MLB Player News

Burns made his professional debut Wednesday against the Rangers, striking out three and walking one in the ninth inning. Four of his pitches topped 100 mph, Pat Brennan of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After the game, Burns was sent down to the Reds minor-league camp, where he'll continue to get more regular work. Burns didn't pitch professional last season after getting taken No. 2 overall in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft by the Reds.

Steele was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday due to flu-like symptoms, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Steele had been set to make his third start of the spring Thursday, but he'll instead have to wait until his illness passes. While he recovers, Ben Brown will step in to start against the Royals.

Maldonado (elbow) is listed on San Francisco's roster for its March 15 Spring Breakout game versus Texas prospects, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Maldonado's inclusion on the roster suggests that he's likely back to full health again after completing his recovery from December 2023 Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old righty from Venezuela struck out 81 batters over 65 innings at Single-A San Jose in 2023, but he struggled with his control (13.9 BB%).

McFarlane (elbow) is listed on the Philadelphia roster for its March 14 Spring Breakout game against Pittsburgh prospects, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The 23-year-old righty McFarlane appears to be heading into the 2025 season at full health after he didn't pitch in 2024 while recovering from his September 2023 Tommy John surgery. Before requiring surgery that season, McFarlane made 16 starts for Single-A Clearwater and turned in a 5.84 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 68:38 K:BB in 49.1 innings.

The Giants optioned McDonald to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

McDonald made his major-league debut during the final game of the regular-season last year, tossing three scoreless relief innings, but he always seemed likely to begin the 2025 campaign back at Sacramento. The 24-year-old will serve as rotation depth in the minors.

Showalter (shoulder) is listed on St. Louis' roster for its March 14 Spring Breakout game against Miami prospects.

The 21-year-old right-hander looks to be healthy again after he made his final appearance for Single-A Palm Beach on Aug. 1 last season before being shut down with a shoulder injury. Prior to going down with the injury, Showalter turned in a 2.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 59:18 K:BB in 34.1 innings out of the Palm Beach bullpen.

Knack has been building up as a starter this spring, though he could be slated for a long-relief role, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Knack has started two of the three Cactus League contests in which he's pitched, compiling a 6.23 ERA, 2.08 WHIP and 4:2 K:BB over 4.1 innings. The right-hander made 12 starts among 15 regular-season appearances with the big club as a rookie last year, posting a 3.65 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with a 69:18 K:BB over 69 innings. The team rebuilt its pitching staff during the offseason, however, and both Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are healthy after neither pitched in the majors while recovering from injuries in 2024. May, Gonsolin and Knack are all candidates to claim the final spot in Los Angeles' rotation, but Knack is likely third in the pecking order among the trio.

Kershaw said Thursday that he's "not 100 percent yet" but has felt good while throwing off the mound "a couple times" this spring since undergoing surgeries in November on his left big toe and left knee, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Kershaw is unlikely to be cleared to pitch in games at any point during Cactus League play, as the southpaw has already acknowledged that he expects to begin the season on the 60-day injured list, which would delay his 2025 debut until at least late May. That said, he seems to have thus far avoided any snags during his spring throwing progression, and he could be cleared to resume facing hitters in live batting practice before camp comes to a close in late March.

Senzatela has thrown eight scoreless innings with five strikeouts and one walk during Cactus League action.

Senzatela most recently threw three scoreless innings Wednesday against the Padres while hitting 97 mph with his fastball, per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. He made a brief return from Tommy John surgery to close the 2024 season, throwing 12.1 innings. Senzatela is competing for a rotation spot this spring and has put forth a strong case for the role with his performance thus far.

The Cardinals are planning to use Munoz in a relief role this season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

A waiver claim from the Marlins in November, Munoz has fired three perfect innings with five strikeouts so far this spring. He does have minor-league options remaining, however, which could hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster. Munoz made 17 starts and one relief appearance in 2024 for Miami, collecting a 6.53 ERA and 70:42 K:BB over 82.2 innings.