MLB Player News

The Rangers continue to be active in trade talks, in an effort to acquire Phillies LHP Cole Hamels, CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman reports. 

The teams have discussed prospects to be included in a package to acquire Hamels, but the two sides are still far apart and not optimistic that a deal will be completed.

The Rangers are looking to add to their rotation after losing Yu Darvish for the season. Hamels was 9-9 with a 2.46 ERA last season.  

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus named David Price his Opening Day starter, ending Justin Verlander's streak of seven consecutive Opening Day starts, per the team's official website.

This will be Price's fourth Opening Day start, and his first with the Tigers. He has a 3.54 ERA through 20 1/3 innings pitched on Opening Day.

"Looking at it from a baseball perspective, I felt this was the (right) decision and it wasn't an easy decision," Ausmus said, per the Detroit News. "Justin Verlander has been an outstanding pitcher for a long time. He has done a lot for the Tigers and this organization. But, I have to make a decision based on baseball and what is best for the 2015 Tigers."

The 29-year-old spent his entire career with Tampa Bay before being traded to Detroit in July of 2014. Price is 86-51 with a 3.21 ERA over seven MLB seasons. The left-hander went 15-12 with a 3.26 ERA and league-leading 271 strikeouts last year.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that pitcher Drew Smyly continues to progress in his recovery from a left shoulder tendinitis. He's scheduled to throw three-to-four times before he is further evaluated by the team to determine the next step in his recovery, per the Tampa Bay Times.

"Getting increasingly better by the day," Cash said, per MLB.com. "We're envisioning soon getting off the mound. And then I would anticipate three or four sessions off the mound and then see where that leads us. All good news."

Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker gave up just two hits and two walks in four scoreless innings while striking out five in Thursday's spring start against the Indians.

Walker has been outstanding this spring, stringing together 12 scoreless innings while striking out 13 batters and allowing just four hits and three walks. He's competing for the fifth spot in the rotation this spring but has done everything possible to secure the gig to date.

Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco surrendered one earned run on six hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings while striking out two in Thursday's spring start against the Mariners.

Carrasco was scratched from his previously scheduled start Saturday due to illness but was able to throw Monday before returning to action Thursday. His start Thursday was just his second of the spring after giving up one earned run in three innings in his Cactus League debut.

"He had pretty much almost 10 days off," Indians manager Terry Francona said, per MLB.com. "All things considered, I thought there was a little rust. I thought, as he got into that fourth, he was starting to get on the side of it a little bit [with his mechanics], which is to be expected. But I thought overall he was OK."

Carrasco is expected to serve as the team's No. 2 option in the rotation this season.

The Blue Jays announced that pitcher Marcus Stroman had successful surgery to repair his torn ACL on Thursday. 

Stroman, 23, will still miss the 2015 season while recovering from the injury. The right-hander pitched in two games during spring training prior to getting hurt.

Injured White Sox pitchers John Danks and Chris Sale both threw Thursday, per the Chicago Sun-Times, as they work to get ready for the regular season. 

Danks, who is continuing to stretch out his shoulder, threw a four-inning, 60-pitch session as part of his standard workout routine. 

Sale, who is recovering from a fracture in his right foot, played catch and stretched his arm. He is scheduled for another workout session Friday. 

Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco pitched 3 2/3 innings against the Rays and gave up three earned runs and four hits in a 4-2 loss. 

Nolasco struck out two batters and walked one. He gave up a home run to Steven Souza in the fourth inning. In the game, Nolasco faced 16 batters. The Rays got two singles and a ground-rule double off of Nolasco as well. 

With Alex Cobb not ready for Opening Day, Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that he's on the fence between using Mike Montgomery as a starter or a reliever, according to the Tampa Tribune.

Everett Teaford will start Sunday's Grapefruit League game in place of Cobb, and Montgomery will follow and pitch multiple innings. Cash revealed that Montgomery will be stretched out this spring in case he's needed in the rotation for a few spot starts.

Rays pitcher Drew Smyly, who is working his back from left shoulder tendinitis, threw from a distance of 100 feet on Wednesday. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters it went well, according to the Tampa Tribune. He is scheduled to throw off a mound on Saturday, per the Tampa Bay Times. 

The Rays have a contingency plan in place for the southpaw in case he misses the start of the regular season.