MLB Player News

Manning allowed one run on four hits and two walks across 2.2 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out two.

Manning still dealt with plenty of traffic but pitched better than his first spring appearance Saturday, when he walked four batters and allowed three runs across 1.1 innings. The 27-year-old is stretching out a bit so far in Grapefruit League play, though he could be getting ready for a long-relief role as opposed to a spot in Detroit's rotation, as the Tigers have a handful of other options to start.

Cole is scheduled to make his first Grapefruit League start Friday versus the Blue Jays, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The 34-year-old ace is in a much better spot on the health front this spring compared to last, when he struggled to bounce back from his initial throwing sessions in camp and was diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his right elbow. The injury prevented him from making his 2024 debut until the second half of June, and he was limited to just 124 total innings between the regular season and playoffs, which was his lowest cumulative total since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign (91.1 innings). Though the Yankees are coming off a run to the World Series, Cole said earlier this month that he was able to begin his offseason program earlier than previous winters, so he hasn't required as much of an aggressive ramp-up period this spring. He'll likely cover 1-to-2 innings Friday and is expected to gradually build up his workload as he prepares for a likely starting assignment in the Yankees' March 27 Opening Day game against the Brewers.

Anderson allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one batter in a spring start against Cincinnati on Wednesday.

Anderson allowed two doubles through three batters to give up a run, but he settled down after that and retired five of the final six hitters he faced. The veteran lefty is coming off an All-Star campaign during which he posted a 3.81 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 142:73 K:BB over 179.2 innings. Anderson is penciled in for a spot near the top of the Angels' rotation along with new teammate Yusei Kikuchi.

McCullers (forearm) will throw live a live batting practice session Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers will face hitters for the first time since he underwent surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur. McCullers has already been ruled out for Opening Day but hopes to make some Grapefruit League appearances this spring. He hasn't appeared in a major-league game since the 2022 World Series due to multiple arm injuries.

Kochanowicz was unable to start Thursday's Cactus League game against the Cubs as planned due to an illness, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Kochanowicz has been sick this week, and while the Angels were holding out hope he could be ready to take the ball Thursday, he's not up to it yet. Caden Dana will draw the start for the Halos instead. Kochanowicz has already made one start this spring and should be ready to pitch again in a few days. He's competing for the final spot in the Angels rotation.

Miller (finger) will start Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants.

Miller missed his final start of the 2024 season due to a blister on his right index finger, but the injury didn't affect his offseason training program. He'll take the hill for his first outing of the spring and will have a firm grasp on a starting spot in a talented Seattle rotation heading into Opening Day. Over his 31 starts covering 180.1 innings this past season, Miller turned in a 2.94 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 171:45 K:BB.

Bradley allowed one hit with no walks or strikeouts across 2.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game.

Bradley threw 25 pitches before being pulled and revealed after the game that he tinkered with his cutter this offseason to add a pitch with movement that resembles a slider. Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Bradley debuted the pitch in Tuesday's game against the Phillies and is hoping the offering will reduce his homer problem after giving up 1.4 HR/9 in 2024. He also hit 98 mph with his fastball.

Seymour completed two scoreless innings while striking out two and walking one in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game.

Seymour had an impressive spring debut, striking out Jarren Duran and Alex Bregman while also retiring Triston Casas and Trevor Story. Seymour is unlikely to start the season in the Rays' rotation, but he was added to the 40-man roster this offseason. He should be a top option to make spot starts if injuries occur.

Sugano gave up two hits and a walk over two scoreless innings during his Grapefruit League debut against the Pirates on Wednesday.

The Orioles anticipated Sugano throwing 35-to-40 pitches during his first spring outing, but the 35-year-old righty was able to get through his scheduled two innings on just 28 pitches -- 17 of which were strikes. He said after the game that he was primarily focused on getting used to pitching in a new environment and communicating with his catcher, and he'll look to work more on pitch sequencing during his next start, per Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. Sugano is expected to open the year in Baltimore's starting rotation after turning in a 1.67 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 156.2 innings in Japan last season.

Eovaldi allowed one run on three hits while striking out three over three innings in Wednesday's spring start against the Guardians.

Eovaldi threw an efficient 31 pitches and came away pleased with the effort after an uneven first Cactus League start. "I felt much better this time around than the last outing," Eovaldi told Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. "I felt like my command was a lot better and I liked the shapes of my pitches." Eovaldi felt like he rushed pitches during his first outing.