MLB Player News

Peterson is scheduled to start Sunday in the finale of the Mets' season-opening series with the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Peterson looked as though he would have to battle Joey Lucchesi for the fifth starter's role early in camp, but spots opened up for both pitchers after Carlos Carrasco suffered a hamstring tear that will sideline him into May. The lefty will now have at least the first month of the season to solidify a permanent spot in the rotation. The 3.44 ERA and 1.21 WHIP he submitted over his 10 outings as a rookie last season were strong on the surface, but most underlying numbers (7.8 K-BB%, 5.11 xFIP) painted a less rosy picture of his performance. He'll likely need to miss more bats or hope for continued good luck on balls in play in order to deliver another sub-4.00 ERA season in 2021.

Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson said Lorenzen (shoulder) won't be ready for the start of the season after experiencing a small setback in his rehab program, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Cincinnati hasn't established a firm timeline for when Lorenzen will be ready to make his season debut, but he'll almost certainly get placed on the 10-day injured list before the Reds finalize their Opening Day roster. With Sonny Gray (back) also set to begin the season on the shelf, the Reds will turn to Jeff Hoffman and Jose De Leon to fill the two openings in the rotation.

Manager Joe Girardi said Anderson will start the Phillies' fifth game of the season April 6 against the Mets, Pat Gallen of CBS 3 Philadelphia reports.

Anderson and fellow Phillies newcomer Matt Moore were able to secure the final two spots in the rotation over Vince Velasquez, who will begin the season in the bullpen. The 33-year-old posted a career-best 10.7 K/9 for the Blue Jays in 2020, but he was hit hard when he wasn't making bats miss, giving up 45 hits -- including 11 home runs -- in 33.2 innings. While he held batters to a .157 average this spring, Anderson still served up two home runs in 14.2 innings. He looks like a less-than-ideal streaming option against a Mets squad that boasts one of baseball's more potent lineups from top to bottom.

Manager Joe Girardi confirmed that Wheeler would start the Phillies' second game of the season Saturday against Atlanta, Pat Gallen of CBS 3 Philadelphia reports.

Wheeler made good on the first season of the five-year, $118 million deal he signed with the Phillies last winter, posting a 2.92 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 11 starts in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Those strong ratios were somewhat marred by a substantial dip in his strikeout rate (career-worst 6.7 K/9), but Wheeler at least provided some hope for a bounce back in that area this spring. He finished the Phillies' Grapefruit League slate with 22 strikeouts in 19.1 innings, and after topping out at five frames over his six spring starts, he should head into his 2021 season debut without any major restrictions to his pitch count.

Gomber allowed two hits and no walks while striking out four over three scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring win over the White Sox. He didn't factor into the decision.

Gomber had allowed seven runs across his past two spring starts, but he ended on a high note during Tuesday's Cactus League finale. The southpaw lines up to make his regular-season debut with the Rockies as the starter against the Dodgers on Sunday. Gomber posted a 3.20 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 19.2 innings across six starts this spring.

Soroka (Achilles) threw two innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League finale and was happy with the results, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. "It was kind of nice that I got into trouble a little bit," Soroka said. "I had to get out there and keep making pitches just like I would during the season. That's something you don't feel in sim games."

The right-hander did give up a solo homer to Boston prospect Jarren Duran, but Soroka struck out two batters in his first inning and then used his sinker to induce a game-ending double play from Jeter Downs in his second frame. It was Soroka's first game action since tearing his Achilles tendon last August, and while he will still need some time at Atlanta's alternate training site to continue his recovery, the team hasn't ruled out him rejoining the rotation before the end of April.

May hurled 5.1 innings in an exhibition contest versus the Angels on Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out four.

A day after he was named the Dodgers' fifth starter for the regular season, May made the decision look like a wise one with a solid outing that brought his spring ERA down to 2.37. The 23-year-old's first start of the campaign is slated for April 5 at Oakland.

Urias hurled 5.2 innings against the Angels on Monday, allowing one run on two hits and no walks while striking out three.

In his final tune-up before the regular season, Urias threw 68 pitches -- 47 for strikes -- and yielded only one run, which came on a homer by Phil Gosselin. The southpaw was outstanding in spring play, posting a 1.69 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB over 16 innings. He'll next toe the mound in the Dodgers' fourth game of the season, slated for Sunday at Colorado.

Wainwright allowed two earned runs on three hits and a walk over 2.2 innings in a Grapefruit League tie with the Mets on Monday. He struck out one.

In his final tune-up before a scheduled turn in the second game of the regular season Saturday against the Reds, Wainwright worked up to 47 pitches. He threw 31 for strikes but also got tagged for a pair of doubles in what was his most hittable outing of a very strong spring overall. Even factoring in Monday's uneven performance, the 39-year-old wrapped up Grapefruit League play with a 2.42 ERA, .156 BAA and 0.72 WHIP across 22.1 innings covering six starts.

Martinez fired three scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League tie with the Mets on Monday, allowing no hits and one walk while recording two strikeouts.

The right-hander, who'll open the season in the starting rotation, will head into the season with some serious momentum after firing the equivalent of a complete-game shutout over his last pair of spring outings. Martinez's Grapefruit League performances ran the gamut from stellar to dreadful, as he gave up a combined 13 earned runs in three trips to the mound while posting scoreless efforts in three others.