MLB Player News

Matz will start Saturday against the Braves, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Matz will serve on the front end of the Mets' starting rotation to begin the season after Marcus Stroman (calf) was placed on the injured list Wednesday. The southpaw drew positive reviews from manager Luis Rojas about his performance during camp. Matz made 32 appearances (30 starts) for the Mets last season, posting a 4.21 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 160.1 innings.

Stroman was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a muscle tear in his left calf, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

This news comes after Stroman reported feeling tightness in his calf earlier in the week. According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, manager Luis Rojas said it's a "week-to-week" issue, and the right-hander isn't expected to require surgery. David Peterson is a candidate to take Stroman's place in the rotation for the time being.

Stroman is dealing with calf tightness and may not be able to make his first start, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

Stroman lines up as the Mets' second starter behind Jacob deGrom, which would have him set to pitch against Atlanta on Saturday. David Peterson could be the top alternative if he's unable to make that appearance.

Manager Craig Counsell said that Peralta will start the Brewers' third game of the season Sunday against the Cubs, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Just a few days earlier, Peralta looked on track to make his 2020 debut next week in Pittsburgh, but Brett Anderson's (finger) move to the injured list resulted in the former being moved up in the pitching schedule. According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Counsell told the media to not "get stuck" on traditional starting roles, so Peralta won't necessarily be guaranteed turns through the rotation every fifth day, nor can he be counted on to push toward 100 pitches in each start. Over his 22 career MLB starts, the 24-year-old has posted a 5.27 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 11.3 K/9.

Houser will start Monday's game in Pittsburgh, Sophia Minnaert of Fox Sports Wisconsin reports.

It originally seemed like he'd line up for Tuesday's start, but Houser will now presumably get a two-start week, with the second turn coming at home against the Cardinals.

Houser lines up to start Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

This is somewhat surprising, as Houser seemed like a logical candidate to start this weekend against the Cubs. He will get a better matchup against the Pirates, and should line up for a two-start week the following week.

Peralta lines up to start Sunday in Chicago, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

He pitched Tuesday while Josh Lindblom pitches Wednesday, so that confirms the order of the Brewers' rotation. Peralta has a 5.27 ERA, 4.23 FIP, 1.31 WHIP, 29 percent strikeout rate and a 10.6 percent walk rate in 109.1 innings as a starter. He has had some spectacular starts when he is commanding his fastball, but has also been susceptible to short outings. If he struggles early, Brett Anderson (blister) or Eric Lauer (COVID-19) could step into the rotation once they are physically ready.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Wood would start the Dodgers' third game of the season Saturday against the Giants in Los Angeles, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Following Tuesday's exhibition win over the Angels, Roberts named Clayton Kershaw, Ross Stripling, Wood and Julio Urias as the team's starters for this week's season-opening four-game slate, while Walker Buehler will round out the rotation by taking the hill for the road opener July 28 in Houston. Wood pitched ineffectively last season in Cincinnati while being limited to only seven big-league starts due to recurring back issues, but after signing with the Dodgers on a low-cost deal in January, the southpaw has stayed healthy and has done nothing but impress. After a visit to Driveline Baseball in the offseason, Wood flashed improved velocity in the spring and concluded his summer camp in dominant fashion last week, striking out eight and ceding two runs over six innings in his final intrasquad start.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday that Buehler will start the Dodgers' fifth game of the season July 28 in Houston, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The assignment is a tough break for Buehler and his fantasy managers. Not only will Buehler be the last in the Dodgers' pitching schedule, but he'll forgo a cushy home start against the Giants in the season-opening series for a road outing against one of baseball's top offenses from 2019. Additionally, Buehler will likely be subject to a restricted pitch count since he only covered two innings in an intrasquad game Friday in his penultimate outing of summer camp. Per Castillo, Dustin May is the top candidate to piggyback Buehler next week in the event the latter is capped at around 3-to-5 innings.

Gallen threw 75-to-80 pitches in a simulated game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen had his final tuneup session in advance of an expected start Sunday against the Padres. The Diamondbacks are working their way down the coast for Friday's Opening Day. After two exhibition games in Los Angeles, the club is working out in Anaheim and will move on to San Diego.