MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Sunday that Gray (hamstring) won't be an option to start Opening Day but may not require a stay on the injured list to begin the season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

The veteran right-hander quickly resumed throwing after he suffered a right hamstring strain March 4, and he's scheduled to face hitters in a simulated session Sunday. Miles Mikolas was named St. Louis' Opening Day starter, but Gray could still be an option to pitch later in the first week of the season if he continues to progress with no setbacks.

Ynoa (elbow) struck out one and worked around one hit and one walk over one inning of relief Saturday in Atlanta's 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh in Grapefruit League play.

Ynoa made his first appearance in a game since August 2022, as he spent the entire 2023 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander contended with some soreness earlier in camp, but after getting back on the mound Saturday, he looks like he'll enter the 2024 campaign with his health intact. Because of the time he missed, Ynoa could be placed on the injured list to begin the season, though he has a minor-league option remaining and could alternatively be sent to Triple-A Gwinnett if Atlanta doesn't have a spot for him in its Opening Day bullpen and wants to keep him to get stretched out as a starter in the minors.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Sunday that Meyer could still be a rotation option to open the season for the Marlins, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 25-year-old's dismissal to minor-league camp Tuesday appeared to be the end of his bid for the rotation, but injuries for Eury Perez (elbow), Braxton Garrett (shoulder) and Edward Cabrera (shoulder) leave Miami without most of its presumed starting unit. Meyer pitched seven scoreless frames during Grapefruit League action and is the organization's top prospect, but he didn't pitch at all last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Nelson allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out three over 3.2 innings in Saturday's spring start against the Rangers.

Nelson may have sewn up the fifth starter job with this effort. The three walks were the most he's allowed in five Cactus League starts, but he managed to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning. He was pulled from the game in the fourth inning only to come back and start the fifth, giving him five up-and-downs and a pitch count of 78, per Michael McDermott of SI.com. Both Nelson and Tommy Henry will get one more spring start before a decision is made as to which one will fill out the rotation.

Grove is expected to open the season in a multi-inning relief role for the Dodgers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Gavin Stone beat out Grove for the fifth spot in the Dodgers' rotation. The team is expected to use a six-man rotation, or at least a variation of one, and Grove figures to be in the mix there, perhaps in a bulk relief role. The Dodgers could just mix-and-match in the sixth spot until Walker Buehler (elbow) and/or Emmet Sheehan (shoulder) are ready.

Stone is likely to open the season as the Dodgers' No. 5 starter, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Stone earned the rotation spot with an impressive Cactus League performance which saw him yield just one run with a 9:1 K:BB over 9.2 innings of work. The 25-year-old was knocked around last season with the Dodgers, posting a 9.00 ERA and 22:13 K:BB across 31 frames. However, Stone is a former top prospect who collected a 32.6 percent strikeout rate in the minors. He should be better equipped for success in the big leagues in 2024 and makes for a fine late-round fantasy option.

Cobb (hip) struck out five over two hitless innings in a minor-league game Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Cobb threw 18 of his 27 pitches for strikes in what was his first game appearance since he had left hip surgery last October. The veteran right-hander's next outing figures to come during Cactus League play next week. A timetable for Cobb rejoining the Giants' rotation isn't clear yet, but a return before the end of April is looking distinctly possible.

Perez reported soreness in his elbow Thursday following his appearance in Wednesday's spring game against Washington, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Perez had to leave his appearance Wednesday after experiencing discomfort with the broken nail on his right middle finger. Now, Perez's elbow issue poses another threat to potentially delaying his start to the regular season. Perez will undergo further imaging and testing over the next few days to determine the severity of his injury, but it appears increasingly likely that Perez will miss the beginning of the regular season.

Ynoa (elbow) is available to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday against the Pirates in relief, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Ynoa missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2022. He started throwing bullpen sessions in mid-February, but was downgraded to long tosses while dealing with right elbow soreness.

Williams gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets. He struck out five.

Only one of the hits off Williams went for extra bases, an opposite-field solo shot for DJ Stewart in the first inning, and the veteran right-hander built up to 68 pitches (48 strikes). Williams has been hittable this spring, but his 6.30 ERA in 10 innings is backed by a sharp 11:0 K:BB. He seems on track for a spot at the back of the Nationals' rotation to begin the season.