MLB Player News

Singer allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five over 4.1 innings in Sunday's spring start against the Mariners.

Singer did not allow a run over the first four innings before being nicked for a home run to lead off the fifth frame. A couple more batters reached base following the homer, and the right-hander was pulled after working his pitch count to 78 in his fourth spring outing. Singer's had a strong Cactus League, recording a 2.25 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 12 innings.

Atlanta announced Monday that Sale will be its Opening Day starter March 27 in San Diego.

If there was any doubt the reigning National League Cy Young winner would be taking the ball for the opener, the club has now removed it. Sale has followed up his Cy Young-winning campaign with a nice spring, posting a 3.52 ERA and 15:4 K:BB over 15.1 frames.

Pfaadt allowed two hits and struck out seven over five scoreless innings in Sunday's spring start against the Padres.

Pfaadt was impressive in his fourth Cactus League start against a legit regular season San Diego batting order. After giving up a leadoff single in the first, Pfaadt set down the next 12 batters in order before a harmless leadoff single in the fifth -- the runner was eliminated on a double play. The right-hander threw 57 pitches (43 strikes) and left a good impression on manager Torey Lovullo, who has yet to settle on a No. 5 starter. The manager is mulling Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson and Jordan Montgomery for the final rotation spot.

Cease pitched 4.1 scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against the Angels on Sunday, allowing three hits and issuing three walks while striking out eight batters.

Cease looked great in his fourth start this spring, and he was able to push his pitch count to 78. The right-hander has had an up-and-down spring, but he's been fine overall with a 4.61 ERA and 17:6 K:BB over 13.2 frames. The Padres are expected to name their Opening Day starter Monday, per Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan, and it would be a mild surprise if Cease's name isn't called for the assignment.

Hart pitched three innings in a Cactus League contest against Arizona on Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters.

Though this was Hart's second start this spring, it's the first one that officially counted, as his previous outing ended after two frames in a game that was ultimately called due to rain. The southpaw wasn't exactly sharp Sunday against the Diamondbacks, but he did allow the Padres a longer look at him by throwing 59 pitches. Hart averaged just 91.1 mph on his fastball, but that's in line with where his velocity has been throughout his professional career. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union Tribune has speculated that San Diego may not have seen enough of Hart this spring to make him part of the Opening Day rotation, though Acee remarked following the hurler's outing Sunday that Hart could still be a "viable candidate" if he's able to push up his pitch count in his remaining spring appearances. Even if Hart does ramp up enough during what's left of spring play, he's not guaranteed to earn a starting role, as the Padres are also considering Stephen Kolek and Randy Vasquez for their final rotation spot.

Darvish had Sunday's bullpen session and Tuesday's scheduled spring start pushed back due to fatigue, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The severity of the issue is being downplayed, but it's a concerning development late in camp for the 38-year-old. Darvish will be evaluated daily to determine when he'll have his next bullpen session, and his outlook for the start of the season could change significantly if he's unable to throw for more than a few days.

Falter (general soreness) is scheduled to start Monday's split-squad game against the Tigers, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Falter was scratched from his spring start Thursday as a precautionary measure due to general soreness, but he'll be ready to take the mound a few days later. The left-hander will begin the season at the back end of Pittsburgh's rotation after finishing 2024 with a 4.43 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 97:45 K:BB over 142.1 innings.

Manager Bud Black announced Sunday that Freeland will start Opening Day against the Rays on March 28, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The left-hander is one of Colorado's longest-tenured players and will take the mound in the season opener after posting a 5.24 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 85:26 K:BB across 113.1 innings last year. Freeland has pitched well in spring training with three earned runs allowed and an 11:1 K:BB over 9.2 frames.

Spiers appears to be behind Andrew Abbott for the Reds' fifth starter's job, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Abbott started the spring a little bit behind because of a left shoulder issue, and he still hasn't pitched in a big-league spring training game. He did toss two innings in a minor-league game however, and with the Reds not immediately needing a fifth starter to begin the season, the team seems willing to wait for him to get stretched out. To his credit, Spiers hasn't pitched poorly in camp, posting an 8:2 K:BB over five Cactus League innings without giving up a homer -- something that was an issue for the right-hander in 2024, when he served up 20 long balls in only 90.2 MLB innings.

Abbott appears to be the favorite to win the Reds' fifth starter job, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw has yet to in a major-league spring training game this season, but the Reds won't need a fifth starter right away so Abbott's incumbency advantage still weighs heavily. That said, his edge is pretty precarious. "If there's a hiccup -- even not just him but weather-wise -- it could derail that first day," manager Terry Francona said. Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers are also still vying for the job.