MLB Player News

Gray will undergo an MRI on his injured right hamstring Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Gray tweaked the hamstring while delivering a pitch during Monday's Grapefruit League start against the Nationals. For what it's worth, Gray made two separate trips to the injured list in 2022 with a strain of the same hamstring, although he had no issues with it during the 2023 campaign. Gray is in line to start Opening Day for the Cardinals, if healthy.

Gray was removed from Monday's outing against the Nationals because of right hamstring tightness, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

It's not ideal, but at least it's not arm-related. Gray permitted one hit and struck out one over 1.2 innings Monday before being lifted. The Cardinals will wait to see how he recovers before deciding whether he will be ready for his next Grapefruit League start or requires a little rest. Assuming health, Gray will be the Cardinals' Opening Day starter.

The Dodgers placed Kershaw (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Andre Lipcius. Kershaw is not expected to pitch until later in the season following offseason shoulder surgery.

Gray was removed from Monday's Grapefruit League start versus the Nationals in the second inning with an apparent injury, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Gray was facing his fifth batter of the game but was pulled after appearing to injure himself on a pitch to Nick Senzel. He walked off the field after a visit from the trainer, manager Oliver Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake. Gray yielded one hit and struck out one over 1.2 scoreless frames before exiting. The Cardinals figure to update his condition soon.

Iriarte was optioned to Triple-A El Paso by the Padres on Sunday.

Iriarte was added to the Padres' 40-man roster over the offseason and impressed during his time in big-league camp, yielding just one unearned run over three innings. The 22-year-old had seemed in contention for a roster spot, but the team needing to make some early cuts because of its March 20-21 series versus the Dodgers in South Korea probably didn't help Iriarte's bid. He's put himself in position for a promotion at some point this season, however.

Quintana is the likeliest candidate to get the Opening Day start for the Mets, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

With Kodai Senga (shoulder) set to miss the first month of the season or more, Quintana should be the next man up for New York to kick off the season. "It would be an honor. It's a dream for any starting pitcher," the veteran southpaw said last week. "Big crowd, a lot of energy. It's a gift." Quintana has thrown 100 or more innings only once in the last four seasons, but he's healthy headed into the spring and the Mets believe he can handle a much larger workload than the 75.2 innings he tossed in 2023 during a campaign that didn't begin until after the All-Star break due to rib surgery.

Sale gave up three hits and two walks over 2.2 scoreless innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out five while also throwing a wild pitch.

That's nine Ks and a 0.00 ERA in 4.2 innings for Sale as he gets ready for his first campaign with Atlanta. The 34-year-old lefty hasn't made 25 starts in a season since 2019, and injuries have left his numbers somewhat volatile since he crossed over into his 30s, but he appears to be 100 percent healthy in camp and could be poised for a rebound. At the very least, he could take a run at double-digit wins for the first time since 2018 with one of the most potent offenses in MLB at his back.

Anderson is throwing long toss from 120 feet, and he's on schedule in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old right-hander underwent surgery in April 2023 and is targeting a midseason return to the mound. Atlanta may not have room for him in its big-league rotation once he's ready for game action however, especially if Anderson can't regain the form that saw him produce a 3.58 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 124:53 K:BB through 128.1 innings in 2021, before a rough 2022 may have provided an early signal that his elbow wasn't 100 percent. Anderson still has a minor-league option remaining, so it wouldn't be surprising if he spent the second half of 2024 at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Ynoa has resumed long-toss after being shut down for a bit with right elbow soreness, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Ynoa is coming back from Tommy John surgery and had been throwing bullpen sessions early on in camp before the elbow soreness cropped up. Atlanta doesn't appear overly concerned about the righty, as Ynoa could resume mound work in a few days. Ynoa already had seemed likely to begin the season back in the minors as he knocks some rust off, and this setback should cinch that.

Wheeler signed a three-year, $126 million contract extension with the Phillies on Monday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

Wheeler had been in line to reach free agency after the upcoming season, but now he'll remain in Philadelphia for a while longer. The average annual value of the deal is a Phillies record and also the largest-ever AAV for a contract extension. The veteran right-hander has collected a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 21.3 K-BB% across 101 starts during his time with the Phillies and will turn 34 in May.