MLB Player News

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson surrendered two earned runs on five hits and two walks in six innings while striking out six in his team's 14-3 win over the Rockies Friday.

Masterson hadn't been scored upon in 13 innings entering Friday's game, in which he gave up a single run in the second inning and another run in the fifth. He owns a 0.95 ERA and 20:4 K:BB ratio in 19 innings this spring.

Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker and Stephen Pryor will both pitch in minor-league games Saturday, MLB.com reports.

It'll be the first action of the spring for both, as Walker has been sidelined with shoulder issues and Pryor has been out since last July with a torn muscle behind his shoulder.

A miserable spring for Twins newcomer Ricky Nolasco continued Friday with a poor performance against the weak-hitting Mets.

Nolasco raised his ERA to 7.07 by giving up seven earned runs on six hits in just three innings. He walked two and struck out three. He has yielded 19 hits and 11 earned runs in 14 innings pitched in four exhibition starts.

Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander continued Friday to give every indication his mediocre 2013 season was merely a mirage. He maintained his 0.00 ERA by shutting out an Atlanta lineup using several starters over five innings. He gave up five hits and one walk, striking out four.

Verlander managed just a 13-12 mark in 2013 with a 3.46 ERA that was nearly one point higher than the one he recorded in 2012. Bue he rebounded to pitch well in the postseason and has picked up where he left off this spring.

The Twins outrighted pitcher Vance Worley to Triple-A Rochester Friday after he passed through waivers unclaimed.

Worley made 10 starts with the Twins in 2013, going 1-5 with a 7.21 ERA and 25:15 K:BB ratio in 48 2/3 innings.

Kyle Gibson has landed the last spot in the rotation for the Twins, per the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He beat out Samuel Deduno, whose 2.19 spring ERA earned him a reliever role.

Gibson recorded a 2.70 ERA in four appearances. He yielded 10 hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. He vowed to perform better coming into spring training than he did at the major league level in 2013, when he lost four of six decisions and posted a 5.63 ERA.

Indians general manager Chris Antonetti has ruled out a contract extension for ace Justin Masterson "in the short term," WTAM-1100 has reported. That does not bode well for the possibility of keeping the right-hander, who seems destined for free agency after this season.

Masterson has reportedly asked for $17 million a season in a two or three-year deal, but the team might believe has not proven himself worthy of it. Masterson has traded good seasons with bad, thogh he is coming off a year in which he boasted a 14-10 record with a 3.45 ERA.

He owns a career record of 53-63, which includes a 44-55 mark in Cleveland.

Enigmatic Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who appears to be looking on the outside looking in at a rotation spot, admitted Friday that he felt more comfortable pitching out of the bullpen last season, per WTAM-1100. But he added that he would like to be a starter this year.

Carrasco was performing well in the latter role in spring training before getting pounded in his last start. He might have already lost the job to more consistent Josh Tomlin, though he might get another chance to right himself and put himself back into the competition.

The right-hander who turned 27 on Friday was lights-out in relief in 2013 and downright terrible as a starting pitcher. He appears destined for a bullpen role to start this year.

Right-hander Vance Worley arrived with the Twins as a rotation hopeful and left without making it through spring training. He has been optioned by the team after a miserable exhibition season in which he compiled a team-worst 13.50 ERA. He cleared waivers, however, and will pitch for Triple-A Rochester.

Worley has bottomed out after peaking with the Phillies in 2011, when he showed promise with an 11-3 record and 3.01 ERA.

Rangers ace Yu Darvish has been scratched from his start in a minor league game Friday with a stiff neck. It is not considered serious and the team still expects him to pitch its season opener, per mlblogs.com, which is further reporting that the problem is unrelated to the back issues Darvish had at the end of last year.