MLB Player News

Stripling is now the favorite to open the year as the Blue Jays' fifth starter following Nate Pearson's groin setback, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Stripling looked like he could be the odd man out heading into camp, but now he may get at least a turn or two in the rotation until Pearson gets healthy. He hasn't officially been named the fifth starter, as Thomas Hatch, Anthony Kay and T.J. Zeuch are also in the mix, but Stripling appears to have a clear edge. Whoever wins Toronto's fifth starter job is likely to open with starts against the Rangers, Angels and Royals.

McClanahan was optioned off the active roster Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

There are plenty of reasons to get excited about McClanahan, who flashed triple-digit heat this spring and owns a career 3.17 ERA with a 31.6 percent strikeout rate in the minors. He's yet to pitch above Double-A and has only made four starts at that level, however, so it's no surprise he'll begin the year off the active roster given the Rays' wealth of potential starters. He could certainly fill an important role at some point this season, either as a starter or multi-inning reliever, but it's not yet clear exactly when his name will be called.

The Tigers optioned Manning to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The 2016 first-round pick had been given the opportunity to compete for a rotation spot this spring, but since the Tigers have yet to start his MLB service clock, the prevailing expectation was that he would begin the year in the minors. Tuesday's transaction confirms that will be the case, though Manning could still appear in Grapefruit League games as he looks to build back up after a forearm strain cost him time in 2020. He'll likely remain at the Tigers' spring-training facility in Lakeland, Fla. for another month before reporting to Toledo when the Triple-A season begins in May.

Bielak has a chance to pitch as a starter or opener during the first week of the season, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Houston manager Dusty Baker said Bielak, who has minor-league options, has an "outside shot" to make the Opening Day roster. That chance appears to be tied to the status of other projected starters, like Jake Odorizzi, Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia. All three are behind in terms of their progression for various reasons, which opens the door to Bielak being part of the rotation when the Astros play six straight games to open the season.

Urquidy allowed two runs on three hits while striking out three over 3.2 innings in Monday's spring game against the Marlins.

The two runs came on a flyball that right fielder Kyle Tucker lost in the sun, so the line looks worse than Urquidy felt. The right-hander raised his pitch count to 61 pitches (42 strikes) in his third Cactus League appearance. He'll get another two spring starts in preparation for the regular season.

Kopech (calf) allowed a hit, hit a batter and struck out two in one scoreless inning against the Cubs on Monday.

Kopech had his most recently scheduled outing delayed due to tightness in his calf. His fastball hit 100 mph and sat in the high 90s Monday, but it was the right-hander's slider that induced the two punchouts, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. "I felt comfortable attacking the zone with my secondary pitches, which is something I've really been working on," Kopech said. "Coming out of the bullpen, getting loose that way, I'm starting to -- I wouldn't say get used to it, but get a feel for it." Kopech will be used out of the bullpen initially but could emerge in the rotation later in the season.

Cease allowed one hit and struck out two over three scoreless innings in Monday's spring game against the Cubs.

On the day when manager Tony La Russa identified the top three starters in the rotation, Cease solidified his hold on the No. 4 spot with an impressive Cactus League debut. The right-hander worked on fixing his mechanics during the offseason and early in camp, and he was pleased with the outcome. "There's always things that can be improved and worked on," Cease told Scott Merkin of MLB.com. "Threw my stuff in the zone, no walks. Made them put it in play. I'm happy with that. It's definitely encouraging." The young starter, who has drawn raves from coaches and catchers alike during his bullpen sessions this spring, had a 4.01 ERA in 2020, which involved a bit of luck, as Cease had a 6.35 FIP and .242 BABIP.

Severino (elbow) has been tossing two bullpen sessions per week but is only throwing fastballs for the time being, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Severino indicated Monday that his rehab from Tommy John surgery is going according to plan, but he will nonetheless miss a significant portion of the campaign as he continues to recover. The fact that the right-hander is able to throw twice a week is certainly a good sign, and, according to Severino, it may not be long before he's able to progress to breaking pitches.

German tossed four scoreless innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Phillies, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out six.

German enjoyed an effective and efficient outing, needing only 46 pitches (35 strikes) to make it through four frames. He has been dominant so far this spring, throwing nine scoreless innings and yielding only five hits while posting a 13:1 K:BB. Though Deivi Garcia -- German's primary competition for the fifth-starter role -- has also thrown well this spring, German may be sliding ahead of him with his effectiveness in Grapefruit League action.

Canning has started two Cactus League games for the Angels, allowing a combined five runs on five hits over 3.2 innings while posting an 8:4 K:BB.

The strikeouts have been there for Canning, but he has otherwise struggled in his first two spring starts. In his last outing -- against the Giants on March 11 -- he was removed in the second inning after giving up three walks and a bases-clearing triple. Canning is a lock for a rotation spot, however, and will look to build upon last season's 3.99 ERA and 1.37 WHIP.