MLB Player News

McKenzie was placed on the minor-league disabled list with a forearm injury.

The Indians stated that McKenzie's placement on the shelf was a precautionary move but failed to describe the severity or timetable for his injury. Expect an update on the top prospect's status prior to the start of the minor-league season.

Rodriguez (knee) tossed five innings in a minor-league game Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "After what he told me today, he feels right," manager Alex Cora said Friday. "Today he was fine with his knee. He made a few plays yesterday. He went longer than usual."

All signs point to Rodriguez being activated off the disabled list relatively soon. He might need just one start at a minor-league affiliate before returning to Boston.

Keuchel wasn't as sharp as usual with his two-seam fastball in Friday's loss to the Rangers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. "I felt good initially out of the gate but felt like I was forcing my arm-side fastball too much. It was one of those days where my glove-side extension side has more movement. I gave up more hits to lefties than I would have liked. It should have been a lot better than it was," Keuchel said.

Keuchel, who's normally death on left-handed batters, walked one and gave up three hits to lefties, including Nomar Mazara's solo home run. The bearded left-hander worked with men on base in five of six innings, but other than the homer, he curtailed the damage. He'll work on the precision of the two-seamer for his next start scheduled April 4 at home against Baltimore. He won his lone start against the Orioles in 2017.

Snell tossed 5.2 scoreless innings Friday, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out three but coming away with a no-decision in a 1-0 loss to the Red Sox.

The young lefty matched David Price goose egg for goose egg, but after throwing 84 pitches, Snell got lifted for Chaz Roe -- who promptly gave up the game's only run. After an impressive spring that saw him post a 27:5 K:BB in 17.1 innings, Snell wound up on plenty of sleeper lists heading into 2018, and at least through one start he's done nothing to dampen that enthusiasm. He'll get a rematch with Price and the Red Sox in Boston on Thursday.

Keuchel (0-1) picked up the loss Friday, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings and striking out four in Houston's 5-1 loss to the Rangers.

Keuchel logged a quality start despite the defeat and showcased the traits that have made him one of the most consistent starters in baseball the last few years aside from his outlier 2016 season. Keuchel was limited to 145.2 innings due to injury last year but he was stellar when he did pitch, logging a 2.90 ERA and 1.12 WHIP to go along with a 14-5 record. Assuming he stays healthy, the 29-year-old has the ability to anchor a fantasy staff and figures to be a mainstay along with Justin Verlander atop Houston's rotation in 2018.

Nicasio earned his first hold with a scoreless eighth inning in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Indians. He also recorded a strikeout.

Nicasio progressively ramped up his velocity this spring and was in fine form for the opener, disposing of the dangerous trio of Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez in order. The veteran right-hander is blessed with a mid-90s fastball that should make him a late-inning fixture as a setup option to closer Edwin Diaz.

Hamels, who stressed fastball command over his final two spring starts, struggled to locate that pitch during Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Astros, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. The left-hander walked four batters and gave up two home runs in the loss.

The trouble for Hamels started immediately when he fell behind leadoff batter George Springer, 2-0. His next pitch, a fastball, caught too much of the plate and Springer hammered it into the right-field stands. Falling behind became the rule, not the exception, for Hamels, who threw first-pitch balls to nine of the first 13 hitters and fell behind, 2-0, to six of them. "When you get behind in counts, you have to throw some pitches that they are able to hit, and that's what they were able to do," Hamels said. "I have to make the adjustment a lot quicker. It's something I've been searching for all spring, so that was the tough part today. When you have repeatable mechanics, things happen for you." The good news is that Hamels survived with curveballs and cutters, limiting the damage over 5.2 innings.

Kluber (0-1) took the loss on Opening Day, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight over eight innings against the Mariners.

He allowed a two-run homer to Nelson Cruz in the first inning, but after that, Kluber was Kluber. The right-hander got 14 swinging strikes on 91 pitches and induced 11 groundball outs. A road matchup against the Angels is next for Kluber, who is unanimously considered a top-four pitching option in fantasy.

Rodon (shoulder) threw 30-to-35 pitches in a bullpen session Thursday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

While his teammates were enjoying an Opening Day win in Kansas City, Rodon was on the fields in Arizona working his way back from injury. It was the third time Rodon had tossed a bullpen, and he incorporated his slider into a mix that had been primarily fastball/changeup. His June timetable could be moved up, but the White Sox aren't rushing the left-hander.

Sale pitched six innings and allowed no earned runs on one hit and three walks while striking out nine Thursday against the Rays.

Sale looked to be in midseason form in his first start of the season, requiring only 92 pitches to complete six innings. He also had his usual ability to miss bats working as well, generating 13 swinging strikes. The only flaws in his performance were that he couldn't collect a win and that he walked three batters. It's likely that Sale will see more difficult matchups in the future, last season the Rays ranked 26th in OPS as a team against left-handed pitching, but regardless of the strength of the opposing lineup, his season is off to a strong start.