MLB Player News

Strasburg said his left calf "grabbed" a bit during Sunday's spring start against the Astros, but it's a minor concern and he should be considered day-to-day, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The 32-year-old also said he would have pitched through the issue were it a meaningful game, which is an encouraging sign. Still, the Nationals figure to remain cautious in camp with Strasburg given his injury history, so he could receive a couple extra days to recover before making another Grapefruit League appearance.

Strasburg left Sunday's spring start against the Astros with an apparent leg injury, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The 32-year-old showed some discomfort while landing on his delivery during the third inning, and he left the field with a trainer after testing the injury on the mound. Strasburg gave up one hit and one walk with four strikeouts over 2.1 scoreless frames before exiting the contest. The specifics of the issue remain unclear, but any camp injury is concerning, especially since he was limited to two starts last season due to carpal tunnel neuritis in his right hand.

Freeland allowed three hits and no walks while striking out four over four scoreless innings in Saturday's spring win over the Mariners. He didn't factor into the decision.

Freeland used only his fastball and changeup during his spring debut, but he added his slider to his pitch selection during Saturday's start, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. The southpaw struck out a batter in each of his four innings Saturday and allowed a runner to reach second base only once. Freeland will focus on his curveball during his next appearance as he continues to build up ahead of Opening Day.

Carrasco (elbow) threw from 75 feet Sunday and will throw from 90-to-120 feet Monday, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

A short bullpen session could follow for the 33-year-old as he continues to work his way back from a bout of right elbow soreness. Carrasco hopes to be ready for Opening Day, and his progress this week should provide a strong indication of whether or not that hope can be a reality.

Sanchez is scheduled to throw two innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.

That would leave the right-hander enough time to make three spring training starts before the end of camp, assuming he doesn't have any issues. "As long as they [the staff] stay on track, he'll be on a five-day program now," manager Don Mattingly said Saturday. Monday's game will actually be Sanchez's Grapefruit League debut as a Marlin, as he didn't pitch either of the last two springs after being acquired from the Phillies as the centerpiece of the J.T. Realmuto trade. That may not leave the 22-year-old enough time to get fully stretched out before Opening Day, and with the team expected to manage his workload this season, Sanchez could have his first turn or two in the rotation skipped or truncated.

Anderson struck out seven with only one walk over 3.1 innings during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

He did allow three runs on four hits, including a Hunter Renfroe solo homer after Anderson had fanned the first four batters he faced, but overall the right-hander was satisfied with the outing. "I felt like the ball was coming out good and my mechanics were good," Anderson said afterwards. "I was filling up the strike zone for the most part, so those are positives to take away. The goal was to go four innings. I had a couple long at-bats and a couple hits, so (the pitch count) can build up quick, and I hit my pitch limit. The biggest thing is getting those ups and downs, going and sitting down and getting back out there for the next inning. I was happy with the way it ended." The 22-year-old is looking to build on last year's dazzling big-league debut that saw him post a 1.95 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 41:14 K:BB over 32.1 innings, and workload rather than performance could be the biggest fantasy question mark for Anderson heading into 2021.

The Nationals optioned Adon to Triple-A Rochester on Sunday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Adon was one of three Nationals players optioned to the minors and one of 20 cut from big-league camp Sunday. Though Washington protected Adon from the Rule 5 draft by adding him to the 40-man roster in November, he's unlikely to be a factor for the big club in 2021.

Webb threw three scoreless innings with six strikeouts in Saturday's spring training win over Cleveland. He's thrown six scoreless innings this spring. "That's as good as I've ever seen his changeup look," manager Gabe Kapler told MLB.com. "I don't want to overdo it here, but he's been really impressive in this camp."

Webb is vying for the final spot in the starting rotation. While he's likely an underdog behind Alex Wood and Aaron Sanchez, there could be an opening early in the season as Wood is dealing with a stiff back and Sanchez is working his way back from shoulder surgery. Webb's strikeout percentage and walk rate took a step back last season in conjunction with an ugly 5.47 ERA, but he's showing positive signs this spring and is just 24.

Brubaker allowed four earned runs on five hits and no walks in two innings against the Yankees on Saturday. He struck out a pair, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Despite laboring in this game -- he needed 49 pitches (35 for strikes) to complete his outing -- Brubaker is likely in the lead for the team's fifth spot in the rotation, at least for now. The recently-acquired Trevor Cahill could eventually push him for starts, though Cahill probably won't be ready to start 2021 in the rotation. Brubaker compiled a 4.94 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 48:17 K:BB in 47.1 innings as a rookie last season.

Nola has allowed four runs on eight hits across six spring innings, striking out four while walking one.

It's not the best start to camp for the 27-year-old righty, but he'll still have a few turns in the rotation to get into regular-season form before his presumed Opening Day start. Two unimpressive spring outings isn't nearly enough to erase the dominance he demonstrated last season, when he cruised to a 3.28 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while striking out a career-high 33.2 percent of opposing batters, a mark that placed him sixth among qualified starters, one spot ahead of Gerrit Cole.