MLB Player News

Woodford allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three in three scoreless innings in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Pirates.

Woodford was in contention for the fifth spot in the starting rotation right to the end of spring training, but Jordan Hicks ultimately won the job. Woodford's first turn as a long reliever this season was strong after Steven Matz (finger) was hit hard in three innings and developed a blister. The 25-year-old Woodford will continue to operate out of the bullpen, where he'll give the Cardinals a multi-inning option. That will limit his fantasy appeal, as his groundball style doesn't lead to enough strikeouts to make up for his lack of a starting role.

Matz developed a blister on his left hand in his Cardinals debut during Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Pirates, an issue manager Oliver Marmol attributed to the southpaw's poor outing, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

While Matz struck out five batters while walking just one, he also allowed seven runs on nine hits in his three innings, giving him a loss in his first outing of the season. Five of those runs came in the third inning -- the frame in which the blister reportedly developed -- with two more scoring in the fourth before he was able to record an out. The rough season debut followed a shaky spring in which he stumbled to a 5.23 ERA in three starts, but the Cardinals are seemingly considering all of his struggles Sunday to be blister-related and aren't worried about him long-term. He's expected to take his next turn in the rotation, which lines up to come Friday in Milwaukee.

Williams (0-1) got tagged with the loss Sunday against the Nationals, giving up two unearned runs on two hits in one inning of relief.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said before the game he wanted to find work for his two bullpen arms -- Williams and Chasen Shreve -- that hadn't pitched yet this season, and he stuck to his guns even with the team clinging to a 2-1 lead heading into the eighth inning. Shreve, who had relieved Carlos Carrasco back in the sixth, gave up a leadoff single, and rather than turn to high-leverage relievers like Seth Lugo, Trevor May or Adam Ottavino, Showalter instead handed the ball to Williams. The result was a three-run Nats rally. The right-hander got no help from his defense, but the outing still reinforced that Williams is a better fit for middle relief and lower-leverage spots. He had zero wins, saves or holds last year in 10 appearances for the Mets in 2021 after coming over from the Pirates.

Wheeler (shoulder), who is listed as the starter for Tuesday's game against the Mets, could throw 70-to-75 pitches in that outing, per general manager Dave Dombrowski, Destiny Lugardo of PhilliesNation.com reports.

He last threw April 7 in Clearwater and stretched out to 60-to-65 pitches. Wheeler was behind the rest of the Phillies' starters due to offseason shoulder soreness, but he lines up for a two-start week, with a second start coming Sunday in Miami.

Kelly experienced an increase in fastball velocity during his start last Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Kelly's performance in a 3-0 loss to the Padres was overshadowed by the Diamondbacks' lack off success at the dish, but the right-hander averaged 93.1 mph on the 39 four-seamers he threw, clocking higher than the 91.7 mph he averaged last season. In 10 career MLB starts in which he's averaged 92.5 mph or higher, Kelly's ERA is 2.25, nearly two runs fewer than his career mark of 4.23. Those outings also featured an increase in strikeouts -- 9.5 K/9 compared to a career mark of 7.7. The 33-year-old also noted the action of his changeup, which was diving down and in to right-handed hitters and away from lefties. He induced six swinging strikes with it. Kelly hopes to see similar results Friday when he kicks off a road series against the Mets.

DeSclafani allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out five in 3.2 innings during Sunday's win over the Marlins. He didn't factor into the decision.

DeSclafani's five strikeouts were encouraging during his season debut, but he was unable to qualify for the win since he lasted just 3.2 innings while throwing 74 pitches. Once he's fully built up, the right-hander figures to factor into more wins after he posted a 13-7 record with a 3.17 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 167.2 innings last year. He tentatively lines up to make his next start on the road against Cleveland on Saturday.

Rogers (0-1) allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out three in five innings to take the loss in Sunday's matchup against the Giants.

Rogers retired the side in the bottom of the first inning Sunday, but he allowed three runs between the second and third frames. Although he bounced back in each of the next two innings, the southpaw was charged with the loss in the low-scoring matchup. Rogers' performance was indicative of his 2021 results, when he posted a 2.64 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 133 innings but had a 7-8 record behind the Marlins' lackluster offense. He tentatively lines up to make his next start at home against the Phillies on Friday.

Senzatela allowed four runs (one earned) on nine hits and a walk in 3.1 innings during Sunday's win over the Dodgers. He didn't factor into the decision.

Senzatela reached 66 pitches during his 2022 debut after briefly dealing with a lower-leg issue in camp, but he had lackluster results against the Dodgers. He avoided being charged with a loss since the Rockies' offense was effective Sunday, but the right-hander remains an unreliable fantasy option since he's posted a 4.84 ERA across his first five professional seasons. He tentatively lines up to make his next start at home against the Cubs on Saturday.

Urias (0-1) allowed six runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks in two innings to take the loss in Sunday's matchup against the Rockies.

Urias retired two of the first three batters he faced Sunday, but three runs came across in the bottom of the first inning after Chris Taylor committed an error. The southpaw turned things around in the second but was removed from the game after allowing each of the first five batters to reach base in the bottom of the third inning. Urias displayed decreased velocity and failed to record a strikeout, but he said after the game that he feels fine physically, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. He tentatively lines up to make his next start at home against the Reds on Saturday.

Stroman allowed a run on two hits and three walks while striking out three in five innings during Sunday's loss to the Brewers. He didn't factor into the decision.

Despite throwing just 42 of his 79 pitches for strikes, Stroman was sharp during his team debut. He was unable to pick up the win since the Cubs' bullpen surrendered the 3-1 lead following his departure, but his debut was certainly encouraging. The right-hander has shown improvement in each of his last two seasons, most recently posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 179 innings during 33 starts with the Mets last year. Stroman tentatively lines up to make his next start at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the Rockies on Friday.