MLB Player News

Valdez is in position to be part of the rotation when the season begins, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Valdez moves up the depth chart and is in position for a rotation slot after a few recent developments. The Astros placed presumptive No. 4 starter Jose Urquidy on the 10-day injured list for undisclosed reasons. Additionally, presumptive No. 5 starter Josh James arrived late to camp because he was home for the birth of his daughter. James is expected to be in the rotation when the season starts, per Houston pitching coach Brent Strom, but there is uncertainty at the back end. With Austin Pruitt (elbow) popping up with an injury Tuesday, Valdez is the most likely candidate to start games if a replacement is needed. "His stuff is electric, his bullpens have been great," said Strom. Valdez appeared in 26 games (eight starts) for the Astros in 2019 and posted a 5.86 ERA. Control has been the left-hander's bane; he walked 44 over 70.2 innings in 2019 and 24 over 37 innings the previous year.

Eovaldi is scheduled for a six-inning stint in a scrimmage Sunday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

While manager Ron Roenicke hasn't announced Eovaldi as Boston's Opening Day starter, it's easy to see the right-hander is lining up to start the opener Friday, July 24, when the Red Sox and Orioles kick off the regular season. "I haven't said anything to him yet," Roenicke said. "That conversation will probably happen in the next day or two. But you guys can figure out the numbers there." If all starters were healthy, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez would start the opener, but he's still under the COVID-19 protocol and time is running out for him to be ready by then.

Odorizzi did not give up a run during a 79-pitch start in Tuesday's scrimmage, giving up five hits with five strikeouts, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Odorizzi and Minnesota's starting pitchers drew rave reviews for their conditioning during the shutdown of baseball, and he appears ready to go for Opening Day of the 60-game season. Odorizzi is coming off the best season of his career with 15 wins, a 3.51 ERA and career-best 27.1 percent strikeout rate.

Kikuchi allowed four runs on four hits and four walks over 2.1 innings in Tuesday's intrasquad game, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

It was Kikuchi's first appearance in a game situation since spring training, so the rusty outing is understandable to a significant degree. The left-hander threw regularly during the shutdown and had been pleased with the quality of his bullpen sessions since summer camp started, but he noted through his interpreter after Tuesday's appearance that his balance and mechanics were thrown off somewhat by elements such as baserunners and signs. Kikuchi did hit 95 mph regularly with his fastball, however, and he reported that both his stamina and arm were feeling good throughout his time on the mound. The 29-year-old lines up for one more intrasquad start before taking the hill in the Mariners' second regular-season game, which is scheduled for July 25 in Houston.

Giolito allowed one run on two hits and a walk over four innings during an intrasquad game Monday, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports.

Giolito overcame first-inning issues to finish strong in what his first intrasquad game of camp. He allowed all the damage during a 27-pitch first inning before retiring the final nine batters in a row. The right-hander said he focused on his curveball during the session. White Sox acting manager Joe McEwing said Giolito could have pitched a fifth inning, which speaks to his ability to give them length right out of the box.

Anderson (oblique) was throwing off flat ground from 90 feet Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays announced over the weekend that the veteran right-hander had been dealing with the oblique strain for several days, so it's encouraging to see him back to throwing relatively quickly. Pitching coach Pete Walker already said Anderson is unlikely to be available for the start of the season next week, but a return to the mound soon could go a long way toward minimizing his absence during the shortened season.

Boyd is scheduled to pitch in Wednesday's intrasquad game for the Tigers, which could put him out of the mix for a start on Opening Day, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Had Boyd pitched in Tuesday's intrasquad game, he would have lined up to throw again five days later, July 19, and then have another five days before Opening Day on July 24. However, the Tigers elected to not use Boyd on Tuesday, so either they have a slightly different schedule planned for the lefty or they don't intend to start him in the opener. Manager Ron Gardenhire has not formally named an Opening Day starter, though the assumption heading into summer camp was that Boyd would get the nod. Whether he starts in the first game or not, Boyd figures to be the team's ace this year, and he should rack up plenty of strikeouts even if wins are hard to come by on what is projected to be a rebuilding club.

Cole is not expected to pitch in any of the Yankees' three exhibition games, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Cole's regular pitching schedule has him in line to pitch a simulated game Friday, so he'll sit out the team's trio of exhibition contests against the Mets on Saturday and Sunday and against the Phillies on Monday. Cole has already worked up to 84 pitches in intrasquad action and has looked sharp thus far in summer camp, so he should be ready to assume a normal workload when he takes the mound against Washington on Opening Day.

Mejia joined the White Sox's 60-man player pool Tuesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Mejia will be part of the group of 16 players working out at the team's secondary camp, meaning he's unlikely to be one of the first names called on in the event of an injury crisis. He's received big-league time in each of the last four seasons but hasn't stood out, posting a career 4.62 ERA in 154 innings and a 6.61 mark in 31.1 frames last year.

Rodriguez (illness) has been able to throw into a net in his backyard while quarantined, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

A positive COVID-19 test has prevented the lefty from being able to join his teammates, but he evidently doesn't have a particularly serious case given that he's still been able to work out. It's not clear exactly what sort of workload he'll be able to handle once he's back on the field, nor is it clear when that's expected to happen, though the Red Sox have yet to completely rule him out for Opening Day.