MLB Player News

Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson struggled on the mound Saturday, giving up four runs on nine hits in the team's 4-2 loss to the Red Sox in Grapefruit League action.

"I think everybody wants to give up less runs and hits, but when you look outside the numbers, I think I'm pretty close," said Gibson. "My curveball today was a lot better. Pitch-wise, what I came in here to try to do, I think I was pretty successful."

In 19 innings pitched this spring, Gibson has posted an ERA of 2.75 with 17 strikeouts

Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon has decided on his starting rotation to begin the season, reports the Tacoma News Tribune.

The rotation will go as follows: Felix Hernandez, James Paxton, Hisashi Iwakuma, Taijuan Walker and J.A. Happ.

Happ was expected to be either the fourth or fifth starter in the rotation.

The Indians and pitcher Corey Kluber are still pushing to get a deal done before the regular season begins Monday, according to Cleveland.com.

Kluber's agent, BB Abbott, is in discussions with Cleveland for a multi-year deal, but talks are moving slowly.

"It's slow going, but I'm encouraged," said Abbott on Saturday. "We continue to talk and try to find a middle ground. The conversations have been cordial."

Kluber is scheduled to start Cleveland's opener Monday against the Astros. He signed a one-year, $601,000 deal this offseason to avoid arbitration.

Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson is ready to go for his start on April 9th of the regular season. Manager John Farrell noticed that as the spring moved along, Masterson showed more arm strength. 

“We know when he’s right, he’s going to put the ball on the ground,” Farrell said, according to ESPN. “He got through camp healthy and is primed to take a start next Thursday.”

Masterson gave up two runs on seven hits in five innings pitched in a 4-2 win over the Twins on Saturday. The 30-year-old posted an ERA of 3.52 in 23 innings this spring.

Last season he had an ERA of 5.88 with 116 strikeouts and 69 walks in 128 innings pitched.

The Nationals jumped all over Yankees pitcher Nathan Eovaldi for three runs in the first inning but the right hander settled down and did not allow a run the rest of his start, going 5.0 innings and striking out six on Saturday.

Eovaldi came into Saturday's game with a 0.66 ERA for the spring but saw it spike to 1.93.

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander played catch and felt "extremely good," he told reporters, according to MLive.com.

Verlander will face live hitters on Tuesday in Lakeland. The 32-year-old right-hander is tentatively scheduled to come off the 15-day disabled list and make his season debut against Cleveland on April 12, depending on how his right triceps strain responds after Tuesday.

Rays starter Alex Cobb played catch again on Saturday, and revealed that his late-April return is more like early-May, according to the Tampa Tribune.

"Everything is going fine. Everything is going slow," Cobb said.

Cobb has been sidelined since March 17, and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season due to forearm tendinitis. Though his rehab has slowed down, he said that he doesn't believe he'll need another MRI.

"No cause for concern," Cobb said.

Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco rebounded after having a rough outing on Sunday. Nolasco pitched three solid innings on Friday in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox.

Nolasco gave up one run on four hits with one strikeout against the Red Sox. The 32-year-old has an ERA of 4.12 with 16 strikeouts and five walks in 19 innings pitched this spring.

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco struggled through 2 1/3 innings of work in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Brewers. 

Carrasco accounted for five earned runs in the game. He gave up two in the top of the second with the Brewers scoring their remaining four in the top of the third. Carrasco was pulled with the Indians down 5-3 with one out in the top of the third. 

Carrasco struck out two batters, walked two and gave up six hits. He surrendered one home run. He concludes his spring with an ERA of 7.00. 

Via MLB.com, Carrasco said his poor game was a result of some mechanical issues. 

"Today in the game, I kind of fell a little bit behind the hitters," Carrasco said. "I felt a little bit tired, but I'm ready. It was more probably my mechanics today. I was a little bit on the side instead of up, but I feel fine.

"I'm really happy [with my spring]. Whatever happened today, I'll just learn from that."

Rays starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi made his final exhibition start Friday against the Yankees. He allowed three runs on five hits and no walks in four innings. He had no strikeouts.

Odorizzi took the mound with a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but he gave two runs back on Miguel Cabrera's one-out home run. Odorizzi gave up his third run on a Cabrera double in the third inning.

Odorizzi finishes the spring with a 4.26 ERA over four starts (12 2/3 innings). He will make his season debut Wednesday against the Orioles.