MLB Player News

Paddack is focusing on improving his curveball in spring training, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Per Cassavell, Paddack's curve was tighter than usual in his initial Cactus League start Wednesday. His velocity on the pitch also ticked into the high 70s after averaging 76.1 mph last season. A refined curveball could be the key to Paddack taking his game to the next level after an impressive rookie campaign. Per Statcast, opposing batters hit .267 against the pitch last season in contrast to the paltry .198 mark they registered against his other offerings.

Burnes tossed two perfect innings and struck out two batters in Friday's spring game against the Dodgers.

Burnes is off to a strong start this spring, allowing just one runner to reach base over three innings and punching out three batters. His stellar stuff plays up when he throws in small doses, but the Brewers still view him as a starter and are stretching him out this spring. He's currently on the outside looking in for a spot in the rotation, but he's certainly not out of the mix if he keeps finding success as he goes deeper into games over the coming weeks.

Kershaw pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in his first Cactus League start Friday, allowing two walks and striking out four. He did not give up a hit.

The veteran southpaw struck out a pair of batters in an efficient 11-pitch first inning before giving up a pair of walks in a 26-pitch second. Of greater importance, Kershaw hit 93 mph with his fastball in the outing, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. His velocity on the pitch averaged 90.3 mph last season.

Woodruff started Friday's spring game against the Dodgers and allowed one earned run over two innings. He gave up four hits and struck out two batters in his outing.

Woodruff was not particularly sharp Friday, but he was still effective against a Dodgers lineup consisting mostly of MLB regulars. Woodruff will build up his pitch count over the rest of the spring and is the favorite to start Opening Day for the Brewers.

Freeland (back) feels "pretty good" Friday, but he's still expected to miss his next Cactus League start, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

The left-hander exited Thursday's game versus the A's with back spasms, but it appears he's not dealing with a severe injury. Freeland's next start was likely to come early next week, but it appears he'll take a bit of extra time to get fully healthy before returning to game action.

Houser tossed two scoreless innings in Thursday's spring game against the Royals. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out two.

Thursday's appearance was the second of the spring for Houser, who threw one more inning than he did four days before and gave up the same number of runs. Houser ended last season on a roll, and he's on track to open the season as either the Brewers' No. 2 or No. 3 starter.

Soroka (groin) has been confirmed as the starting pitcher for Friday's split-squad matchup with the Yankees, according to 680 The Fan Atlanta.

Soroka's spring debut was pushed back a few days because of his injury, but as long as he makes it through Friday's outing without issue he will be on track to be ready by Opening Day.

Mikolas (forearm) could begin throwing again within the next few days, Dawn Klemish of MLB.com reports.

Mikolas received a platelet-rich plasma injection Feb. 18, and he appears to be coming along well in the aftermath. While the veteran right-hander is still expected to miss the beginning of the regular season, the fact Mikolas could begin throwing by early next week certainly keeps him on track for missing minimal time.

Kelly allowed two runs on three hits and one walk over 1.1 innings of relief in Wednesday's game against Oakland.

Kelly, who made 32 starts for the Diamondbacks in 2019, came out of the bullpen for the first time since 2015 when he pitched in Korea. He's a candidate for Arizona's rotation, but whether there's a spot for him is uncertain, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.

Rea is competing for the Cubs' fifth and final rotation spot in spring training, Russell Dorsey of MLB.com reports.

Rea is competing with the likes of Tyler Chatwood, Adbert Alzolay and Alec Mills. Chatwood has the most MLB experience of the group and is considered the favorite, but Rea could surge ahead with a strong spring showing, though he didn't help his cause by allowing four earned runs in an inning of work Thursday. The 29-year-old last appeared in the majors in 2016 and is probably more of a longshot at this point to have significant fantasy value this season.