MLB Player News

Schmidt tossed two perfect innings against Atlanta in a Grapefruit League game Sunday, racking up five strikeouts.

Schmidt is vying to be the Yankees' fifth starter to begin the regular season, and he made a resounding statement toward that goal in his first spring appearance. The right-hander threw 20 of 31 pitches for strikes and mowed down five of the six batters he faced. It's always wise to take spring training performances with a grain of salt, but Schmidt's outing bears more than typical significance because he heavily tested out the new cutter that he developed during the offseason. Per Statcast, Schmidt threw the pitch 11 times Sunday after not deploying it at all last year. If the early results (and his health) hold up, Schmidt could finally live up to the potential the Yankees saw when they used a first-round draft pick on him in 2017.

Detmers pitched two scoreless innings in a Cactus League game against the White Sox on Sunday, allowing two hits and striking out five batters.

Detmers looked dominant in his first spring action, striking out the side in the first inning and racking up two more Ks in the second. The lefty has posted a modest 22.1 percent strikeout rate through his first 30 big-league starts, but he's shown much more punchout potential in the minors, striking out 122 batters over just 68 innings. Detmers has some buzz as a potential breakout pitcher in fantasy this season, and increased strikeout numbers could certainly help that become a reality.

Urias is tentatively expected to start Tuesday's Cactus League game against Cincinnati, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The Dodgers have yet to put any of their projected 2023 starters on the mound through two spring training contests, but that looks to be changing early in the week with Urias and newcomer Noah Syndergaard both on schedule to throw against the Reds on Tuesday. Urias will spend part of his spring pitching for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, and he's lined up to form a dynamic 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw atop the Dodgers' rotation during the coming MLB campaign.

Henry allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out two over 1.1 innings in Sunday's spring game against San Diego.

Henry made it through the first inning, working around a two-out double, but was chased in the second frame after five of the first six batters reached base. That included a three-run home run allowed to Trent Grisham. Henry is part of a crew looking to win the fifth starter job.

Dunn is visiting orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Altchek in New York this week to have his pitching shoulder examined, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Dunn was diagnosed with a strained right subscapularis, which is the same rotator cuff muscle that forced him to miss nearly a full calendar year between the summer of 2021 and the summer of 2022. It's unclear when he may be able to throw again.

Kaprielian (shoulder) threw live batting practice Sunday, and manager Mark Kotsay said he believes there's enough time for the right-hander to be built up enough to make the Opening Day rotation, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old is coming off shoulder surgery in October but has a strong chance to be ready for Opening Day given he's already facing live batters. Kaprielian should continue ramping up his throwing program before progressing to game action.

Webb (back) will start Monday's spring game against the Angels, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The right-hander missed his final start of 2022 due to back stiffness, but it appears he's ready for the start of spring games. Webb will open 2023 as San Francisco's ace after he posted a 2.90 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 163:49 K:BB across a career-high 192.1 innings last year.

Bello (forearm) threw a bullpen session Sunday with no apparent issues, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Bello was briefly shut down from throwing after he experienced some soreness in his forearm during mid-February, but he's now back on the mound after playing catch over the past week. The Red Sox are likely to remain cautious with the 23-year-old righty this early in camp, but at this point it appears he's avoided any serious issues and should continue ramping up his throwing program.

Kikuchi seemed more focused on the mound during his spring debut Saturday against the Pirates, a change that may have been prompted by MLB's new pitch clock, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old left-hander has had a very up-and-down MLB career so far, posting an ERA under 5.00 only once in four seasons, but Kikuchi's arm talent has never been in question. Being forced to work more quickly could prove to be a boon for him, as he won't be able to overthink things and will simply have to get the ball to the plate. "I think the clock is going to help him with the way he worked," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Saturday. "The tempo was fabulous." Kikuchi worked two scoreless innings against Pittsburgh, giving up one hit and striking out five, and if he continues to impress in camp he should emerge as the favorite for the fifth starter spot ahead of Mitch White (shoulder).

Garrett gave up two runs on three hits over two innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets. He struck out one.

The 25-year-old lefty breezed through the first inning before running into trouble in the second, highlighted by a Pete Alonso homer. Garrett is battling with Edward Cabrera for the fifth starter role with the Marlins to begin the season after having a bit of a breakout in 2022 with a 3.58 ERA, 24.1 percent strikeout rate and 6.4 percent walk rate over 88 big-league innings.