MLB Player News

Elder is the most likely candidate to get called up when Max Fried (hamstring) is placed on the injured list, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Ian Anderson was the other option, but he got hammered for three home runs in two-thirds of an inning Sunday for Triple-A Gwinnett. Elder didn't have a great beginning to his season either, allowing four runs over six innings for Gwinnett on Friday, but he'll be on schedule to step into Atlanta's rotation Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Anderson lasted only two-thirds of an inning for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, surrendering six runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks with one strikeout.

While his defense did him no favors, three of the nine hitters who faced Anderson also launched home runs off the right-hander. After a tough 2022 and a shaky spring, this was not the way the 24-year-old wanted to kick off the new campaign, but it seems as though he's a long way from being ready for a promotion. Expect Bryce Elder to get the nod to join Atlanta's rotation when Max Fried (hamstring) is placed on the IL.

Brubaker (elbow) could require season-ending Tommy John surgery, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Brubaker was transferred to the 60-day injured list Sunday, and while the Pirates are labeling his injury as right elbow/forearm discomfort at this time, Mackey relays that Tommy John surgery "is one of the options being considered." Even if the right-hander opts to treat his injury through rest and rehab, he's clearly going to be on the shelf for quite some time. Johan Oviedo has assumed Brubaker's spot in the Pirates' rotation.

DeSclafani is scheduled to start Monday's game against the White Sox in Chicago but could be piggybacked by Sean Manaea, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.

Manaea was available out of the bullpen for the Giants' season-opening weekend series with the Yankees but went unused, and because he had been building up in spring training to compete for a starting role, he could get the opportunity to work in tandem with DeSclafani. Though he enters the season with a rotation spot, DeSclafani was eased into workouts during spring training after he previously underwent ankle surgery last summer, and he didn't work more than four innings in any of his Cactus League outings. With that in mind, manager Gabe Kapler may not be keen on having DeSclafani work deep into Monday's outing, perhaps setting up Manaea to cover multiple innings once DeSclafani exits.

Falter (0-1) took the loss Sunday, allowing two runs on seven hits and zero walks over 5.1 innings against Texas. He struck out three.

Falter struggled to keep the bases empty but was able to somewhat limit the damage over five-plus innings of work. He allowed solo home run to Josh Jung in the bottom of the second inning to open the scoring and gave up a go-ahead RBI single to Marcus Semien in the bottom of the fifth. Last season, his first campaign as a starter, Falter posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with a 74:17 K:BB over 84 innings (16 starts).

Lugo (1-0) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and zero walks over seven innings against the Rockies. He struck out seven.

Lugo allowed a solo home run to Ryan McMahon in the top of the seventh inning, but other than that, he was absolutely dominant across seven strong frames. In his first season with San Diego, the eighth-year veteran is back in a starting role for the first time since 2020. Lugo's pitched over 100 innings just twice in his career (2017 and 2018), but he's never thrown more than 102 innings, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the Padres limit him at times to keep him fresh for the second half of the campaign.

Gomber (0-1) took the loss Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk over six innings in a 3-1 loss against the Padres. He struck out four.

Gomber gave up a solo home run to Trent Grisham and a two-run shot to Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the third inning, but the left-hander was able to compose himself and submitted a quality start in his regular-season debut. Across 33 starts with Colorado in 2022, Gomber posted a 5.56 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with a 95:34 K:BB over 124.2 innings.

Syndergaard did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and zero walks across six innings during a 2-1 loss to Arizona. He struck out six.

Syndergaard kept the bases clear for the most part, but the lone extra-base hit he allowed came in the fifth inning and tied the score at 1-1. The veteran right-hander dealt with a blister at the end of spring training, but he appears to be 100 percent and looked sharp in his regular-season debut. Across 25 appearances with the Angels and Phillies last season, Syndergaard posted a 3.94 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a 95:31 K:BB across 134.2 innings.

Davies did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks across five innings during a 2-1 win over the Dodgers. He struck out four.

Davies gave up a two-out, solo home run to Will Smith in the bottom of the first inning but steadied the ship and cruised through five innings. It was a solid first outing for the veteran right-hander, who struggled mightily during spring training. Across 27 starts with Arizona in 2022, Davies posted a 4.09 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with a 102:52 K:BB over 134.1 innings.

Lauer (1-0) earned the win Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings against the Cubs. He struck out six.

Lauer posted a 3.69 ERA with a 23.8 percent strikeout rate over 29 starts for Milwaukee last year en route to a career-high 11 wins, and he picked up where he left off during his 2023 debut Sunday. He fell just short of the quality start since he was at 89 pitches after 5.1 innings, but it was an encouraging outing to begin the regular season. The left-hander projects to make his next start at home against the Cardinals on Saturday.