MLB Player News

Kelly allowed three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two over three innings in Sunday's spring game against the Cubs.

Kelly was tagged for a pair of home runs -- solo shot by Willson Contreras in the first inning and a two-run blast by Anthony Rizzo in the third. The issue wasn't throwing strikes -- 31 of his 44 pitches were in the zone -- but rather where some of those strikes landed. Three of the four hits went for extra bases. "Not the best," Kelly told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. "I wasn't as sharp as I'd like to be. I kind of felt like I needed to force the ball to the plate more than usual." The one positive takeaway is the curveball, which produced several swings-and-misses.

Darvish tossed two scoreless innings against Kansas City in a Cactus League contest Sunday, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out four.

Darvish made quite a first impression in his first outing as a Padre, working around a single to strike out the side in the first inning. He then retired the first two batters he faced in the second before finishing his appearance with another strikeout. San Diego has yet to name its Opening Day starter, but Darvish figures to be the early favorite for the honor given his dominant campaign in 2020.

Marquez allowed three hits and one walk while striking out one over three scoreless innings in Sunday's spring win over the White Sox. He didn't factor into the decision.

Marquez made his spring debut against Chicago on Sunday and allowed baserunners in each of his three innings, but he didn't encounter many issues during his scoreless outing. The right-hander wants to focus on making his pitches from the stretch going forward this spring, but he had a strong start to Cactus League play Sunday. Assuming he continues to pitch well in spring training, Marquez will likely serve as the Opening Day starter for the Rockies.

Senzatela (hamstring) threw a light side session Sunday with no issues, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Senzatela suffered a minor hamstring strain during conditioning drills Monday and is expected to miss two spring starts as a result. However, the team hasn't expressed much concern regarding the injury. If he continues to throw with no issues, the right-hander could be able to return to spring games in the near future.

Lorenzen is the leading candidate to win the Reds' fifth-starter job, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "(Lorenzen's) in a good position to earn a starting spot, but we have a long way to go," manager David Bell said Friday. "It's a question as what's best for our team, best for our pitching staff. A lot goes into that, it's not just about any one pitcher."

Tejay Antone turned a lot of heads with his first spring training performance, and Lorenzen struggled as he purposefully backed off his velocity a bit. With this battle, as with many other spring training job battles, it serves well to remember that Opening Day is a starting point, not the finish line. It's still possible for both Lorenzen and Antone to start in the long run, even if things don't begin that way.

Soroka (Achilles) pitched two innings during a simulated game Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Soroka had been taking part in fielding drills to begin spring training while working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon, but he progressed in his recovery Sunday. An official said that the right-hander looked "very good" during his outing, especially for a pitcher who hasn't appeared in a game in seven months. His velocity was slightly below his average speed, but the official said that the below-average velocity was to be expected at this point in his recovery. Soroka still doesn't have a timetable to return to the starting rotation, but he's made good progress in his recovery so far.

Manager Mike Shildt said Mikolas (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The 32-year-old was originally expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday morning, but he instead participated in a light workout and had the session pushed back. Mikolas hasn't throw off a mound since Feb. 25, and Shildt wouldn't commit to the right-hander's availability for Opening Day.

Mikolas (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Manager Mike Shildt previously said the 32-year-old was slated for a bullpen session Sunday morning, but the right-hander instead took part in a light workout. Mikolas was scratched from a simulated game early last week due to the shoulder issue and has yet to make it back on the mound. He missed the entirety of last season due to flexor tendon surgery, so the team is being cautious early in camp.

Hendricks threw a bullpen session Saturday instead of making a Cactus League start against the Brewers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Hendricks and the Cubs will see plenty of the Brewers this season, so the team decided to let the righty log a bullpen rather than face the division rivals. By throwing Saturday, Hendricks is still on schedule to start the regular season opener on April 1, though manager David Ross has not formally named an Opening Day starter.

Carrasco is expected to make his first start of spring training Friday or Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 33-year-old arrived late to camp but is poised to see game action with the Mets for the first time this week. Carrasco is expected to have plenty of time to ramp up for the start of the regular season after being acquired from Cleveland in January.