MLB Player News

Muller fired 2.2 scoreless relief innings in a loss to the Guardians on Thursday, allowing a hit while recording two strikeouts. He also hit a batter.

Muller came on in relief of starter Alex Wood and threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes. The strong outing is a welcome sight for Muller following a rough 2023 in which he produced a 1-5 record, 7.60 ERA and 1.96 WHIP across 21 appearances (13 starts) for the Athletics, and an uneven Cactus League performance that included a 1.85 WHIP and .328 BAA over 13 innings.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that it would be 1-2 weeks before a throwing program for Senga (shoulder) is laid out, Joe Pantorno of amNewYork reports.

Senga was cleared to begin playing catch Wednesday and will do that every other day for the time being. Previous reports indicated that Senga's ramp-up period would likely take at least six weeks, and that rough timeline still appears to be intact. He's coming back from a right shoulder capsule strain.

The Guardians selected Carrasco's contract from Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

Carrasco's addition to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster was merely a formality after he was informed earlier in the week that he would be included in the Guardians' Opening Day rotation. The 37-year-old right-hander is lined up to make his first start Sunday in Oakland.

The Guardians placed Williams on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right elbow inflammation.

Williams suffered the injury just under three weeks ago, when he experienced discomfort in his elbow after taking part in a weighted-ball workout. Though Williams has since resumed throwing, his brief shutdown period after suffering the injury was enough to derail his bid for the Opening Day roster. Williams still looks on track to return at some point in April, as he joined the Guardians for their season-opening road trip and will soon head back to the team's spring facility in Arizona to start throwing bullpen sessions before heading out on a rehab assignment, per MLB.com.

The Guardians placed Lively on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a viral illness.

Lively and Xzavion Curry are opening the season on the shelf due to a respiratory virus that made its way around the Cleveland clubhouse during spring training, according to MLB.com. Lively shouldn't need much longer than the minimum 15 days to regain his conditioning and get ramped back up, and he'll likely be ticketed for a long-relief role once available. He could become a rotation option down the road if Carlos Carrasco or Logan Allen struggle.

The Mariners placed Woo (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Woo was on track to be included in the Mariners' Opening Day rotation until he was unable to get loose during a bullpen session earlier this week. According to MLB.com, Woo underwent an MRI that revealed "mild inflammation" and no structural damage. Though he seems to have avoided a major setback, Woo will still be shut down from throwing until early next week and will require some time to build back up. Emerson Hancock was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and will fill a back-end spot in the Seattle rotation until Woo is ready to come off the IL.

Gray (hamstring) will throw a simulated game at the Cardinals' spring training complex Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

It's the next step for the right-hander as he continues to work his way back from a right hamstring strain. Among the hitters Gray will face in the sim game will be fellow rehabber Lars Nootbaar (ribs). Gray might be ready for a minor-league rehab game next week if things go well Friday, although that has not been confirmed. The hope remains that he could need only a minimum stay on the injured list, which would mean a return April 9.

Webb didn't factor into the decision during Thursday's loss to the Padres. He struck out five over six innings and gave up two runs on five hits and two walks.

The 2023 NL Cy Young runner-up picked up where he left off last season, delivering a quality start during his first outing of the 2024 campaign. Webb held the Padres scoreless up until the fifth frame, when he allowed both his runs. While his primary value is his durability -- he's thrown at least 190 innings in two straight seasons -- and a strong K:BB (194:31 in 2023), Webb could face issues picking up wins again this season due to a lack of run support after posting an 11-13 record last year.

Darvish (0-0) didn't factor into the decision Thursday, giving up one run on five hits and a walk over five innings against the Giants. He struck out seven.

After tossing 3.2 innings during the Padres' two-game series with the Dodgers in South Korea to open the season, Darvish delivered another solid performance on Opening Day but couldn't pick up a victory. He punched out four of the first six batters he faced Thursday but gave up a pair of doubles in the third inning for his only run allowed. Darvish is off to a strong start to 2024, an encouraging sight after he posted a 4.56 ERA and 8-10 record in 2023. He's tentatively scheduled to take the mound next against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Freeland (0-1) took the loss against Arizona on Thursday, allowing 10 runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 2.1 innings.

Freeland scuffled from the outset, yielding a two-run homer to Lourdes Gurriel on his sixth pitch of the contest. He made it through the second inning without any further damage, but he allowed seven straight Arizona batters to reach base before recording an out in the third and was ultimately charged with eight earned runs in the frame. Though Freeland is as close as it gets to an ace for Colorado for the time being, he hasn't posted an ERA better than 4.33 since 2018 and has very little fantasy appeal given his home park and lack of strikeout potential.