MLB Player News

Houser was granted a fourth minor-league option Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Typically, players on the 40-man roster are only allotted three minor-league options. However, since Houser missed nearly the entire 2017 season -- an option year -- due to Tommy John surgery, he is eligible for a fourth minor-league option. This certainly bodes well for the Brewers, as it gives them a bit more roster flexibility, though it could hurt Houser's chances of breaking camp with the big-league club since he's now able to be stashed in the minors a bit longer.

DeGrom was named the Mets' Opening Day starter Thursday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

In a move that surprises no one, the reigning Cy Young Award winner will get the ball for New York's season opener. DeGrom produced a stellar 1.70 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and a 269:46 K:BB in 217 frames last season and will look to start 2019 on the right note as he faces off with the Nationals.

Musgrove (abdomen) says he is "on or close to a regular schedule" for spring training, though he's not yet throwing full-intensity bullpen sessions.

"I feel like we're in a good spot," Musgrove said. "It's just going to be a day-by-day thing. I haven't gotten off the mound and really fired balls yet." The righty, who underwent abdominal surgery in October, is expected to serve as Pittsburgh's fourth starter. Musgrove compiled a 3.31 ERA in his first 14 starts (87.1 innings) last season. He slumped to an overall 4.06 ERA over his final five starts, though his performance was likely hampered by injury. The 26-year-old has dealt with constant health concerns, but he's pitched well for extended periods and has the backing of a solid bullpen. As a result, he makes for an interesting end-game pick.

Manager Don Mattingly said Thursday that Urena would serve as the Marlins' starter for their Opening Day game March 28 at home versus the Rockies, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Urena hasn't been a standout performer by any means over the past two seasons, but his 3.90 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 65 outings (59 starts) during that span are solid enough to make him the ace of a beleaguered Miami pitching staff. He'll have some appeal as an innings eater in NL-only formats and deep mixed leagues, but Urena's inability to regularly induce swings and misses (career 6.1 K/9) significantly undercut his fantasy upside.

Senzatela is being considered for one of the Rockies' final rotation spots, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

The 24-year-old spent time as both a starter and as a long reliever for the Rockies. The end product was a serviceable 4.38 ERA, though he held a 3.86 ERA in the last two months of the season and even started Game 1 of the NLDS for Colorado. Senzatela will have to outperform Chad Bettis and Jeff Hoffman to avoid starting the season either in long relief or in the minors again.

Eickhoff is scheduled to throw a bullpen session next week after suffering recurring symptoms from carpal tunnel surgery last month, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The right-hander underwent carpal tunnel surgery in October, but it seems like the issue isn't entirely behind him. It's currently unknown if this issue will put his availability for Opening Day in jeopardy, but more information will likely become known following next week's bullpen session. As long as he's healthy, Eickhoff is in the running for one of Philadelphia's back-end rotation spots.

Wood will make $9.65 million in 2019 after winning his arbitration case against the Reds on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The left-hander split time between the rotation and the bullpen with Los Angeles in 2018, ultimately producing a 3.68 ERA and a 135:40 K:BB in 151.2 frames. As a result, Wood will make more than the $8.7 million the Reds offered him in arbitration. Now that the contract figures are cleared up, Wood can focus on his role as one of the top starters in the revamped Cincinnati rotation.

Lugo will not be competing to start the season in the rotation, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

There will be no competition for the fifth starter spot, manager Mickey Callaway said Wednesday, with Jason Vargas locked into the role. This contradicts reports from earlier in the offseason which suggested that Lugo had a shot at the job. Of course, the Mets' starters don't have the greatest injury records, so Lugo could well be called upon for a handful of starts at some point in the season in the event of injury or if Vargas continues to struggle like he did last season.

Lorenzen may see playing time in the outfield toward the end of spring training, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Manager David Bell is open to the possibility of using Lorenzen as a two-way player, but the focus will be on pitching at first. Once Lorenzen has completed a normal spring training progression on the mound, then he might get some reps in the outfield and at the plate. There's certainly some intrigue on both sides of the ball here, as the right-hander produced a 3.11 ERA in 81 innings last season and holds a .250/.276/.500 slash line with six homers in 92 MLB plate appearances.

Cueto (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

The Giants needed a 40-man roster spot for new acquisition Trevor Gott, and Cueto was the easy choice to make room. The veteran starter won't be available until the end of 2019 at the earliest after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August, so he'll simply move to the 60-day injured list to give San Francisco more roster flexibility for the beginning of the season.