MLB Player News

Bubic is likely to open the season as the Royals' fifth starter, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Daniel Lynch gave himself a fighting chance to nab a rotation spot with a strong showing this spring, but he made a one-inning relief appearance Wednesday and is scheduled for another relief outing Friday, which points to Bubic opening in the rotation. Bubic has yielded six runs with a 13:3 K:BB over 13 innings this spring and will look to carry over his success last season as a reliever (32.2 percent strikeout rate over 30.1 regular-season innings) into the rotation.

Scherzer (thumb) said Thursday that he's tentatively lined up to pitch in a game Saturday, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.

Scherzer got through a bullpen session Thursday without any apparent issues, but he will have to wait and see how his right thumb recovers before he's cleared to pitch Saturday. If he is able to take the ball this weekend, the goal is to get up to the 65-to-70 pitch count, which would set him up to be ready to make his first start of the regular season.

Scherzer (thumb) will throw another bullpen session Thursday and hopes to pitch in a game this weekend, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Scherzer and the Blue Jays remain hopeful that the veteran right-hander will be ready to go on Opening Day, but they'll have to wait and see how his sore thumb responds. The 40-year-old has been excellent this spring when on the bump, yielding just two runs with a 14:0 K:BB in nine innings.

DeGrom allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three over four innings in Wednesday's Cactus League start against the Mariners.

DeGrom made his second Cactus League start but has also built up in minor-league games during the spring. He told Kenndi Landry of MLB.com that he feels good health-wise but was not pleased about his mechanics. Specifically, his shoulder was flying open, and deGrom couldn't keep the ball down with his slider and caught too much of the middle of the plate overall. The Rangers' ace worked his pitch count to 57, which is less than optimal at this stage of the Cactus League, but deGrom is expected to pitch when his turn comes up in the opening week of the regular season.

Garcia has been shut down due to soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Garcia had been scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Thursday, but that's been scrapped and he will be evaluated by doctors. The right-hander has encountered multiple bumps in the road in his comeback from May 2023 Tommy John surgery, suffering a couple setbacks last season and now another.

Allen allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out six over 4.2 innings in Wednesday's split-squad start against the Angels.

This was Allen's fifth Cactus League appearance and third start. Following a regression season in 2024, Allen has pitched well this spring, elevating his chances among several candidates for one of the open rotation spots. He lowered his Cactus League ERA to 1.89, the best of all starters not named Tanner Bibee. His 19 strikeouts to four walks over 19 innings also points to him opening the regular season in the Guardians' rotation.

Williams allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings in Wednesday's split-squad start against the Athletics.

Williams made his fourth Cactus League start and got up to 80 pitches (52 strikes), putting him on schedule for the regular season. The right-hander has impressed this spring with 21 strikeouts over 12.1 innings. There's room for him to make one more start prior to the regular season, likely Monday or Tuesday against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field after the Guardians break camp. Williams is expected to pitch during the opening series of the regular season in Kansas City.

Hancock will open the regular season as Seattle's No. 5 starter, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

There was little doubt Hancock would be able to win the job, given the lack of other candidates on the roster, but he solidified himself after allowing just one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers. George Kirby (shoulder) is not expected to rejoin the Mariners until mid-April, setting up Hancock to make a handful of starts to begin the campaign. "He's really had a good camp. I think he's really taken a step forward here," manager Dan Wilson said. Even so, the 2020 first-rounder's fantasy upside could still be restricted, considering Hancock fanned a lowly 14.7 percent of the batters he faced over 60.2 innings in 2024.

Stroman tossed three scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League game against Philadelphia on Wednesday, allowing one hit and issuing one walk while striking out three batters.

The only hit Stroman allowed was an infield single, though he did display a bit of wildness by walking two batters and plunking another. That led to him needing 64 pitches to get through three frames, but the overall results were mostly positive as the veteran righty prevented the Phillies from crossing the plate. Stroman struggled early this spring, but he's since bounced back and has a tolerable 4.66 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 7:2 K:BB over 9.2 spring innings. He's a leading candidate to open the season in the Yankees' rotation, due in part to long-term injuries to Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Luis Gil (lat).

Bido has won a spot in the Athletics' rotation, manager Mark Kotsay told Martin Gallegos of MLB.com on Wednesday.

Bido entered camp with seemingly a lock on a rotation spot but has struggled with a 9.24 ERA this spring with five home runs allowed in 10.2 innings. That left a little uncertainty for his spot in the rotation until this announcement. Bido made a strong impression with a 3.41 ERA and 24.3 percent strikeout rate last season. He could be a late bloomer at age 29.