MLB Player News

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg struck out six batters in 5 1/3 innings of work during Friday's 8-2 win over the Yankees. 

Strasburg allowed six hits and gave up one earned run during his time in the game. The run came in the fourth inning, when Chase Headley hit an RBI double that scored Jonathan Galvez. Strasburg also surrendered two walks.

This performance gives him a final spring-training ERA of 4.20 in four starts. 

Strasburg is slated to start Thursday against the Mets. 

With Jon Gray likely out of the race for the fifth spot in the Rockies' rotation, the club will evaluate Christian Bergman and Eddie Butler over the weekend before making a final decision, according to the Denver Post.

Bergman is slated to pitch in a Cactus League game Friday against the Mariners. He has 5.52 ERA over 14 2/3 innings of work this spring. Butler will face Seattle on Saturday. He owns a 3.07 ERA over 14 2/3 innings this spring.

Braves pitcher Alex Wood capped his spring by giving up one earned run on six hits in five innings while striking out four and walking none in his team's 6-5 win over the Orioles Thursday.

Wood's final spring outing gives him a 3.66 ERA and 12:5 K:BB ratio in 19 2/3 innings. He'll face the Marlins in Miami Tuesday in his first regular-season start.

Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn tossed six scoreless innings in his final Grapefruit League start Thursday against the Mets. He allowed three hits -- two singles, one double -- and no walks, while striking out four.

Lynn finishes the spring with a 2.25 ERA in three starts. He totaled nine strikeouts in 12 innings.

Lynn will start the second game of the season Tuesday against the Cubs.

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale acknowledged again Thursday the team is still considering Archie Bradley for the rotation, even after announcing its rotation plans earlier this week, per The Arizona Republic. The Diamondbacks' Opening Day rotation consists of Josh Collmenter, Jeremy Hellickson, Rubby De La Rosa, Trevor Cahill and Chase Anderson.

Hale said Bradley has "really made the decision tough on us" following a strong spring campaign. Bradley went 3-2 with a 1.61 ERA in six spring outings (four starts). He had 14 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings.

Hale added the team has not talked about a six-man rotation. Also, putting Bradley in the bullpen as a long reliever remains an option as well.

Bradley was a consensus top-10 prospect heading into 2014, but struggled last season and has taken a slight tumble down the rankings this season. Baseball America has him ranked as the 25th-best prospect and MLB.com has him at No. 15 heading into the season.

The Reds announced Thursday they outrighted pitcher Sam LeCure to Triple-A Louisville, per MLB.com. They also reassigned starting pitcher prospect Michael Lorenzen to minor-league camp.

“The LeCure thing, I never could have seen that coming when we began spring training,” manager Bryan Price said, per MLB.com. “I think it breaks all of our hearts that he’s not on this ball club right now. We anticipate him being back. I think we feel he’s not at his best where he needs to be to help us right now. We’ve got to get him back there. He should be a big part of our team this season. We’re all just a wreck about him not being with us at this point in time. I’m very confident that he will be back with us.”

Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole allowed just one hit and one walk in three scoreless innings while striking out three in Wednesday's spring finale against the Orioles.

Cole closes the spring with a 3.24 ERA and 12:4 K:BB ratio in 16 2/3 innings. He's slated to pitch the taem's second game of the season, leaving him to face the Reds next Wednesday.

Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel gave up one run on six hits in five innings of work Wednesday against the Brewers. Hammel, in his final start of spring training, added five strikeouts and didn't record a walk.

Hammel, who is projected to be the No. 3 starter in Chicago's rotation, finishes spring training with a 3.24 ERA and a team-high 22 strikeouts.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto had a mixed bag of results in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. 

Cueto went five innings and gave up three earned runs on three hits. One of those hits was a three-run double given up to Yasmany Tomas in the top of the fourth. Other than that one half-inning, Cueto fared well, striking out seven batters and walking two. 

Cueto faced a total of 14 batters in the first, second, third and fifth innings. He went against seven in the fourth. 

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw gave up one unearned run on just one hit and two walks in three innings while striking out two in his final spring performance in Wednesday's 4-4 tie with the Royals.

Kershaw closes the spring with a 1.61 ERA and 22:7 K:BB ratio in 22 1/3 innings. He'll next take the mound Monday for Opening Day against the Padres.