MLB Player News

Marquez (1-0) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four in three innings to earn the win over the Cubs in Friday's Cactus League matchup.

Marquez made his spring debut in Friday's matchup, and he got up to 54 pitches across his three scoreless innings. He said that he felt good in the outings, and his results were certainly encouraging in the blowout win. The right-hander is a strong candidate to serve as Colorado's Opening Day starter, and he'll likely make at least one more Cactus League appearance prior to the regular season.

Miley (neck) will throw a live batting practice session Sunday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Miley ended last season on the injured list with a strained neck, though his delayed start to camp is supposedly due to the Cubs' program for handling veteran pitchers and not due to that injury. He won't be able to throw many Cactus League innings prior to Opening Day, however, so it's possible Miley will be on a pitch count for his first start or two of the regular season.

Strider gave up four hits and struck out three over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins and hit 100 mph with four of his pitches, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

In addition to clocking triple digits, 20 of Strider's 29 pitches in the outing reached 96 mph. The 23-year-old right hander made a dramatic ascent through the Atlanta system last season, starting out in Low-A but ending the year in the big-league bullpen, and it's easy to see why after Tuesday's performance. Strider is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett, but it's not yet clear whether the organization will stretch him back out as a starter -- he started 14 games for Double-A Mississippi in 2021 and posted a 94:29 K:BB in 63 innings, albeit with a 4.71 ERA and 1.22 WHIP -- or whether he'll continue his development as a potential high-leverage bullpen arm.

Gray gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out five.

After a shaky spring debut, Gray was able to hit his spots better in his second outing. The 24-year-old is locked into a rotation spot for the Nationals to begin the season, and his ability to stay out of the middle of the plate will be one of the keys to his development in 2022 after he posted an ugly 2.42 HR/9 and 5.48 ERA over his first 70.2 big-league innings last year.

Gallen (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen, who has been working his way back from shoulder soreness, will throw his second live BP session of the week. The right-hander came out of the first one feeling good. While he may not be ready to go for Opening Day, all signs point to Gallen being ready soon after that.

Davies threw two innings in a simulated game Thursday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The Diamondbacks inked Davies earlier in the week, and the right-hander is a frontrunner for the final spot in the rotation, provided he can build up his innings and pitch count by the first week of the season. He had a career-worst year with the Cubs in 2021, posting a 5.78 ERA and 1.52 K/BB over 32 starts while also tying for the NL lead in walks (75). His prior track record, which included a 3.79 ERA (114 ERA+) across six seasons, is what Arizona found attractive. The Diamondbacks appear to have their first four rotation slots set, but Zac Gallen (shoulder) might not be ready for Opening Day. Davies joins a long list of candidates in the mix for the fifth starter job and covering whatever time Gallen needs to get ready. Tyler Gilbert, Taylor Widener, Caleb Smith, Corbin Martin, Dan Straily and Humberto Castellanos are also being considered.

Manager Dave Roberts announced Thursday that Walker Buehler will be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

This feels like a passing of the torch in Los Angeles, as Kershaw had been the team's starter for every Opening Day in which he wasn't injured since 2011. The decision is more a recognition of Buehler's ascension than an indictment of Kershaw, who posted a 3.55 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 144:21 K:BB across 121.2 innings last season. Those numbers deserve applause, but Buehler earned the ace role with a 2.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 212:52 K:BB across 207.2 frames. In terms of fantasy significance, the most important note is that Kershaw has started the spring healthy, though he has given up three runs across 3.2 innings in two starts.

Steele pitched two scoreless innings in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Angels. He walked two and struck out two.

Steele is competing for a spot at the back end of the Cubs' rotation, so performances like this are very useful. Keegan Thompson is also in the mix for the No. 5 role, as is the newly signed Drew Smyly. Steele appeared in 20 games for Chicago last season, including nine starts, and registered a 4.26 ERA across 57 innings of work.

Walker (knee) is slated to pitch behind starter David Peterson in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Walker will finally be making his spring debut this weekend after a mid-January procedure on his right knee had kept him about two weeks behind the Mets' other starting pitchers thus far in camp. Though the right-hander hasn't said whether he plans to be ready to go for Opening Day, how long he works and how he fares in Saturday's contest will likely be a deciding factor. Walker earned his first All-Star nod in his first season with the Mets in 2021, but he faded badly in the second half to finish with a 4.47 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 146:55 K:BB in 159 frames.

Buehler was named the Dodgers' Opening Day starter Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The torch has officially been passed at Dodger Stadium. For the first time since 2010, a healthy Clayton Kershaw will watch from the dugout on Opening Day. (Kershaw wasn't the team's Opening Day starter in 2019 or 2020 but was on the injured list both times.) The honor is a deserved one for Buehler, who's coming off a season in which he posted a career-best 2.47 ERA, a mark that beat Kershaw by over a run. Buehler will take on the Rockies in Coors Field to kick off the season on April 8 and then will either face the Twins in Minnesota or the Reds at home the following week, depending on whether the Dodgers use their April 11 off day to skip a starter or give their pitchers an extra day of rest.