MLB Player News

Steele was removed from Friday's Cactus League start versus the Giants after being hit in the left knee by a comebacker, Marquee Sports Network reports.

Steele stayed down on the ground for a bit after being struck by a ball off the bat of Luis Matos before eventually walking off the field with a limp. It's not clear at this point whether the southpaw will need to undergo any testing. Steele was making his final tune-up start before his scheduled Opening Day assignment March 28 against the Rangers.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Friday that Liberatore will work out of the bullpen to begin the season, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The 24-year-old was attempting to win a spot in St. Louis' season-opening rotation, but Zack Thompson will instead fill in while Sonny Gray (hamstring) is on the injured list. Liberatore started in 11 of his 22 big-league appearances last season and could work as a swingman again in 2024.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced Friday that Gray (hamstring) will begin the season on the injured list, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals have kept door open for Gray to make a start during the first week of the season since he went down with a hamstring strain in early March, but the right-hander will end up requiring a trip to the injured list. The 34-year-old was scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Friday before being scratched due to a heavy forecast of rain, and that session has now been rescheduled for Saturday, per Worthy. Gray is poised to pitch three times in Florida, including Saturday, before joining the Cardinals, so he should be ready for his season debut by early April.

Davies was released by the Nationals on Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Davies was informed he wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster and presumably then triggered the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract. He could latch on with another club in search of rotation depth.

Houck has made the Red Sox's Opening Day rotation, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Manager Alex Cora has settled on Houck and Garrett Whitlock for the final two spots in his rotation. Houck has been arguably the club's best starter this spring, having posted a 2.40 ERA and 16:3 K:BB over 15 frames. The 27-year-old has always had trouble with left-handed batters, so he will likely have to show improvement in that regard if he wants to keep a rotation spot all season.

Whitlock secured a spot in the Red Sox's Opening Day rotation Friday, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Whitlock and Tanner Houck will fill the final two spots, with Cooper Criswell joining the Triple-A Worcester rotation after getting optioned Friday. Whitlock earned the gig by collecting a 3.45 ERA and 16:2 K:BB over 15.2 Grapefruit League innings. The Red Sox surely will have to manage Whitlock's workload, given that he hasn't reached even 100 innings since 2018 because of injuries and bullpen work. He's fully stretched out right now, however, and makes for a viable late-round target for those who have fantasy drafts this weekend.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Friday that Sanchez has made the Opening Day roster, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Sanchez is out of options but nonetheless came into camp seeming like a long shot for the Opening Day roster given that he's barely pitched the last three years because of shoulder woes. However, he looked surprisingly good in five Grapefruit League appearances, yielding just one hit and three walks while striking out four over seven scoreless innings. The Marlins are dealing with multiple injuries in their rotation, but the plan is for Sanchez to be a reliever moving forward.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Friday that Means (elbow) should be ready for his season debut early in the first half of the season, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

It's a timeline without much clarity, but Means has been throwing off a mound and he should be ready to face hitters soon. The lefty has said previously that he hopes to be back with the big club before the end of April.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Friday that Bradish (elbow) is expected to rejoin the rotation early in the first half of the season, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

It's a vague timeline, which no doubt was purposeful on Elias' part. Everything has been trending in the right direction for Bradish since he was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow in mid-February, and he recently progressed to bullpen sessions. The right-hander still has a long road ahead, but the hope remains that he can avoid surgery.

Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a strained left lat, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

He suffered the injury during his last Cactus League outing Tuesday. Rodriguez will be shut down from throwing until he's asymptomatic, so there is no timeline for when he might make his season debut. Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry had been competing for the final spot in the Diamondbacks' rotation, but they now will probably both be needed to start some games.