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Joe Musgrove SP | SD
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Tosses in 'B' game
Musgrove (toe) threw 65 pitches over four innings in a 'B' game Monday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Musgrove tossed a simulated game last Wednesday, but the batters he faced in that outing weren't allowed to swing. That wasn't the case in Monday's 'B' game, and the injured hurler even tested his toe by covering first base on an out. Though Musgrove will open the regular season on the injured list, he said Monday that the toe he fractured in a weight room accident "is the least of my concerns" and added that his focus now is on "executing pitches and getting the feel right." Musgrove is next expected to pitch in a minor-league contest Saturday, and all signs point to him being ready to come off the IL and return to the Padres as soon as he is eligible.
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Alex Cobb SP | DET
Giants' Alex Cobb: Throws four innings in Scottsdale
Cobb (knee) threw four innings in a minor-league contest in Scottsdale on Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Cobb told Pavlovic after the game that he felt "good" and that he'll be ready for the start of the season. While the right-hander does appear likely to be in the rotation from the start of the campaign, the Giants have not decided if Cobb will start the second game of the season or get pushed back. It's something to keep an eye on for those who roster Cobb in fantasy leagues, as he would face the Yankees if does start the second game or the White Sox if pushed down.
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Jay Groome SP | SD
Padres' Jay Groome: Optioned to El Paso
Groome was optioned to Triple-A El Paso by the Padres on Monday.
Groome showed some flashes of brilliance in Arizona during the Cactus League with a 1.29 ERA, but he also registered a 13:10 K:BB which showed that the command still has some work to be done. The 2016 first-round pick could be an option for San Diego before the end of the year.
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Kyle Wright SP | CHC
Braves' Kyle Wright: Officially placed on injured list
Wright was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation by Atlanta on Monday.
It was reported Sunday that this move was coming and now it's official. Wright was given a cortisone injection back in January to combat soreness in his right shoulder and simply ran out of time in getting ramped up for the season. The expectation is that he will miss two turns before rejoining Atlanta's rotation, assuming all goes well on his rehab assignment. Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd will both be in the rotation while Wright is out.
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Clayton Kershaw SP | LAD
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw: Dominant in final spring start
Kershaw tossed six scoreless innings in an exhibition contest against the Angels on Sunday, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out seven batters.
Kershaw breezed through six frames on just 74 pitches, and he stretched out even further by following the outing with a simulated inning in the bullpen, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports. The veteran southpaw got Mike Trout to go down three times on swinging strikes and fanned Shohei Ohtani on another swing-and-miss. Kershaw finished the exhibition slate with a 3.44 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB over 18.1 innings. He's scheduled to make his first start of the regular-season April 1 at home against Arizona.
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Johan Oviedo SP | BOS
Pirates' Johan Oviedo: Looks on track for rotation spot
Oviedo is expected to open the season as the Pirates' No. 5 starter with JT Brubaker (forearm) set to go on the 15-day injured list, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Pittsburgh has yet to provide a timeline for Brubaker to return from what's described as right forearm discomfort, but Oviedo should be poised to make at least two turns through the rotation to begin the campaign. Though he had already been in good position to make the Opening Day roster as a reliever before Brubaker picked up the injury, Oviedo should be equipped to handle something close to a starter's workload in his first outing of the regular season after he covered four innings (55 pitches) in his most recent Grapefruit League appearance Thursday. He'll start the Pirates' spring finale Tuesday versus the Twins and will have another opportunity to build up his pitch count.
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Tylor Megill SP | NYM
Mets' Tylor Megill: Loses out on rotation spot
The Mets optioned Megill to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Megill and David Peterson had been vying for the right to fill in for Jose Quintana (rib) in the Mets' Opening Day rotation, with Peterson winning out with a much better showing this spring. Megill struggled lately during Grapefruit League play, finishing with a 12:13 K:BB over 17 innings. He'll start Syracuse's season opener Friday and wait for an opening with the big club.
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Rich Hill SP | KC
Pirates' Rich Hill: Starting in penultimate spring game
Hill (illness) will start Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
Hill was uncertain to make another appearance in the Pirates' spring slate after he was scratched ahead of his scheduled outing Sunday versus Atlanta due to the illness, but the veteran southpaw apparently feels well enough a day later to take the mound. JT Brubaker had been scheduled to start Monday but was scratched due to a forearm issue that will result in him opening the campaign on the 15-day injured list. As a result, Hill is now tentatively lined up to start the Pirates' second game of the regular season Saturday in Cincinnati.
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J.T. Brubaker RP | SF
Pirates' JT Brubaker: Headed for IL with forearm issue
Brubaker was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start Monday against the Twins and is expected to open the season on the 15-day injured list while he deals with forearm/elbow discomfort, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
The Pirates may send Brubaker in for an MRI in the coming days to get a full scope of his injury, but any elbow-related issue for a pitcher is usually a precursor to an IL stint beyond the minimum 15 days. Until Brubaker gets more tests, however, the Pirates are unlikely to offer up a precise timeline for his return. With Brubaker set to open the season on the shelf, Pittsburgh will likely turn to Johan Oviedo to fill the final spot in its rotation.
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Edward Cabrera SP | CHC
Marlins' Edward Cabrera: Starting third game of season
Cabrera will be included in the Marlins' Opening Day rotation and is in line to start the team's third game of the season Saturday versus the Mets at LoanDepot Park, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.
Assuming the Marlins open the season with a five-man rotation, Cabrera looks to have secured the final spot over Braxton Garrett, who is projected to work out of the bullpen until a starting role reopens. Cabrera brings plenty of strikeout upside to the table while leaning on an arsenal that includes a mid-to-high 90s fastball and a low-90s changeup that proved particularly deadly against lefties a season ago, but poor health and high walk and home-run rates have thus far hindered the 24-year-old right-hander in his efforts to establish himself as a full-time starter in the big leagues. He appeared to take significant steps forward late last season and has carried over that success to the spring, making him an appealing target in the middle to later rounds of drafts for any fantasy pitching staff.