MLB Player News

Verlander tossed 6.2 innings against Astros minor leaguers Sunday, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports. He allowed one hit and two walks while striking out 10.

That's about what you'd expect out of Verlander at this stage of camp, particularly against less experienced hitters. "It's hard to get a little bit of the adrenaline going, but it's also a good opportunity to work on things I've been working on," Verlander said. "Today was a productive day for me." Houston's ace is expected to scale back his pitch count for his final spring start, which is standard practice for veteran pitchers. He's set to make his 11th Opening Day start March 28, on the road against the Rays.

Rodon allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over 5.1 innings Sunday against Arizona.

Rodon was tagged for a pair of solo home runs and didn't have his best stuff, but he extended to 90 pitches, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The left-hander threw more in the bullpen following his departure to get his pitch count up to 100. He'll make one more start before the start of the regular season. Manager Rick Renteria plans to announce his Opening Day starter Monday, and Rodon is the leading candidate.

Chirinos, who's slated for a "bulk" pitching role this season, worked four innings in the batting cage Saturday after his scheduled Grapefruit League outing against the Twins was rained out, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Chirinos has actually had a bit of a rocky spring, generating a 7.71 ERA across seven frames over four appearances. However, the right-hander built up plenty of trust during his 2018 rookie campaign, posting a solid 3.51 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while appearing in 18 games, seven of them as a "bullpen day" arm. Chirinos' ability to work multiple innings has him pegged as one of the primary candidates for bulk-reliever duty on bullpen days this coming season, a role wherein he'd often be asked to work 3-to-4 innings after the designated opener has exited the game.

Heaney (elbow) will open the season on the injured list, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Heaney was shut down from throwing last week due to irritation in his left elbow, and while he's scheduled to resume throwing Sunday, there simply isn't enough time for the southpaw to get back up to speed before the start of the season. With Heaney slated to open the year on the shelf, Jaime Barria and Felix Pena will both likely break camp in the Angels' rotation.

Manager Alex Cora confirmed Sale will start against the Mariners on Opening Day, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

As expected, Sale will make his third consecutive Opening Day start for the Red Sox. Since joining Boston, the southpaw has compiled a 2.56 ERA and 545 strikeouts across 59 starts (372.1 innngs). It's worth noting that the Red Sox apparently want to keep Sale under 100 pitches in his initial starts, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Lynn is expected to start the third game of the season March 31 against the Cubs, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

The rotation was expected to begin with Mike Minor, then Lynn; however, manager Chris Woodward is moving Edinson Volquez up between Minor and Lynn. The manager wants to avoid using three consecutive starters coming off Tommy John elbow surgery, which could put undue stress on the bullpen.

Carrasco covered 4.2 innings Friday in the Indians' 5-2 exhibition loss to the Rangers, surrendering three runs on five hits and no walks while striking out six.

Making his second start of the spring, Carrasco breezed through three scoreless innings before meeting some resistance in the fourth. Carrasco allowed four hits in a five-batter stretch during that inning, but was at least able to regroup and retire the final three hitters he faced on the day. He'll make one or two more starts this spring before likely slotting in as the Tribe's No. 3 starter when the regular season arrives.

Sale struck out seven batters while allowing just two hits in four scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut Saturday against the Braves.

Sale's fastball velocity was hovering around 92 mph, nearly three ticks below his 94.7 mph average from last season, but Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports that the Red Sox aren't concerned about that, as they instructed the lefty to take it easy in his first start of the spring. The velocity could be worth watching if the dip continues into the start of the season, especially for a player whose second half was marred by shoulder problems. For now, it's undoubtedly reassuring to see Sale back on a mound and having success, though his fantasy ceiling may not be fully realized early on during the season. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported Saturday that the Red Sox want to keep Sale under 100 pitches in his initial starts.

Hammel said he will not go to the minors if he doesn't make the Rangers' roster, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. "I certainly won't go to Triple-A," Hammel said after firing four scoreless innings Friday. "This is a grind. If it requires me to go home, I know my family is waiting for me and has been for a while. I'm more than willing to go home and spend time with them."

Hammel's allowed just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out 10 over 8.2 Cactus League innings. The Rangers already have a projected rotation, so Hammel could stick around as a long reliever/spot starter, and he could be the first option should one of the three starters coming back from Tommy John surgery falter.

Whitley walked two and struck out four over four hitless innings Friday against the Cardinals.

Whitley was sent to minor-league camp earlier this week but did not let that disappointment impact Friday's start. With just 10 starts at the Double-A level, Whitley will head back to the minors this season to build up innings.