MLB Player News

Marquez allowed three hits and one walk while striking out one over three scoreless innings in Sunday's spring win over the White Sox. He didn't factor into the decision.

Marquez made his spring debut against Chicago on Sunday and allowed baserunners in each of his three innings, but he didn't encounter many issues during his scoreless outing. The right-hander wants to focus on making his pitches from the stretch going forward this spring, but he had a strong start to Cactus League play Sunday. Assuming he continues to pitch well in spring training, Marquez will likely serve as the Opening Day starter for the Rockies.

Senzatela (hamstring) threw a light side session Sunday with no issues, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Senzatela suffered a minor hamstring strain during conditioning drills Monday and is expected to miss two spring starts as a result. However, the team hasn't expressed much concern regarding the injury. If he continues to throw with no issues, the right-hander could be able to return to spring games in the near future.

Lorenzen is the leading candidate to win the Reds' fifth-starter job, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "(Lorenzen's) in a good position to earn a starting spot, but we have a long way to go," manager David Bell said Friday. "It's a question as what's best for our team, best for our pitching staff. A lot goes into that, it's not just about any one pitcher."

Tejay Antone turned a lot of heads with his first spring training performance, and Lorenzen struggled as he purposefully backed off his velocity a bit. With this battle, as with many other spring training job battles, it serves well to remember that Opening Day is a starting point, not the finish line. It's still possible for both Lorenzen and Antone to start in the long run, even if things don't begin that way.

Soroka (Achilles) pitched two innings during a simulated game Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Soroka had been taking part in fielding drills to begin spring training while working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon, but he progressed in his recovery Sunday. An official said that the right-hander looked "very good" during his outing, especially for a pitcher who hasn't appeared in a game in seven months. His velocity was slightly below his average speed, but the official said that the below-average velocity was to be expected at this point in his recovery. Soroka still doesn't have a timetable to return to the starting rotation, but he's made good progress in his recovery so far.

Manager Mike Shildt said Mikolas (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The 32-year-old was originally expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday morning, but he instead participated in a light workout and had the session pushed back. Mikolas hasn't throw off a mound since Feb. 25, and Shildt wouldn't commit to the right-hander's availability for Opening Day.

Mikolas (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Manager Mike Shildt previously said the 32-year-old was slated for a bullpen session Sunday morning, but the right-hander instead took part in a light workout. Mikolas was scratched from a simulated game early last week due to the shoulder issue and has yet to make it back on the mound. He missed the entirety of last season due to flexor tendon surgery, so the team is being cautious early in camp.

Hendricks threw a bullpen session Saturday instead of making a Cactus League start against the Brewers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Hendricks and the Cubs will see plenty of the Brewers this season, so the team decided to let the righty log a bullpen rather than face the division rivals. By throwing Saturday, Hendricks is still on schedule to start the regular season opener on April 1, though manager David Ross has not formally named an Opening Day starter.

Carrasco is expected to make his first start of spring training Friday or Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 33-year-old arrived late to camp but is poised to see game action with the Mets for the first time this week. Carrasco is expected to have plenty of time to ramp up for the start of the regular season after being acquired from Cleveland in January.

Mikolas (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Mikolas was scratched from a simulated game Monday due to shoulder issues and his progress remains slow. If he checks out fine following the bullpen session, he could be cleared for game action soon thereafter, keeping him in the mix for the Opening Day roster, though the Cardinals are likely to remain cautious with him after he missed all of last season due to flexor tendon surgery. While it's a positive that his current injury woes aren't related to that issue, it's still certainly not good to see a pitcher battling arm troubles so early in camp.

Corbin threw 20 of 33 pitches for strikes in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins while mixing in his changeup and a cutter he's developing, Pete Kerzel of MASN Sports reports.

The veteran southpaw rarely used his changeup last season, throwing it only 5.6 percent of the time, but the Nats would like to see the pitch become a regular part of his arsenal. "We definitely want him to try to use it and get comfortable throwing it," manager Dave Martinez said Saturday. "It is a good pitch for him. Obviously, we've run the numbers and he doesn't throw it enough. So hopefully, once he gets comfortable, he'll start throwing it." Corbin saw his fastball velocity drop last season and he generated fewer whiffs with his slider, leading to his worst statistical season since 2016, so while adding a new pitch or two could help, it's the effectiveness of his staples that will determine how he performs in 2021.