MLB Player News

Urias is likely to be the Opening Day starter for the Dodgers, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

It's not a big surprise, as Urias was the best pitcher on the Dodgers in 2022 with a 17-7 record, 2.16 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 175 innings. The left-hander will start Friday's Cactus League game after returning from the World Baseball Classic while pitching for Team Mexico, which lines him up to pitch on normal rest Thursday against the Diamondbacks. Even without elite strikeout totals, Urias is deserving of a high draft pick in all formats.

The Dodgers reassigned Stone to minor-league camp Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Stone has thrown 6.2 scoreless frames with a 14:2 K:BB across four Cactus League appearances with the Dodgers. The right-handed prospect is coming off a 2022 season in which he posted a 1.16 ERA in Triple-A, and he'll almost certainly make his way to the big leagues in 2023.

Andrew hurled six scoreless innings during Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

Anderson allowed just three hits, walking two with four strikeouts. The left-hander has made just two spring appearances in 2023, but he has yet to allow a run while giving up just those three hits in eight innings of work. Anderson had a breakout season in 2023, and while those results aren't likely repeatable, he does have a chance to provide fantasy value this summer if he's a semblance of the pitcher he was with the Dodgers in 2022.

Syndergaard said he was bothered by a hand blister during his Cactus League start Tuesday against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Syndergaard also said he struggled to find his footing on what was a rainy afternoon in Arizona, which led to inconsistent velocity readings. He gave up six earned runs on six hits and a walk over 4.1 innings of work as his spring ERA ballooned from 0.96 to 4.61. The 30-year-old right-hander has battled this blister off and on for the last few months and it seems unlikely to alter his readiness for his first scheduled turn in the Dodgers' season-opening rotation.

Walker will start Friday's Grapefruit League contest for the Phillies, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Walker would have started Tuesday's finale against Team USA had Team Mexico beaten Japan on Monday, but instead the right-hander will return to the Phillies to make a spring start. The right-hander pitched well in his previous outing in the WBC with eight strikeouts and four scoreless innings. He's projected to be the third starter for the Phillies in 2023, and if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to be a solid -- if unspectacular -- fantasy option.

Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis by the Pirates on Tuesday.

Ortiz gave up seven earned runs on 12 hits and three walks over six innings this spring in the Grapefruit League, and he also spent some time away from Pirates camp while representing the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The 24-year-old should get an extended look in Pittsburgh at some point in the first half of the 2023 season.

Liberatore was optioned to Triple-A Memphis by the Cardinals on Tuesday.

St. Louis has enjoyed a fairly healthy spring, which means that Liberatore will head back to the minors to work on his craft. Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz will make up the season-opening starting rotation for the reigning NL Central champs.

Bradish was tagged for nine runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two over 2.1 innings versus the Phillies in Monday's Grapefruit League game.

Bradish's messy outing comes at an awful time for the right-hander, as the Orioles have started paring down their rotation candidates. Prior to Monday, he'd given up just two earned runs over nine innings, and it's encouraging he wasn't immediately optioned out after the poor start. He'll likely have one last audition before the Orioles break camp, but it's quite possible he ends up on the outside looking in. Whether that's at Triple-A Norfolk or as part of the big-league bullpen is to be determined.

Verlander gave up two runs on two hits and six walks over 4.2 innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals. He struck out three.

The 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner came into the game with zero walks in 11.1 spring innings, not to mention 16 strikeouts, so Verlander can probably get a mulligan on this one. The Mets aren't expecting him to repeat last season's incredible 1.75 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, but after handing him a two-year, $87 million contract in the offseason, the team is counting on him to pitch like an ace and hopefully win at least 15 games for the 13th time in his Hall of Fame career.

Cueto has his back-field work skipped Monday due to what the Marlins are labeling as general arm soreness, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Manager Skip Schumaker indicated the team isn't concerned, however. "This is a time where there's no reason to push through this general soreness," Schumaker said. "We're [about] a week away. If he needs another extra day, you give people extra days and that's the value of spring training. You're allowed to do that." More worrisome for the Marlins might be Cueto's performance so far this spring -- the 37-year-old got tagged for 11 runs in 3.2 innings over two starts before leaving camp for the WBC, and he wasn't much better in one start for the Dominican Republic, coughing up three runs over two innings in his only appearance. Cueto is still penciled into a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but if Miami determines he needs more time to round into shape, it could open the door for Braxton Garrett to get a start or two in April. Cueto is currently set to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, and if all goes well he could see game action as soon as Friday.