MLB Player News

Harrison threw two hitless innings Sunday versus the Rangers, striking out four and hitting a batsman. Harrison has used his cutter more after developing it in 2023 but used it on a limited basis, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Harrison relied on the cutter, which sat in the 90-91 mph range, to maintain an advantage over hitters when he got ahead in the count. The southpaw is expected to make a big leap in 2024 after making seven major-league starts with a 4.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 35:11 K:BB across 34.2 innings last season. With the Giants' rotation already hammered by injuries, Harrison is expected to be the No. 2 starter behind ace Logan Webb.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Friday that Miley has a 50-50 chance of being ready for the start of the season, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Murphy declined to go into specifics about what Miley is dealing with, adding only that the team should have a better idea on his status in about 10 days. The 37-year-old has dealt with elbow and shoulder injuries each of the last two seasons, but it's not clear whether his current issue is related to his pitching arm. Miley was limited to 23 starts in 2023 but finished the season healthy. Losing the veteran left-hander would be a blow to a Brewers rotation that's already lacking depth.

Corbin gave up three hits over three scoreless innings while striking out four in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Facing most of the Cards' Opening Day lineup, Corbin breezed through 41 pitches (32 strikes) and looked much sharper than he had in his first outing of the spring. The veteran southpaw also mixed in a new cutter, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports, throwing seven of them and getting swings and misses on three -- including strike three to Nolan Arenado in the first inning. Corbin's been primarily a fastball-slider pitcher throughout his career, so adding a reliable third pitch could boost a strikeout rate that sagged to 15.7 percent in 2023 -- the second-worst mark in MLB among pitchers who threw at least 150 innings, ahead of only Kyle Freeland's 13.9 percent. Even if the cutter does prove to be an effective weapon for Corbin, however, there's still little fantasy appeal in a pitcher who's posted a combined 5.75 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over the last three seasons.

Quintana gave up two runs on two hits and three walks over 1.2 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out one.

It was an inauspicious start to the spring for Quintana, who was facing most of Houston's Opening Day lineup, and the damage could have been worse had he not coaxed a double-play grounder out of Yordan Alvarez after walking Jose Altuve to lead off the game. The veteran southpaw made only 13 starts in 2023 during his first season with the Mets due to a rib issue that required surgery, but his 3.57 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 75.2 innings were respectable. With Kodai Senga (shoulder) set to miss a month or more to begin the 2024 campaign, New York needs Quintana to stay on the mound this time around.

Weathers allowed a hit and a walk over 2.2 scoreless innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out five.

The 24-year-old southpaw is on the fringes of the battle for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but Weathers would probably need some attrition ahead of him in the pecking order to have a legitimate chance no matter how well he pitches this spring. A long-relief role seems more likely after he stumbled to a 6.55 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 43:29 K:BB through 57.2 innings last year split between the Padres and Marlins.

Berrios gave up two hits and struck out one in two scoreless innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Facing a lineup that included only a couple of likely Opening Day starters in Trea Turner and Bryson Stott, Berrios pounded the strike zone and fired 20 of 29 pitches over the plate. The 29-year-old righty was his usual rock-solid self in 2023, posting a 3.65 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 189.2 innings with a 23.5 percent strikeout rate against a 6.6 percent walk rate, and he figures to provide stability to the middle of the Toronto rotation once again this season.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said recently that Matz will not be as stretched out as the team's other starters at the beginning of the season, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Matz is healthy, but the Cardinals are electing to methodically build him up this spring after he dealt with numerous injuries in his first two seasons with the club. The left-hander has been throwing live batting practice sessions, but Marmol said the next time Matz faces hitters could be in a Grapefruit League appearance. While he is expected to open the season as St. Louis' No. 5 starter, it sounds like it might be a little while before Matz is ready to go five-plus innings.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch announced Friday that Skubal will start Opening Day against the White Sox, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Skubal seemed to be an obvious choice after he logged a 2.80 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 80.1 innings across 15 starts for the Tigers last season following a return from flexor tendon surgery. The left-hander probably isn't going to be a workhorse but nonetheless possesses ample fantasy upside for the 2024 season.

DeSclafani has been slowed in Twins' camp by right elbow soreness, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

DeSclafani felt some soreness following his second live batting practice session. While he's resumed long toss and hopes to return to a mound in a few days, the setback is a troubling development given that he missed much of the 2023 campaign with a flexor issue. For what it's worth, trainer Nick Paparesta said Friday that DeSclafani still has time to be ready for Opening Day. The righty is competing with Louie Varland for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Verlander (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session Sunday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Verlander was not cleared to face hitters after Tuesday's bullpen session as hoped, but perhaps that will happen after Sunday's mound work. The veteran right-hander has been coming along slowly but surely in camp after some offseason shoulder issues, but he's running out of time to get ramped up by Opening Day.