MLB Player News

Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be limited to two innings of work in his spring debut Tuesday regardless of how well he performs, MLB.com reports.

"We're not going to push him to three at this point, regardless of the pitch count," manager Matt Williams said Monday. "Right now it's just a matter of arm strength and getting everybody going. Once we get to four or five innings and arms start to get tired, then we'll get a better evaluation."

Strasburg underwent surgery in October to remove bone chips from his elbow, and he has been working on adding a slider to his pitch repertoire. He went 8-9 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 191:56 K:BB ratio in 183 innings last season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced Monday that Patrick Corbin will start the season opener when the team travels to Australia to face the Dodgers in a two-game series. Trevor Cahill is slated to start the second game. 

Corbin, 24, went 14-8 last season, with a 3.41 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He struck out 178 batters over 208 1/3 innings, and was selected to the All-Star team. 

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, who suffered a calf strain in a late February game against the Diamondbacks, threw from 120 feet on Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times. The team has not scheduled a bullpen session yet -- the next step in his recovery. 

Greinke, 30, went 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 28 starts last season. He struck out 148 batters over 177 2/3 innings. 

Phillies starter Cole Hamels will throw live batting practice Thursday and Sunday, according to the Philadephia Daily News. 

Hamels has thrown two bullpen sessions already, and this will be his first live BP session since experiencing shoulder discomfort in early February. The team thinks that -- without further setbacks -- Hamels should miss just two regular season starts. 

Hamels, 30, was 8-14 last season, with a 3.60 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He has thrown at least 200 innings in each of the last four seasons. 

Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha made his first Grapefruit League start on Sunday, picking up the win against the Mets.

Wacha issued a leadoff walk and a ground-rule double to Curtis Granderson in the opening frame before settling down. He allowed one hit and walked two while striking out one in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of work in a 7-1 victory.

Diamondbacks pitcher Wade Miley cruised through his first start of the spring on Sunday, settling for a no-decision in a 5-3 loss to the Giants.

Miley allowed a run scoring single to Pablo Sandoval before tossing three consecutive scoreless innings. He allowed just one run on five hits and one walk while striking out two over four innings of work.

Braves pitcher Alex Wood was able to get through his spring debut unscathed.

Wood tossed two innings, giving up three hits and no runs. Wood did manage to strikeout Jordan Lennerton and Ian Kinsler. Wood is competing for the last spot in the team's rotation this season. He'll be pushed for that spot once Gavin Floyd is ready.

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke has no timetable for a return just yet, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

Manager Don Mattingly said the team will be cautious with Greinke this spring. He's dealing with a calf injury after leaving his first spring start after tossing a few pitches. Greinke posted a 2.63 ERA in 177 2/3 innings last season.

Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez has been able to play catch, as he continues to recover from a shin infection. Though he will miss his scheduled spring training debut Sunday, Alvarez could throw a bullpen session as early as Monday, according to MLB.com. If he stays on track, he might be able to make his first game appearance Friday against the Cardinals. 

Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels continues to make progress in his recovery from left shoulder discomfort, and could face live hitters in a week.

Hamels tossed his second bullpen session without issue Saturday, and is progressing nicely. Assuming he avoids a setback, he told MLB.com he expects to throw a live batting practice session next week.

"Everything felt really good," Hamels said. "My pitches are really coming along. I'm really able to execute down in the zone. I know that's something Bob [McClure, pitching coach] preaches to everybody. I know I'm pretty good at doing that, so to get into my second bullpen and execute down in the zone, correct pitches within a pitch, having the control, it feels great."