MLB Player News
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Aaron Nola SP | PHI
Phillies' Aaron Nola: Sharp in victory
Nola (1-0) picked up the win Friday against the Rockies, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out nine in 6.1 innings of work.
It certainly helped that the Phillies put up seven runs before he even took the mound, but that doesn't take away from how sharp Nola was. The 32-year-old kept the ball in the yard Friday at altitude after being burned with homers twice in his season-opening start against the Rangers and added nine strikeouts to bring his total up to 16 on the young season. Nola is next lined up to face the Giants on Wednesday.
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Joey Cantillo SP | CLE
Guardians' Joey Cantillo: Works to no-decision
Cantillo didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Cubs, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six batters in 5.1 innings.
Cantillo's second start went better than his first. After making it only to the fourth inning in his season debut, he worked into the sixth inning Friday and limited a Cubs offense that averaged five runs per game entering play to just one. The 26-year-old has now pitched exactly nine innings on the season and sports a 3.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 11 strikeouts and five walks. His next start is scheduled to come against the Royals on Wednesday.
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Gerrit Cole SP | NYY
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Throws live BP on Wednesday
Cole (elbow) tossed one simulated inning of live batting practice Wednesday, per MLB.com.
Cole is nearing the final stage of his recovery from Tommy John surgery and seems to be progressing smoothly. He got into a couple Grapefruit League games, completing 2.2 innings, and is expected to kick off a minor-league rehab stint within the next few weeks. If all goes well, Cole could rejoin the Yankees' rotation before the end of May.
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Jose Butto SP | SF
Giants' Jose Butto: Diagnosed with blood clot
Butto was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right arm and will undergo a procedure Friday to remove it, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Butto exited his appearance Wednesday alongside a trainer before landing on the injured list Thursday with right forearm fatigue. The Giants haven't announced a timeline for the 28-year-old's return, but he's now likely to spend far more time on the injured list than the 15-day minimum.
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Luinder Avila SP | KC
Royals' Luinder Avila: Rained out Friday
Avila will not make his scheduled start Friday against the Brewers, as the game has been postponed due to inclement weather.
Friday's game will be made up right away Saturday as part of a split doubleheader. Avila was set for a spot start with Michael Wacha under the weather, and Avila will still get his opportunity in Saturday's matinee, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
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Patrick Corbin SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Patrick Corbin: Signs with Toronto
The Blue Jays signed Corbin to a one-year contract and optioned him to Single-A Dunedin on Friday.
Toronto, already without Shane Bieber (elbow), Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Jose Berrios (elbow) to begin the 2026 season, just lost Cody Ponce (knee) for an extended period of time this week. Corbin will help replenish the team's starting depth and could be a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation once he's fully stretched out in the minors, although Yesavage and Berrios could both be ready to go before then. The veteran southpaw put up a 4.40 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB in 155.1 innings spanning 31 appearances (30 starts) with the Rangers last season.
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Dylan Cease SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Dylan Cease: Lacks command in no-decision
Cease did not factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the White Sox, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Cease allowed a run via his own error in the first inning and two more in the third. He threw just 51 of 93 pitches for strikes despite generating a whopping 16 whiffs, exiting after a one-out walk in the fifth. While the 30-year-old is no stranger to inconsistency, it was an obvious step back from his 12-strikeout debut with the Blue Jays on Saturday. He's slated for a tough home matchup against the Dodgers next week.
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Michael King SP | SD
Padres' Michael King: Allows four runs in loss
King (0-1) took the loss against the Red Sox on Friday, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
King was charged with runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings, exiting with two outs in the sixth before an inherited runner came around to score. Despite the final line, he threw 58 of 81 pitches for strikes and walked just one batter after issuing four free passes in his March 27 debut. The 30-year-old owns an 11:5 K:BB across 10.2 innings this season after missing most of the 2025 campaign due to injury and lines up for a road matchup against the Pirates next week.
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Sonny Gray SP | BOS
Red Sox's Sonny Gray: Logs quality start in win
Gray (1-0) earned the win against the Padres on Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks with three strikeouts over six innings.
Gray allowed two runs in the fifth inning but held the Padres scoreless otherwise en route to his first quality start in a Red Sox uniform. While the veteran generated just eight whiffs on 87 pitches, it was a solid rebound after he lasted only four frames in his season debut Saturday. He's posted an 8:1 K:BB through 10 innings to open the 2026 campaign and lines up for a home matchup against the Brewers next week.
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A.J. Smith-Shawver SP | ATL
Braves' AJ Smith-Shawver: Shifts to 60-day IL
Atlanta placed Smith-Shawver (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Friday.
The right-hander is working through his rehab program after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of last year, so his move to the 60-day IL early this season was an eventuality. Smith-Shawver could rejoin Atlanta during the second half of 2026 if he can avoid any setbacks.