MLB Player News

The Cardinals are leaning toward putting Matz in their Opening Day rotation, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Matz has yielded just one run with a 3:3 K:BB over five innings in his first two starts this spring. Michael McGreevy would seem to be Matz's biggest competition, but the signs for now point to the veteran lefty getting another chance to start. Injuries have limited Matz to fewer than 50 innings in two of his three seasons with St. Louis.

May pitched three scoreless innings in a Cactus League contest against Texas on Thursday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out three batters.

May and Tony Gonsolin are the leading candidates to claim the Dodgers' final rotation spot, so any outing by either pitcher carries a bit more weight than a typical spring appearance. May helped his case in his third Cactus League appearance, and while his control wasn't great -- he threw 27 of 50 pitches for strikes -- the right-hander sat in the mid-90s with his fastball. May allowed four runs (three earned) over one-plus frame against the Angels in his last start, so this rebound was encouraging. The most important thing for the 27-year-old will be to stay healthy, as he missed all of 2024 and has yet to throw more than 56 innings in a big-league season since making his debut with the Dodgers in 2019.

Anderson gave up a hit and four walks while striking out four over 3.1 scoreless innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

Facing most of Miami's likely Opening Day lineup, Anderson once again had trouble getting the ball into the strike zone consistently, even though he was able to escape any damage as a result. The 26-year-old right-hander has issued nine free passes in eight spring innings so far against only five strikeouts, and while he remains a favorite to open the season in the rotation due to the fact that he's out of minor-league options, his stint could be a brief one if his control doesn't come around.

Carroll (back) is starting in right field and batting leadoff in Friday's Cactus League game against the Angels, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Carroll has been sidelined the past few days due to back tightness but is ready to return to spring games Friday. He's gone 6-for-15 with three homers and two stolen bases through five Cactus League games.

Frazier (back) will start at second base and bat fifth in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Frazier hasn't played in more than a week while dealing with a back issue, but he's feeling up to giving it a go Friday. The veteran is slated to serve in a utility role with the Pirates this season.

The Cubs are likely to add Keller to their major-league roster rather than allow him to exercise the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Keller has "opened eyes" in Cubs camp with his velocity jump and mechanical improvements, per Mooney, so the team doesn't want to let him get away. The big righty has allowed four runs with a 6:1 K:BB over seven innings during Cactus League play. Keller seems likely to serve in a long relief role initially for the Cubs.

The Cubs are expected to keep Brown stretched out as a starting pitcher rather than move him to the bullpen at the start of the season, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Brown might be on the outside looking in for a spot in the Cubs' Opening Day rotation, but it sounds as though the club will send Brown to Triple-A Iowa to stay stretched out rather than keep him in the big-league bullpen if he doesn't claim a starting role. Even if the 25-year-old begins the year in the minors, he still has a good chance to see significant action in the Cubs' rotation.

The Cubs have not yet made a decision as to whether to carry Shaw on the roster for their two-game series versus the Dodgers in Tokyo from March 18-19, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Mooney indicates that Shaw would probably be a lock for the Tokyo series roster and set to start at third base if the infielder had not suffered an oblique injury that's limited him to just nine Cactus League plate appearances so far. Because Shaw is behind schedule, the club could elect to hold him back in preparation for its domestic opener. In that instance, Gage Workman, Justin Turner, Jon Berti and Vidal Brujan would be under consideration for playing time at third base in Tokyo.

Atlanta optioned Gonzalez to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Added to the 40-man roster this offseason, Gonzalez permitted two runs with a 4:3 K:BB over 3.2 innings this spring. The 25-year-old reliever posted a 38.8 percent strikeout rate in the minors last season and has a good shot to make his major-league debut in 2025.

Atlanta optioned Munoz to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Munoz allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk across 2.2 innings during Grapefruit League play and will now finish out the spring in minor-league camp. The right-hander was added to the 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft after posting a 3.98 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 56:18 K:BB at Double-A Mississippi last year.