MLB Player News

Hamels (triceps) is able to throw but isn't expected to pitch in a game any time soon, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Hamels has battled shoulder issues since arriving in spring training back in February. He was recently diagnosed with triceps tendinitis and sent to the injured list. With such an uncertain timeline, and with his 3.81 ERA and 23.2 strikeout rate from last season representing solid but far from spectacular numbers, he can likely be safely ignored in shallower fantasy leagues.

Nola will be the Phillies' Opening Day starter Friday against the Marlins, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

A typical rest schedule should see Nola face the Marlins twice in his first two starts, with a much tougher assignment against the Yankees sandwiched in between. Nola's ability to pitch on Opening Day had been in some doubt, as his arrival in camp was delayed due to the fact that he'd been exposed to someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. Whether or not he'll be able to handle a full starter's workload right away is unclear, but he'll be on the mound for at least a fair number of innings against one of the weaker lineups in the league.

Senzatela gave up two runs and scattered seven hits while striking out two over 3.1 innings during his intrasquad start Friday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Senzatela looks in line to get his final tuneup of summer camp in Wednesday's exhibition versus the Rangers, which would seemingly put him on track to start the Rockies' fourth game of the regular season July 28 in Oakland. According to Kyle Newman of The Denver Post, Senzatela shed 15 pounds in the offseason and has shown a mid-90s fastball and sharper secondary offerings during spring training and summer camp, but the 25-year-old can probably be avoided outside of NL-only leagues until he delivers quality results in the games that count. Senzatela made 25 starts for the big club in 2019, posting a 6.71 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 5.5 K/9.

Manager Bud Black confirmed Monday that Marquez will start the Rockies' Opening Day game Friday against the Rangers, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Black had strongly hinted earlier in camp that Marquez would get the nod for the season opener in Arlington, but Monday's announcement makes the decision official. The 25-year-old dealt with right arm inflammation in 2019 that shut him down for the final month of the season, but he was fully healthy during spring and summer work. Despite the injury, the right-hander pitched a team-leading 174 innings, and his 6.21 innings per start ranked 15th among qualified starters.

Manager Bud Black said that Gray will start the Rockies' second game of the season Saturday in Texas, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

Gray has actually fared slightly better at Coors Field (.319 wOBA) than on the road (.324) throughout his career, but fantasy managers in season-long leagues will still have reason to fear ratio damage any time he pitches at altitude. While no park factor data is available yet on the Rangers' new home, Globe Life Field, the fact that it has a retractable roof is expected to make it a more pitcher-friendly venue than its predecessor. At least in NL-only or deeper mixed leagues, Gray looks like a viable streaming option in his first start of 2020.

Rockies manager Bud Black confirmed Freeland will start the team's third game of the season Friday in Texas, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

After turning in a 2.85 ERA over 33 starts in 2018, Freeland regressed in a major way in 2019, submitting a 6.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP across 22 outings. The massive decline in performance wasn't enough to prevent Freeland from breaking summer camp with a spot in the middle of the rotation, which speaks to the Rockies' lack of attractive alternative starting options more than anything. In deeper leagues, Freeland may be a more reliable fantasy option in favorable road matchups, and at least for his first start, he should benefit from the Rangers' new ballpark (Globe Life Field) likely playing more pitcher-friendly than its predecessor. Like most starters, Freeland is best left avoided when he takes the hill at Coors Field, where he sports a 4.34 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 7.2 K/9 in 228.1 career innings.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said that Lauer (not injury related) will report to the club's alternate training site in Appleton on Wednesday to pitch in an intrasquad game, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Since Milwaukee is set to begin its season just two days later, Counsell acknowledged that Lauer is on track to miss Opening Day "by a little bit." Lauer remains on the COVID-19 injured list after he was in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, but he's since cleared all necessary protocols and is merely building up his arm at this point after the missed time at summer camp put him behind Milwaukee's other starting candidates. If Lauer is activated from the IL shortly after the season starts, it's unclear if he will slot into the rotation or serve as a long reliever out of the bullpen.

Hendricks allowed three earned runs across 4.2 innings in Sunday's exhibition game against the White Sox. He gave up six hits and a walk while striking out two.

Hendricks allowed just one run before departing after tossing 83 pitches, but Jharel Cotton let a few inherited runners cross the plate. The final line isn't especially important as Hendricks was using this start as his final tune-up before Opening Day. It was good to see the righty get past the 80-pitch mark, and he should be good for 90 or more pitches against the Brewers in the opener.

Manager Derek Shelton said Sunday that Williams will start the Pirates' second game of the season, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Williams struggled during spring training, but he was able to impress during summer camp and will play a prominent role in Pittsburgh's rotation to begin the season. The right-hander struggled with a 5.38 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over 145.2 innings last season, although he fared considerably better with current starting catcher Jacob Stallings behind the plate.

DeGrom (back) performed well in his sim game Sunday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

DeGrom has been steadily increasing his workload since leaving Tuesday's intrasquad game with back tightness, and the fact that his sim game went well Sunday signals that he should be on track to serve as the team's Opening Day starter on Friday. It wouldn't be surprising if Sunday served as a final tuneup for the right-hander ahead of the regular season. DeGrom may not be able to quite reach his usual pitch count in the season opener, but his progression signals that he should be able to take the mound Friday.