MLB Player News

Manager Aaron Boone announced Sunday that Warren made the season-opening rotation and will make his first start April 1 versus Arizona, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The right-hander entered camp with an outside shot to earn a place in the Opening Day rotation, but long-term injuries to Luis Gil (lat) and Gerrit Cole (elbow) blew that door wide open. Warren had a good showing during spring training with a 4.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 19:5 K:BB over 19.1 innings, though he did serve up three homers. Clarke Schmidt will begin the season on the IL due to a shoulder issue but may not be sidelined long, so Warren may need a strong start to the campaign in order to retain his rotation spot.

McClanahan was diagnosed with an inflamed nerve in his left triceps and will begin the season on the injured list, with manager Kevin Cash saying the diagnosis was "probably the best news that we could have heard," Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

The left-hander doesn't have an official timeline for his return as he begins a period of rest and recovery, but the initial diagnosis in encouraging after he exited Saturday's Grapefruit League game with the injury. A timetable for McClanahan's season debut could come into focus once he resumes a throwing program, but it appears he won't require as significant an absence as first anticipated.

Manzardo (shoulder) is starting at first base and batting third in Sunday's spring game against the Reds.

The 24-year-old was scratched from Friday's starting nine due to left shoulder inflammation, but his return to action two days later indicates the injury was a minor concern. Manzardo has a .976 OPS through 16 games in spring training and appears set to fill a full-time role between first base and designated hitter for the Guardians.

Gelof will undergo surgery Monday to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right hand, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Initial X-rays came back negative after Gelof was hit by a pitch on the right hand Wednesday, but additional imaging revealed the fracture. The 25-year-old doesn't have an official timeline for his return but should be sidelined for at least the first month of the season.

Roden was informed Sunday that he has made the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Roden has impressed this spring with a pair of homers and twice as many walks (six) as strikeouts (three) in 19 Grapefruit League games. The Blue Jays have yet to officially add Roden to the 40-man roster, and his exact role with the big club is to be determined, but his on-base skills are particularly strong and could help him carve out semi-regular playing time in the Toronto outfield.

The White Sox optioned Varland to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

Varland entered camp looking like a key piece of Chicago's Opening Day bullpen, but he struggled with his control during the exhibition slate, walking six batters over 7.1 innings while posting a 9.82 ERA, 2.18 WHIP and eight strikeouts. The righty reliever will look to get right in the minors, and there is a good chance he'll make it back up to the big-league bullpen at some point during the campaign.

The Guardians announced Sunday that McKenzie will begin the season operating as a reliever, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander had a 7.50 ERA and 10:7 K:BB over 12 innings during spring training, while Logan Allen's 1.89 ERA helped him earn a rotation spot. McKenzie could still see some spot starts this year, but he'll likely need to perform better than his 5.11 ERA over 75.2 regular-season innings in 2024 to get an extended look in the rotation.

Scherzer's thumb responded well to Saturday's 62-pitch start against the Twins in the Grapefruit League, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. Scherzer went four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out four.

The future Hall of Famer looks to be in the clear for the start of the regular season after a right thumb injury brought his availability into question earlier in the week. He will likely slot in as the No. 3 starter in Toronto behind Jose Berrios and Kevin Gausman to begin 2025, putting him on track for a home start against the Orioles on Saturday in his team debut. Scherzer figures to have some minor workload restrictions early on given where he is with his pitch count, plus the fact he begins to have issues gripping the ball with his thumb after reaching 50 pitches or so.

Rojas (toe) remains out of Chicago's spring lineup Sunday and is likely to begin the season on the injured list, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The 30-year-old sustained a hairline fracture in his right big toe in mid-March, and it appears he won't have enough time to get healthy before Thursday's season opener. Once healthy, Rojas is expected to operate as the primary second baseman against right-handed pitching for the White Sox. Lenyn Sosa and Brooks Baldwin are the main candidates to fill in at the keystone in the meantime.

Moore was scratched from Sunday's spring lineup due to an illness, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Moore was originally slated to start at third base Sunday, but Miles Mastrobuoni has been moved there in his place. Moore will look to recover in time for Opening Day and is expected to serve in a utility role this season.