MLB Player News

Cease pitched 5.2 scoreless innings in a Cactus League game against Cincinnati on Saturday, allowing two hits and striking out nine batters without issuing any walks.

Cease was dominant in the outing, as he induced 18 whiffs on 74 pitches and topped out at 99 mph on the radar gun. The veteran righty finished his spring in superb form, tossing 10 scoreless frames and striking out 17 batters over his final two starts. Michael King has been named the Opening Day starter for San Diego, so Cease will pitch in the team's second contest of the regular season, which will take place Friday, March 28 at home against Atlanta.

Hart pitched 4.2 innings in a Cactus League game against Cleveland on Saturday, allowing six runs on five hits and no walks while striking out four batters.

Hart was tagged by Carlos Santana for a two-run home run in the first inning and then served up another two-run shot to Brayan Rocchio in the fourth. The southpaw did manage to retire nine straight batters at one point between the two long balls, but this was nonetheless not a very promising performance. Hart is competing for one of two Opening Day rotation spots, with Randy Vasquez and Stephen Kolek the other pitchers in the equation. Among the three, Hart has been the least impressive this spring -- he has a 9.39 ERA and 1.57 WHIP to Vasquez's 3.38 ERA and 1.88 WHIP and Kolek's 2.19 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. However, it's worth noting that Hart also has only two Cactus League appearances under his belt, as he was set back early during the exhibition slate due to the flu.

Rasmussen threw 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out three in Friday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Rasmussen continues to ramp up, with Friday's outing marking his longest of the spring. He's been in a battle for the rotation spot for the last month, though Joe Boyle was demoted to Triple-A Durham on Saturday while Shane McClanahan (triceps) won't be ready to begin the season. That seemingly sets up Rasmussen to occupy a rotation spot.

Gomber (shoulder) completed 3.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits, in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Cubs, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Gomber made his first official Cactus League appearance since Feb. 25 as he continues to return from a sore shoulder. He's likely to begin the season on the injured list as he continues to build up his pitch count, but Saturday's outing was a positive indication that he will be able to return at some point in mid-April.

Bubic has won the fifth starter role for the Royals with Daniel Lynch moving to the bullpen, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Bubic looks set to make his first regular season start against the Brewers in the second series of the season. Bubic has yielded six runs with a 13:3 K:BB over 13 innings this spring and will look to carry over his success last season as a reliever (32.2 percent strikeout rate over 30.1 regular-season innings) into the rotation.

McClanahan (triceps) will miss the start of the regular season, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

McClanahan exited Saturday's Grapefruit League game with a triceps injury, an unfortunate development as he was attempting to return from his second Tommy John surgery. He is undergoing imaging that will reveal a more specific timeline, though the nature of the injury doesn't offer significant reason for optimism.

Quintana will likely need two additional starts before he is able to make his 2025 debut, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Quintana was signed in early March and has since made two Cactus League starts. The most recent came Saturday, when he completed three innings of work. Though the team's plans haven't been made official, this report suggests Quintana would be able to take the mound at some point during the second week of April.

The Yankees selected Carrasco's contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Thanks to a combination of his impressive spring (1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) and a flurry of injuries in New York's pitching staff, Carrasco will land a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day rotation after signing as a camp invitee in February. Although his Grapefruit League numbers were good, the 38-year-old still owns a 6.18 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in the regular season since 2023, so fantasy managers should approach Carrasco with caution. Gerrit Cole (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

The Yankees placed Cole (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Cole will miss all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so the Yankees will stash him away on the 60-day IL to free up a roster spot for Carlos Carrasco, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Manager Rob Thomson said Suarez's back is feeling better after playing catch again Saturday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The Phillies still haven't determined if Suarez will make his first start or head to the IL to begin the season, but Thomson said that decision will be made by Monday. The 29-year-old lefty is slated for another round of catch Sunday, which might help the team decide on his fate.