MLB Player News

With Marcus Stroman set to start Opening Day, Taillon figures to slot in as the Cubs' No. 2 starter to begin the regular season.

Stroman getting the ball on Opening Day isn't a surprise, and it should set up Taillon as the team's second starter, with Justin Steele to follow. Taillon signed a four-year, $68 million contract with the Cubs back in December after posting a 3.91 ERA across 177.1 innings with the Yankees last season.

Clevinger said he was dealing with a sinus infection during his Cactus League start Wednesday against the Rangers, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

There was a concerning dip in his velocity readings, and Clevinger blamed it on the illness, saying he struggled to find an "extra gear" with his fastball. Still, the 32-year-old right-hander managed to induce a bevy of groundouts as he turned in five innings of one-run ball versus Texas. He should be in the clear to open the 2023 regular season as a starter for the White Sox.

Sale allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out two over five innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Orioles.

Sale, making his third Grapefruit League start, allowed a pair of first-inning home runs and didn't have command of his slider, but the left-hander bumped his pitch count to 70, was sitting mid-90s with his fastball, and got acclimated to working with traffic on the bases. Sale will make one more start before breaking camp with the Red Sox for the first time since 2019. He'll start the second game of the season against Baltimore.

Musgrove (toe) is throwing a simulated game Wednesday in Padres camp, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Musgrove will be facing non-swinging hitters, but it's another step in the right direction as he recovers from a fractured left big toe. The standing belief is that Musgrove could be ready to join the Padres' starting rotation April 6 at Atlanta. If he does meet that timeline, he'll prove to be a terrific value in fantasy drafts that have taken place over the last handful of weeks. Musgrove suffered the injury in a weight room incident Feb. 27.

Darvish is unlikely to start Opening Day for the Padres, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Darvish pitched just an inning for Team Japan on Tuesday during the World Baseball Classic, and he may need some time to get ramped up. Scanlan notes that Darvish will report to camp Thursday and that the right-hander ended the offseason throwing 80-pitch bullpens, so it shouldn't take much time to get him lengthened. Darvish may not get the Opening Day assignment, but he should still get a regular load for San Diego and has a chance to be an excellent fantasy option for the 2023 campaign.

Eovaldi threw five scoreless innings in a Cactus League start Wednesday against the White Sox.

Deploying mostly cutters and sliders, Eovaldi scattered five hits and one walk across his five scoreless frames while racking up four strikeouts. He has yet to allow a run through 10.1 innings this spring and boasts a 13:1 K:BB. The 33-year-old right-hander battled a side injury in the early part of camp but now looks fully ready to take his first scheduled turn in the Rangers' season-opening starting rotation. Texas signed Eovaldi to a two-year, $34 million contract in December.

Stroman announced via his Twitter account that he will start Opening Day for the Cubs against the Brewers next Thursday

Stroman will get the ball against Corbin Burnes for the opener. The right-handed Stroman was limited to just 138.2 innings in 2022, but he pitched relatively well in his 25 starts with a 3.50 ERA and 119:36 K:BB ratio. Stroman will never be a fantasy ace because he doesn't miss enough bats, but he should again be a solid if unspectacular option in 2023.

Crawford has been scratched from Thursday's scheduled spring training start against the Pirates, Mac Cerullo of The North Andover Eagle-Tribune reports.

Instead of Crawford on the bump, it'll be Josh Winckowski who starts against Pittsburgh. No reason has been given as to why Crawford won't make the start, but the team should provide an update on the matter in the coming days. Both Crawford and Winckowski are battling for one of the final spots in Boston's rotation to open the season.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said that Carrasco won't make his scheduled minor-league start Thursday due to "elbow maintenance," Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The Mets don't seem to be even considering this an injury, as Carrasco is slated to make a minor-league start next Tuesday instead. The situation is an odd one, but Carrasco's elbow typically gives him a little trouble every spring. Barring any setbacks, fantasy managers should continue drafting him as they normally would. Carrasco holds a 4.15 ERA and 14:2 K:BB over 13 innings this spring.

Suarez is unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season after experiencing a setback with his left forearm, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Suarez was sent in for an MRI on Tuesday, and while the scan revealed no structural damage, he's still battling some inflammation. The left-hander will be shut down for a few days with the hope the swelling recedes and he's able to quickly resume a throwing program. The setback doesn't sound like a long-term concern for Suarez, but the Phillies will need a replacement in the rotation for the southpaw, and fellow lefty Matt Strahm appears to be the next man up for the assignment.