MLB Player News

Rodriguez was named the Tigers' starter against the White Sox for Opening Day on April 8, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez is starting Detroit's first game of spring training Friday and will also be the first pitcher to take the mound in the regular season. It's hardly a surprise after the 28-year-old inked a five-year, $77 million deal with the Tigers in mid-November. Rodriguez finished last season with a 4.74 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 185:47 K:BB across 157.2 innings, though he posted a career-best 24.0 K-BB% and 0.71 HR/9.

Gonzales will draw the start in Friday's Cactus League opener against the Padres and pitch at least two innings, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The veteran left-hander is slated to open the season as the No. 2 starter behind new arrival and projected staff ace Robbie Ray. Gonzales has been about as steady as they come over the last four seasons in Seattle, posting a 46-30 record, 3.88 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 99 starts over that span. Keeping the ball in the park more consistently is perhaps the one major area of Gonzales' game that could use improvement, considering he allowed a career-high 1.8 HR/9 last season across his 143.1 innings.

Ray, who threw his first bullpen and live batting practice sessions with the Mariners earlier in the week, has already made an impression on his new teammates with his pitch arsenal and intensity, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. "He's a pretty intense guy," catcher Tom Murphy said. "We see him floating around here, he hasn't said much to everybody, but you can tell he's all business."

Ray gave several of his new teammates an up-close look at the pitches that helped garner him the AL Cy Young award last season, impressing the likes of Steven Souza, Jarred Kelenic and Murphy with his fastball and slider. The veteran southpaw's approach and path to success has also caught the eye of manager Scott Servais, who noted Ray has been persistent throughout the years in experimenting with a variety of deliveries until finding the right fit. The Mariners made their heaviest investment in a player yet during president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto's seven-year tenure when they gave Ray a $115 million contract this winter, with the expectation he'll serve as the clear-cut piece at the top of the rotation.

Manning will start the team's fourth Grapefruit League game Monday against the Blue Jays, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Manning will follow Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal in the spring rotation, with Tyler Alexander slotting in fifth, which is how the rotation is expected to look like to begin the regular season as well. Manning struggled some during his MLB debut in 2021, posting a 5.80 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 18 starts to go with a 57:33 K:BB. A good performance Monday would be a nice sign, but the 24-year-old will need to string together a few solid starts to really get the attention of fantasy managers.

Skubal is slated to make his spring debut Sunday against the Yankees, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Skubal will follow Eduardo Rodriguez and Casey Mize in the spring rotation, and that will likely be the order to begin the regular season as well. Skubal pitched reasonably well in his sophomore season last year, recording a 4.34 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 164 strikeouts across 149.1 innings. If the lefty continues to improve his craft and is able to increase his workload, he could be primed for a breakout in 2022.

Mize is slated to make his spring training debut Saturday against the Pirates, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Offseason addition Eduardo Rodriguez will kick off the team's spring schedule Friday, followed by Mize on Saturday. The latter took a step forward in 2021, posting a 3.71 ERA after registering a 6.99 ERA as a rookie in the condensed 2020 season. Mize will turn 25 this year and should just be hitting his stride as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, though he'll likely need to miss more bats to really take off. He struck out only 118 batters across 150.1 innings last year.

Rodriguez is slated to start the Tigers' spring training opener Friday against the Phillies, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

This isn't surprising, as Rodriguez was signed to a five-year, $77 million deal in the offseason to serve as Detroit's No. 1 starter. He'll be followed by Casey Mize on Saturday, and those two should headline the rotation during the regular season as well. Rodriguez recorded a 4.74 ERA and 185 strikeouts across 157.2 innings for the Red Sox in 2021.

German (shoulder) landed on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Reports of shoulder troubles for German surfaced earlier in the week, and while the specifics of his injury are not yet clear, he's evidently dealing with a fairly serious issue. He'll be ineligible to return before early June. His absence could cement Nestor Cortes' hold on a rotation role, barring any further additions. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the Yankees to add new signee Anthony Rizzo.

Glasnow (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The move was an inevitable one, as Glasnow is still recovering from Tommy John surgery in early August. He has a chance to return in 2022, but that won't occur until very late in the season if it happens at all. His 40-man roster spot will be taken by new signing Jason Adam.

Canning (back) was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Canning was already ruled out for Opening Day after he sustained a setback in his recovery from a back injury a few weeks ago, and he'll now be unavailable for the first two months of the season. The 25-year-old was expected to compete for the No. 6 spot in the Angels' starting rotation, but he'll now need to build up in the minors once healthy. Reid Detmers and Jaime Barria are now the likely candidates to fill out the rotation.