MLB Player News

Phillies pitcher Kevin Slowey allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits in two innings while striking out two and giving up two home runs in Monday's 18-4 loss to the Pirates.

Slowey remains a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, but Sean O'Sullivan, who was reassigned to minor-league camp earlier this month, is scheduled to start Tuesday and is the favorite to take the mound the first time the Phillies need a fifth starter, MLB.com reports.

The Phillies are also looking outside the organization for rotation help, but "it's likely to be an internal candidate," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

If the Phillies do add someone, it'll likely be via a minor trade or through waivers.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny announced Monday starting pitcher Carlos Martinez has beaten out Marco Gonzales for the final spot in the rotation. Gonzales will be in the rotation at Triple-A Memphis.

Martinez is 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA in five spring outings (four starts). He also struck out 16 batters and walked five in 16 innings.

Gonzales had a pretty solid spring, going 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA in five outings (four starts). Although, he did have some control issues, walking seven batters in 17 1/3 innings. He had nine strikeouts.

"Marco needs to stay on point because if anything happens between now and the beginning of our season, he's a guy that we have all the faith in the world and believe that he's going to be a good pitcher for a long time," Matheny said, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "He had a disadvantage going into this from the beginning. And we knew that. For now, we believe that Carlos is our guy to start that fifth game for us."

The Pirates named pitcher Jeff Locke as the fifth starter in the rotation Monday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Locke wasn't at his best this spring, giving up 10 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings while posting a 9:5 K:BB ratio, but he is still set to open the season in the rotation. He went 7-6 with a 3.91 ERA and 89:40 K:BB ratio in 131 1/3 innings in 2014.Vance Worley

Vance Worley, who was Locke's primary competition for the role, will head to the bullpen after allowing 10 earned runs in 17 innings while striking out 11 and walking one.

"With these two men … we wrestled all over with this, right down to their ages. And they're both 27," Hurdle said. per MLB.com. "Both worked so hard and wanted to be the guy. We looked at the [time] Jeff has been in the [Pittsburgh] uniform. We feel that getting out of the gate, we wanted to start with Locke in the rotation."

Padres pitcher Brandon Morrow will make a start on Tuesday, the U-T San Diego reported.

Morrow missed Thursday's start with a blister. The team hasn't decided if he'll start for the Padres or in a minor league game. Odrisamer Despaigne, who took Morrow's spot on Thursday, will start the other game.

The Phillies have named Cole Hamels the starter for Opening Day, as expected, the Philadelphia Daily News reports.

Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez has been named the team's starter for Opening Day against the Braves.

Alvarez excelled in his second season in Miami, going 12-7 with a 2.65 ERA and 111:33 K:BB ratio in 187 innings in 2014. He has allowed eight earned runs in 13 innings this spring.

Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton tossed six innings Saturday against the Blue Jays, allowing six hits, including two home runs and no strikeouts. Morton, who is fighting for a spot in the starting rotation, is still recovering from labrum surgery six months ago.

"Physically, Charlie is in a good place," manager Clint Hurdle said to MLB.com. "He is trying to make some mechanical adjustments in his delivery, but we don't have any health concerns about him."

Morton isn't worried about fixing mechanical issues just yet.

"Now is a tough time to put a lot of emphasis on mechanics," said Morton. "I gotta go pitch, adjustments or no adjustments."

Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn gave up two runs on six hits, including a home run, in five innings of work Saturday against the Tigers.

Lynn added five strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 4.50.

"It was good to get out there and face hitters and get your pitches in and get your work done and come out of it healthy," Lynn said to MLB.com. "That's all that really matters right now. I've felt good the last two times out with everything. I'm just going to keep going that direction."

Braves pitcher Alex Wood went six innings Saturday against the Blue Jays, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.

"I thought it was good for the most part. I think I'm getting closer," Wood said to MLB.com. "I think they hit a lot of weak ground balls. Hit a couple hard, but overall I thought it was good. ... Get that next [start] done, and I'll be right where I need to be."

Manager Fredi Gonzalez liked that Wood was able to see some real game scenarios in his appearance.

"You know what was good about it today? He got himself in a couple jams," Gonzalez said. "It was nice to see that he had to get out of those jams, working through those things.

"Because sometimes you go 1-2-3, 1-2-3 every single time, it's a little different. You don't get the adrenaline, the juices flowing. Today he faced a really, really good right-handed dominant lineup and he did great."

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is still washing off the effects of a sprained left ankle suffered last week in the weight room. It showed Saturday as Strasburg gave up four runs on four hits, including two home runs, in four innings.

"It's kinda like a trust factor," Strasburg said. "You sprain your ankle really bad you're bracing for it so it's hard to get over that. I didn't really feel anything alarming so it's progress. I've just gotta keep going out there and I'm sure it'll be an afterthought soon."

Strasburg still thinks he has enough time to get his ankle right for his first start of the regular season.

"Yeah, it's going to have to be," Strasburg said. "The thing is you make 33 starts. The biggest thing is having the stamina up there, and I'm just going to go out there and give everything I have and keep plugging along."