MLB Player News

Anderson is scheduled to pitch in the Rockies' Cactus League opener Wednesday, the Denver Post reports.

The 26-year-old lefty hasn't pitched since winning Pitcher of the Year honors in the Texas League in 2014 (1.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP), which could put him on the outside looking in at a rotation spot to begin the season, but the Rockies have few sure things in their starting five, leaving the door open for an early Anderson promotion if he doesn't claim a spot with a strong showing in camp.

Gray is scheduled to pitch in Wednesday's Cactus League opener against Arizona, the Denver Post reports.

After tossing 155 innings between Triple-A and the big leagues last season, Gray should be able to push into the 190-200 range if he stays healthy in 2016. The Rockies may turn to veteran Jorge De La Rosa as their Opening Day starter in April, but Gray should have a strong hold on a rotation spot to begin 2016. Utilizing Gray this season will almost certainly require a format that allows owners to bench the young right-hander for his home starts at Coors Field.

Martinez (shoulder) remains on track for the Opening Day rotation, as he's expected to face live hitters in one of his next sessions, MLB.com reports.

Martinez figures to be one of the Cardinals' better rotation options this year, but it's possible his first regular-season start doesn't come until mid-to-late April, as the Cardinals' schedule allows them to work with a four-man rotation on normal rest for the first couple weeks.

Finnegan's first spring training outing will be in relief, but he's still a candidate for the starting rotation.

Manager Bryan Price explained that Finnegan's relief appearance scheduled for Tuesday is just a matter of sequencing. "Once we get them set up, if you pitch a guy an inning or two innings, you can always bring them back on three days' rest instead of four," Price said. "We just didn't want Finnegan to go all the way to the fifth to pitch in his first game."

Houser will work as a starter this spring, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Houser's chances of making the Brewers' Opening Day roster would have improved had he worked as a reliever this spring, but the club wants him to continue starting one way or another, whether that be in the majors or the minors. Houser started seven games for Double-A Biloxi after being acquired by the Brewers last season and posted a 2.92 ERA and 32:6 K:BB ratio over 37 innings.

Kershaw will be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

This is a very strong contender for least surprising news of the offseason. Kershaw enters 2016 as a top contender for the Cy Young, and is surrounded by solid, but not spectacular, pitchers in Scott Kazmir, Brett Anderson, and Kenta Maeda.

Ryu (shoulder) said Saturday that he expects to be ready to pitch for the major league team "sometime in May," Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

The left-hander is being realistic about his expectations for 2016 after undergoing shoulder surgery last May, saying his goal is to reach 20 starts and 150 innings pitched. Ryu just began incorporating changeups into his bullpen sessions this week, and has not yet started throwing breaking pitches. Alex Wood appears in line to round out the Dodgers' rotation as of now.

Ryu (shoulder) won't be ready for Opening Day, Eric Stephen of SB Nation reports.

The Dodgers are stacked enough in rotation depth that they aren't going to bring Ryu back until they are sure he is absolutely ready. Without Ryu in the rotation, Alex Wood or Mike Bolsinger will likely step in for a few starts, but should land in the bullpen or Triple-A Oklahoma City once he comes back.

Wheeler (elbow) threw off a mound for two minutes without incident Saturday, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports.

That's another major step in his recovery. The Mets and Wheeler figure to be extremely cautious given his youth and the team's plethora of rotation options. Wheeler is still targeting a July 1 return date, when a spot in the rotation is almost certainly waiting for him.

Wheeler will throw 10-15 pitches off a mound Saturday, which will be the first time he has done so since Tommy John surgery, ESPN New York reports.

The Mets are proceeding cautiously with Wheeler, similar to how they treated Matt harvey when he returned from the same surgery. The organization could push Wheeler, but given the depth in their rotation, they can allow him 15 rather than 12 months to be ready to rejoin the rotation. Wheeler should be ready for game action with the Mets on July 1.