MLB Player News

Teheran (back) does not believe his injury is serious, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Teheran started experiencing back tightness in the first inning of Monday's start and exited the game after only 30 pitches and two frames of work. However, he stretched his back out after exiting the contest and believes he could have re-entered the game. Teheran has made the case for a role in the rotation with his performance this spring and it doesn't appear that this injury will disrupt that.

Teheran exited Monday's outing after experiencing tightness in his back, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Teheran left the game after completing two innings on 30 pitches. His exit was deemed precautionary by the team, but no further details were provided. Teheran has reportedly shown increased velocity this spring in his battle for a rotation spot, though any time he is forced to miss would weaken his chances.

Boyd was named the Tigers' Opening Day starter Monday and will get the ball April 1 against Cleveland, William Ladson of MLB.com reports.

The veteran lefty earns the honor for the second season in a row. He wouldn't get the nod on many teams following a season in which he struggled to a 6.71 ERA, but the Tigers' wave of young pitching prospects hasn't been fully established yet, making him the clear top choice with Spencer Turnbull sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Royals reassigned Lynch to their minor-league camp Monday.

Kansas City sent several of its top prospects back to minor-league camp Monday, as Lynch was reassigned along with infielder Bobby Witt, outfielder Kyle Isbel and pitcher Jackson Kowar. Lynch will likely open the 2021 campaign at Triple-A Omaha or Double-A Northwest Arkansas after posting a 2.99 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 96 strikeouts over 96.1 innings across three lower-level affiliates in 2019.

Arihara started five innings in a "B" game Sunday but failed to record three outs in four of them, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Arihara had all kinds of issues in the game that kicked off at 10 AM. He began by walking three and hitting one batter during a first inning in which he failed to get an out. The right-hander struggled to get a grip on the ball and was seen applying hand cream after the first inning to get a feel for the ball. "More than the ball slipping, I didn't like the way my body was moving today," he said through an interpreter. "I felt like my weight transformation had me diving forward too much and my arm speed couldn't get where I would like. I want to be able to perform, and today was frustrating." This was the second time this spring that Arihara has referred to having an issue gripping the ball.

Greinke allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out one over 4.1 innings in Sunday's spring game against the Marlins.

Greinke, Houston's recently anointed Opening Day starter, ran his pitch count to 69 with one more start before the regular season. The right-hander lamented the behavior of his slider, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. Greinke hopes to get that pitch in shape and elevate his pitch count to 80 or 85 in time for Opening Day.

Rodon allowed one hit and struck out five over four scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against Arizona.

Rodon continued his bid for a spot in the rotation and has thrown nine scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. The left-hander threw 49 pitches Sunday, more than half of which were is four-seam fastball along with his slider and changeup. He told Scott Merkin of MLB.com that commanding his fastball makes his entire arsenal better. The White Sox kick off the season with eight straight games, so they will need a fifth starter immediately. Rodon has two more spring starts to push his pitch count and be ready for the first turn of the rotation in the regular season.

Suarez was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

Suarez was being stretched out as a starter this spring while also serving as a bullpen option, but he'll begin the regular season in the minors. The southpaw made three relief appearances during Cactus League play and gave up two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out eight over 4.2 innings. Although Suarez hasn't had much success in the majors early in his career, he could serve as a versatile option for the Angels if the team's pitching staff deals with injuries this season.

Bassitt fired 3.2 scoreless innings in a Cactus League win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing a hit and two walks while recording five strikeouts.

Bassitt picked up his second win of spring with another stellar outing, his second consecutive with five strikeouts across a 3.2-inning workload. The right-hander now has a 1.74 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and .179 BAA across three Cactus League starts, ramping up in fine fashion for his projected No. 3 starter role in the coming season.

Wacha fired four scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Twins on Saturday, allowing just one hit and no walks while recording three strikeouts.

Wacha worked up to 53 pitches, with Adam Berry of MLB.com reporting the veteran right-hander's fastball got as high as 94.9 mph according to Statcast. Wacha featured a four-pitch mix overall that also included an effective cutter and a changeup that he got four swings and misses on, three of those third strikes.