MLB Player News

Rodriguez was named the Tigers' starter against the White Sox for Opening Day on April 8, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez is starting Detroit's first game of spring training Friday and will also be the first pitcher to take the mound in the regular season. It's hardly a surprise after the 28-year-old inked a five-year, $77 million deal with the Tigers in mid-November. Rodriguez finished last season with a 4.74 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 185:47 K:BB across 157.2 innings, though he posted a career-best 24.0 K-BB% and 0.71 HR/9.

Henry allowed one run on one hit while striking out one and walking none in Thursday's spring training opener against the Rockies.

Henry, a second-round selection in the 2019 draft, was bedeviled by control issues in 2021 while at Double-A Amarillo, where he walked 53 and allowed 116 hits over 115.2 innings (1.47 WHIP). What made Thursday's effort so promising is that he made a point to attack hitters and get ahead in the count, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. The left-hander will likely open the season at Triple-A Reno, another hitter-friendly environment like Amarillo, as he looks to continue commanding the strike zone.

Gonzales will draw the start in Friday's Cactus League opener against the Padres and pitch at least two innings, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The veteran left-hander is slated to open the season as the No. 2 starter behind new arrival and projected staff ace Robbie Ray. Gonzales has been about as steady as they come over the last four seasons in Seattle, posting a 46-30 record, 3.88 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 99 starts over that span. Keeping the ball in the park more consistently is perhaps the one major area of Gonzales' game that could use improvement, considering he allowed a career-high 1.8 HR/9 last season across his 143.1 innings.

Ray, who threw his first bullpen and live batting practice sessions with the Mariners earlier in the week, has already made an impression on his new teammates with his pitch arsenal and intensity, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. "He's a pretty intense guy," catcher Tom Murphy said. "We see him floating around here, he hasn't said much to everybody, but you can tell he's all business."

Ray gave several of his new teammates an up-close look at the pitches that helped garner him the AL Cy Young award last season, impressing the likes of Steven Souza, Jarred Kelenic and Murphy with his fastball and slider. The veteran southpaw's approach and path to success has also caught the eye of manager Scott Servais, who noted Ray has been persistent throughout the years in experimenting with a variety of deliveries until finding the right fit. The Mariners made their heaviest investment in a player yet during president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto's seven-year tenure when they gave Ray a $115 million contract this winter, with the expectation he'll serve as the clear-cut piece at the top of the rotation.

Hendricks pitched two innings in his Cactus League debut Thursday. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out two.

As expected, Hendricks didn't go very deep into the first game of the spring. The veteran is focused on getting ready for the regular season and turning the page after a tough 2021 campaign. His 4.77 ERA was a career worst, as was his 1.35 WHIP. Hendricks posted a 2.88 ERA and 1.00 WHIP during the condensed 2020 season, and if his 2022 numbers are closer to that range, he'll once again be a top fantasy option, though he's still unlikely to provide much of a boost in the strikeout department.

Manning will start the team's fourth Grapefruit League game Monday against the Blue Jays, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Manning will follow Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal in the spring rotation, with Tyler Alexander slotting in fifth, which is how the rotation is expected to look like to begin the regular season as well. Manning struggled some during his MLB debut in 2021, posting a 5.80 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 18 starts to go with a 57:33 K:BB. A good performance Monday would be a nice sign, but the 24-year-old will need to string together a few solid starts to really get the attention of fantasy managers.

Skubal is slated to make his spring debut Sunday against the Yankees, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Skubal will follow Eduardo Rodriguez and Casey Mize in the spring rotation, and that will likely be the order to begin the regular season as well. Skubal pitched reasonably well in his sophomore season last year, recording a 4.34 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 164 strikeouts across 149.1 innings. If the lefty continues to improve his craft and is able to increase his workload, he could be primed for a breakout in 2022.

Mize is slated to make his spring training debut Saturday against the Pirates, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Offseason addition Eduardo Rodriguez will kick off the team's spring schedule Friday, followed by Mize on Saturday. The latter took a step forward in 2021, posting a 3.71 ERA after registering a 6.99 ERA as a rookie in the condensed 2020 season. Mize will turn 25 this year and should just be hitting his stride as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, though he'll likely need to miss more bats to really take off. He struck out only 118 batters across 150.1 innings last year.

Rodriguez is slated to start the Tigers' spring training opener Friday against the Phillies, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

This isn't surprising, as Rodriguez was signed to a five-year, $77 million deal in the offseason to serve as Detroit's No. 1 starter. He'll be followed by Casey Mize on Saturday, and those two should headline the rotation during the regular season as well. Rodriguez recorded a 4.74 ERA and 185 strikeouts across 157.2 innings for the Red Sox in 2021.

May (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

May underwent Tommy John surgery last May and is hoping to pitch for the Dodgers during the final third of 2022, so it's not a surprise he's starting the campaign on the 60-day IL. The 24-year-old began playing catch in early November and gradually increased his throwing distance over the winter.