MLB Player News

Davies allowed one walk and zero hits with zero strikeouts over two scoreless innings during Tuesday's spring loss to the Padres.

Davies is coming off a forgettable 2018 season that was marred by injury and subpar results, as he posted a 4.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 49:21 K:BB across 66 innings (13 starts). A strong spring training from the 26-year-old would go a long way toward potentially securing a spot in the Brewers' starting rotation.

Wainwright threw a pair of scoreless innings in his spring debut Tuesday against the Nationals.

Wainwright was brought back by the Cardinals on a one-year deal in October and is set for his 15th season with the club. His role in the team's rotation isn't guaranteed, as he's posted an ERA of 4.77 over the last three seasons, but Carlos Martinez's struggles with a shoulder injury would seem to put Wainwright in position to break camp as a starter.

Darvish allowed two runs (one earned) on four walks in 1.1 innings Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Darvish struggled to find the strike zone in his spring debut, walking four of the eight batters he faced before getting yanked with one out in the second inning. More important was the fact that the right-hander reported feeling healthy after the outing. Injuries limited him to just eight starts in his first season with the Cubs. "No pain. That was the huge part," Darvish said afterwards, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

Manager Andy Green said Paddack has a "good chance" to make the rotation, Bill Center of MLB.com reports. "I think he should go to the mound every day expecting to make the rotation and pitching to make the rotation," the manager said. "If he shows himself as a great option for us, I will be excited about that. What day that is, if that's Opening Day, if it's a while into the season, we'll figure that out as camp unfolds."

Paddack is more likely to open the season back in the minors, as he has yet to pitch above Double-A, though the Padres are apparently leaving the door open for the 23-year-old to seize an Opening Day rotation spot during camp. He posted an impressive 1.91 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 120:8 K:BB across seven starts (90.0 innings) with Double-A San Antonio in 2018, so it seems likely we see him at some point. In his first Cactus League appearance, the youngster allowed one unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out four in two innings against the Brewers on Tuesday.

Manager Brian Snitker said Soroka (shoulder) is scheduled to resume throwing Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Soroka has been dealing with shoulder soreness and hasn't thrown since Friday, though he's ready to jump back into a throwing program after taking some time off to rest and recover. The right-hander's rookie season was cut short due to a different shoulder issue, so the Braves figure to proceed cautiously with Soroka as spring training progresses. He's expected to return to game action at some point later in spring training, but it's unclear when exactly that will happen, leaving his status for Opening Day up in the air.

Mikolas signed a four-year, $68 million extension with the Cardinals on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

After impressing in his first season with St. Louis, the Cardinals decided to lock up Mikolas -- who was originally set to become a free agent after the 2019 campaign -- through 2023, rewarding him with a nice raise in the process. The 30-year-old went 18-4 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.07 WHIP across 32 starts (200.2 innings) in 2018 and is slated to serve as the team's Opening Day starter against the Brewers on March 28.

Darvish will start in his Cactus League debut Tuesday versus the Diamondbacks, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Spring results for veteran players should typically be taken with a grain of salt, but they'll probably be worth monitoring in the case of Darvish, who was limited to eight mostly unimpressive starts in his inaugural season with the Cubs while dealing with a right elbow and triceps strain that ultimately required surgery. Manager Joe Maddon has offered glowing reports of Darvish's early throwing sessions so far this spring, and now the 32-year-old will get a chance to test his health in a competitive setting as he makes his first start at any level since Aug. 19.

Kershaw (shoulder) will try to throw again Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Kershaw has had a pair of frustrating throwing sessions so far this spring and has said that his shoulder didn't feel right. The team didn't appear overly concerned after either incident, and he's yet to be scheduled for an MRI or shut down for any extended period, but the fact that he's been briefly shut down twice is undoubtedly discouraging. A clearer picture of his status will hopefully emerge following Thursday's session.

Stripling (illness) faced live hitters last Thursday, the Orange County Register reports.

An upper-respiratory issue put Stripling a little behind most of the other arms in Dodgers camp. His Cactus League debut has not yet been scheduled, but it sounds like Stripling has shaken the illness, so we should see him in exhibition play soon. With Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) shut down from throwing, the door would appear open for Stripling to potentially crack the rotation.

Gray (elbow) could throw a side session Thursday or Friday, John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Gray was able to play catch Sunday, and he's now set to extend his long toss out to 120 feet Tuesday. If his elbow responds well, Gray could resume throwing off elevated ground by the end of the work week. Gray was scratched from his scheduled Cactus League outing last week with what was labeled right elbow stiffness.