If Faedo's absence is due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tigers wouldn't legally be allowed to confirm. Faedo is part of the team's 60-man player pool this season, though he's yet to reach Triple-A, so he's unlikely to play a major role at the big-league level.

Eovaldi allowed one hit and one walk while striking out four over four innings in an intrasquad game Thursday,

In continuation of a dominant spring training, when Eovaldi pitched 12 scoreless Grapefruit League innings, the right-hander mastered Boston's hitters during Thursday's session and then followed up with a fifth inning in the bullpen. He used all of his pitches Thursday, including a revamped slider, a pitch he focused on during the shutdown. Eovaldi will be an important player for the Red Sox in what will be a thin starting rotation. With Eduardo Rodriguez (illness) not yet in camp and uncertain to report, Eovaldi is expected to be the Opening Day starter.

Kluber worked six-plus innings and threw 80 pitches in an intrasquad game Thursday, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports. He allowed two hits, did not walk a batter and struck out nine.

Other than Rougned Odor catching all of a cut fastball for a home run, Kluber was on point. He retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced and fanned seven of them in what was his second time on the mound at Globe Life Field. "He was definitely ahead of the hitters today," manager Chris Woodward said. "I felt it was his command, and the baseball was moving. The movement is really late. Honestly, I was thrilled to watch that. You see the reaction of a lot of our hitters. A lot of them had a really tough time against him." Kluber is line for two more camp outings before the regular season arrives.

McCullers threw four innings and 67 pitches in an intra-squad game Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCullers, who pitched in a simulated game last week, had his first session in a game-like environment. Like last week's sim game, the right-hander reported feeling strong enough to pitch longer. He navigated early issues and was able to make mid-game adjustments to elicit swing-and-misses over the final two frames. McCullers, who missed all of 2019 following Tommy John elbow surgery, looks ready to go as the Astros' No. 3 starter.

Verlander (groin) threw three hitless innings in a simulated game Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Facing Houston's presumed everyday lineup, minus Yordan Alvarez (undisclosed), Verlander struck out five and did not have a ball leave the infield. The only baserunner against Verlander reached via error. The right-hander unveiled slight tweaked mechanics, which lowered his release point relative to where it was in 2019. While last year's AL Cy Young winner told manager Dusty Baker last month that he was healthy and free of pain, it's good to see him actually get onto the field and dominate again after undergoing right groin surgery in mid-March. Verlander would appear on track for Opening Day.

Manager Joe Maddon said Sandoval reported to camp Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Sandoval has officially joined the Angels for workouts after missing the start of summer camp for undisclosed reasons. The southpaw, who posted a 5.03 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 42:10 K:BB over 39.1 innings as a rookie last season, is a candidate to serve as the team's sixth starter during the shortened 2020 season.

Montas was impressive in Tuesday's simulated game at Athletics summer camp despite giving up a home run to Franklin Barreto, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander had already gotten camp off to a strong start by demonstrating his usual velocity during a bullpen session, but he was able to continue impressing Tuesday while facing some his talented teammates. Montas continues to insist he's already geared up to take on close to a normal early season workload, which, if true, has him within range of manager Bob Melvin's expectations. "Montas looked good. He tells me he could go close to five innings right now," Melvin said. "I don't think we're there yet with all of our starters, but if we could get to 80 or 85 pitches for their first game, that's kind of what we're targeting."

Kikuchi was impressive while facing live batters for the first time in summer camp Wednesday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Kikuchi was labeled by manager Scott Servais as the pitcher likeliest most prepared to endure a heavy workload as summer camp began, and he helped validate his boss's faith Wednesday. The left-hander reportedly elevated his fastball up to 95 mph once he warmed up, ringing up some swings and misses against multiple teammates in the process. Kikuchi also confirmed he's slated to pitch in his first intrasquad game of camp Tuesday.