MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Gonsolin is leading the competition to serve as the Dodgers' fifth starter, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Gonsolin served mainly as a starter last year and recorded a 3.23 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 55.2 innings across 15 appearances (13 starts). He's been competing with Andrew Heaney and Tyler Anderson for a starting role in camp, but Gonsolin is the leading candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation. Roberts said Heaney will likely make at least one turn through the rotation early in the year since Trevor Bauer (not injury related) is on administrative leave, but Gonsolin appears to be in line for a more permanent starting role.

Irvin (elbow) is fully healthy and has pitched well during spring training, Lacy Lusk of Baseball America reports.

Irvin underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2020 but is now fully recovered entering this season. He last saw game action at the Low-A level in 2019 and had a 4.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 113:38 K:BB over 128.1 innings.

Wright is a frontrunner for one of the final two rotation spots in Atlanta, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Wright has yet to have consistent success at the big-league level, as he has a career 6.56 ERA across 70 innings. Still, he's only 26 years old and also turned in three scoreless innings in his first Grapefruit League outing of 2022. Despite his current standing, Wright has one minor-league option remaining, so the team could ultimately opt to rely on Tucker Davidson or Kyle Muller in the rotation to begin the campaign.

Ynoa is a favorite to land a rotation spot to begin the season, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The status of Ynoa's health was unclear when he reported to camp after he suffered from shoulder inflammation during the postseason. However, he threw three scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League appearance against the Twins on Tuesday, seemingly answering any short-term concerns. Across 91 innings in 2021, Ynoa showed promise by maintaining a 4.05 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with a 100:25 K:BB.

Boyd (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Boyd underwent flexor tendon surgery on his left elbow in September and isn't expected to be ready for game action until June, so it's not a surprise he'll open the season on the 60-day IL. The 31-year-old had a 3.89 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 67:23 K:BB over 78.2 innings for Detroit last season, and he'll be in the mix for a rotation spot with San Francisco after inking a one-year, $5.2 million deal in mid-March.

Smyly pitched two scoreless innings in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres. He allowed one hit and struck out two.

This was Smyly's first game action of the spring after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Cubs a week ago. The lefty started 23 games for Atlanta last season, registering a 4.48 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 126.2 innings of work. He'll likely slot in at the back of Chicago's rotation to begin the year, particularly with Adbert Alzolay (lat) currently on the 60-day injured list.

Ryu allowed three runs on four hits over three innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He struck out two without walking a batter.

Seeing his first game action of the spring, Ryu gave up two extra-base hits, including a solo shot by Akil Baddoo in the first inning. It's not an auspicious start to the spring for the 35-year-old left-hander, who posted a 4.37 ERA in 2021 -- the worst mark of his MLB career over a full season -- but the additions of Kevin Gausman in the offseason and Jose Berrios at last year's trade deadline, as well as the emergence of Alek Manoah, take a lot of pressure off Ryu to carry the pitching load.

Manning allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits across three innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He didn't issue a walk and struck out three.

It wasn't a great outing for Manning, as the righty allowed two home runs in his three innings of work, though a few Detroit errors made a lot of the damage unearned. Manning was better in his spring debut Monday, when he allowed just one hit across two scoreless innings. He should have a spot toward the back of the Tigers' rotation when the regular season begins.

Manoah allowed two hits and two walks over 3.1 scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out three.

Facing most of New York's Opening day lineup, Manoah allowed consistent traffic on the bases but was able to shut down any potential rallies, inducing double plays in the second and third innings and striking out the final two batters he faced in Josh Donaldson and Joey Gallo. Manoah has had a solid start to the spring, posting a 5:3 K:BB through 5.1 innings, and the 24-year-old right-hander is looking to take a step forward after his impressive 2021 big-league debut.

The Tigers have an off day in camp Tuesday, but Mize will pitch in a minor-league game against the Yankees that day, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Mize last pitched in a Grapefruit League game Thursday, so this will keep the righty on his regular schedule of pitching every five days. The 24-year-old has been outstanding through two spring starts, logging five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. He could be in line for a breakout 2022 campaign if he carries over some positive momentum into the regular season.