MLB Player News

Cavalli gave up three runs on five hits over three-plus innings in Friday's Grapefruit League start against the Cardinals, striking out three without walking a batter. After the game, Nationals manager Dave Martinez didn't rule out the possibility of Cavalli being part of the Opening Day rotation, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. "I like it. Let's just say that: I like it," Martinez said. "You know, he'll get another start down here [in five days] or pitch in another game, and then we'll see."

The 23-year-old right-hander breezed through the first inning before running into trouble in the second after Nolan Arenado led off the frame with a double. Cavalli eventually squelched that St. Louis rally by picking Harrison Bader off second base then inducing two weak grounders, before rebounding for a 1-2-3 third that included a strikeout of Paul Goldschmidt. Starting the season at Triple-A Rochester remains the most likely path for Washington's top prospect, but the Nats lost Max Scherzer in the offseason and Stephen Strasburg (neck) may not return until mid-May, so the team has plenty of innings up for grabs. If Cavalli impresses Martinez again in his next outing, the decision on sending him back to the minors could get a lot tougher.

Gallen (shoulder) threw two simulated innings Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen reportedly felt good following the session, and his next step may be appearing in a Cactus League game. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo intimated that the right-hander is unlikely to be ready to take the ball for the second game of the regular season.

Marquez (1-0) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four in three innings to earn the win over the Cubs in Friday's Cactus League matchup.

Marquez made his spring debut in Friday's matchup, and he got up to 54 pitches across his three scoreless innings. He said that he felt good in the outings, and his results were certainly encouraging in the blowout win. The right-hander is a strong candidate to serve as Colorado's Opening Day starter, and he'll likely make at least one more Cactus League appearance prior to the regular season.

Miley (neck) will throw a live batting practice session Sunday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Miley ended last season on the injured list with a strained neck, though his delayed start to camp is supposedly due to the Cubs' program for handling veteran pitchers and not due to that injury. He won't be able to throw many Cactus League innings prior to Opening Day, however, so it's possible Miley will be on a pitch count for his first start or two of the regular season.

Strider gave up four hits and struck out three over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins and hit 100 mph with four of his pitches, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

In addition to clocking triple digits, 20 of Strider's 29 pitches in the outing reached 96 mph. The 23-year-old right hander made a dramatic ascent through the Atlanta system last season, starting out in Low-A but ending the year in the big-league bullpen, and it's easy to see why after Tuesday's performance. Strider is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett, but it's not yet clear whether the organization will stretch him back out as a starter -- he started 14 games for Double-A Mississippi in 2021 and posted a 94:29 K:BB in 63 innings, albeit with a 4.71 ERA and 1.22 WHIP -- or whether he'll continue his development as a potential high-leverage bullpen arm.

Gray gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out five.

After a shaky spring debut, Gray was able to hit his spots better in his second outing. The 24-year-old is locked into a rotation spot for the Nationals to begin the season, and his ability to stay out of the middle of the plate will be one of the keys to his development in 2022 after he posted an ugly 2.42 HR/9 and 5.48 ERA over his first 70.2 big-league innings last year.

Gallen (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen, who has been working his way back from shoulder soreness, will throw his second live BP session of the week. The right-hander came out of the first one feeling good. While he may not be ready to go for Opening Day, all signs point to Gallen being ready soon after that.

Davies threw two innings in a simulated game Thursday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The Diamondbacks inked Davies earlier in the week, and the right-hander is a frontrunner for the final spot in the rotation, provided he can build up his innings and pitch count by the first week of the season. He had a career-worst year with the Cubs in 2021, posting a 5.78 ERA and 1.52 K/BB over 32 starts while also tying for the NL lead in walks (75). His prior track record, which included a 3.79 ERA (114 ERA+) across six seasons, is what Arizona found attractive. The Diamondbacks appear to have their first four rotation slots set, but Zac Gallen (shoulder) might not be ready for Opening Day. Davies joins a long list of candidates in the mix for the fifth starter job and covering whatever time Gallen needs to get ready. Tyler Gilbert, Taylor Widener, Caleb Smith, Corbin Martin, Dan Straily and Humberto Castellanos are also being considered.

Manager Dave Roberts announced Thursday that Walker Buehler will be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

This feels like a passing of the torch in Los Angeles, as Kershaw had been the team's starter for every Opening Day in which he wasn't injured since 2011. The decision is more a recognition of Buehler's ascension than an indictment of Kershaw, who posted a 3.55 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 144:21 K:BB across 121.2 innings last season. Those numbers deserve applause, but Buehler earned the ace role with a 2.47 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 212:52 K:BB across 207.2 frames. In terms of fantasy significance, the most important note is that Kershaw has started the spring healthy, though he has given up three runs across 3.2 innings in two starts.

Steele pitched two scoreless innings in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Angels. He walked two and struck out two.

Steele is competing for a spot at the back end of the Cubs' rotation, so performances like this are very useful. Keegan Thompson is also in the mix for the No. 5 role, as is the newly signed Drew Smyly. Steele appeared in 20 games for Chicago last season, including nine starts, and registered a 4.26 ERA across 57 innings of work.