MLB Player News

DeSclafani appears set to begin the season as San Francisco's No. 4 starter, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Manager Gabe Kapler named the first three starters of the season (Kevin Gausman, Johnny Cueto, Logan Webb) with DeSclafani likely then set as the fourth starter and Aaron Sanchez as the fifth starter. DeSclafani has a 2.79 ERA (3 ER in 9.2 IP) with 12 strikeouts and three walks this spring.

Webb will begin the season in the starting rotation and make his first start Saturday at Seattle, manager Gabe Kapler told the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Anthony DeSclafani will begin the season as the No. 4 starter and Aaron Sancher as the No. 5 starter as a result. Webb has had an outstanding spring by throwing 11 scoreless innings with 17 strikeouts and one walk.

Lorenzen (shoulder) is not expected to be ready to start any of the Reds' first five games, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lorenzen looked likely to open the season as a starter but has been dealing with a strained right shoulder for the past week. It's not yet clear whether or not he'll need a trip to the injured list, but he won't have time to build up as a starter by Opening Day. With Tejay Antone (hip) and Sonny Gray (back) also dealing with injuries, Jeff Hoffman and Jose De Leon are both expected to begin the season in the rotation.

Senzatela allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out three in five innings during Friday's spring loss to Cleveland. He didn't factor into the decision.

Senzatela gave up eight hits during his last spring start but was much sharper against Cleveland on Friday. The right-hander has moved past his hamstring issue during his two Cactus League starts and could start during the Rockies' opening series against the Dodgers this year since Kyle Freeland (shoulder) is slated to miss at least a month.

Urias was officially named the Dodgers' fourth starter Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Urias was seemingly part of a four-way competition with David Price, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May for the Dodgers' final two rotation spots, though he always appeared to be a favorite. Despite debuting back in 2016, Urias has made a total of just 38 big-league starts, spending time in both the bullpen and on the injured list. If he remains healthy all season, he could blow past his previous career highs of 15 starts and 79.2 innings, though the Dodgers can afford to give him plenty of rest to manage his workload given their impressive rotation depth.

Toussaint was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain Saturday.

Toussaint had made four Grapefruit League appearances and posted a 2.00 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in nine innings during that time. However, he's apparently dealing with a shoulder injury and will be forced to miss extended time to begin the regular season. It's not yet clear when Toussaint will be able to make his 2021 debut.

Kershaw tossed 3.1 innings against Oakland in a Cactus League contest Friday, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out six.

Aside from a nice strikeout total, very little went right for the southpaw, and the rough outing pushed his spring ERA to an unsightly 10.22. Kershaw breezed through a 1-2-3 first inning but was knocked around for the remainder of his outing and was pulled after allowing five of the first six batters to reach base in the third frame. Despite his rough spring, Kershaw is lined up to start for the Dodgers at Colorado on Opening Day.

Guerrero was reassigned to minor-league camp Friday.

Guerrero served as a non-roster invitee this spring but should begin the season with Triple-A El Paso. The southpaw hasn't yet made his major-league debut but has posted a 5.43 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in his past two minor-league seasons.

Lucchesi will follow an opener (Jacob Barnes) Saturday against Houston and could do the same during the regular season, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

Lucchesi appears to be locked in as the team's fifth starter, though he may not actually be a true starter. Following an opener could provide a small boost to his fantasy value, as he'd get to skip the opponent's toughest batters the first time through the order and won't have to throw five innings to be eligible for a win.

Gray (back) felt good after throwing about 30 pitches in a simulated game Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 31-year-old continues to progress after being shut down for a few days in mid-March with back spasms, and the fact he's working against live hitters is a good sign. Gray isn't expected to be available for the start of the season, but he may only miss one or two turns through the rotation as he builds up to a starter's workload.