MLB Player News
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Spencer Strider SP | ATL
Braves' Spencer Strider: Injury not viewed as serious
Strider (oblique) may not miss much more than the minimum amount of time, Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com reports.
During an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sunday, Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos described Strider's oblique strain as "mild", and not as bad as the issue that cost Sean Murphy the first two months of 2024. "I think it will be sooner rather than later that you see [Strider] back," Anthopoulos said. The right-hander is first eligible to come off the IL on April 6, but it's not yet clear if he'll be ready by then. Strider himself missed about a month of action late in 2022 with an oblique issue.
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Zack Wheeler SP | PHI
Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Looks sharp in first rehab start
Wheeler (shoulder) struck out three and scattered two hits and one walk over three scoreless frames in a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Heading into the rehab start, the Phillies had planned for Wheeler to cover three innings or 50 pitches. The right-hander was even more economical than the Phillies had hoped, needing only 38 pitches to record nine outs in what was his first official game since Aug. 15, 2025. After undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery in September, Wheeler has had a fairly seamless recovery thus far and appears on track to return from the 15-day injured list around mid-April. He'll continue to build up his innings and pitch count in his next rehab start, which is set to come Friday versus Triple-A Durham.
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Martin Perez SP | ATL
Braves' Martin Perez: Likely to start Tuesday's game
Atlanta selected Perez's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.
The veteran left-hander is a good bet to start Tuesday's game against the Athletics, though Jose Suarez is also an option. Perez put together a nice Grapefruit League showing with a 2.84 ERA and 10:3 K:BB over 12.2 innings. He could hold down a spot in Atlanta's rotation until Spencer Strider (oblique) is ready to go.
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Brandon Sproat SP | MIL
Brewers' Brandon Sproat: Struggles in 2026 debut
Sproat allowed seven runs on six hits and four walks while striking out three across three innings during Sunday's game against the White Sox. He did not factor into the decision.
Sproat put the Brewers behind right out of the gate after yielding a grand slam to Colson Montgomery in the first inning. Sproat proceeded to yield three more runs over the next two frames (including two solo homers) and was lifted before the start of the fourth inning. Sproat avoided the loss thanks to the Brewers' six-run rally in the eighth, but it was a disastrous 2026 debut for the 25-year-old right-hander. He nabbed a spot in the Brewers' rotation due to Quinn Priester (wrist) starting the season on the 15-day injured list, but outings like Sunday's may put Sproat on thin ice. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, which is tentatively slated for next weekend on the road against the Royals.
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Joe Musgrove SP | SD
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Lacks timeline for return
Musgrove (elbow) said Thursday that he has resuemd playing catch, but he doesn't have a definitive timeline to return from the 15-day injured list, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union Tribune reports.
Musgrove threw 60 pitches in an exhibition game against Team Great Britain on March 4, but he was subsequently pulled back from throwing and hasn't tossed from a mound since. Following the setback, the right-hander underwent a precautionary MRI, but the imaging didn't show any new concerns. Considering that he hasn't pitched in a big-league game since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October of 2024, Musgrove will almost certainly need to clear multiple hurdles -- including a resumption of bullpen sessions, throwing to live hitters and taking part in a minor-league rehab stint -- before San Diego activates him off the IL. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller suggested this week that Musgrove's target date to make his season debut remains hazy, but the Padres are still measuring the veteran hurler's timeline in terms of weeks rather than months.
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Nolan McLean SP | NYM
Mets' Nolan McLean: Strikes out eight in no-decision
McLean did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Pirates, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over five innings.
McLean struggled with his command early but settled in, generating 12 swinging strikes on 84 pitches and striking out four of the final seven batters he faced. The 24-year-old posted a stellar 2.06 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 57:16 K:BB across 48 major-league regular-season innings last year and is an early hopeful for the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2026. He lines up for a road matchup against the Giants next weekend.
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Dustin May SP | STL
Cardinals' Dustin May: Hit around in team debut
May (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Rays, allowing six runs on 10 hits and one walk in four innings. He struck out three.
May floundered in his Cardinals debut, getting knocked around for a career-high-tying 10 hits allowed and five extra-base knocks. The right-hander's pitch location was dodgy, as May posted just four whiffs despite throwing 40 of his 61 pitches for strikes. With a tough matchup in Detroit versus the Tigers looming next weekend, May doesn't appear to be an appealing fantasy streamer at the moment.
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Rhett Lowder SP | CIN
Reds' Rhett Lowder: Strikes out five in no-decision
Lowder did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Red Sox, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings.
Lowder surrendered a two-run homer in the fourth inning but also managed four scoreless frames. He threw 56 of 86 pitches for strikes while generating an impressive 14 whiffs, including six on his slider. The former first-round pick logged just 9.1 minor-league innings last season due to multiple injuries but is getting an opportunity to stick with the Reds in 2026. He's slated for a road matchup against the Rangers next weekend.
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Jake Irvin SP | WAS
Nationals' Jake Irvin: Punches out seven in first win
Irvin (1-0) notched the win Sunday against the Cubs, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out seven.
It was an impressive season debut overall for Irvin, who posted 14 whiffs en route to fanning seven. The right-hander tossed 93 pitches as well, so he appears to be just about fully built up already on the young campaign. That said, Irvin was tagged for a pair of home runs Sunday, and he's unlikely to make for a recommended fantasy streamer in his next scheduled outing against the Dodgers despite his strong first appearance.
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Jose Quintana SP | COL
Rockies' Jose Quintana: Yields two runs in 2026 debut
Quintana came away with the no-decision in the Rockies' 4-3 loss to the Marlins on Sunday. He allowed two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out two across 4.1 innings.
Quintana gave up a run in each of the first two innings of Sunday's start. He managed to keep the Marlins off the board the rest of the way but was not in line for the win after being lifted with one out in the fifth, finishing his day with nine whiffs on 78 pitches (42 strikes). Quintana inked a one-year deal with the Rockies in February after pitching for the Brewers in 2025, when he posted an 11-7 record across 24 regular-season starts with a 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 89:50 K:BB over 131.2 innings. His next start is tentatively slated for next weekend at home against the Phillies.