MLB Player News

Houck allowed one run on five hits and struck out four over four innings in Wednesday's spring training game against Atlanta.

In his third Grapefruit League start, Houck had plenty of run support early and helped himself by not walking anyone. He entered the contest with eight bases on balls over his first five spring innings. Still, he and manager Alex Cora noted improvement is still needed, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. The 25-year-old right-hander had a wild pitch and hit two batters, which contributed to a lot of traffic. Cora stressed the need to attack the zone more and made note of mechanics that need to be ironed out. Houck will have one more start to prepare for his regular-season debut, the third game of the season against the Yankees.

Severino (arm) reported no issues following his bullpen session Wednesday and is expected to start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Given the multiple arm-related injuries and setbacks Severino has experienced over the last few seasons, fantasy managers were rightful to have some anxiety when he reported arm soreness earlier in the week. At least for the time being, Severino investors can breathe easy, as he wasn't shut down from throwing and felt fine physically coming out of Wednesday's mound session. Provided Severino is able to start Saturday as expected, he'll be only slightly behind in his throwing program, and the expectation remains that he'll be part of the Yankees' season-opening rotation. However, because Severino said he expects to throw just 40 pitches Saturday in his final outing of the spring, he could be capped at around 60-to-75 pitches when his first turn in the rotation comes up during the regular season.

Manager Dusty Baker confirmed Odorizzi will start the Astros' second game of the season April 8 against the Angels in Anaheim, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Odorizzi won out over Cristian Javier for the fifth and final spot in the rotation, a role that opened up when it became apparent earlier this spring that Lance McCullers (forearm) wouldn't be ready to go for Opening Day. Though he was moved to the bullpen during the playoffs last fall when the Astros shortened their rotation, Odorizzi's larger body of MLB starting experience and solid first half in 2021 before forearm issues torpedoed his season were enough to give him the edge on Javier for the rotation spot heading into 2022. Odorizzi helped his cause by proving his health in his lone Grapefruit League appearance March 22, when he tossed two scoreless innings against the Mets. He's since continued to build up his pitch count in simulated games.

Verlander is scheduled to make his first start of the season April 9 against the Angels in Anaheim, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Verlander's status as a two-time Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer would have made him a natural choice for the Opening Day nod, but the MLB lockout combined with his rehab from Tommy John surgery put him off schedule a bit. Though Framber Valdez will get the ball for the April 7 opener, Verlander will still be part of the team's rotation to begin the season, and he's not expected to face any major workload restrictions since he'll be just over 18 months removed from his Sept. 30, 2020 elbow procedure. While the usual caveats for spring training numbers apply, Verlander has looked as good as ever during his first three Grapefruit League outings, striking out 11 and holding hitters to a .167 average over 8.2 scoreless innings.

Valdez will start the Astros' Opening Day matchup against the Angels on April 7, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Although Justin Verlander is healthy after re-signing with the Astros during the offseason, Valdez will take the mound during the first game of the season, followed by Jake Odorizzi and Verlander. In his first spring start, Valdez struck out three in three scoreless innings. The southpaw made 22 starts for Houston last year and recorded a 3.14 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 134.2 innings.

Junk was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Junk made two appearances (one start) in Cactus League action this spring and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four in five innings. He made four starts for the major-league club last year but will begin the 2022 campaign in the minors.

Kopech (not injury related) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Reds, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The White Sox plan to have Kopech work two innings before giving way to Vince Velasquez, who is expected to cover two frames of his own. Kopech, Velasquez and Reynaldo Lopez are among the candidates for the No. 5 spot in the White Sox rotation, but Kopech is the presumptive frontrunner for the job if he's able to get fully stretched out for starting duty before camp closes. Kopech's spring debut was delayed after he battled an illness over the winter, which affected his preparation before he reported to camp. The right-hander has seemingly steered clear of any setbacks since then, but even if he dazzles in Friday's outing and another potential exhibition appearance next week, he could face a workload restriction to begin the regular season. Additionally, the White Sox won't require a fifth starter until April 16 against the Rays, so it's possible that Kopech gets stretched out in the bullpen during the first week of the season before slotting into the rotation.

Tigers vice president of player development Ryan Garko said Wednesday that Kohlhepp will open the season on the injured list with right forearm soreness, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Garko noted that Kohlhepp underwent an MRI that revealed no structural damage to his forearm, so the 22-year-old will avoid surgery and treat the injury through rest and rehab. The No. 135 overall pick in last summer's First-Year Player Draft, Kohlhepp has yet to make his professional debut.

Lynch allowed one run on five hits and struck out two in five innings in Tuesday's win over the Mariners.

It's a positive sign to see Lynch cover five innings in just his second start, especially given the condensed spring training due to the lockout. He limited the damage to a fourth-inning solo shot by Steven Souza. Lynch is in competition for a spot at the back end of the Royals' rotation -- Kris Bubic and Jackson Kowar are also in the mix in one of the team's more competitive position battles. Lynch struggled as a rookie last season, posting a 4-6 record, 5.69 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 55:31 K:BB across 68 innings, but the 25-year-old could be poised to take a step forward in 2022.

Gilbert allowed five earned runs on five hits and a walk across 3.2 innings in a Cactus League loss to the Royals on Tuesday. He struck out four.

The 24-year-old had started spring with a performance reminiscent of several of his strong September starts last season, allowing just a solo home run and a walk across three innings versus the Guardians on Thursday. However, matters were clearly different Tuesday, with Kyle Isbel doing the most damage off Gilbert in the form of a three-run home run in the fourth inning. The right-hander should have at least one more chance to get the ship back on course ahead of a regular season that he'll open as Seattle's No. 3 starter.