MLB Player News

Ober gave up two runs with six strikeouts and one walk in three innings in his first spring start Saturday.

Ober gave up a home run, but the six strikeouts show he's in good form as spring begins. After recording 12 wins and 191 strikeouts over 178.2 innings with a 3.98 ERA and 1.00 WHIP last season, he's set to be a dependable part again of the Minnesota rotation.

Bello (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Bello threw approximately 30 pitches at about 70-to-75 percent intensity. The 25-year-old right-hander has been slowed by shoulder inflammation and is at the edge of having enough time to be ready for start of the regular season, March 27 in Texas. Unlike in 2024, when Bello was given the Opening Day start, that honor is expected to go to Garrett Crochet this season. As such, Bello could still be available at the back end of the rotation for the first week.

Mize tossed three scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He walked one and struck out two.

It's early, but Mize has now tossed five scoreless innings through two outings this spring with five strikeouts and a 0.60 WHIP. The former No. 1 overall pick is making a strong case for a rotation spot to begin the year, and while some of his prospect shine has worn off, Mize could still be a useful starting option if he's fully healthy. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on him moving forward even if he's not yet a must-add player.

Kikuchi pitched 2.2 innings in a Cactus League game against the Dodgers on Friday, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out three batters.

Kikuchi began his outing by giving up a home run to Shohei Ohtani, and then served up two straight singles that led to another run via a sacrifice fly. The veteran lefty was lifted with two outs and two runners on base in the first frame, but under spring training rules he was allowed to re-enter the contest in the second. Kikuchi looked good after that return, retiring the final six batters he faced. Despite the uneven outing, Kikuchi is penciled in to start for the Angels on Opening Day against the White Sox.

Detmers pitched three scoreless innings in a Cactus League contest against the White Sox on Friday, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out two batters.

Detmers' second spring outing got off to a shaky start, as he allowed two of the first four White Sox batters to reach base. However, the southpaw rebounded thereafter, retiring seven of the final eight hitters he faced. It was a promising performance by Detmers as he seeks to win the Angels' No. 5 starter job. Jack Kochanowicz, who was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday due to an illness, is likely Detmers' top competition for the role.

DeGrom will make his first Cactus League start next Friday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

DeGrom is set to throw his first round of live batting practice Saturday in preparation for his first spring start, after spending the past few weeks throwing bullpen sessions. The veteran right-hander will have slightly less than three weeks after his first spring appearance to ramp up for Opening Day. Given he missed most of the last two seasons, it seems likely he begins the season under some workload restrictions.

Cole pitched 3.1 innings against Toronto in a Grapefruit League game Friday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five batters.

Cole was sharp in his first appearance this spring, throwing 33 of 46 pitches for strikes. His fastball sat at 95-to-96 mph, and the veteran righty included 15 changeups in his pitch mix. Cole missed most of the first half of last season due to an elbow issue, but he's expected to be fully ready for the beginning of the regular season this year.

Raya suffered a mild left quad strain Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The Twins will look to get Raya throwing off a mound again Tuesday, and if all goes well, he'll face live hitters shortly thereafter. The 22-year-old righty is expected to report to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the regular season.

Fried will make his spring training debut against the Pirates on Monday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Fried signed an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees in December after spending the first eight years of his MLB career with Atlanta, and he'll make his first appearance in a pinstripes uniform Monday. Fried posted a 3.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 166:57 K:BB over 174.1 innings in the 2024 regular season and finished with an 11-10 record over 29 starts. He is expected to serve as the No. 2 starter in the Yankees' rotation behind Gerrit Cole for the 2025 campaign.

Brubaker has been diagnosed with three broken ribs as a result of a play last weekend when he tried to avoid a comebacker, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that, symptomatically, Brubaker is doing OK, but it's an injury that's going to sideline the pitcher for a while. How long exactly Brubaker might be shelved is not yet clear, but it's a blow to the Yankees' rotation depth.