MLB Player News

Verlander (1-0) allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk while striking out nine across seven innings to earn the win Thursday against the Rays.

Verlander got off to a rocky start, allowing a solo home run to the first hitter he faced. However, he allowed just one hit across his final six innings of work and racked up an impressive 23 swinging strikes. Having thrown 102 pitches, Verlander appears to have no workload restrictions.

Kluber (0-1) got the loss on Opening Day against the Twins, giving up two runs on four hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking one as the Indians fell 2-0.

It was a strong outing for the dominant right-hander, but he was outdueled by a superb effort from Minnesota starter Jose Berrios. He still delivered a solid line for fantasy owners and will look to get in the win column in his next start, which will come at home Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Berrios (1-0) got the win against the Indians on Thursday, giving up no runs on just two hits over 7.2 innings, striking out 10 and walking one as the Twins triumphed 2-0.

It was a brilliant start to the 2019 campaign for the right-hander, who baffled Cleveland's lineup en route to this season-opening victory. Berrios has shown flashes of this ability in the past, but hasn't yet managed to put it together for an entire season, with an average ERA of 3.86 over the past two years. He'll need to find more consistency to become a legitimate staff ace, but even if his ERA stays around that mark, his 1.14 WHIP and 202 strikeouts from a season ago suggest Berrios will still carry plenty of value atop Minnesota's rotation.

Manager Brandon Hyde said that Cobb (groin) is making good progress and is in line to start the Orioles' home opener April 4 against the Yankees, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Cobb is opening the season on the 10-day injured list after he was diagnosed with a mild groin strain coming out of his final spring start this past weekend. The injury resulted in Cobb missing out on the Opening Day assignment, but the right-hander shouldn't miss any turns beyond that. When healthy, Cobb might represent the most appealing Baltimore starter from a fantasy standpoint, but that's not saying much coming off a season in which he posted a 4.90 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over 152.1 innings.

The Royals placed Oaks (hip) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for first baseman Frank Schwindel, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Omaha. Oaks is recovering from hip surgery and isn't expected to be ready to resume baseball activities until around the All-Star break.

Heaney (elbow) suffered a setback and is scheduled to visit a doctor Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. Manager Brad Ausmus noted that he's "a little concerned" about the issue.

Heaney apparently felt something in his elbow during his most recent side session, prompting the Angels to shut him down and send him in for further evaluation. The appointment will involve a scan, per Ardaya. This is certainly a worrisome development for the southpaw, who is already on the 10-day IL to open the season.

The Angels placed Heaney (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Though he'll be unavailable to begin the season, Heaney won't necessarily be ticketed for a lengthy stay on the IL. The southpaw was able to resume mound work earlier this week and could gain clearance to face hitters within the next several days.

The Rangers placed Farrell (jaw) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The transaction opens up an extra spot on the 40-man roster and confirms that Farrell will be sidelined until at least late May while he works to regain weight and ease into a throwing program after he required surgery earlier this month to address a fractured jaw. Farrell isn't expected to fill a high-leverage role out of the Texas bullpen once he's activated.

The Astros placed McCullers (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

McCullers is slated to miss the entire 2019 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery, so the transaction is merely a formality. The Astros will likely shift him to the 60-day IL later this season when the team needs to open up a spot on the 40-man roster.

The Yankees officially placed Severino (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.

Severino is one of six Yankees who will open the season on the IL as the team set its roster ahead of Thursday's opener against the Orioles. The right-hander is currently throwing off flat ground at this stage of his recovery from right shoulder inflammation and isn't expected to make his season debut until sometime in May.