MLB Player News

The Phillies placed Rucker on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right hand arterial vasospasm.

More specifically, Rucker's right middle finger had been bothering him in spring training, as he didn't make any Grapefruit League appearances after March 1. Per MLB.com, Rucker isn't dealing with any sort of nerve issue or thoracic outlet syndrome even though he experienced numbness in the finger, but it's unclear when he might be ready to make his season debut.

The Giants recalled Miller from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Miller was optioned a couple weeks ago but ended up winning a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The left-hander will be making his major-league debut whenever he gets into a game.

The Marlins placed Garrett (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

The left-hander was diagnosed with a left shoulder impingement early in camp and is now officially on the IL, as expected. Garrett is scheduled to pitch in a rehab game Thursday and should continue ramping up his workload over the next couple weeks. He could make his season debut in mid-April, assuming he's able to avoid any setbacks.

The Giants selected Roupp's contract from Double-A Richmond on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Roupp came into camp as a long shot to break with the big club, but he won a bullpen job after posting a 2.25 ERA and 13:4 K:BB over eight Cactus League frames. The 25-year-old will likely be used in low-leverage spots initially but could work his way into more pressurized situations.

The Giants selected Ahmed's contract from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He'll start at shortstop and bat ninth in the Giants' season opener versus the Padres.

Ahmed was signed as a non-roster invitee in late February but wound up winning the everyday shortstop job over Marco Luciano, who has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

The Marlins placed Perez (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

The 20-year-old has been destined for the IL since being diagnosed with elbow inflammation last week, and the Marlins made the transaction official Thursday. Perez resumed throwing over the weekend but will need to time to build up his arm strength, so he should be sidelined well beyond the 15-day minimum.

Gordon will start in left field and bat eighth in Thursday's season opener against the Pirates.

Gordon had a solid spring and ultimately gets the starting nod over Avisail Garcia on Opening Day. The 28-year-old missed most of the 2023 season due to injury, but he showed some promise in 2022 and might prove to be a sneaky fantasy asset if he can carve out a regular role.

The Phillies placed Kerkering (illness) on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right forearm strain.

Though Philadelphia is officially attributing Kerkering's absence to begin the season to an arm injury, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com relays that the hard-throwing reliever's main focus is building back up from the case of the flu that kept him from pitching in any Grapefruit League games after March 1. Manager Rob Thomson told Zolecki that Kerkering is feeling "fine" after throwing one inning Wednesday in a simulated game at Phillies camp in Florida, with the skipper noting that the right-hander's fastball touched 98 miles per hour. Kerkering looks as though he should be ready to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment shortly, making him a candidate to return from the IL when first eligible April 9.

Cruz is starting at shortstop and batting sixth in Thursday's opener in Miami.

Cruz was a fixture atop the Pirates' batting order this spring when he walloped seven Grapefruit League home runs. However, with left-hander Jesus Luzardo on the bump for the Marlins, he'll slide down to the six spot for Opening Day while Connor Joe bats leadoff. Cruz should be the regular leadoff man against right-handers.

Philadelphia placed Covey on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right shoulder strain.

Covey hadn't made any Grapefruit League appearances since March 1 after experiencing tightness in his right shoulder, so he could need more than the minimum 15 days to get fully ramped up and complete a minor-league rehab assignment. The veteran righty is expected to serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen once he's ready to make his season debut.