MLB Player News

Roupp will open the season as the Giants' fifth starter, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

He was locked in a heated battle with Hayden Birdsong, who will open the season in the Giants' bullpen. Roupp received the nod after allowing five runs with a 14:1 K:BB over 12 innings during Cactus League play. The 26-year-old made four starts and 19 relief appearances with the Giants last season, finishing with a 3.58 ERA and 47:26 K:BB over 50.1 innings. Roupp doesn't have Birdsong's upside, but he is an interesting arm in his own right and deserves consideration in deeper fantasy leagues.

Birdsong will serve out of the Giants' bullpen for the start of the 2025 season after Landen Roupp was named as the fifth starter Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Birdsong and Roupp were the final two candidates for the Giants' fifth-starter spot after Kyle Harrison was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. Birdsong recorded a 0.75 ERA across 12 Cactus League innings this spring, but he'll begin the 2025 regular season in the bullpen, possibly in a long reliever role.

Birdsong is expected to be fine after dealing with a cracked right middle fingernail during an appearance Sunday in an exhibition game versus Triple-A Sacramento, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Birdsong noted that it's something he battles with a lot and he expects to be fine after getting a fake fingernail put on the finger. The right-hander has made the Giants' Opening Day roster and is the team's presumed fifth starter, although the club has not yet confirmed what Birdsong's role will be.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Monday that Detmers will open the 2025 season in the bullpen, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Detmers had been competing against Jack Kochanowicz for the final spot in the Angels' rotation. With Kochanowicz winning the job, Detmers will work out of the Halos' bullpen and could be used as a long reliever, per Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune. Detmers worked in relief in each of his last three spring outings and allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits and two walks while striking out 13 across 11.2 frames.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Monday that Kochanowicz will open the season as the team's fifth starter, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

He beat out Reid Detmers, who will begin the season in the bullpen. Kochanowicz earned the spot after holding a 2.92 ERA and 7:4 K:BB over 12.1 innings covering four Cactus League starts. The 6-foot-7 righty had just a 9.4 percent strikeout rate in 11 starts with the Angels last season, but the club will bet on the sinkerballer producing enough grounders to make up for his lack of bat-missing ability.

The Orioles optioned Gibson to minor-league camp Monday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Gibson signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Orioles on Friday to bring depth to a rotation that has Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish all missing the start of the season due to elbow injuries. Despite not being with a team during most of spring training, the 37-year-old Gibson has pitched in simulated games against college hitters and has built up to 70 pitches, and the plan is for the veteran right-hander to join Baltimore's rotation "somewhere around" May 1, per Weyrich. Gibson went 8-8 across 30 regular-season starts with the Cardinals in 2024 and logged a 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 151:68 K:BB over 169.2 innings.

Cantillo will open the season in the Guardians' bullpen, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Cantillo lost out on the fifth spot in Cleveland's rotation but will be included on its Opening Day roster as a reliever. The left-hander made eight starts and one relief appearance last season, collecting a 4.89 ERA and 44:15 K:BB over 38.2 frames. Cantillo could still be considered for starts at some point later this season.

Gray has been battling the flu recently, which has sapped him of his strength, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

It could help explain why Gray's velocity has been down this spring, though the righty suspects that starting his offseason throwing program later than usual also played a part. Gray said Monday that he's feeling better, and it does not seem as though his availability for Opening Day on Thursday is in question.

Rodriguez (elbow) played catch from out to about 90 feet Monday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Rodriguez was spotted playing catch from about 75 feet last week, so he seems to have taken an incremental step forward in his throwing program as he recovers from elbow inflammation. The right-hander is likely at least a couple weeks away from stepping back on the mound, and he'll essentially need to complete his own version of spring training before the Orioles deem him ready to make his season debut. Baltimore will formally place Rodriguez on the injured list prior to Thursday's opener in Toronto.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday that the goal is for Gibson to join the rotation "somewhere around" May 1, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Gibson had already been built up to 50-to-70 pitches while throwing on his own before he signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract last week. However, the Orioles have a plan in place for the veteran right-hander to continue getting stretched out before he joins their rotation. Gibson held a 4.24 ERA and 1.35 WHIP alongside a 151:68 K:BB over 169.2 innings last season with the Cardinals.