MLB Player News

Mikolas is the leading candidate to start on Opening Day for the Cardinals, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

The honor would have almost certainly gone to Adam Wainwright in what is expected to be his farewell MLB season, but it was announced Thursday that Wainwright will begin the year on the IL because of a groin strain. Mikolas was the most reliable starter for St. Louis throughout the 2022 campaign, working to a 3.29 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 202.1 regular-season innings. He'll make his final Grapefruit League start Friday night against the Nationals.

Cueto (arm) threw a bullpen session Wednesday without issue, Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald report.

Cueto was held out of some scheduled back-field work this past Monday due to general arm soreness, but he passed the test Wednesday and will throw again Friday. If all goes well from this point forward, the veteran right-hander should be able to take the ball for the Marlins somewhere within the first week of the 2023 regular season.

Snell appears lined up to serve as the Opening Day starter for the Padres, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Joe Musgrove (toe) will miss at least the first week of the season and Yu Darvish is still in buildup mode following his run with Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, so the Opening Day call figures to go to Snell. An official decision is expected Friday. Snell, 30, registered a 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 171:51 K:BB across 128 regular-season innings (24 starts) for San Diego in 2022.

Darvish likely won't make his 2023 debut until the Padres' fifth or sixth game of the regular season, which would come April 3 or 4 against the Diamondbacks, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Darvish probably would have been the Opening Day starter for the Padres, but he got limited use while representing Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic and still has some buildup to do here in late March. He's aiming to throw four innings in one of the team's final remaining Cactus League games and could then jump into the San Diego rotation during the second series of the season. Blake Snell looks to be lined up for the Opening Day nod.

Rogers gave up three hits and a walk over five scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out four.

Facing a St. Louis lineup that lacked its biggest bats but still featured big-league hitters like Tyler O'Neill and Willson Contreras as well as top prospect Jordan Walker, Rogers tossed 53 of 71 pitches for strikes as he held the opposition scoreless for the fourth time in six spring outings. The southpaw has a sharp 17:3 K:BB through 18 Grapefruit League innings, and he seems ready to try and recapture the form that saw him post a 2.64 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 25 starts in 2021.

Woodford is expected to begin the season in the Cardinals' rotation after Adam Wainwright was diagnosed with a groin strain Thursday, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Wainwright is expected to miss several weeks, so Woodford could get a handful of starts. The young righty has had an excellent spring, showing more velocity while posting a 2.04 ERA and 18:5 K:BB across 17.2 frames. The lack of strikeout upside makes him a mostly unappealing fantasy option, but he could turn out to be useful for streaming purposes.

Wainwright was diagnosed with a groin strain Thursday will begin the season on the injured list, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Wainwright suffered the injury Tuesday during a workout with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. The injury is expected to sideline him for "several weeks," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol told John Denton of MLB.com. Jake Woodford is likely to be Wainwright's rotation replacement.

Ashcraft struck out 10 "B-Team" Padres in Wednesday night's spring training start over six innings. After the start he exuded about the progress he has made with his slider, a pitch he's using a new grip for, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "Everything is working how we want," Ashcraft said. "The slider is the best it's ever been for me."

Between the reports of Ashcraft hitting 100 mph and now his new-and-improved slider, he's graduated to the level of last-round dart-throw intrigue. He obviously needs to face tougher competition, but he now has 25 strikeouts in 17.1 spring training innings.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Gonsolin's (ankle) time on the injured list will span "a few weeks," Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Roberts said Friday that Gonsolin would begin the season on the IL due to his sprained ankle, and Roberts has now provided a better idea of how long the 28-year-old righty will be sidelined. While he's out, Gonsolin's spot in the rotation will be filled by either Ryan Pepiot or Michael Grove.

With Marcus Stroman set to start Opening Day, Taillon figures to slot in as the Cubs' No. 2 starter to begin the regular season.

Stroman getting the ball on Opening Day isn't a surprise, and it should set up Taillon as the team's second starter, with Justin Steele to follow. Taillon signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Cubs back in December after posting a 3.91 ERA across 177.1 innings with the Yankees last season.