MLB Player News

Alberto cleared waivers and was returned to the Rays on Thursday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

The 24-year-old was selected by the White Sox during the Rule 5 Draft in November, but he didn't make the Opening Day roster and is now back with his previous organization. Alberto spent most of last season at the High-A level and had a 2.91 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 45:17 K:BB across 34 innings.

Estevez allowed no hits and three walks with no strikeouts across a scoreless inning in Wednesday's Cactus League loss to the Rangers.

Estevez made his return to Cactus League play after tossing an inning for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic and didn't allow a run, though the outing was far from sharp. The right-hander entered in the sixth inning and promptly walked the first two batters he faced on nine pitches, eventually loading the bases via free passes before inducing a weak groundout from Jake Burger to escape the frame unscathed. As was the case in his earlier spring appearances, Estevez's velocity remained significantly down, with his fastball averaging 89.0 mph after sitting at 95.9 mph last season, while his offspeed offerings were also down several ticks. The veteran is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he recorded a career-high and league-best 42 saves with a 2.45 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 54:22 K:BB across 67 outings and is in line to handle closing duties for the Royals again in 2026, though his diminished velocity is a key factor to monitor moving forward.

Coulombe's contract was restructured after the Red Sox discovered issues in the pitcher's physical examination, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The overall value of the deal remains the same, but the guaranteed portion was reduced to $1 million. Coulombe can achieve another $2 million in performance and active roster bonuses throughout the season. Both parties in the contract renegotiation -- Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Coulombe's agent -- declined comment when asked about the situation. There have been no signs of limitation thus far. Coulombe threw a live batting practice Monday and is scheduled for his Grapefruit League debut Thursday.

Bradford (elbow) began facing live hitters in batting practice and should be ready for a rehab assignment when the 2026 regular season begins, MLB.com reports.

Bradford had worked his way up to facing live batters, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. The lefty was throwing 50- and 55-pitch bullpen sessions before facing hitters. His projection still calls for a return at some point in May.

Strahm was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers with a left leg contusion, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Strahm was lifted immediately after taking a comebacker off his leg in the fifth inning of Wednesday's contest. Manager Matt Quatraro said after the game that the left-hander's removal was precautionary, and the team isn't too concerned about his status going forward -- a good sign that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day.

Kolek (oblique) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Wednesday marked Kolek's first time throwing off a mound since he suffered a left oblique strain in late February. With just nine days remaining until the Royals' regular-season opener, it's unlikely that the 28-year-old righty will have enough time before then to build up to a starter's workload. However, he may be able to work as a multi-inning reliever in the meantime.

The Tigers reassigned Pilkington to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Pilkington inked a minor-league deal in February that included an invitation to spring training, but he'll begin the 2026 season in Triple-A. The 28-year-old left-hander appeared in 32 games out of the Nationals' bullpen last season, registering a 4.45 ERA and 34:17 K:BB across 28.1 innings.

The Tigers reassigned Rainey to minor-league camp Wednesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Rainey yielded just one earned run over 7.2 innings during the Grapefruit League, but his shiny 1.17 ERA was accompanied by an unsightly 6:6 BB:K. The 33-year-old reliever previously saved 12 games for the Nationals in 2022, but he's struggled to find his footing in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery that same year. Between his stops with Pittsburgh and Detroit last season, Rainey surrendered 12 earned runs on eight hits and nine walks in 9.2 innings.

The Tigers reassigned Effross (oblique) to minor-league camp Wednesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Effross made three Grapefruit League appearances before his bid for a spot in the Tigers' Opening Day bullpen effectively ended after he was shut down just over a week ago due to a left oblique strain. If he's not cleared to face hitters by the time minor-league camp ends this weekend, Effross could begin the season on Triple-A Toledo's injured list.

The Mariners optioned Hoppe to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday.

After being acquired from the Red Sox in November, Hoppe was immediately added to the Mariners' 40-man roster heading into 2026. The 27-year-old righty has yet to make his big-league debut, but he could be a candidate to join the Mariners at some point later on in the season if he thrives with Tacoma. Hoppe split time between Triple-A Worcester and Double-A Portland in Boston's organization last season, logging a 4.55 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 73:34 K:BB in 61.1 innings.