MLB Player News

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Taillon was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday against the Rockies due to lower-back tightness, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Taillon's back tightened up on him during pregame warmups, and Counsell said the Cubs should have an update on Taillon's status and return timeline Sunday. Taillon has yet to appear in a game this spring and is coming off a 4.84 ERA season -- the highest mark of his seven-year career.

Taillon will no longer start the Cubs' Cactus League game against Colorado on Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

The reason for Taillon's late scratch is unclear, but the 32-year-old righty will have to wait a bit longer to make his spring debut nonetheless. Thomas Pannone will start against the Rockies in Taillon's place.

Alcantara (elbow) played catch Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Alcantara isn't a candidate to return during the 2024 season, but it is encouraging to see him throwing again just five months removed from his Tommy John procedure. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner will spend the year slowly rehabbing his elbow with the goal of returning for the start of the 2025 campaign.

The Reds optioned Richardson to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Richardson split his time last season between Triple-A and the majors. He spent the end of 2023 in the minors after posting an 8.64 ERA, 1.92 WHIP and 12:15 K:BB over 16.2 innings with the Reds. Richardson will start 2024 in Louisville and will attempt to work his way back into Cincinnati's rotation.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Sheehan (upper body) will start the 2024 season on the Dodgers' injured list, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Sheehan was set to compete with Gavin Stone for a spot in the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation. Sheehan's availability for the team's domestic opener is in jeopardy, and the duration of his IL stint has yet to be determined. He appeared in 13 games for the Dodgers last season and posted a 4.92 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 64:26 K:BB over 60.1 innings.

Manager Craig Counsell confirmed Saturday that Steele will start for the Cubs on Opening Day versus Texas, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Coming off the best season of his three-year career, Steele will be awarded his first Opening Day start. The 28-year-old southpaw finished last season with a 3.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP alongside a 176:36 K:BB across 173.1 innings, and he finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting. Steele has gotten off to a slow start in Cactus League play, allowing four runs in six innings, but he figures to put together another strong campaign in 2024 if he stays healthy.

Gasser tossed three scoreless innings of relief in an exhibition game Friday. He allowed two hits and posted a 3:1 K:BB in the outing.

Gasser allowed two earned runs over two innings in his lone start of the spring, but he has sandwiched scoreless one-inning and now three-inning appearances around that and owns a 6:2 K:BB over six total frames. Gasser is one of Milwaukee's top prospects and is in the mix for a rotation spot with the big club, but with him not yet on the 40-man roster, the Brewers could assign him to the minors in order to retain other pitchers that are.

Gray (hamstring) has progressed to throwing from 120 feet and participating in agility drills, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol said there's a chance Gray could begin throwing bullpen sessions next week if Gray's recovery goes well over the weekend. The 34-year-old righty still isn't expected to start for the Cardinals on Opening Day, but it is appearing increasingly likely that Gray's early season absence will be a brief one.

Hendricks, who allowed three runs over 3.1 innings in a Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks on Friday, now has a 7.56 ERA this spring.

Hendricks has made three short appearances so far in camp and has allowed runs each time. It's a small sample size of only 8.1 total innings, so alarm bells don't need to go off yet. However, fantasy managers may want to see the veteran righty get going a bit before the regular season to feel better about his prospects early in the year. Hendricks at least looks healthier this spring compared to last, when he had his throwing routine bumped back due to his recovery from a capsular tear in 2022.

Falter is in competition for the final spot in the Pirates' rotation to begin the season, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Falter is among several candidates vying for the role. He's allowed 12 baserunners across six innings of work in Grapefruit League action, though his 6:1 K:BB suggests perhaps he's gotten unlucky. The Pirates would likely prefer that Luis Ortiz or Jared Jones force their way into the rotation, and both have had impressive spring performances to this point. That could push Falter into a long relief role, as he has no minor-league options remaining.