MLB Player News

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Urquidy (forearm) will be shut down from throwing "for a while," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Urquidy was diagnosed with a right forearm strain Monday and it sounds like he will be given an extended period of rest, although Espada's update didn't offer much in the way of specifics. The Astros will also be without Justin Verlander (shoulder) for a while, leaving J.P. France and Ronel Blanco to fill the final two spots in the rotation indefinitely.

The Phillies optioned Allard to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old joined the Phillies on a one-year, $1 million contract in January, but he'll unsurprisingly begin the campaign at Lehigh Valley since he still has a minor-league option. Allard missed the second half of last season due to left shoulder nerve irritation and made just six appearances between the majors and Triple-A.

The Brewers re-assigned Gasser to minor-league camp Tuesday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

While he didn't wind up cracking the Opening Day rotation, Gasser impressed this spring and seems poised to get a shot with the big club before long. The southpaw permitted three runs with an 11:2 K:BB over 10 innings during Cactus League action. He'll join Triple-A Nashville's rotation for now.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that Bradish's right elbow is responding "well right now" to the pitcher's throwing program, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Bradish resumed mound work last Wednesday after weeks of flat-ground throwing. While the right-hander has thrown almost all fastballs, Hyde admitted that Bradish "might have spun a couple breaking balls," as well. It remains relatively early on in Bradish's rehab from a partially torn UCL, but so far things have progressed as well as can be expected.

The Guardians announced Tuesday that Bieber will start Opening Day against the A's on March 28, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

It's hardly a surprise the right-hander is taking the mound for Cleveland, as it will the fifth consecutive season he's started Opening Day. Bieber was limited to 21 starts last season due to an elbow issue and had a 3.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 107:34 K:BB over 128 innings. He'll open 2024 versus a favorable opponent in one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in MLB.

Buehler (elbow) threw three innings of live batting practice recently and his fastball was up to 97 mph, per the Just Baseball Show podcast.

This news was directly from Buehler on the podcast, with the pitcher also stating that he hasn't had much problem with the "up-down" this go around, so it sounds like he is progressing with his throwing program. Buehler wouldn't be able to throw a full season in the majors this year regardless of how ready he is now, so the Dodgers are slow playing him out of the gates. He is expected to open the year on the injured list and he could join the rotation sometime in the first couple months of the season.

Webb will start for the Giants on Opening Day against the Padres, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Padres have not yet revealed their starter for that day, as they're presumably waiting for the conclusion of their March 20-21 series in South Korea against the Dodgers. Webb getting tabbed by the Giants is no surprise, of course, following a National League Cy Young runner-up campaign that saw him collect a 3.25 ERA and 194:31 K:BB over 216 innings covering 33 starts.

Peralta has been named the Brewers' Opening Day starter, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

With Corbin Burnes now in Baltimore, the Opening Day duties for the Brewers were inevitably going to fall to Peralta. The 27-year-old held a 3.86 ERA and 210:54 K:BB over 165.2 innings covering 30 starts for Milwaukee in 2023. He'll be going up against the Mets' Jose Quintana on March 28.

Strider has been named Atlanta's Opening Day starter, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

You could have made a case for Max Fried given his tenure with the club, but Strider is the sensible choice after he won 20 games while piling up a league-leading 281 strikeouts last season. It will be a marquee matchup on March 28 in Philadelphia, with Strider going up against Zack Wheeler.

The Angels announced Tuesday that Sandoval will start Opening Day against the Orioles on March 28, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

The left-hander made a career-high 28 starts last season but took a step back with a 4.11 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 128:74 K:BB across 144.2 innings, so it's a bit of a surprise he'll get the nod Opening Day. Sandoval also wasn't particularly sharp during spring training with a 7.15 ERA and 10:6 K:BB over 11.1 innings, and he'll have a tough matchup in Baltimore to begin the campaign.