MLB Player News

The Guardians placed Williams on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right elbow inflammation.

Williams suffered the injury just under three weeks ago, when he experienced discomfort in his elbow after taking part in a weighted-ball workout. Though Williams has since resumed throwing, his brief shutdown period after suffering the injury was enough to derail his bid for the Opening Day roster. Williams still looks on track to return at some point in April, as he joined the Guardians for their season-opening road trip and will soon head back to the team's spring facility in Arizona to start throwing bullpen sessions before heading out on a rehab assignment, per MLB.com.

The Guardians placed Lively on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a viral illness.

Lively and Xzavion Curry are opening the season on the shelf due to a respiratory virus that made its way around the Cleveland clubhouse during spring training, according to MLB.com. Lively shouldn't need much longer than the minimum 15 days to regain his conditioning and get ramped back up, and he'll likely be ticketed for a long-relief role once available. He could become a rotation option down the road if Carlos Carrasco or Logan Allen struggle.

The Mariners placed Woo (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Woo was on track to be included in the Mariners' Opening Day rotation until he was unable to get loose during a bullpen session earlier this week. According to MLB.com, Woo underwent an MRI that revealed "mild inflammation" and no structural damage. Though he seems to have avoided a major setback, Woo will still be shut down from throwing until early next week and will require some time to build back up. Emerson Hancock was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and will fill a back-end spot in the Seattle rotation until Woo is ready to come off the IL.

Castillo (0-1) took the loss against Boston on Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters over five innings.

Castillo struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 first inning, but he didn't record any clean frames thereafter. The right-hander was stung by Rafael Devers' two-run homer in the third and followed by giving up a run in each of the next two frames. On a positive note, Castillo worked up to 91 pitches in his season debut and averaged 95.8 mph on his fastball, so he seems to be in good form despite the rough outing. He'll look to bounce back next week, as he is projected to make his next start at home against Cleveland.

Kopech allowed one hit and one walk while also hitting a batter and striking out one across a scoreless inning in Thursday's loss to the Tigers.

Kopech entered the game in the eighth inning with the White Sox down by a run. He loaded the bases with two outs, but he managed to get Matt Vierling to strike out swinging to end the threat. While it was a high-leverage situation, Kopech's usage in the loss suggests that he may not be the top candidate for saves in a murky Chicago bullpen.

Bello (1-0) earned the win against Seattle on Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out two batters over five innings.

Bello wasn't overpowering in the outing, notching just eight swinging strikes and two punchouts, but he got key outs when needed and kept the Mariners off the board in four of his five frames. The 24-year-old earned his first Opening Day start after posting a 12-11 record in his second MLB campaign last year, though his 7.6 K/9 and 4.24 ERA aren't typical of an ace. As Bello showed Thursday, he has the skill set to get big-league hitters out and limit damage when runners reach base, but fantasy managers are unlikely to see him as more than rotation filler as long as his punchout numbers remain low.

Lopez (1-0) tossed seven innings, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts to earn the victory in Minnesota's 4-1 win at Kansas City on Thursday.

It took Lopez just 84 pitches to complete seven frames as he walked none in a dominant effort. His lone blemish in the box score was a leadoff home run by Royals' third baseman Maikel Garcia, but otherwise Lopez was in control, throwing first-pitch strikes to 18 of the 24 batters he faced. Lopez earned his first all-star appearance last year and finished with 11 wins and a 3.66 ERA and 234 strikeouts over 194 innings.

Berrios (1-0) went six innings and allowed two runs on six hits and one walk to earn the win Thursday against the Rays. He struck out six.

After kicking off 2023 with two straight losses, Berrios wasted no time getting in the win column to start the 2024 campaign, going six strong against Tampa Bay. Berrios was tagged for a solo homer by Yandy Diaz on just his fifth pitch of the game. However, he limited the Rays' Nos. 2 through 5 hitters to a combined 0-for-11. Berrios' next start is tentatively scheduled to come against the Astros.

Eflin (0-1) went 5.2 innings and allowed six runs on six hits and one walk to take the loss Thursday versus Toronto. He struck out five.

Eflin was roughed up by the Blue Jays' potent offense, giving up solo home runs to George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero and Cavan Biggio after allowing just 19 homers in 31 starts last year. Most of the damage against Eflin came in the sixth, when he surrendered five of his six runs. Eflin is set for another test to begin 2024 with a matchup against the Rangers on tap for his next projected start.

Eovaldi didn't factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings versus the Cubs. He struck out three.

Eovaldi was efficient Thursday, needing just 88 pitches to get through six innings, recording a quality start in the season opener. The 34-year-old right-hander went 12-5 last season with a 3.63 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 132:47 K:BB across 25 starts. The Rangers will rely on Eovaldi to anchor their rotation with Max Scherzer (back) and Jacob deGrom (elbow) both out until at least midseason. Eovaldi's tentatively lined up for a road start next week in Tampa Bay.