MLB Player News

DeGrom (side) will start a minor-league spring training game on the back fields Monday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

The veteran right-hander won't start Monday's Cactus League contest as previously rumored, but he'll still see game action. He's working his way back from left side tightness and sat around 98-99 mph during a 35-pitch session of live batting practice last week. Assuming all goes well Monday, deGrom could gain full clearance shortly thereafter, though it's possible he'll still begin the campaign with a limited workload.

Eovaldi (side) will start the Rangers' Triple-A game in Surprise on Monday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Both Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom (side) will be in action Monday, but on the backfields of Surprise Stadium rather than in the MLB portion. Eovaldi has been out of action because of tightness in his left side, but the shutdown appears to be more precautionary than concerning. Assuming good health over the next few weeks, there's a strong chance Eovaldi is a part of the Rangers' rotation to begin the 2023 season.

Davies allowed six runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out two over two innings in Saturday's start against the Angels.

As has become common for Arizona starters, Davies was pulled with two outs in the first inning -- when he allowed four runs and two home runs -- and returned to start the second inning. He gave up another pair of runs in the third before leaving with one out and reaching his pitch limit. Davies shrugged off the outing, telling Jack Magruder of MLB.com that once the game got away from him, he worked on stuff. "I'm working toward getting built up. I'm not worried about it. Stuff didn't feel quite as sharp," the team's projected fourth starter said. Davies also wants to focus on incorporating more curveballs into his fastball/changeup mix. The right-hander has thrown his curveball just five percent of the time, on average, over the last four years.

Manager Alex Cora said Sunday there's a "good chance" Kluber starts against the Orioles on Opening Day, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Cora indicated he made the decision during the offseason that Chris Sale won't get the Opening Day nod, and Kluber is the current favorite to start. Kluber joined the Red Sox on a one-year deal that includes a club option for 2024 after he posted a 4.34 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 139:21 K:BB across 164 innings for the Rays last year.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Sunday that Sale won't pitch Opening Day against the Orioles, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Cora says that the plan all along was for Sale not to get the nod for the opener, and that there's a "good chance" that Corey Kluber will instead get that honor against Baltimore. Sale has battled injuries over the past few seasons, and it sounds like Boston will give its presumed ace a few more days of rest before he opens the season, although there's no plan yet as to when he'll make his 2023 debut. Sale offers significant fantasy reward with his ability to miss bats, but there's plenty of risk based on his lack of action over the past three seasons.

The Astros optioned France to their minor-league camp Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

France was added to Houston's 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, but he won't open 2023 in the majors. The 27-year-old had a 3.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 136:51 K:BB over 110.2 innings at Triple-A Sugar Land last year and could make his MLB debut this season.

The Astros optioned Whitley to minor-league camp Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitley has made a pair of appearances in Grapefruit League games, throwing four innings and allowing two runs with a 3:1 K:BB ratio. Once ranked as the top pitching prospect in all of baseball, Whitley has struggled with injuries and command and also dealt with a PED suspension, but the 25-year-old has a good chance to make his MLB debut at some point this summer with Houston.

McCullers (forearm) resumed playing catch Saturday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers threw off flat ground approximately 30 times in what marked his first throwing activity since a Feb. 14 bullpen session in which he experienced arm soreness. He was later diagnosed with a small muscle strain in his right forearm, and after being shut down from throwing for the past three weeks, he won't be on track to open the season with the Astros. The fact that McCullers is now playing catch again can be viewed as a positive sign, however, and if he continues to avoid setbacks in what will likely be a month-long buildup program, he could be ready to slot back into the Houston rotation at some point in the second half of April.

Flexen has allowed one run on eight hits and two walks while recording six strikeouts across 8.1 innings in three Cactus League appearances.

The veteran right-hander worked all the way up to 50 pitches in his most recent outing Saturday against the Rockies as he continues to try and make a case for a back-end rotation spot. Flexen's 8-9 record last season was, on the surface, a step back from his career-best 14-6 mark in 2021. However, the 28-year-old's 3.73 ERA was his second straight sub-4.00 mark and was only slightly higher than the career-low 3.61 figure he'd generated a season prior.

Padres manager Bob Melvin said Saturday that Groome has chance of making the Padres' Opening Day roster as a long reliever out of the bullpen, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan reports.

Groome was acquired by the Padres last August in the deal that brought Eric Hosmer to Boston. The left-handed hurler has yet to make his major-league debut, but he's been solid this spring, pitching 10.2 scoreless innings during which he's registered 10 strikeouts. On a less promising note, Groome has walked seven batters, but he appears to be impressing enough to earn serious consideration for a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old has pitched almost exclusively as a starter in the minors, so a long-relief role would enable him to stay stretched out enough to work as a spot starter, if needed.