MLB Player News

Dunning allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out one over two innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Athletics.

After a pair of two-inning outings out of the bullpen, Dunning made his first Cactus League start. The Rangers plan to stretch him out and see where Dunning fits on the roster later in March, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 2023 version of Dunning was a valuable starter and earned the team's Pitcher of the Year award, but the right-hander went the other way in 2024 and was removed from the rotation by mid-June.

Ashcraft allowed five runs on eight hits and one walk with two strikeouts over 2.2 innings in Tuesday's split-squad start against the Rockies.

Both Ashcraft and manager Terry Francona believed the outing was better than the results indicate, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. "I thought in the first inning, he was really good," Francona said after the game. "The entire time, the ball came out of his hand really well." All five runs came home in the second inning, when a couple of soft-hit singles and a dribbler down the line contributed to the rally. There was also some loud contact in there, but that he sandwiched two scoreless innings around one unlucky one was a positive. This was Ashcraft's third Cactus League start, and the right-hander bumped his pitch count to 59 (37 strikes).

Kochanowicz pitched three scoreless innings in a Cactus League contest against Cleveland on Tuesday, allowing three hits and striking out one batter.

Kochanowicz was scratched from his previous start due to an illness, but he looked no worse for wear in his return to the mound. The 24-year-old righty has given up just one earned run while posting a 4:1 K:BB over five innings this spring. Kochanowicz and Reid Detmers are the leading candidates for the Angels' fifth-starter role, with how each pitcher performs in exhibition play likely to determine who gets the job.

Martin is expected to be named the White Sox's Opening Day starter, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Martin has already been named to the rotation, though he's also likely to get the ball March 27 against the Angels. He's enjoyed a sharp start to spring training, maintaining a 5:0 K:BB across four scoreless innings while allowing just one baserunner.

Warren allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out four batters over three innings in a Grapefruit League game against Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Warren gave up a solo homer to Max Kepler in the second inning, but that was the only hit that he allowed. The right-hander threw 47 pitches in the outing, 30 of which were strikes, and reached 95.8 mph on his fastball. Warren has been impressive this spring, giving up just one run on two hits and two walks while striking out 11 over eight frames. With Luis Gil (lat) expected to miss extended time at the beginning of the regular season, Warren could find himself in New York's rotation, though Marcus Stroman may be the leading candidate for the team's fifth-starter role given his big-league experience.

Yamamoto tossed four innings in a Cactus League contest against Cincinnati on Tuesday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out three batters.

Yamamoto had tossed four frames over his first two spring starts, and he equaled that total in his outing Tuesday. The right-hander hurled 47 pitches, 30 of which were strikes, and topped out at 96.9 mph on the radar gun. Yamamoto will likely make one more spring start before the Dodgers open the regular season with a two-game set against the Cubs in Tokyo, Japan on March 18-19, and he's expected to start in one of those two games.

Sasaki allowed two hits and a walk while striking out five batters over three scoreless innings during his Cactus League debut Tuesday against the Reds.

Sasaki averaged 98 mph on his fastball Tuesday and topped out at 99.3 mph, which manager Dave Roberts said he hadn't seen from him all spring, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. While Sasaki's velocity was up, he had a bit of a tough time locating, throwing only 26 of his 46 pitches for strikes. Eight of those strikes were swings and misses, and seven of those were generated using his splitter. The Dodgers haven't yet confirmed when the 23-year-old's next appearance will be, but the team will likely look to get him at least one more outing in preparation for his major-league debut during the Tokyo Series.

Suarez hurled two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League appearance against the Yankees, allowing one hit while striking out two.

It was the first appearance of the spring for Suarez, who looked sharp in two frames of relief. The 29-year-old left-hander was a first-time All-Star in 2024 on the strength of a 1.83 ERA over his first 16 starts of the campaign, but he limped to the finish line with a 6.54 ERA across his last 11 regular-season starts. The poor second half has rendered Suarez more of a late-round draft selection in fantasy leagues, but he's in line to carry plenty of streaming appeal in 2025 as long as he remains a starter for a Phillies club that should offer plenty of run support.

Wheeler threw two innings during Tuesday's Grapefruit League start against the Yankees, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts.

Wheeler wasn't at his best while taking the loss, and he now holds an 11.25 ERA and 2.25 WHIP with six punchouts over two starts during spring training. Although fantasy managers would like to see Wheeler sharpen things up ahead of the regular season, the star right-hander has proven to be a model of consistency throughout his Phillies career and shapes up as one of the safer pitching options in the early rounds of drafts. Wheeler has made at least 26 starts in each of the past four seasons, and he led the National League with a 0.95 WHIP a year ago.

Williams allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out six over 2.1 innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Angels.

Williams was off the plate more in his second Cactus League start -- 51 pitches, 31 strikes -- but he baffled opposing batters. He struck out six over his first two innings, and the right-hander induced 14 whiffs. Williams, who has nine strikeouts in 4.1 spring innings, could be a sneaky breakout candidate, per Eno Sarris of The Athletic, who notes that Williams' extension was second in the league last season. That means his pitches get to the plate quicker, and his mid-90s fastball looks faster.