The Texas Rangers placed ace Yu Darvish and left-hander Matt Harrison on the 15-day disabled list ahead of their season opener on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
In other roster moves on Sunday, Texas selected the contract of infielder Josh Wilson from Triple-A Round Rock and designated infielder Adam Rosales for assignment.
Darvish, who led the major leagues with 277 strikeouts last season. was scheduled to start on Opening Day but developed a stiff neck earlier this month during spring training and just resumed throwing this weekend after last pitching in a game two weeks ago. He was placed on the DL retroactive to March 21, who would allow him to pitch next weekend.
Harrison started last year’s opener for the Rangers. That was one of his two outings last season before a herniated disk in his back required two surgeries.
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The Toronto Blue Jays placed right-handed closer Casey Janssen on the 15-day disabled list with left abdominal/lower back strain, backdated to March 29, the team announced Sunday.
Janssen emerged as a top closer in 2013. He recorded 34 saves in 36 attempts, with a 4-1 record and 2.56 ERA.
The Blue Jays recalled catcher Erik Kratz from Buffalo of the International League to take Janssen’s roster spot.
—The Baltimore Orioles placed third baseman Manny Machado and outfielder Nolan Reimold on the 15-day disabled list before their season opener on Monday against the Boston Red Sox.
The Orioles also put Michael Almanzar and outfielder Francisco Peguero on the 15-day disabled list and right-hander Edgmer Escalona on the 60-day DL, and pitcher Mike Belfiore was designated for assignment. The moves enabled the Orioles to add reliever Evan Meek and outfielder Delmon Young to the 40-man roster.
Machado had surgery to repair a torn medial patellofemoral ligament in his left knee after he was injured while running the bases during a Sept. 24 game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Reimond is working his way back from neck surgery.
—The Cincinnati Reds will begin the 2014 season with eight players on the disabled list as the team finalized its 25-man roster on Sunday.
The lengthy 15-day disabled list includes starting right-handed starting pitcher Mat Latos, left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman and catcher Devin Mesoraco (all retroactive to March 21), and relievers Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton and infielder Skip Schumaker (retroactive to March 22). Going on the 60-day DL were infielder Jack Hannahan and pitcher Brett Marshall.
In other roster moves, the Reds designated right-hander Pedro Beato for assignment and reassigned outfielder Jason Bourgeois, right-hander Jumbo Diaz, left-hander Jeff Francis, catcher Corky Miller and infielder-outfielder Kristopher Negron to Triple-A Louisville. Reliever Trevor Bell, outfielder Roger Bernadina and infielder Ramon Santiago were added to the Reds’ 40-man roster. Catcher Tucker Barnhart and reliever Curtis Partch wa recalled from Triple-A Louisville.
—The Tampa Bay Rays placed three players on the 15-day disabled list, including starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (right elbow surgery), the team announced Sunday.
Reliever Juan Carlos Oviedo (right elbow surgery) and shortstop Tim Beckham (right knee surgery) were also placed on the DL.
—Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list to open the season.
The move is backdated to March 21. Gorzelanny, 31, signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Brewers as a free agent last offseason and had a 3-6 record split between the rotation and bullpen. He had a 3.90 ERA in 85 1/3 innings.
—The Seattle Mariners placed three pitchers — right-handers Hisashi Iwakuma, Taijuan Walker and Stephen Pryor — on the 15-day disabled list.
The moves are retroactive to March 21.
Iwakuma was placed on the disabled list with a torn extensor tendon in his right middle finger. Walker has a right shoulder impingement and Pryor is recovering from surgery to repair a torn latissimus dorsi tendon in his right shoulder.
—The Chicago White Sox placed infielders Gordon Beckham (strained left oblique) and Jeff Keppinger (recovery from right shoulder surgery) on the 15-day disabled list.
The moves are retroactive to March 21,
Beckham, 27, appeared in 10 Cactus League games before suffering the injury. He last played on March 14. Keppinger, 33, is continuing his recovery from right shoulder surgery on Sept. 26, 2013.
The White Sox also re-signed right-handed reliever Mitchell Boggs, who was released by the team a week ago, to a minor league deal.
—The Cleveland Indians announced several moves Sunday to finalize their Opening Day roster.
The Indians purchased the contracts of right-handed pitcher Scott Atchison, designated hitter Jason Giambi and outfielder Nyjer Morgan from Triple-A Columbus. The team also placed outfielder Michael Bourn (left hamstring strain) and Giambi (rib fracture) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 21.
Right-handers Preston Guilmet and Frank Herrmann and left-hander Colt Hynes were designated for assignment. Outfielder Matt Carson and infielder Ryan Rohlinger were reassigned to minor league camp.
—Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his seven-year career, said he felt something in his upper back while playing long toss on Saturday, according to manager Don Mattingly.
The DL move, retroactive to March 23, comes after Kershaw told Mattingly on Friday that he no longer felt pain in the area. Kershaw was gradually increasing the distance and velocity of his throws on Saturday when he felt a twinge on toss No. 27, according to ESPN.com. He will be eligible to return from the DL list on April 7.