MLB Player News

Walker (knee) is on track for either live batting practice or possibly a game Monday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Coming back from right knee soreness, Walker will throw another bullpen session Friday and, if that goes well, will face hitters in some fashion Monday. The veteran right-hander should still have time to ramp up for his spot in the Opening Day rotation, but he can't afford any more bumps in the road.

McKenzie struck out two batters, walked none and allowed one hit over two scoreless innings Wednesday versus the Brewers.

McKenzie was a little delayed in making his spring debut, but it was an encouraging start. The right-hander is projected to be near the front of the Guardians' rotation in 2024. He pitched just 16 innings in 2023, posting a 5.06 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 16:13 K:BB while battling shoulder and elbow injuries. That health history is a concern, but McKenzie was good enough in 2022 (2.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) to be a fascinating option for fantasy managers.

Kent was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock by the Rangers on Thursday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Kent was never a real candidate to break camp with the team, anyway, but he didn't help himself in posting a 12.27 ERA in three Cactus League appearances. The 26-year-old will open 2024 in Round Rock's rotation and hope to debut at some point this year with the Rangers.

Bello agreed to a six-year, $55 million contract extension with the Red Sox on Thursday, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports. The deal includes a $21 million club option for 2030.

Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican relays that Bello will receive a $1 million signing bonus as part of the deal. Bello wasn't yet eligible for salary arbitration, but he's now under club control through what would have been his first year of free agency, and potentially a second year, if Boston exercises the club option. The 24-year-old had a solid first full season with the Red Sox in 2023, collecting a 4.24 ERA and 132:45 K:BB over 157 innings.

Manoah's scheduled bullpen session Thursday was canceled while he continues to experience right shoulder soreness, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manoah had done some flat-ground throwing but is not feeling up to getting back on the mound just yet. An MRI last week showed no structural damage in Manoah's shoulder, and though the Blue Jays are continuing to evaluate him on a day-to-day basis, he realistically would seem to be a longshot to be ready for Opening Day. Bowden Francis and Mitch White are candidates to fill Manoah's spot in Toronto's rotation, and it's possible both are needed if Kevin Gausman (shoulder) is unavailable.

Lyles (back) will long toss Thursday before throwing a bullpen session Saturday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

If the bullpen session goes well, Lyles will progress to a live batting practice session Monday. Lyles felt some lower-back tightness in a "B" game earlier this week but did some conditioning work without issue Wednesday and will look to continue his throwing progression. If healthy, he's the favorite to open the season as Kansas City's fifth starter.

Megill struck out six and walked two over three scoreless, no-hit innings during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

The right-hander came into the game a favorite to secure the rotation spot opened up by Kodai Senga's shoulder injury, and Megill looked the part against a New York lineup that featured mainly younger players like Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Everson Pereira. Megill did plunk Oswald Peraza with a pitch and threw just 29 of 49 pitches for strikes, but he got some big whiffs with his new splitter. The 28-year-old right-hander has allowed only one run through his first eight spring innings with an impressive 13:2 K:BB.

The Mets have been encouraged by Senga's recovery progress so far from a shoulder strain, although the right-hander has yet to begin a throwing program, Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News reports. "We'll wait until he starts playing catch and all that, but as of right now, he's moving in the right direction," manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday.

Senga got a platelet-rich plasma injection in the joint in late February and was shut down completely, but he appears to be getting close to beginning the process of building back up ahead of the regular season. The Mets are optimistic the shoulder issue won't be a long-term concern, and a best-case scenario could see Senga join the rotation in late April or early May.

Luzardo gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits over 3.2 innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The line doesn't look pretty, but the wind at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium may have played a factor -- three of the hits Luzardo allowed left the yard, including homers by the light-hitting Luis Garcia and Victor Robles. Luzardo built up to 57 pitches (38 strikes), and through his first 8.2 spring innings he's posted a sharp 8:1 K:BB, a strong sign he's just about ready for Opening Day.

Rogers gave up one hit over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out one without walking a batter.

The 26-year-old southpaw was brought along slowly in camp after making only four big-league starts in 2023 due to injuries, but Rogers was sharp in his first game action of the spring. The Marlins are counting on him to stay healthy this season and regain the form that saw him post a 2.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 28.5 percent strikeout rate over 133 innings in 2021.