MLB Player News

Orioles manager Buck Showalter announced Friday starting pitcher Bud Norris will start the home opener April 10 against the Blue Jays, following Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez in the rotation.

Unfortunately, Showalter wasn't ready to name a fifth starter between Ubaldo Jimenez and Kevin Gausman. In fact, Showalter said he might not be ready to make that call until after the first or second game of the season.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin revealed his season-opening rotation Thursday, and Opening Day starter Sonny Gray will be followed in succession by Jesse Hahn, Scott Kazmir, Kendall Graveman and Drew Pomeranz, MLB.com reports.

Only Gray and Kazmir entered the spring as locks for the rotation, though Hahn was a good bet to also earn a spot. Graveman, a rookie who made his major-league debut last year and logged five relief appearances in September, surrendered just one earned run in 21 1/3 innings while striking out 11 batters and walking four this spring. Pomeranz fared well in 10 starts and 10 relief appearances in 2014 and posted a 2.04 ERA and 25:8 K:BB ratio in 17 2/3 spring innings.

White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana was roughed up by the Diamondbacks' hitters for six runs in a 10-2 loss on Thursday. Quintana, who only pitched two innings, allowed those six runs on eight hits.

"I threw everything great, threw a lot of strikes. But I missed with my breaking balls, especially behind in the count. They just happened to get doubles on good swings," Quintana said, per MLB.com.

The 26-year-old lefty has a career record of 24-24. He has 423 strikeouts and 150 walks in 536 innings pitched. 

Red Sox manager John Farrell has confirmed that Justin Masterson will pitch the third game of the season, according to ESPN.

Although Masterson has been slotted as the third pitcher in the team's starting rotation, the team is still unsure of the fifth spot. 

Masterson, 30, finished last season with an ERA of 5.88 with 116 strikeouts and 69 walks in 128 innings pitched.

The Tigers officially placed starter Justin Verlander (triceps) and reliever Bruce Rondon (biceps) on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, per the team's official website.

Verlander's stint on the disabled list will be backdated to March 28, leaving a chance for the 32-year-old right-hander to make his season debut against the Indians on April 12, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters.

Rondon's stint is backdated to April 1. He will be eligible to return from the DL in mid-April.

Indians general manager Chris Antonetti told reporters that contract negotiations with reigning AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber will probably end when the season opens on Monday, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group.

Kluber, tabbed as Cleveland's Opening Day starter, finished Cactus League play with a 3.86 ERA and 25:5 K:BB ratio in 23 1/3 innings. He went 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA and 269:51 K:BB ratio in 235 2/3 innings last season.

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander will not face the Twins next week, and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his right triceps to start the season, according to Britt McHenry of ESPN. It's the first time he's headed to the DL in his major-league career.

"At least I can take solace in the fact that I'm going on the DL to help the team [carry an extra player]." Verlander said, per MLB.com and the Detroit News. "It's feeling better every day and that's a really good sign. Threw yesterday and it was OK. Threw today it was better."

Verlander's stint on the disabled list will be backdated to March 28, leaving a chance for the 32-year-old right-hander to make his season debut against the Indians on April 12, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters.

"Essentially, he doesn't miss a start," Ausmus said, per MLB.com.

Verlander went 15-12 with a 4.54 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP and 159:65 K:BB ratio over 206 innings in 2014. He has not won 20 games since 2011 when he won the AL CY Young award.

Rays manager Kevin Cash announced that Nathan Karns will pitch in Game 2, followed by Jake Odorizzi in Game 3 against the Orioles to start the season, according to the team's official website.

Karns is 2-2 with a 4.67 ERA in five starts this spring. Odorizzi posted a 3.12 ERA in eight innings of work in Grapefruit League play.

Rays starter Alex Cobb played catch again on Wednesday, as he continues to work his way back from forearm tendinitis, per the Tampa Bay Times. He has been sidelined since March 17, and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season with the issue.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that Drew Smyly (shoulder) felt pleased with his first live batting practice on Wednesday. Smyly is scheduled to face live hitters again on Saturday, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

"He started at around 80 percent effort level then kind of dialed it up by plan," Cash said. "Everybody that watched it all felt really good. I'd be curious to see how he feels (today), but everything we've heard so far is that he'll come in feeling good."