MLB Player News

General manager Rick Hahn said Monday that Kopech is behind the White Sox's other starting candidates to begin big-league spring training after an illness earlier in the winter slowed down the right-hander's buildup program, Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Because Kopech missed the entirety of the 2019 and 2020 seasons and tossed only 69.1 regular-season innings in 2021 while working primarily out of the bullpen, the White Sox were already planning to take a cautious approach with his workload heading into 2022. The time Kopech missed during the offseason while battling the illness looks as though it'll prompt even more caution, but Hahn indicated that the White Sox are still expecting the 25-year-old to be ready to go for Opening Day. If he is in fact able to nail down the No. 5 spot in Chicago's rotation, Kopech will almost certainly be on strict pitch counts in his initial outings, and perhaps even serve as more of a tandem starter with another pitcher. While that would be less than ideal for his chances of factoring into decisions, Kopech should remain a strong source of strikeouts and ratios on whatever innings he provides.

Manager Buck Showalter said Monday that deGrom is in line to start the Mets' Opening Day game April 7 in Washington, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

That deGrom was awarded the Opening Day nod is less of a surprise than the fact that the Mets confirmed after his first bullpen session of spring training that he would be ready to go for the start of the season, coming off a 2021 campaign in which he was shut down after the All-Star break following a series of forearm/elbow-related setbacks, including a diagnosis of a partially torn UCL. The extended time off during the second half of last season and the offseason has apparently allowed the ligament to heal, but that doesn't necessarily mean deGrom is a good bet to stay healthy for the balance of 2022. That being said, deGrom should profile as baseball's best pitcher whenever he's available, as he was a shoo-in for his third Cy Young Award through 15 starts last season until injuries thwarted those plans.

Sanchez (shoulder) has been shut down to begin spring training, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.

A recent MRI on Sanchez's shoulder came back clean, but he's still feeling discomfort in his shoulder after undergoing surgery last July. With no timetable for his return to a mound, it's tough to judge how much Sanchez will be able to contribute for the Marlins in 2022, but the club will be cautious with a pitcher it still views as a potential rotation cornerstone if he can make a full recovery.

McCullers (forearm) won't be ready for Opening Day after suffering setbacks while rehabbing over the offseason, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers exited his ALDS start against the White Sox with what was called forearm discomfort at the time. He didn't pitch again in the postseason, though the Astros said he wasn't dealing with any structural damage. It now appears as though the injury is worse than the team original let on. When exactly he's likely to return is unclear, with manager Dusty Baker only noting that he was optimistic the righty would be able to pitch this season.

DeGrom (elbow) threw his first bullpen session of Mets camp Monday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

After playing catch upon reporting to camp Sunday, DeGrom's ability to get back on the mound early in camp seemingly supports the notion that he's healthy again after inflammation and a partial UCL tear of his right elbow kept him from after the All-Star break last season. The Mets are still likely to take a cautious approach with deGrom during the Grapefruit League schedule and save most of his bullets for the games that count, but barring any setbacks with the elbow in the next few weeks, he should be ready to take the hill for the April 7 season opener in Washington. Before he was shut down last summer, deGrom was in the midst of a season for the ages with a 7-2 record, 1.08 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings through 15 starts.

Arihara is a non-roster invitee to Texas' major-league training camp, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. He will compete for a spot in the bullpen.

Arihara was part of the Rangers' Opening Day roster and a member of the team's starting rotation in 2021, but he fell short of expectations. A stint on the 60-day injured list (finger) impacted his ability to adjust to MLB, and the right-hander posted a 6.64 ERA over 10 starts before he was designated for assignment in September. Arihara cleared waivers and is back in the organization with an opportunity to contribute as a reliever.

Stripling will be treated as a starting pitcher this spring, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays' starting rotation gained an additional back-end starter when the team signed Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday, which could leave Stripling as an odd man out once the regular season begins. However, the right-hander will be stretched out as a starter during spring training. Regardless of whether Stripling has a spot in the starting rotation to begin the 2022 campaign, he should be available as one of the team's top options for spot starts.

Martinez (thumb) signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Martinez missed the second half of the 2021 season after tearing a thumb ligament in early July, but he began a throwing program in early November and pitched in winter ball. He should compete for a roster spot during major-league spring training, and he'll make $2.5 million if he reaches the big leagues in 2022. If the right-hander's thumb injury is fully healed, he'll be in consideration for a back-end rotation role this spring.

Maeda (elbow) said Sunday that he began a throwing program earlier this month and is currently playing catch off flat ground from 30 feet, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

In the early stages of his rehab program from the modified Tommy John surgery he underwent Sept. 1, Maeda has thus far avoided any setbacks, but the right-hander acknowledged that he's unsure if he'll be able to pitch for the Twins at any point this season. Ultimately, whether Maeda toes the rubber in the big leagues in 2022 will be dictated by how he progresses in the months to come, and the Twins' place in the standings in the second half of the season should factor into the equation as well. Even if Maeda is able to advance through his rehab quickly and make a 12-month turnaround from the elbow procedure, he won't be worth stashing in any redraft leagues until several months down the road.

Teheran (shoulder) was one of three MLB veterans who took part Saturday in a throwing showcase in Miami in front of multiple teams, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Along with Teheran, Anibal Sanchez and Erasmo Ramirez took part in the showcase as all three looked to prove to clubs that they're healthy and still capable of contributing in the majors. Sanchez was seemingly the most impressive of the group, as Heyman notes that the 38-year-old received a contract offer 10 minutes after his throwing session before he ultimately landed a minor-league deal with the Nationals on Sunday. Teheran, meanwhile, remains unsigned at the moment and may have to wait for more free-agent pitchers to come off the market before he's extended a contract. After earning a spot in the Tigers' Opening Day rotation last spring, Teheran made only one start before he was diagnosed with a shoulder strain that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He appears to be healthy now, but Teheran may have to prove himself at the Triple-A level before getting another look in the majors.