MLB Player News

Gausman (shoulder) is on track to make his Grapefruit League debut later this week, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Gausman is ready to make his spring debut after getting through a live batting practice session with no issues Monday. Barring any setbacks throughout the rest of camp, the right-hander should be fully operational for the start of the season.

Paddack surrendered two runs on four hits and a walk across 2.2 innings Sunday in the Padres' 11-3 exhibition loss to the Rangers.

Paddack turned heads after giving up an unearned run and striking out four in two innings during his Cactus League debut Feb. 26, but the right-hander had a rougher go of things in his second outing. On the positive side, he still whiffed more than a batter per inning, and only one of the four hits he allowed went for extra bases. Manager Andy Green has previously stated that Paddack has a "good chance" to make the Padres' Opening Day rotation, but the most likely outcome is that the 23-year-old heads to Triple-A El Paso to begin the season.

Kershaw (shoulder) continues to improve, and the Dodgers hope he will be ready for Opening Day, but manager Dave Roberts said Monday that time may be running out, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The Kershaw saga remains difficult to read, as he's been the subject of much speculation despite never being diagnosed with a significant injury and never even undergoing an MRI. His shoulder didn't feel right during a late-February throwing session, leading to him being briefly shut down on two separate occasions, though recent reports suggest that his throwing program is trending in the right direction. Still, for a player who has averaged less than 25 starts per season over the last three seasons, an abundance of caution wouldn't be unwise. The Dodgers have become well-known for their willingness to rest pitchers in recent years, so a trip to the injured list to start the year certainly wouldn't be out of the ordinary even if Kershaw is never diagnosed with a specific injury.

Gray (elbow) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Gray was scratched from his scheduled Cactus League debut due to right elbow stiffness, though he has since resumed mound work and is confident that he'll be ready for the start of the season. Assuming everything goes off without a hitch when Gray faces hitters Tuesday, the right-hander could be cleared to return to game action shortly thereafter.

Gausman (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Monday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

If all goes well with the throwing session, Gausman should be cleared to make his first Grapefruit League start at some point before the end of the week. Gausman's bout with shoulder soreness has kept him behind schedule this spring compared to Atlanta's other healthy starters, but he should be ready to go for Opening Day if he experiences no further setbacks over the next few weeks.

Kershaw (shoulder) played catch on flat ground Sunday on the back fields, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Kershaw's latest throwing session went off without a hitch, and manager Dave Roberts expects his ace to "ramp up the intensity" in the coming days. "He feels good," stated Roberts. "Ever since last Monday, with some of the rest we've built in, he's in a good place." Kershaw hasn't thrown off a mound in nearly two weeks, but a return to the hill could be on the horizon as long as he continues to feel strong.

Lorenzen will get some spring training game reps in center field, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Lorenzen has been impressive so far in fielding practice, but he hasn't yet seen any game action in the field yet. The Reds are likely to use some sort of hybrid solution in center field to begin the season, depending on when Nick Senzel is up with the big club. Lorenzen could be a part of that picture late in games as a way to give the team added flexibility.

Keller struggled for the second time in two outings Sunday, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks in one inning. He didn't strike out a batter.

Pittsburgh's top pitching prospect was scheduled to hurl two innings, but he was only able to get through one frame on 29 pitches. Keller has surrendered six earned runs in two innings and has yet to strike anyone out. Fortunately for fantasy owners, he's demonstrated a history of improvement after initially struggling at higher levels. The 22-year-old will likely receive another outing or two to bounce back before Pittsburgh's veteran starters begin appearing in Grapefruit League action.

Darvish pitched two scoreless innings without giving up a hit to pick up the win in Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox. He walked one and struck out three.

Darvish made only eight starts in 2018 before a right triceps impingement cut the campaign short, so the team is no doubt going to be cautious with the 32-year-old this spring, but he's a great bounceback candidate this season if he stays healthy.

Syndergaard walked five batters but struck out four and allowed just an unearned run over 2.2 innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

He had trouble locating his fastball in his second start of the spring, but when he did get the ball in the zone, Syndergaard was still overpowering a Houston lineup that included Jose Altuve, George Springer, Alex Bregman and other likely Opening Day starters. The right-hander still has plenty of time to settle in before the games begin to count, as Thor looks to stay healthy and improve on last season's 25 starts and 9.0 K/9.