MLB Player News

Walker (knee) is slated to pitch behind starter David Peterson in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Walker will finally be making his spring debut this weekend after a mid-January procedure on his right knee had kept him about two weeks behind the Mets' other starting pitchers thus far in camp. Though the right-hander hasn't said whether he plans to be ready to go for Opening Day, how long he works and how he fares in Saturday's contest will likely be a deciding factor. Walker earned his first All-Star nod in his first season with the Mets in 2021, but he faded badly in the second half to finish with a 4.47 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 146:55 K:BB in 159 frames.

Buehler was named the Dodgers' Opening Day starter Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The torch has officially been passed at Dodger Stadium. For the first time since 2010, a healthy Clayton Kershaw will watch from the dugout on Opening Day. (Kershaw wasn't the team's Opening Day starter in 2019 or 2020 but was on the injured list both times.) The honor is a deserved one for Buehler, who's coming off a season in which he posted a career-best 2.47 ERA, a mark that beat Kershaw by over a run. Buehler will take on the Rockies in Coors Field to kick off the season on April 8 and then will either face the Twins in Minnesota or the Reds at home the following week, depending on whether the Dodgers use their April 11 off day to skip a starter or give their pitchers an extra day of rest.

Mejia was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

Mejia had at least a shot of breaking camp in the big leagues after making five starts there last season, but for now he'll wait for another chance at Triple-A. He struggled to a 7.25 ERA in those starts, striking out just 19.0 percent of opposing batters while keeping the ball on the ground a mere 29.3 percent of the time.

Luzardo tossed three perfect innings and struck out two in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 24-year-old southpaw touched 99 mph with his fastball while carving up a St. Louis lineup that included Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Dylan Carlson. Luzardo's raw stuff has never been in question, but his ability to command it remains a concern after he posted a 6.61 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 11.0 percent walk rate over 95.1 innings between the A's and Marlins last season. If he can begin to put things together in 2022 though, Miami's already impressive young rotation will be that much stronger.

Alcantara gave up one run on one hit over four innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals. He struck out four without walking a batter.

Juan Soto took him deep in the first inning, but there's no shame in losing a battle against arguably the best pure hitter in the game. Alcantara is off to a strong start this spring as he prepares for another Opening Day assignment for the Marlins and looks to build on the 3.16 ERA and 1.09 WHIP he's posted over the last two seasons.

Sanchez (shoulder) has been shut down from throwing for at least another month, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.

The right-hander has already been optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville and the Marlins are in no hurry to get him back on the mound, so it wouldn't be a surprise if his rest period ends up being even longer. Sanchez underwent shoulder surgery last July and felt discomfort while doing rehab exercises, causing the team to shut him down. The 23-year-old has only thrown 39 innings over the last two seasons, so even if he does finally get healthy over the summer and make it back to the majors, his workload will almost certainly be carefully monitored.

The Rockies optioned Feltner to Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.

Feltner was one of four players on the Rockies' 40-man roster that was dispatched to the minors Thursday, leaving Colorado with 47 players remaining at MLB camp. The 25-year-old right-hander reached the majors for the first time in 2021, making two starts for the Rockies and giving up eight earned runs on nine hits and five walks over 6.1 innings. He's expected to slot into the Albuquerque rotation to begin the upcoming season.

Ynoa gave up two hits over three scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

The right-hander dealt with injuries in the second half of last season, including shoulder inflammation during the playoffs, but Ynoa looked good in his first appearance this spring. He entered the game in the fourth inning, following Max Fried, and faced a Minnesota squad that trotted out most of its Opening Day lineup. Ynoa could be in the mix for a rotation spot if he proves he's healthy in camp, but the 23-year-old's lack of a third pitch and potential durability issues might make him a better fit in the bullpen.

Fried struck out one batter over three scoreless innings without allowing a hit or a walk in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

He plunked Byron Buxton with a pitch, but it was otherwise a spotless performance from Fried in his first trip to the mound this spring. The 28-year-old southpaw has emerged as a frontline starter over the last two seasons, posting a combined 2.84 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 39 starts and 221.2 innings, and he'll look to build on that success in 2022.

Wright gave up three hits and a walk over three scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out two.

The 26-year-old right-hander is battling with Tucker Davidson and Kyle Muller in camp for a spot at the back of the Atlanta rotation, and Wright might even be a favorite given that he has slightly more big-league experience than the other two. That said, his 6.56 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 70 innings in the majors isn't a big selling point from a fantasy perspective, but Wright appears to have little left to prove in the minors after posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 24 starts for Triple-A Gwinnett last year.