MLB Player News

Hammel gave up three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out two over five innings against the Twins on Thursday. He did not factor in the decision in the Royals' 5-3 loss.

The control was lacking for Hammel in his Royals debut, with just 59 of his 95 pitches going for strikes, but his track record suggests better days are ahead. Last year, Hammel issued more than two walks just five times in 30 starts. The two strikeouts were also disappointing, but it wasn't a disastrous start by any means, and Hammel draws a more favorable matchup his next time out -- a home start against the A's.

Gray (back) will travel with the Athletics to Texas on Friday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen once they arrive, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The ace of Oakland's staff seems to be progressing well in his recovery from a lat strain. If all goes well with Friday's outing, there's a good chance Gray could begin a rehab assignment within the next week and potentially even return to the big-league rotation by the end of the month. A firmer timetable should come forth once the team determines he's ready for a trip to the minors.

Montas fired 2.2 scoreless innings in Wednesday's 5-0 loss to the Angels, giving up two hits.

Montas needed just 26 pitches to get eight outs in his 2017 debut, which served as a fitting extension of a dominant spring. The hard-throwing 24-year-old generated a 0.77 ERA and 13:2 K:BB over 11.2 exhibition innings, making a formidable case for a spot on the 25-man roster. Manager Bob Melvin will likely rely on the experienced trio of Santiago Casilla, Ryan Madson and John Axford (shoulder) to close out the majority of games early in the season, but with Axford presently on the disabled list, Montas is currently a late-inning option as well as per Joe Stiglich of NBCS Bay Area.

Kaprielian (elbow) was placed on the minor-league disabled list Thursday.

The 2015 first-rounder has dealt with elbow issues in the past and it appears that his pitching elbow is bothering him once again. He's set to undergo an MRI and a dye contrast MRI in the near future and the Yankees will provide a further update on his status after the results are released.

Snell, who endured an inconsistent spring during which he struggled with his control, is looking forward to a clean slate beginning with Thursday's start against the Blue Jays, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "I feel like I made a lot of strides," Snell said, "and now I'm ready to see if I really did."

The promising southpaw notched two spring victories but also generated a 5.87 ERA, .298 BAA, 1.70 WHIP and a 17:11 K:BB over 23 innings. Snell was rather bluntly critiqued by manager Kevin Cash and pitching coach Jim Hickey after his first five appearances, with both noting that he needed to utilize his fastball more and get deeper into games. Snell rebounded by pitching at least four innings in his final three starts, although he gave up four earned runs apiece in two of those outings. However, his fastball did get back up into the mid-90s range he'd flashed in his final outing of 2016, setting up an anticipated season debut Thursday against a tough Blue Jays lineup. "Blake is still a very young pitcher," Cash said. "It's tough to really gauge what spring training is doing. We were happy to see his (velocity) pick back up where it finished off last year."

Rodriguez may take the mound Saturday instead of Friday after his Thursday outing was postponed due to rain, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.

Manager John Farrell is considering using the southpaw to split up the right-handed pitchers, with Steven Wright possibly sticking with his Friday assignment and Rick Porcello settled in for Sunday. Keep an eye on how Farrell assigns the hurlers for the coming weekend series against the Tigers.

Rodriguez's scheduled start Thursday against the Pirates has been postponed due to rain, MLB.com's Adam Berry reports.

The two teams are scheduled for a make-up game April 13, but it's unclear when Rodriguez will make his next start for the Red Sox, who are headed to Detroit for a four-game series that opens up Friday.

Ramirez (1-0) gave up just two hits over 2.2 scoreless innings in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over the A's. He struck out two.

The 28-year-old right-hander was called upon for some long relief following Garrett Richards' premature exit from the game with biceps cramps, and he earned the victory by keeping the A's subdued in the middle innings. Ramirez got through his near three-inning stint on an efficient 38 pitches, 26 of which found the strike zone. He consistently got ahead in the count, landing first-pitch strikes against eight of the 10 hitters he faced. Despite the fact he failed to secure a spot in the starting rotation coming out of spring, Wednesday's outing demonstrated the important bullpen role Ramirez can potentially play throughout the season.

Morton held the Mariners to two runs on five hits and a pair of walks over six innings in a no-decision Wednesday. He struck out four.

Morton generated some preseason buzz in fantasy circles thanks to his increased velocity in a tiny sample last year, and he hit 96 mph in this one. It's a bit hard to believe in him as a 33-year-old sleeper, but Morton has a strong curveball to go with that heater, so he could be a credible starter in some formats. Just don't get too excited too soon, as he's been alternately injured and ineffective for the last two seasons. There's some upside here, but plenty of downside too.

Paxton allowed only two hits and a walk with five strikeouts over six shining innings in a no-decision against Houston on Wednesday.

He was long gone by the time the Astros pulled out a 13-inning win. A popular name in this year's drafts, Paxton experienced awful BABIP luck last season, leading to a 3.79 ERA that was nearly a full run worse than his FIP (2.85). One of the hardest-throwing starters in the game, Paxton has a chance to develop into a top-flight fantasy asset as he embarks on his first full campaign in the big leagues. Staying healthy will be a major key for him, though, as the 28-year-old's career has been marred by a number of injuries, especially in 2014 and 2015.