Kittredge (shoulder) said Saturday that he expects to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk once the regular season starts, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Kittredge has been working his way back from right shoulder inflammation since early March, and the Orioles have already confirmed that he will begin the year on the injured list. However, the right-hander has been encouraged by how his shoulder has responded to treatment and seems confident that he will only have to miss the first 15 days of the new season.

Orze looks set to win a spot in the Minnesota bullpen despite giving up five runs in 6.2 innings (6.75 ERA) this spring with an 8:6 K:BB, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Orze has struggled a bit this spring with his control but the Twins are in need of right-handed relievers. Orze looked good in his first extended run in the majors last season with Tampa Bay before his offseason trade to Minnesota, posting a 3.02 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 40:19 K:BB over 41.2 innings across 33 appearances.

Woods Richardson gave up two runs over five innings with three strikeouts and one walk in Friday's Grapefruit League loss to Toronto. He has a 5.85 ERA this spring with a 16:5 K:BB in 20 innings. With Zebby Matthews sent to the minors, Woods Richardson solidified his spot in the rotation and will likely make his first start April 1 at Kansas City, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Woods Richardson gave up five runs in his first spring outing and has given up 20 hits -- including nine Friday -- in 20 innings but showed enough to begin the season in the Twins' rotation. Woods Richardson had a 3.52 ERA and 11.3 K/9 over his final six starts last season which could point to a significant improvement in 2026.

The Royals optioned Cruz to Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

Cruz has performed well in the Cactus League, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven batters in 5.2 frames, but he will come up short in the race for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The 26-year-old owns a 3.66 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 64 career innings with the Royals, so it is likely a matter of time before he returns to Kansas City.

The Yankees optioned De Los Santos to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

The Yankees continue to trim down their roster, and De Los Santos will not be part of the big-league club to open 2026. The 28-year-old appeared in 25 regular-season games with the Yankees last season and threw 6.1 scoreless innings this spring.

The Yankees optioned Castro to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

Castro was added to the 40-man roster late in the 2025 campaign but didn't appear in any big-league games. The 27-year-old was in contention to land a spot in the bullpen for the upcoming season, but despite posting a 2.70 ERA and picking up two saves and two holds across 10 innings this spring, he'll start the year at Triple-A. If the Yankees' bullpen struggles our deals with injuries, Castro could be one of the first options to be recalled.

Ponce allowed one hit over 5.2 scoreless innings during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out five without walking a batter.

Facing a split-squad lineup of bench players and minor leaguers, Ponce fired 44 of 65 pitches for strikes while topping out at 96.3 mph with his four-seam fastball. The right-hander has a 0.66 ERA this spring over 13.2 innings with a 12:4 K:BB and zero homers allowed, and Ponce's importance to the Blue Jays' rotation has only grown since he was signed in December, with Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (forearm) and Jose Berrios (elbow) all set to open the season on the IL.

Estrada could begin the season on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Some dominoes are falling on the Toronto staff due to injuries. With Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (forearm) and Jose Berrios (elbow) all set to begin the year on the IL, Eric Lauer is expected to move into the rotation, leaving a vacancy in the bullpen for a long reliever or swingman. Estrada appears to be the leading candidate for the gig after building up to about 40 pitches in his most recent spring outing and posting a 4.50 ERA and 3:2 K:BB through 10 innings over five Grapefruit League appearances (one start). The 26-year-old right-hander is coming off a shaky 2025, as he produced a 5.73 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 99:32 K:BB in 97.1 innings at Triple-A before getting tagged for seven runs in his first 7.1 big-league innings, albeit with an encouraging 10:1 K:BB.

The Angels optioned Farris to Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday.

Farris had been pushing for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but it seems he's fallen short. The 25-year-old lefty yielded 12 runs across six innings of work this spring, but he did showcase increased velocity, with his fastball sitting near 93 mph. With Farris out of the picture, it looks like the final two spots in the rotation will be decided between Grayson Rodriguez (elbow), Alek Manoah and Jack Kochanowicz.

Alvarado allowed two hits and a walk across a scoreless inning in Thursday's Cactus League loss to the Mariners.

Alvarado got into a jam in the eighth inning by loading the bases but escaped without allowing a run. This marked the right-hander's first outing back with the Athletics after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings across two appearances for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Coming off a 2025 season in which he posted a 3.19 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across 42.1 innings, Alvarado could see save opportunities as the A's plan to deploy a closer-by-committee approach, though he has yet to record his first big-league save.