MLB Player News

Flaherty will start Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Mets and likely work two innings or up to 30 pitches, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander unsurprisingly will get the call after finishing the 2019 season in dominant fashion, generating an 0.91 ERA over 15 post-All-Star-break starts. Flaherty is also the likely Opening Day starter against the Reds on March 26, although manager Mike Shildt wouldn't confirm as much when asked Wednesday.

May (side) is improving but won't return to the mound for multiple days, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

May is dealing with side tightness, though the issue has been deemed mild. The 22-year-old is expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, but he has plenty of competition and could begin the season in the bullpen or in the minors. Given the Dodgers' predilection to dig into their depth and manage starting-pitcher innings, May is likely to receive some starts during the regular season while avoiding a full workload.

Lugo (toe) threw from 120 feet Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Lugo fractured his pinky toe in his hotel Tuesday. The team doesn't appear to be overly concerned, and though he doesn't yet have a timeline for his return, he doesn't yet have a timeline for return.

Padres manager Jayce Tingler said that Quantrill will start the team's Cactus League opener Saturday versus the Mariners.

With the Padres acquiring Zach Davies in the offseason and Garrett Richards back healthy again after missing most of 2019 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Quantrill may find himself on the outside looking in for a spot in San Diego's Opening Day rotation. As AJ Cassavell of MLB.com notes, Quantrill is a candidate to work as a swingman if he can't secure a rotation spot, so a strong showing in the Cactus League should help him win a spot on the 26-man roster in some capacity. As a rookie in 2019, Quantrill enjoyed a productive stretch in the middle of the season but faded badly in September, finishing his inaugural campaign with a 5.16 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over his 23 appearances (18 starts).

Gomber, who dealt with shoulder and biceps injuries throughout most of last season, is healthy and working on a starter's schedule this spring, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old southpaw made 11 starts in his only big-league stint back in 2018, and he's logged 102 overall during a minor-league career that dates back to 2014. Therefore, he's eventually expected to hold down a rotation spot at the big-league level, although he presumably has some rust to work off against major-league bats after not facing any last season. Gomber could be a candidate for the rotation spot created by Miles Mikolas' flexor tendon injury, which is expected to keep the veteran right-hander out a month; however, it's more likely Gomber opens the season in a bullpen role or as a starter with Triple-A Memphis.

Lugo fractured his left pinky toe in his hotel, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

The issue doesn't appear to be major, as Lugo will only be shut down from throwing for three days. It appears as though he'll have plenty of time to get up to speed by Opening Day.

Hamels (shoulder) is expected to arrive at Atlanta's spring training facility later this week, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. "The reports [on his shoulder] are good," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "[Trainer George Poulis] has been talking to him and I think [the recovery] is going exactly how they had planned. That's good news. He'll be here sooner than later just to get him acclimated."

The veteran southpaw still isn't likely to get clearance to begin a throwing program until early March and isn't being counted on as part of the Opening Day rotation, but Hamels may not end up missing too many turns if he continues to make progress from what's being described as shoulder "irritation." He made 27 starts for the Cubs last year, posting a 3.81 ERA, 4.08 FIP and 9.1 K/9 over 141.2 innings.

Mikolas received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his sore flexor tendon Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. He's expected to rest for around a month before ramping up his throwing program.

Mikolas will likely continue to take part in fielding and cardio work while he waits for the shot to take effect, but the delayed start to his throwing program looks like it will prevent him from being ready for the March 26 season opener at Cincinnati. Even if he gets the green light to resume pitching by mid-March, Mikolas would likely need at least a couple weeks to build up to a starter's workload before the Cardinals would break him into the rotation. Assuming Mikolas is moved to the injured list to begin the campaign, spots in the rotation could open up for both Carlos Martinez and Kwang-Hyun Kim.

The Cardinals expect to have an update on Mikolas' (forearm) status no later than Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander is dealing with a sore flexor tendon in the early stages of camp, one that has put his throwing program on temporary hold. Mikolas did participate in fielding drills for non-throwers Monday in what was the Cardinals' first full-squad workout of spring, but it remains to be seen if his next step will involve a return to some form of throwing. The soreness Mikolas is currently experiencing was prevalent for much of last season, and it resurfaced during a bullpen session last Thursday.

Stripling has been experimenting with a new grip on his changeup, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The results of the experiment have thus far been encouraging enough to prompt the Dodgers to set up special video to better examine the offering. Per Statcast, Stripling threw a changeup 14.7 percent of the time in 2019, with opposing hitters registering a .269 average against the pitch.