MLB Player News

Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu made his Cactus League debut Thursday, pitching two perfect innings and recording two strikeouts in his team's 1-0 win over the Padres.

Ryu got a late jump on his spring action due to a back injury but said last weekend he was "confident" he'd be ready for the start of the season. He went 14-7 with a 3.38 ERA and 139:29 K:BB ratio in 152 innings last year.

Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom struck out five batters over three innings during Thursday's spring game against the Nationals. He allowed two runs on three hits and one walk.

"I had command of all of my pitches and felt really good," deGrom said, noting that he was working in particular on his curveball and slider, per MLB.com. "I gave up [Michael Taylor's double] that was hit really hard. It was just a pretty good slider and he took a good swing at it."

deGrom is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA through two spring starts.

After throwing two simulated innings Thursday, Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright said that there was "more than enough time" to get ready for the start of the season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

As he recovers from an abdominal strain, Wainwright has not yet run at full speed and has been limited in the amount of work he does at camp. But he continues to build arm strength as he awaits his first start of the spring. 

"I really would like to throw against hitters whether out there or in a game," Wainwright said. "You learn a lot from hitters. Their swings don't lie."

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke surrendered two earned runs in two innings in his spring debut Wednesday but said after the outing that he feels "really good healthwise," MLB.com reports.

Greinke is using the spring schedule to not only get healthy after receiving a precautionary elbow injection when camp opened but to also tinker with his pitches.

"I've been trying to make the slider better than last year, but it hasn't worked," Greinke said. "I'm trying to figure if I keep trying or go back to last year's. I'm trying everything. It looks good, but I'm giving up more hits than normal."

Greinke added that his changeup was "pretty good" and that his fastball was "OK, just not perfect." He'll likely only get to make four spring starts after being delayed early in camp and said he "should" be ready to take the mound for the second game of the regular season.

Braves pitcher Alex Wood allowed two unearned runs on three hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings while striking out one Wednesday but said after the outing he was "happy with his stuff," MLB.com reports.

"I think once my pitch count got up, I might have got a little tired there at the end," Wood said. "That probably played a little role. It had to be 20 degrees hotter than my last start. But the body felt good and the legs felt good as well. So, I was happy with my stuff today."

Wood also surrendered two runs in his two-inning spring debut but both were charged to the pitcher.

Rockies pitcher Christian Bergman continued to pitch well Wednesday, giving up one earned run on four hits and one walk in 2 2/3 innings while striking out one, and manager Walt Weiss praised the performance after the game, MLB.com reports.

"I thought he threw the ball well. Good command," Weiss said. "The same things I typically say about him -- good command, good feel, knows when to add and subtract. Goes back and forth on both sides of the plate. He's throwing the ball well."

Bergman is battling for a spot in the rotation this spring. He has surrendered two runs in 4 2/3 innings while striking out four and walking two.

Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard racked up five strikeouts while pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in Wednesday's 7-4 loss to the Marlins.

Syndergaard surrendered two walks and two runs in two innings in his first outing of the spring but came back much better Wednesday. He's likely to begin the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 4.60 ERA and 145:43 K:BB ratio in 133 innings last season.

Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton gave up one run on two hits and one walk in three innings during his second spring outing Wednesday against the Phillies. He had no strikeouts.

"I thought after the first inning, he was much more consistent," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said, per MLB.com. "He threw some really good sinkers. The ball was just spraying a little bit early. He's going to keep working. He's going to be fine."

Jeff Locke, who is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, relieved Morton. He allowed two runs on three hits, while striking out two in three innings. He threw two scoreless innings and earned the win in his spring debut March 6 against the Yankees. Locke took the loss Wednesday.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who has an ingrown toenail, will make his start Thursday in a minor-league game, manager Matt Williams said Wednesday. A.J. Cole will start in place of Strasburg in Thursday's spring game against the Mets.

"He's a little bit sore moving around, running around," Williams said, per MLB.com. "He's perfectly fine."

Strasburg allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings in his spring debut last week against the Cardinals. He struck out two.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and outfielder Jon Jay are getting closer to getting back on the field, reports MLB.com.

Wainwright faced live hitters for the first time Sunday and is expected to throw another batting practice before appearing in his first game this spring. He may do that by Thursday.

"[We'll] just continue to kind of push him a little bit," manager Mike Matheny said.

Meanwhile, Jay is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery, but has been able to swing.

"If he can get things going [by next week]," Matheny said, "he's still right on track to be ready to go [for Opening Day]."