MLB Player News

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.

Musgrove (toe) is throwing a simulated game Wednesday in Padres camp, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Musgrove will be facing non-swinging hitters, but it's another step in the right direction as he recovers from a fractured left big toe. The standing belief is that Musgrove could be ready to join the Padres' starting rotation April 6 at Atlanta. If he does meet that timeline, he'll prove to be a terrific value in fantasy drafts that have taken place over the last handful of weeks. Musgrove suffered the injury in a weight room incident Feb. 27.

Darvish is unlikely to start Opening Day for the Padres, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Darvish pitched just an inning for Team Japan on Tuesday during the World Baseball Classic, and he may need some time to get ramped up. Scanlan notes that Darvish will report to camp Thursday and that the right-hander ended the offseason throwing 80-pitch bullpens, so it shouldn't take much time to get him lengthened. Darvish may not get the Opening Day assignment, but he should still get a regular load for San Diego and has a chance to be an excellent fantasy option for the 2023 campaign.

Stroman announced via his Twitter account that he will start Opening Day for the Cubs against the Brewers next Thursday

Stroman will get the ball against Corbin Burnes for the opener. The right-handed Stroman was limited to just 138.2 innings in 2022, but he pitched relatively well in his 25 starts with a 3.50 ERA and 119:36 K:BB ratio. Stroman will never be a fantasy ace because he doesn't miss enough bats, but he should again be a solid if unspectacular option in 2023.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said that Carrasco won't make his scheduled minor-league start Thursday due to "elbow maintenance," Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The Mets don't seem to be even considering this an injury, as Carrasco is slated to make a minor-league start next Tuesday instead. The situation is an odd one, but Carrasco's elbow typically gives him a little trouble every spring. Barring any setbacks, fantasy managers should continue drafting him as they normally would. Carrasco holds a 4.15 ERA and 14:2 K:BB over 13 innings this spring.

Suarez is unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season after experiencing a setback with his left forearm, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Suarez was sent in for an MRI on Tuesday, and while the scan revealed no structural damage, he's still battling some inflammation. The left-hander will be shut down for a few days with the hope the swelling recedes and he's able to quickly resume a throwing program. The setback doesn't sound like a long-term concern for Suarez, but the Phillies will need a replacement in the rotation for the southpaw, and fellow lefty Matt Strahm appears to be the next man up for the assignment.

Montgomery hurled five scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League start against the Marlins.

Montgomery allowed six hits in the outing, and he finished with just one strikeout while not issuing a walk. The left-hander came into the outing with a 7.71 ERA over his first two outings in Florida, so this would easily qualify as his best Grapefruit League effort. Montgomery pitched well in 2022 with a 3.48 ERA and 158:36 K:BB over 178.1 innings with the Cardinals and Yankees, and he is expected to slot into the middle of the St. Louis rotation to begin the 2023 campaign.

Corbin gave up one run on five hits over six innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets. He struck out five without walking a batter.

The veteran lefty was facing a lineup that included the likes of Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor, as well as top prospects Francisco Alvarez and Mark Vientos, and after giving up a run in the first inning, Corbin shut down New York the rest of the way. His control has been nearly impeccable this spring, and Corbin has a 13:1 K:BB through 14 Grapefruit League innings over four starts; however, the 33-year-old hasn't posted an ERA below 4.66 or a WHIP below 1.47 since 2019 and remains a very risky fantasy option in 2023.

Flaherty allowed two runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four over 4.2 innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game versus the Nationals.

Flaherty put a bit too much traffic on the bases, which shortened his outing. He threw 57 of 90 pitches for strikes, which suggests that he's entering 2023 fully healthy and ready for a starter's workload after an injury-plagued 2022. The right-hander should get one more spring start before lining up to pitch in the opening series versus the Blue Jays.

Wesneski is listed as the probable starter for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Wesneski has pitched well over the spring with a 3.00 ERA and 17 strikeouts over his 12 innings of work. The right-hander is battling for one of the final spots in the Chicago rotation to open the year, and Javier Assad is also scheduled to pitch on Thursday. The results for Wesneski -- as well as Assad -- will go a long way in determining who will win the fifth starter job for the Cubs.