MLB Player News

Perez allowed one run on three hits while striking out one over three innings in Monday's spring game against Cincinnati.

Perez was the first Texas starter to work more than two innings and logged 40 pitches. The elevated inning count is due to the left-hander's participation in the World Baseball Classic. He's aiming for 55 to 65 pitches in his next start, according to Jack Magruder of MLB.com, before flying to Miami to join Venezuela for the WBC. Perez, who was the Rangers' most consistent rotation member and earned his first All-Star nod last season, could be a front-end starter on most teams but will serve on the back end of the Rangers' loaded rotation.

Severino pitched two-plus innings in a Grapefruit League game against Detroit on Monday, allowing four runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one batter.

Severino got tagged for three runs in the first inning, two of which came on an Eric Haase home run. He then pitched a 1-2-3 second frame before walking Akil Baddoo to start the third, and Severino was charged with another run when Baddoo came around to score following the hurler's exit. It was far from an inspiring outing for Severino, though it would be unwise to read too much into a poor outing at the start of spring training. On a positive note, the fact that the right-hander was able to throw 45 pitches (30 of which were strikes) this early in the exhibition slate suggests that he is fully healthy entering 2023 after being limited by injuries in each of his previous four campaigns.

Pepiot tossed one scoreless inning in a Cactus League contest against San Diego on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.

While the Dodgers' five-man rotation appears set, the team doesn't yet have a clear option for its long-reliever/sixth-starter role. Pepiot is among the candidates to fill that slot, and he no doubt helped his case with a strong spring debut during which he threw 16 of 21 pitches for strikes and touched 94 mph with his fastball, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. The right-hander did fine over 36.1 innings in his first taste of the majors last season, posting a 3.47 ERA and 26.3 percent strikeout rate, but his 1.46 WHIP and 16.9 percent walk rate were less encouraging. He'll need to improve his command to be a successful big-league starter, so Monday's outing was a step in the right direction, though a one-inning appearance at the start of spring shouldn't be overhyped.

Lopez allowed two hits with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings in his spring debut Monday. He'll make one more start for Minnesota before joining Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Lopez's fastball touched 95 mph, as he threw more in the offseason to be ready for the WBC. Lopez made 32 starts for the Marlins last season and had a 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 174:53 K:BB across 180 innings. He'll be a mainstay in the Minnesota rotation after he was traded for Luis Arraez.

Pfaadt allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two over two scoreless innings in Monday's spring game against the Cubs.

Pfaadt made his Cactus League debut and told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he was "a little antsy" making his first start in the main stadium at Salt River Fields. He averaged 94.3 mph with his fastball, generating two swings-and-misses on the pitch. His whiffs came on a slider and curve. The Diamondbacks' top-ranked pitching prospect is a fringe candidate for the final rotation spot.

Glasnow suffered an oblique injury on Monday during a live batting practice session, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Glasnow reportedly threw about six pitches before he left with a trainer. The right-hander will undergo an MRi on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury, but Topkin believes that the right-hander will miss time. Just how long Glasnow will be out will be determined at least in part by those image results. Fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on the situation, and there should be more clarity by Wednesday.

Steele (arm) said he's scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs scratched Steele from his planned Cactus League debut this past Saturday against the Giants, citing general arm fatigue. Fortunately for Steele, the issue doesn't appear to be anything more significant, as he'll likely get the green light to make his first spring start later this week if the bullpen session goes according to plan. The southpaw already says that he feels like he can cover 2-to-3 innings, despite missing his first turn through the spring rotation.

Quantrill worked to refine his curveball and add a splitter to his arsenal during the offseason, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Quantrill's search for new and revised pitches comes from the fact that he doesn't often boast swing-and-miss stuff. His 6.2 K/9 last season was the lowest of his career, though his 3.38 ERA and 1.21 WHIP were perfectly fine as a middle-of-the-rotation starter. It's unclear how much the right-hander will bump up his curveball usage -- he threw it around four percent of the time in 2022, and he's still workshopping the splitter in spring training. In fantasy, Quantrill will again likely stabilize ratios without adding much to the strikeout total.

Canning has been a full participant in spring training and is expected to make his first Cactus League start later this week, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Since turning in a 3.99 ERA while striking out nearly a batter per inning in his second MLB season in 2020, Canning has struggled to stay on the field over the past two years. After making just 14 appearances (13 starts) in 2021, Canning didn't pitch at all in 2022 while recovering from a lower-back stress fracture. Though Canning reported to camp with no restrictions, the time he missed over the past two years could work against him in his bid to clinch a spot in the Angels' season-opening rotation. Canning still has a minor-league option remaining, so the Angels could opt to have him stretch out at Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the season until a rotation spot opens up at the big-league level.

Verlander will start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

It will be the first start for Verlander in a Mets' uniform. The right-hander signed a two-year, $86.66 million deal in December with a vesting option for 2025 after a dominant 2022 season where he posted a 1.75 ERA and 185:29 K:BB over 175 innings. The reigning Cy Young Award winner will pitch at the top of the Mets' rotation, and once again should be a fantasy stalwart during the 2023 campaign.