MLB Player News

Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom shined in Tuesday's 6-4 spring win against the Marlins, allowing just one hit in five scoreless innings while striking out six and walking none.

It was the best start of Grapefruit League play for deGrom, who had surrendered three earned runs in six innings in his previous two outings. The only hit he allowed came to the first batter of the game, and he promptly induced a ground-ball to record a double play and clear the bases.

"I'm very pleased," deGrom said after the outing, per MLB.com. "This week I worked on my delivery a little bit. Last time I got a little herky-jerky in the third inning, maybe trying to overthrow. I worked on just staying smooth this week, and I really felt good out there today."

deGrom is coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2014 in which he went 9-6 with a 2.69 ERA and 144:43 K:BB ratio in 140 1/3 innings.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has been penciled in to make his Grapefruit League debut on Saturday against Atlanta, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Wainwright has been sidelined from game action all spring because of an abdominal strain he suffered in February. The right-hander completed a 50-pitch simulated game against minor-leaguers on Monday and was deemed game-ready.

Wainwright posted a 2.38 ERA over 227 innings in 2014.

Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, who learned Monday he has a torn UCL in his right elbow, declined to take questions Tuesday morning as he awaits further evaluation, per ESPN.com.

Wheeler is scheduled to fly to New York on Tuesday evening and meet with Dr. David Altcheck, who is the team doctor, on Wednesday.

"I know you all have a lot of questions and stuff, but I'm not going to talk until I get Dr. Altchek's input," Wheeler said. "I'm going up there tonight and will see him tomorrow morning. Once I come back down, I'll talk to you all and give you all the information that you want. But, until then, I just want to make sure that I know everything first -- know all the right facts, instead of just throwing stuff out there."

Noah Snydergaard struggled in his appearance for the Mets on Monday, giving up two runs in 2.2 innings. The performance was more frustrating, considering his appearances with the big club may be numbered. 

Snydergaard lost out to Dillon Gee in the battle to replace Zack Wheeler in the starting rotation, and, while he shows promise, the Mets think he's not quite ready for the Major Leagues. 

"They've got to pitch their way up," manager Terry Collins told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. "We like Noah a lot. I like him a lot. He's going to be a real good pitcher, I'll tell you. There's going to be a time where you're going to look up and we're going to have a lot of real hard-throwing guys in the middle of that rotation. … There'll be some discussions we'll have with Noah about what we think he's got to do."

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels was knocked around Monday against Baltimore, allowing five runs on six hits and two walk while striking out two over two innings of work. Chris Davis crushed a three-run home run in the opening frame off Hamels for his worst outing of the spring.

"I have a goal every Spring Training to try to get a 10.00 ERA," Hamels said sarcastically, per MLB.com. "So I think I'm doing pretty well and I've done pretty well in my career. Nah, I've gotten over [spring struggles]. Over the course of a couple Spring Trainings, you know you don't let that affect you. You have a certain agenda, and that's what I'm going to stick to no matter what the results are.

Hamels reiterated that he's feeling fine despite the rough outing.

"Everything does feel good," Hamels said. "It's just finding the right base with mechanics and your vision toward the plate and just the location of where you want to throw things. Then it's just getting the muscle memory to be able to do so. It's just not quite there yet for me."

With Zack Wheeler likely headed for Tommy John surgery, Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard will not take his rotation spot. Instead, he's expended to start the year at Triple-A Vegas, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.

Syndergaard took over for Matt Harvey on Monday against Boston, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two over 2 2/3 innings of work. He has a 4.91 ERA this spring. Last year, he went 9-7 with a 4.60 ERA in 26 starts at Triple-A Vegas.

Nationals manager Matt Williams has not decided on who his Opening Day starter will be, noting that all five of his pitchers -- Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez -- deserve a chance, per MLB.com.

"A lot goes into it," Williams said. "There's matchups. There is health in the spring. If anybody is a little bit cranky, we want to make sure we back off in that regard. There are three off-days leading up to the regular season. So if we have a hiccup here or there with anybody -- we saw that with Doug last year. … All those things go into it. Track record goes into, knowledge of the [the opponents].

"How they line up is irrelevant when you get past the first [turn through the] rotation anyway," Williams said. "But it's an honor for the guy that's gets chosen [for the Opening Day] start. Everybody wants to get off on the right foot in your first game -- great momentum and all those wonderful things. But if you don't win that first game, it doesn't mean you are dead. You go to the next one."

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright completed a 50-pitch simulated game against minor-leaguers on Monday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wainwright, who is recovering from an abdominal strain he suffered in February, took part in fielding drills on Saturday and appears on track for a spring start this week.

"Game, I think," Wainwright said when asked what's next. "Real game is next. Whenever they tell me to pitch is when I'll be pitching."

The Mets announced on Monday that starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and is leaving Florida for New York to discuss his next steps with team doctors, which could likely result in Tommy John surgery, per CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

General manager Sandy Alderson told reporters that Wheeler had two offseason MRIs which showed no ligament tear. However, Wheeler did have a PRP injection in November, and experienced some pain in January. Alderson revealed that his latest MRI showed a full tear of the ligament, per Adam Rubin of ESPN and Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

"You're always prepared for bad news, but ... honestly, I have to say this kind of result is not totally unexpected," general manager Sandy Alderson said, per MLB.com.

Wheeler was scratched from Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals with elbow tenderness and a blister under his middle fingernail. He downplayed the issue on Saturday before the team brought him in for an MRI on Sunday, which revealed a torn elbow ligament. If Wheeler opts for Tommy John surgery -- which appears to be the likely scenario -- he will miss the entire 2015 season.

The Nationals have optioned outfielder Brian Goodwin to Triple-A Syracuse and left-hander Sammy Solis to Double-A Harrisburg on Monday, according to MASN Sports.