MLB Player News

Wood was told he will start Monday's game against Cubs, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Wood was competing for the final rotation spot out of spring training before being relegated to the bullpen, but with Rich Hill (finger) on the 10-day DL, it appears he'll get a chance to start after all. He made 14 appearances for the Dodgers last season, accumulating a 3.73 ERA across 60.1 innings (10 starts).

Smoker coughed up two runs on three hits and two walks while recording just one out in Friday's loss to the Marlins.

The out did come via strikeout, but otherwise this was a brutal night for Smoker. The 28-year-old lefty has seen limited usage so far despite the strain the Mets bullpen has been under. Though Smoker has a mid-90s fastball, he'll need to become more reliable when his number gets called if he's going to carry much fantasy value.

Wheeler (0-1) gave up five run on six hits and a walk while striking out four over four innings in Friday's 7-2 loss to the Marlins.

Pitching on 924 days rest after his long recovery from Tommy John surgery, Wheeler whiffed two of the first four batters he faced but quickly fell back to earth after the adrenaline wore off. There were some positives to the outing -- he threw 54 of 80 pitches for strikes, and his fastball topped out at 97 mph -- but stamina and consistency are likely going to be issues for Wheeler for as long as the Mets let him pitch this season. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Ryu (0-1) allowed two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five over 4.2 innings to take the loss Friday against the Rockies.

Ryu certainly didn't have a terrible outing given the fact he was on the hill at Coors Field, but the Dodgers were only able to muster a single run of offense, leaving him on the hook for the loss. He'll continue to be a strong fantasy option if he can maintain his health, as he boasts a 3.28 ERA to go along with the 1.21 WHIP over his young career. The fact he wasn't extremely sharp while pitching in Colorado does nothing to change his overall fantasy value. He'll make his next start Thursday against the Cubs.

Freeland (1-0) allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six across six innings to earn the win Friday over the Dodgers.

Freeland couldn't have had a better opportunity for his career debut, as he faced a Dodgers offense that struggles to hit left-handed pitching. It's difficult to take much from his performance given the opponent he faced, but it's unlikely that he'll emerge as a strong fantasy option since half of his games will be played at Coors Field. He'll make his next start Wednesday against the Padres.

Velasquez (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out 10 across four innings to take the loss Friday against the Nationals.

Although Velasquez was piling up the strikeouts, he simply couldn't keep the Nationals off the basepaths, leading to an early exit. His outing was reminiscent of 2016, when he struck out over a batter per inning, but ended the season with a 1.33 WHIP. His excellent strikeout potential loses some of its appeal when he hurts fantasy owners in the other major categories, making him a risky lineup option. He'll make his next start Wednesday against the Mets.

Manager Terry Collins said that Wheeler will throw around 85 pitches in Friday's start against the Marlins, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Collins also noted that Wheeler wouldn't be given the hook early in order to save his innings count. It seems like the Mets are still being a bit cautious with the right-hander given his extensive injury history, but it's still good to see the leash is fairly long for Wheeler's first MLB start since 2014. He'll be facing off against Marlins lefty Wei-Yin Chen in Friday's tilt.

Stripling could land a spot start Monday with Rich Hill (finger) being placed on the disabled list, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Alex Wood seems like the leading candidate for Monday's bout with the Cubs, but manager Dave Roberts did identify Stripling as an option as well. The right-hander gave up a run and struck out three in his first appearance of the season Monday, so he would likely be well-rested for a start next week. Things should become clearer on this front as Monday's contest nears.

Urias is not an option to start Monday in place of Rich Hill (blister), Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

With Urias ruled out by manager Dave Roberts and Scott Kazmir still battling a hip injury, Alex Wood seems like the most obvious candidate to take Hill's turn in the rotation. Urias is slated to make his 2017 debut for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday. The Dodgers plan to be conservative with Urias' workload early on in hopes of having him available in October.

Wood is a candidate to pick up a spot start Monday with Rich Hill (finger) landing on the disabled list, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The left-hander was vying for the Dodgers' final rotation spot throughout spring training, but it seems like he'll still get a chance to start despite beginning the year in the bullpen. This is still speculative, but it's a good sign that Wood was the first name brought up by pitching coach Rick Honeycutt as a fill-in for Hill.