MLB Player News

Stroman will make his spring training debut Friday against the Giants, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Stroman joined the Cubs in the offseason and will look to make a strong first impression with his new club. Kyle Hendricks will make his spring debut a day earlier, so perhaps that will be the order heading into the regular season. Either way, Stroman will be expected to be a key contributor in the rotation. After not pitching in the shortened 2020 season, the righty registered a solid 3.02 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 179 innings with the Mets last year.

Hendricks will make his spring training debut Thursday against the White Sox, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Hendricks likely won't pitch too deep into the game, as the team will want him to shake off some rust but still stay fresh for the regular season. The 32-year-old, who posted a subpar 4.77 ERA across 181 innings in 2021, will work as the Cubs' No. 1 or No. 2 starter this season, with newcomer Marcus Stroman filling the other spot atop the rotation. Stroman is set for his spring debut on Friday, so Chicago may be tipping its hand with this order, but more clarity will emerge closer to Opening Day.

Teheran has a throwing showcase for major-league teams scheduled for Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Teheran also took part in a throwing showcase over the weekend and now has another one scheduled for Thursday. The 31-year-old went down with a strained shoulder after making one start for Detroit last season, and he struggled in 2020 with a 10.05 ERA over 31.1 innings. Teheran may have to settle for a minor-league deal, even with a strong showing at the showcase.

Manning looks to be the Tigers' No. 4 starter to begin the season, though the team is still looking to bolster its rotation before Opening Day, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

If the Tigers do add a starter before the season, it seems like Tyler Alexander would get bumped from the rotation before Manning. The latter isn't guaranteed to keep his spot all year, however, after struggling as a rookie in 2021. Manning recorded a 5.80 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 18 starts to go with a 57:33 K:BB. A strong start to the 2022 campaign for the 24-year-old would certainly help his cause.

Eovaldi will start Friday's spring training game against the Rays, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Boston kicks off its Grapefruit League schedule Thursday, a traditional affair vs. the Twins, but manager Alex Cora might deploy exclusively minor leaguers for that game. Eovaldi geared up for the assignment by throwing live batting practice Tuesday. The right-hander, who went 11-9 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 32 starts, is expected to be the No. 2 starter behind Chris Sale. Eovaldi will be followed in the spring rotation by Nick Pivetta, who will start Saturday against the Twins.

Urias said Tuesday that he reported to spring training at 223 pounds, about 20 pounds lighter than he was at the end of the 2021 season, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. "I always come to spring training lighter," Urias said. "I don't know. I've lost more weight in the past."

The weight loss doesn't seem to be borne out of a desire for better results, coming off a breakout 2021 campaign in which Urias compiled a 2.96 ERA and 195 strikeouts over 185.2 innings. Instead, Urias attributed his svelter body to approaching his career with more maturity and professionalism. Still just 25 years old, Urias might yet be able to reach another level, but even if he merely maintains his strong form from 2021, he'll have an argument for being the majors' top No. 3 pitcher in any rotation. The Dodgers re-signed Clayton Kershaw last week to pair with budding ace Walker Buehler atop the rotation, while the pitching staff could get stronger yet if and when Trevor Bauer (personal) returns from administrative leave.

Manager David Ross said Tuesday that Steele and Keegan Thompson will be the primary competitors for the fifth and final spot in the Cubs' Opening Day rotation, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Ross left the door open for the Cubs to add another starting pitcher or two via trade or free agency before the start of the season, but for now, the club is looking internally to fill the void in the rotation created by the injury to Adbert Alzolay (lat), who is expected to miss at least two months. Both Steele and Thompson saw most of their initial appearances with the big club last season as relievers, but the two got the chance to pick up regular starts in the second half while the non-contending Cubs shifted into evaluation mode. Over his nine starts in 2021, Steele posted a 4.95 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 38:20 while coughing up 10 home runs over 43.2 innings.

Wheeler (shoulder) skipped his scheduled Thursday bullpen session due to the flu, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Wheeler has already been ruled out for an Opening Day start, as his throwing program was delayed over the winter by shoulder soreness. There haven't yet been reports that he's dealing with any significant shoulder issue, so he wasn't expected to miss much more than one start, but another slight delay from the flu could push him back further. A brief trip to the injured list could be in play if his buildup process keeps getting delayed.

Flaherty didn't participate in Tuesday's team workout after he was sent in for a medical evaluation of his right shoulder, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

The results of Flaherty's tests aren't yet known, but any arm-related injury for a pitcher this close to Opening Day is obviously concerning. The Cardinals are hoping to gain more clarity on Flaherty's health situation in the next few days, but even if he's diagnosed with minor soreness, it could delay his throwing schedule enough to put his availability for the start of the season in jeopardy.

Strasburg (neck) acknowledged that though he felt good while facing hitters during Tuesday's live batting practice session, he may not be ready to go by Opening Day due to the compressed spring training caused by the MLB lockout, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. "I think for me, it's about sticking to the program, and my routine is having a six-week spring training," said Strasburg, whose 2021 season was cut short after he underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last July. "I think of all years to try and be aggressive, I don't know if that's necessarily the right year, the right time to do it."

Based on the comments made so far this spring from general manager Mike Rizzo, manager Dave Martinez and himself, Strasburg seems to be in an excellent spot health-wise following a procedure that has been known to derail pitchers' careers in the past. Even though Strasburg isn't behind any of the other starting pitchers in camp, the veteran right-hander and the Nationals both appear to be on the same page about not pushing things during the buildup process at the risk of negating all the good progress he's made in his recovery thus far. If Strasburg stays committed to the six-week buildup program and he feels mentally ready to pitch by the end of it, he'll still be on pace to make his season debut by mid-to-late April, which would put him on track to make 30-plus starts over the course of a full campaign.