MLB Player News

Valdez allowed three runs on five hits and six walks over 4.2 innings in a no-decision Thursday against the Yankees. He struck out five.

Valdez managed to skirt danger through the first four innings, holding the Yankees off the board thanks to three double-play balls. However, the left-hander's shaky command finally caught up with him in the fifth, when he was tagged for three runs. While his final line ultimately could have looked a lot worse, it's a discouraging outing from Valdez, who's expected to anchor the Astros' rotation while Justin Verlander (shoulder) is sidelined. Valdez went 12-11 last season with a 3.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 200:57 K:BB across 31 starts.

Mikolas (0-1) took the loss against the Dodgers on Thursday, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out five.

The Dodgers jumped out to a quick lead on Mikolas, scoring twice in the first inning before the 35-year-old right-hander allowed three more runs on a pair of homers in the third. It's certainly not the start to the season Mikolas wanted after he struggled to a 9-13 record with a 4.78 ERA across 35 starts last year. He'll look to get on track in his next outing, tentatively lined up for early next week in San Diego.

Glasnow (1-0) earned the win Thursday against St. Louis. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk over six innings while striking out five.

Paul Goldschmidt's solo home run in the fourth inning was the lone blemish on Glasnow's line Thursday and was one of just two hits allowed by the right-hander. Glasnow needed just 81 pitches to make it through six innings as he picked up his first win with the Dodgers after taking a no-decision in LA's opener in South Korea. The 30-year-old has allowed just two runs through 11 innings this season after going 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 21 starts with Tampa Bay last year.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that Rodriguez (shoulder) could throw off a mound within the next week, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Rodriguez is still expected to miss several weeks due to his strained left shoulder, but Lovullo said the left-hander's progress has been "very encouraging" so far. A quick return to mound work would make it easier for the Diamondbacks to build him back up quickly, although Rodriguez will likely need to throw a few bullpen sessions before the team starts thinking about a return date.

The Giants placed Cobb (hip) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

After undergoing left hip surgery Oct. 31, Cobb wasn't able to heal swiftly enough to earn a spot on the Giants' Opening Day roster, but he's still coming along far quicker than his initial six-month recovery timeline. Cobb threw 40 pitches in a minor-league spring training game last Friday and looks like he should be ready to make a rehab start with one of the Giants' affiliates in the near future or continue building up his pitch count at extended spring training in Arizona. He'll need at least a few outings before he's ready to handle a typical starter's workload with the Giants, but he looks like he could be a candidate to make his season debut in late April or early May.

The Rangers placed Scherzer (back) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

According to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News, Scherzer threw a bullpen session Tuesday, which is believed to be the first time he stepped back on the mound since undergoing surgery in December to address a herniated disc in his back. Scherzer said that his pitching arm feels good, and he estimated that he's in what would be the early February portion of his throwing program if he had been coming into a normal spring training rather than rehabbing from surgery. Rangers general manager Chris Young said Wednesday that there are no plans at this point to shift Scherzer to the 60-day injured list, per Buster Olney of ESPN, suggesting the veteran right-hander could be ready to rejoin the rotation before the end of May.

The Rangers placed Mahle (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Mahle is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery. The Rangers are hopeful that he'll make enough progress in his rehab to become a rotation option at some point after the All-Star break.

The Athletics placed Medina (knee) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Medina suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain to his right knee in early March during a Cactus League appearance. According to MLB.com, Medina has been able to play catch from his knees recently, and he'll progress to playing catch while standing up once the soreness in his knee subsides. He's still without a clear timetable for making his 2024 debut.

The Marlins recalled Meyer from Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday.

Meyer will begin the season in Miami's rotation as Eury Perez (elbow), Braxton Garrett (shoulder) and Edward Cabrera (shoulder) continue to recover from injuries. The young right-hander is slated to make his season debut Monday versus the Angels.

The Mets placed Senga (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Senga was already expected to be out until at least mid-May due to a right shoulder capsule strain, so his move to the IL is simply procedural. The 31-year-old right-hander was cleared to begin his throwing progression Wednesday.