MLB Player News

Burnes (1-0) allowed one earned run on one hit and no walks while striking out 11 over six innings during Thursday's win over the Angels.

Burnes served up a home run to Mike Trout in the first inning, which accounted for the only baserunner he allowed. All told, he racked up 12 swinging strikes across his 82 total pitches to cruise to his first victory with Baltimore, and he should continue building up his pitch count in subsequent starts. Burnes tentatively lines up for another favorable matchup in his second outing of the season against the Royals.

Gray (neck) will start Sunday's game against the Cubs, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Gray failed to make his last start of the exhibition campaign due to a stiff neck, but the issue won't cost him any time to begin the regular season. He threw five innings March 14, so while his workload may be monitored, he shouldn't have significant limitations in his season debut Sunday.

The Rangers placed Lorenzen on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right neck strain.

General manager Chris Young noted Wednesday that Lorenzen was set to open the season on the IL, but it wasn't until the Rangers made the transaction official Thursday that the team shed light on his injury. The neck strain isn't considered a concern; instead, Lorenzen likely just needs additional time to build up to a starter's workload after he didn't sign a one-year deal with the Rangers until last week. He'll likely make one or two rehab starts at Triple-A Round Rock before he returns from the IL and enters Texas' rotation.

The Blue Jays placed Manoah (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Manoah is opening the season on the IL while he recovers from right shoulder inflammation, which kept him from pitching in the Grapefruit League after he made his spring debut Feb. 27. He was able to throw a two-inning, 34-pitch simulated game Wednesday, so his next step could be heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. Manoah will likely require multiple starts in the minors to get fully stretched out before the Blue Jays consider activating him from the IL and including him in the rotation.

Skubal (1-0) tossed six scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the White Sox. He allowed three hits, struck out six and didn't walk a batter.

Skubal left after tossing 83 pitches, and if it wasn't his first start of the season, he may have been allowed to go longer as he was dominant while in the contest. The southpaw compiled a 2.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 15 outings last year, which got off to a delayed start due to left flexor tendon surgery in August of 2022. If Skubal can stay healthy and log a full workload in 2024, he could be in line for a true breakout campaign as Detroit's ace.

Cortes didn't factor into the decision Thursday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks over five innings in a 5-4 win over Houston. He struck out five.

The Astros got to Cortes early Thursday, scoring three runs in the opening inning before Jake Meyers led off the second with a solo homer. While it looked like the game could get out of hand, Cortes recovered to set down 12 of the final 13 batters he faced, ultimately winding up with a no-decision, as the Yankees scored five unanswered runs in a comeback win. New York is perhaps counting on a bounce-back campaign from Cortes after he made just 12 starts last year, going 5-2 with a 4.97 ERA. The left-hander is tentatively lined up for a road matchup with the Diamondbacks in his next outing.

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.

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.