MLB Player News

Manager Mike Shildt announced Flaherty as his Opening Day starter for the July 24 opener against the Pirates, FOX Sports Midwest reports.

The 24-year-old will unsurprisingly remain the Cardinals' top option for Opening Day despite the multi-month shutdown. Flaherty was a legitimate ace in 2019 with a 2.75 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 231:55 K:BB over 196.1 innings, finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting thanks to a dominant second half (0.91 ERA and .142 BAA).

Hendricks was sharp in Tuesday's intrasquad game, allowing just a single hit across 6.1 scoreless innings, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Because it was a scrimmage, the team had Hendricks record four outs in his sixth inning of work. The righty passed the test and looked comfortable as he got right around 70 pitches for the night. Yu Darvish is the presumptive Opening Day starter, but Hendricks looked sharp in spring training before play was suspended and has continued to pitch well in summer camp. He also happened to outperform Darvish in their head-to-head matchup Tuesday. The team hasn't said anything about who will start Opening Day, but Hendricks has certainly done all he can to earn the assignment.

DeGrom exited Tuesday's intrasquad game after one inning due to back tightness, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The 32-year-old covered three innings during his previous outing and was expected to pitch four-plus innings Tuesday, but he ended up making an abrupt exit after only one frame. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but at best this puts deGrom's availability for Opening Day next week in doubt. The team should provide another update within the next couple days as he's further evaluated.

DeGrom left Tuesday's intrasquad scrimmage after just one inning, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

So far no reason has been given for deGrom's early departure. He was scheduled to pitch three-to-four innings after pitching three innings in his last outing.

Manager Gabe Kapler announced Cueto as his starting pitcher for Opening Day against the Dodgers on July 23, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The veteran right-hander was initially named the team's Opening Day starter in March, and Kapler will stick by his plans following the hiatus. Cueto missed most of 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, though he did come back for four starts in September and post a 5.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 13:9 K:BB over 16 frames.

Darvish allowed two runs across 3.2 innings in Tuesday's intrasquad game, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. He gave up two hits and two walks, to go along with three strikeouts.

Probably the most important thing here is that Darvish threw 60 pitches, so he seems to be ramping up well toward the start of the regular season. There are 10 days until Opening Day for the Cubs, so throwing Tuesday puts Darvish in line for that assignment, though Kyle Hendricks also pitched in Tuesday's scrimmage and could get the nod for the opener. Manager David Ross has yet to make a formal announcement on that front, but it's expected that Darvish and Hendricks will lead the rotation in some order with Jon Lester slotted in third.

Manager Don Mattingly announced Tuesday that Alcantara will start Opening Day against the Phillies on July 24.

The 24-year-old posted a 3.88 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 151:81 K:BB over 197.1 innings last season and always appeared ticketed to start Opening Day in 2020, which the team has now confirmed. Alcantara completed a 65-pitch simulated game shortly after reporting for summer training earlier this month and should face minimal limitations to begin the season despite the elongated shutdown.

Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Buehler is "a little behind the other guys, but once the season starts whatever he gives us will be sufficient," Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

The 25-year-old threw a simulated inning Saturday and is scheduled for two-plus simulated frames this week, so it appears he won't be ready for a full workload to begin the season. Buehler has a little more than a week to continue ramping up for the opening series against the Giants, but he seems likely to start the season being limited to fewer than five innings per outing. According to David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports, Roberts also said Buehler's slow buildup in summer training isn't related to any kind of injury.

Martinez, who is still preparing as a starter ahead of the regular season, could nevertheless see his chances of returning to the closer role at some point increase with Jordan Hicks (elbow) opting out of playing in 2020, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The situation clearly remains up in the air, and it's possible manager Mike Shildt opts to utilize several pitchers in the ninth-inning role throughout the 60-game campaign. However, the Cardinals skipper is increasingly thin on candidates at present, as Giovanny Gallegos is still grounded in Mexico with no semblance of an arrival date and Hicks is no longer an option for the second half of the season in the wake of his decision. Ryan Helsley remains a candidate as well and appears to have the stuff to succeed in high-leverage scenarios, but Martinez carries the appeal of a proven track record in the role after converting 24 of 27 save opportunities in the second half of last season. A decision may not be made until much closer to Opening Day, as the next few days should also give Shildt a chance to further evaluate Kwang-Hyun Kim's fitness for the No. 5 starter job that Martinez is hoping to secure.

Soroka will be the Braves' starter for their Opening Day contest against the Mets on July 24.

Soroka was dominant for the Braves last season, recording a 2.68 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 29 starts, and he'll now serve as the team's youngest Opening Day starter in franchise history. The team said in late June that it will be cautious with its starters to begin the season, so the 22-year-old may not see the innings counts that he's been used to in the past. However, manager Brian Snitker's announcement Tuesday signals the confidence that the Braves have in Soroka heading into the season.