MLB Player News

Stroman finished the Grapefruit League slate with a 2.61 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 16:7 K:BB over 20.2 innings across five starts.

Stroman signed a two-year deal with the Yankees in January, and his role with the club took on added importance when Gerrit Cole was diagnosed with an elbow injury that will likely cost him at least the first two months of the season. Though Stroman drew some criticism for turning down an opportunity to take Cole's place as the team's Opening Day starter, his reason for doing so was tied to sticking to his pitching schedule, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, and the right-handed hurler remains a critical component of New York's chance at success this season. Stroman certainly appears ready for the beginning of the campaign after finishing spring play with six shutout innings against Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Wentz will make the Tigers' Opening Day roster in a bullpen role, Julie Kreuz of MLB.com reports.

Wentz struggled mightily as a starter last season, but he will stick around in Detroit as a reliever. The lefty was effective in spring training, posting a 2.93 ERA and striking out 15 batters over 15.1 innings. Wentz may not see high-leverage work right out of the gate, though as a southpaw, he has a chance to earn trust quickly if he can retire left-handed hitters on a regular basis.

Faedo will make the Tigers' Opening Day roster in a bullpen role, Julie Kreuz of MLB.com reports.

Faedo pitched well this spring, compiling a 1.35 ERA across 13.1 innings, and it was enough to secure his first Opening Day roster spot in the majors. The one-time first-round pick hasn't found his footing as an MLB starter yet, though he could emerge as an effective reliever if his stuff plays up. However, Faedo likely won't see enough high-leverage work initially to warrant fantasy attention.

Pfaadt allowed one run on three hits and struck out four over five innings in Tuesday's exhibition game against the Guardians.

Pfaadt made his first start since March 10, although he's pitched on the back fields between then and now. He finished spring training with a 6.75 ERA and a 6:1 K:BB over 10.2 innings. He's expected to start the fourth game of the season Sunday at home against the Rockies.

Montgomery agreed to terms on a one-year, $25 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Montgomery had been rumored to be in talks with the Yankees regarding a potential reunion, but he will instead join the Diamondbacks with only two days left before the start of the regular season. Adding the 31-year-old southpaw will provide the D-backs with insurance in their rotation with Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) set to miss the first several weeks of the year. Because Montgomery was without a team all offseason and therefore missed spring training, he will likely sit out the first couple of turns through the rotation but should be able to make his Diamondbacks debut within a few weeks. Montgomery's new deal also includes a vesting player option for 2025 if he starts at least 10 games this season.

The Cardinals placed Gray (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

St. Louis already confirmed Gray would begin the season on the injured list, and that transaction is now official. The right-hander is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Thursday as he continues to ramp up his throwing program, and he could be ready to join the Cardinals' rotation in the second week of April when first eligible.

The Cardinals placed Rom (biceps) on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The left-hander recently took a step back from throwing due to a biceps injury and will be sidelined for at least the first couple weeks of the season. The specifics of the injury remain unclear, so Rom could be unavailable beyond the 15-day minimum.

Manager Mark Kotsay named Boyle the Athletics' fifth starter Tuesday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Boyle was impressive in three big-league starts toward the end of last season, logging a 1.69 ERA and 0.81 WHIP across 16 innings. However, he's been known to walk batters at an alarmingly high rate, and those troubles seemed to haunt him yet again this spring as he allowed 15 free passes over 18.1 frames. If the 24-year-old righty is able to bring down his walk rate, he appears to have the stuff to develop into a solid major-league starter.

Means (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk soon, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Means is set to make several rehab starts with Triple-A Norfolk before he's considered for activation. The left-hander experienced a setback with his surgically repaired left elbow last October, and Orioles general manager Mike Elias said he expects Means to be ready for his season debut at some point in the first half of the season. For his part, Means has expressed a desire to be ready to pitch in major-league games before the end of April, but how his minor-league starts go will ultimately determine whether that timeline is realistic.

Gray didn't pitch as scheduled Tuesday due to a stiff neck, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Gray will throw a bullpen session Wednesday instead, and his neck shouldn't cause his regular-season debut to be delayed. The 32-year-old righty had a great spring, throwing eight scoreless innings over two starts while striking out seven batters and walking two.