MLB Player News

Urquidy will start Saturday's game against the White Sox, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

As expected, Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier will get the ball for the first two games of the series, and Urquidy will start Saturday with Luis Garcia pitching the series finale against Chicago. The right-handed Urquidy finished 2022 with a 13-8 record, 3.94 ERA and 134 strikeouts over 164.1 innings with a 1.17 WHIP over 29 appearances. Urquidy won't miss enough bats to be a stalwart, but he should throw enough strikes while limiting hard contact to be a solid option for 2023.

Smyly allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits across four innings in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the White Sox. He walked one and struck out three.

Smyly was hit hard in his last spring tune-up, which raised his Cactus League ERA to 6.06. That doesn't give the veteran lefty a ton of momentum heading into the regular season, though his track record suggests he should rebound, particularly after he posted a 3.47 ERA for the Cubs across 106.1 innings last year. Smyly lines up to make his 2023 debut Monday against the Reds.

Canning and Tucker Davidson are battling for a role as the Angels' sixth starter, Adrian Garro of MLB.com reports.

The two hurlers have been battling it out throughout the spring, and Canning has put up better numbers, posting a 1.32 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB over 13.2 innings versus Davidson's 5.19 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB across 17.1 frames. One thing working in Davidson's favor, however, is that he is out of minor-league options while Canning is not. Whichever pitcher wins the competition may not see action in a starting role right away, as Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Tuesday that the team is "going to take it day by day, but there's a possibility that sixth spot maybe we don't use it right off the bat ... and if we don't use him right off the bat, he's in the bullpen and provides length there," per Garro.

Peralta tossed 4.2 scoreless innings in Tuesday's exhibition season finale. He allowed four hits and posted a 5:1 K:BB.

Peralta was locked in during the spring, posting a 3.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB in 14.0 innings over four starts. He is lined up to start the Brewers' home opener, which will come April 3 against the Mets.

Tidwell will begin the season with High-A Brooklyn, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The 21-year-old righty made quick work of the lower levels, logging a 1.93 ERA and 1.18 WHIP between rookie and Single-A ball. Tidwell has been lauded as one of the top pitching prospects in the Mets organization, so he may be in line for another promotion during the season.

Brown (back) is on track to be part of the Astros' season-opening starting rotation, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown was scratched from a scheduled Grapefruit League start last week after experiencing lower-back tightness while doing some agility drills in camp, but he made it through a bullpen session Sunday without issue and is slated to throw a simulated game Wednesday. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 0.89 ERA with 22 strikeouts over his first 20.1 major-league innings last year, working mostly in relief. He holds considerable fantasy upside in 2023 with a relatively locked-in starting role for the defending World Series champs.

The Padres assigned Teheran to minor-league camp Sunday.

Teheran latched on with San Diego on a minor-league contract last November, and he got into five spring contests, posting a 5.17 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB over 15.2 innings. A two-time All-Star with Atlanta, Teheran has pitched only one major-league inning since a disastrous 2020 campaign during which he posted a 10.05 ERA and 1.76 WHIP across 31.1 innings with the Angels. Per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, the right-hander has a clause in his contract giving him the right to accept another big-league offer, but it appears he'll stick with San Diego and will likely open the season at the Triple-A level.

The Astros optioned Bielak to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The righty only appeared in five games last season but was moderately effective as a multi-inning reliever in 2021, posting a 4.50 ERA in 50 innings. Barring injury or serious struggles in Sugar Land, Bielak should join the Astros at some point in the regular season.

Cueto (arm) is tentatively scheduled to start the Marlins' fifth regular-season game next Monday against the Twins, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Cueto came down with some general arm soreness earlier this month, but he threw 61 pitches over 4.2 innings in a minor-league game last Friday and is set to take the mound again Wednesday in Jupiter. It's looking like the veteran right-hander will indeed be a normal-functioning member of the Miami rotation to begin the 2023 campaign.

Sandoval tossed 79 pitches in a minor-league game Sunday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Sandoval spent time this spring pitching for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, notably holding eventual champions Japan scoreless over 4.1 innings in a semifinal matchup. The southpaw appears to be pretty well ramped up for the regular season, as he followed his 79-pitch outing Sunday by doing some additional throwing in the bullpen. Sandoval is tentatively slated to start the Angels' second game of the campaign, April 1 in Oakland.