MLB Player News

Morton (1-0) picked up the win in Houston's 6-1 victory over Baltimore on Monday, striking out six, walking two and scattering just three hits over six shutout innings.

Morton looked filthy in his first start of the season, generating 17 swings-and-misses and seeing his fastball top out at 98.6 MPH on his way to the victory. The 34-year-old right-hander is coming off a solid 2017 campaign that saw him log a 3.46 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and strike out 163 batters in 146.2 innings. If he can match or improve upon those numbers this season, Morton figures to have a secure spot in the rotation on an absolutely loaded Astros pitching staff.

Hammel (0-1) allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings in Monday's loss to the Tigers.

Hammel's 2018 debut started well, as he allowed one run over his first four innings of work. However, things went south for the 34-year-old in the fifth inning when he allowed four runs on four hits and an intentional walk. Coming off a season that saw Hammel post a lofty 5.29 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, owners may want to proceed with caution until he shows signs of improvement. Hammel figures to have a tough matchup for his next start, as he's scheduled to take the mound Saturday against the Indians.

Heaney (elbow) will throw in a minor-league game Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Heaney was able to throw 69 pitches in an intrasquad game Sunday. It appears that he's approaching his activation from the disabled list, as he's scheduled to throw 80-90 pitches in Friday's game. If he remains healthy, Heaney could be available to start April 12 against the Royals and join the Angels' rotation as their sixth starter.

Cobb is scheduled to throw five innings in a simulated game Wednesday, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Cobb will continue to ramp things up after completing a four-inning simulated game Friday with no issues. There should be a decision on whether he's ready to join the rotation following his sim game. The Orioles were originally hoping to get Cobb in a minor-league game with Double-A Bowie on April 9 before activating him, but seeing as he isn't allowed to use a major-league baseball in the minors, Baltimore may opt to have him join the big-league rotation sooner than expected if everything goes well Wednesday.

Blackburn (forearm) could resume throwing at the end of the week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Blackburn remains shut down from throwing after experiencing forearm tightness late in camp. While he's hoping to pick up a throwing program in the near future, the A's will continue to play it safe with the 24-year-old righty. A return date should emerge once he's able to resume throwing. In the meantime, Daniel Gossett will continue to fill in for Blackburn in the rotation.

Lynn (0-1) allowed five runs on three hits and six walks over four innings in Monday's loss to the Pirates.

Lynn struggled early in Monday's outing, as he walked three batters and gave up five runs in the first frame, with four runs crossing the plate via a grand slam from Colin Moran. Lynn didn't have much luck finding the strike zone, resulting in 44 of his 95 pitches being called as balls. While this lack of control was reminiscent of Lynn's 2017 campaign, in which he posted a career-high BB/9 of 3.8, the 30-year-old righty managed to allow just one hit over his following three innings. Lynn will look to rebound from Monday's rough effort when the Twins host the Mariners on Sunday.

Chirinos fired four scoreless innings in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Red Sox, allowing a hit, a walk and a hit batsman while recording three strikeouts.

One of several relievers with appreciable starting experience in the minors, Chirinos demonstrated why manager Kevin Cash feels confident in utilizing his bullpen in a number of unorthodox ways this coming season. The 24-year-old right-hander was stellar in his debut, and he could be called upon for several outings of similar duration as the season unfolds. Cash not only plans to deploy Chirinos in a similar long-relief role when necessary, but also as a key component of his planned "bullpen days" that will come into play whenever the Rays need a fifth starter.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that Montgomery would start the team's home opener Tuesday against the Rays, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

After the home opener was postponed Monday, the Yankees considered skipping Montgomery's turn and instead going with Luis Severino on regular rest Tuesday, but Boone ultimately elected to keep his rotation in its normal order. With Montgomery now locked in for Tuesday, he'll line up for a two-start week, with his second outing set to come Sunday against the Orioles.

Montgomery won't make his scheduled start Monday after the Yankees' home opener against the Rays was postponed due to inclement weather, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

The two teams will make up the game Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. EDT, so it's expected that Montgomery will just move back a day in the pitching schedule. After a strong rookie season, the young lefty shined during spring training, posting a 3.43 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 21 innings.

Rodriguez (knee) will make a minor-league start in extended spring training Tuesday and will likely need another start beyond that before returning to the Red Sox, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Manager Alex Cora acknowledged that Rodriguez needs a bit more time. "It's strictly his knee and his extension," Cora said. "It's very important for him to be 100 percent. I think this organization has been through the path before and it seemed like it didn't work out so we have to make sure he's completely healthy." This new timeline pushes out the left-hander's earliest return date to April 13.