MLB Player News

 Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks is unlikely to crack the rotation out of spring training, but he still gets to pitch with the big league club for now.

 He made his first spring start Tuesday against the Athletics, as he tossed two innings in a 6-4 win. He gave up one run on one hit, while walking three batters and striking out two.

Hendricks is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Iowa if he does not earn a rotation spot right away. He posted a 2.48 ERA in 40 innings there last season. 

Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio surrendered just two hits over three scoreless innings while striking out four in his team's 3-2 loss to the Giants Tuesday.

"I was working with my fastball down in the zone and on my slider," Nicasio told MLB.com after the start. "I am working so hard and now I am more in focus and my body is better in shape. It's 100 percent different. I used to hang my slider a lot. I couldn't put my weight on my knee and I would throw with only my arm. Now I have better [stability] with my knee, so my breaking ball is sharper now. I am better."

Nicasio, who is locked into the team's regular-season rotation, will look to build off Tuesday's impressive spring debut moving forward.

Making his spring debut Tuesday, Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler allowed two hits while striking out three in three scoreless innings in his team's 6-2 win over the Astros.

Wheeler, who is set to open the season as the team's No. 4 starter, went 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA and 84:46 K:BB ratio in 100 innings last season.

Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Tigers.

Morton has put together five scoreless frames over his first two spring appearances, giving up just one hit and one walk without recording a strikeout. He'll open the season in the rotation after going 7-4 with a 3.26 ERA and 85:36 K:BB ratio in 116 innings over 20 starts last season.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto was knocked around during his first start Tuesday. 

Cueto tossed 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits, and six runs. Home runs were a big problem, as Cueto allowed two during the start. Cueto posted a 2.82 ERA in 60 2/3 innings last year.

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg tossed two scoreless innings in his first spring start.

Strasburg allowed just one hit, a single to Justin Upton. He erased that hit with an inning-ending double-play. Strasburg also managed to strikeout B.J. Upton in the first inning. Strasburg posted a 3.00 ERA in 183 innings last year.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw turned in his second straight poor performance Monday, giving up five earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out two in two innings in his team's 7-3 loss to the A's.

Kershaw threw just 12 of his 24 pitches for strikes Monday and didn't have an excuse for the off day. "It's not fun to deal with," Kershaw told MLB.com. "Physically, I feel great. I don't have any excuses. I don't know, searching for answers right now. I know it's Spring Training, it doesn't matter, but it matters to me."

Kershaw has given up eight earned runs in four innings over two spring starts, though he made it through two perfect innings Monday before putting five guys on base in the third without retiring an out.

Mets pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard wowed in his spring debut Monday, allowing just one hit in two scoreless innings while striking out two in his team's 6-2 win over the Braves.

"Today was a big test,'' manager Terry Collins said. "You've got the Atlanta Braves. The leadoff hitter is as big as you are. That kind of shows you aren't in Kansas anymore. You're where the big guys play, and he handled it.''

Syndergaard has established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, ranking in the top 16 on both the Baseball America and MLB.com preseason top-prosect lists. He went 9-4 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 133:28 K:BB ratio in 117 2/3 innings between high Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamtom last season.

Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez has been cleared to start Friday against the Cardinals after throwing a successful bullpen session Monday, MLB.com reports.

Alvarez missed his first start with an infection on his shin. He's coming off a season in which he went 5-6 with a 3.59 ERA and 57:27 K:BB ratio in 102 2/3 innings.

Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel surrendered three hits, walked one and struck out three over two innings against the Giants Monday after having his scheduled sprind debut rained out Saturday.

"I ended up facing 12 hitters in two innings, so we got to mix everything in," Hammel told MLB.com. "To be able to throw strikes with breaking balls this early is obviously a good thing."

Hammel is fully recovered from multiple knee surgeries this spring after dealing with a dead-arm phase in last year's spring session. He signed a one-year, $6-million deal with the Cubs this offseason.