MLB Player News

Despite giving up a pair of home runs, Indians starter Corey Kluber said his start Sunday against the Dodgers was his best of the spring, per MLB.com. 

Kluber allowed three hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out six batters and walking one, with two solo homers doing all of the damage. 

"That feeling that I've been looking for on a consistent basis came today," Kluber said.

Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton, who has been recovering from a forearm injury, made his first start of the spring Sunday tossing 3 1/3 innings against the Rangers. 

Paxton allowed five hits, issued one walk and struck out two batters while tossing 61 pitches. He hit a max of 95 mph on the radar gun. 

Rays manager Kevin Cash announced that starters Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and Nathan Karns all will pitch in the team's game Saturday, a sign that they are lining up their starting rotation for Opening Day, per MLB.com.

The team's Nos. 1 and 3 starters - Alex Cobb and Drew Smyly - will start the season on the disabled list, leaving Archer as the potential Opening Day starter. 

"Everything goes into lining up the rotation now," Cash said. "We're all trying to accommodate them as much as possible, because a lot of moving parts and stuff like that. I don't think anything is set in stone."

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander had a rocky start on Sunday. 

Verlander gave up three home runs in four and a third innings, allowing five runs on five hits. 

Michael Taylor homered off of Verlander to start the third and fifth innings. Ian Stewart added a home run to start the fourth inning. 

Verlander also struggled with his control, throwing just 48 strikes in 79 pitches and walking two. He has a 6.08 ERA this spring, with five home runs in 13 and a third innings. 

Despite the long balls, Verlander said his fastball was the best he's had since a start in Seattle on May 30 of last season, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.

Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi struck out five while allowing two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched Saturday. Odorizzi retired the first 10 batters in a row, before allowing multiple hits, leading to the two runs.

"I think this is the first time I went into the sixth inning of a spring training game in my career, so it was good," Odorizzi said. "I felt really good out there. Everything was being cooperative. So it was a good work day."

Wade Miley went five scoreless innings for the Red Sox on Saturday. 

Miley gave up two hits and two walks, while striking out five batters. The start lowered his spring ERA to 3.27. 

Miley worked quickly, which caught manager John Farrell's attention.

“That’s been his style since he came to the big leagues,” John Farrell said, per the Boston Herald's John Mastrodonato. “He’s always had a good rhythm to the game. I know our defense appreciates the fact that they have the potential to be on and off their feet really, really quick, provided he’s in and around the zone, which he’s been. And you saw it today with some early outs.”

For the spring, Miley has given up 11 hits in 11 innings. He's walked seven and struck out seven. 

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale said the he felt good a day after throwing batting practice.

Sale met with the media on Saturday morning and said his next step in returning from a right foot fracture would be doing mobility drills on Monday. 

"I could pitch right now," he said, per the Chicago Sun Times' Daryl Van Schouwen, "it's just the moving around part." 

Sale wants to face hitters in a game before the end of spring training, and he's getting restless waiting to return. "I've watched every episode of Breaking Bad in 18 days and I'm now starting to google knock-knock jokes," he said.

Rays starting pitcher Drew Smyly (shoulder) felt great after throwing a 20-pitch bullpen session Sunday, per The Tampa Tribune. Smyly said he will throw another bullpen Monday.

"Right direction for sure," Smyly said.

Roenis Elias and Taijuan Walker will each get one more spring start to win the fifth spot in the Mariners' starting rotation.  

Manager Lloyd McClendon said that he would make his decision before the final week of camp, meaning that RHP Walker and LHP Elias will have time for one appearance each. 

Elias is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA this spring. Opposing batters are hitting .383 off of him. Walker is 1-0 and has not allowed a run in 12 spring innings. He's allowed four hits, for a .100 opponents' average, and struck out 13. That doesn't mean the job is his, however. 

"My evaluation is probably a little different than yours. I don't worry about the numbers per se," McClendon said, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.

Chris Sale continues to progress in his comeback from a right foot fracture. The left-handed pitcher threw a bullpen session on Friday, according to ESPN's Doug Padilla.

Sale was able to go full-out in his workout, and White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he's on track to return. No return date was given for the return to the mound, however.