General manager Dana Brown said Wednesday that Hader (shoulder) has thrown off a mound three times, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Hader's season ended in mid-August after he suffered a left shoulder strain, but he appears to be progressing well in his rehab program. The Astros have yet to establish a return timeline for the lefty closer, however, so his availability for the start of spring training remains unknown.

The Tigers claimed Darnell (hip) off waivers from the Pirates on Wednesday.

Darnell spent most of the 2025 season at Triple-A Albuquerque in the Rockies organization, holding a 3.19 ERA and 63:19 K:BB over 53.2 innings. He had surgery in September to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, but the Tigers appear confident in his ability to make a full recovery.

The Tigers designated Lange for assignment Wednesday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Dugan Darnell (hip). Lange recorded 26 saves for the Tigers in 2023 but was limited the last two seasons due to June 2024 right lat surgery. The 30-year-old has a career 27.2 percent strikeout rate but also a 13.5 percent walk rate. Lange is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this offseason and should draw interest on waivers.

The Padres are considering moving Morgan into their rotation next season, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report.

Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon are the more high-profile names being mulled for a shift from the bullpen to the rotation, but Morgan is also under consideration. A former infielder and undrafted free agent who didn't begin pitching until 2022, Morgan posted a 2.66 ERA and 50:23 K:BB over 47.1 regular-season innings for the Padres in 2025. The 26-year-old had two opener assignments for the Padres, but the last time he made a traditional start came in 2022 at Hope International, an NAIA school.

The Mariners signed Dobnak to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Dobnak became a free agent last week after the Tigers declined his option for 2026, and he's now headed to the Pacific Northwest. The 30-year-old spent nearly all of 2025 at the Triple-A level, holding a 5.84 ERA over 18 starts and eight relief appearances. Dobnak will likely begin the 2026 season in the rotation at Triple-A Tacoma.

The Royals acquired Black from the Giants on Tuesday in exchange for Logan Martin.

Black had been designated for assignment by the Giants last week and will now join the Royals' 40-man roster. The 25-year-old spent most of this season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he held a 5.81 ERA and 1.48 WHIP alongside a 114:62 K:BB over 119.1 innings. Black has been used mostly as a starting pitcher to this point in his pro career, though it's not known whether the Royals intend to keep him in that role. The righty has minor-league options remaining.

Darrell-Hicks was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.

Darrell-Hicks lost his spot on the 40-man roster Thursday. He'll remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed.

The Orioles signed Paredes to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Monday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Paredes spent all of the 2025 season at Triple-A Gwinnett in the Atlanta organization, holding a 4.40 ERA and 72:30 K:BB over 57.1 frames. The 30-year-old has a career 3.00 ERA and 53:41 K:BB over 54 innings covering parts of four seasons at the big-league level. Paredes will compete for a spot in the Orioles' Opening Day bullpen but will likely begin the year at Triple-A Norfolk.

Clase was indicted Sunday on multiple federal charges related to rigging bets on pitches thrown in MLB games, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Cleveland's former closer missed the final two-plus months of the 2025 season while being investigated by MLB, and he and teammate Luis L. Ortiz are now formally being charged in federal court, with Ortiz already having been arrested earlier Sunday. The indictment alleges that the pitchers were paid to intentionally throw balls so bettors could wager on the pitches being a ball or a strike. Clase, who is a three-time All-Star and led the majors in saves in each of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons, is facing a maximum of 65 years in prison if convicted on all charges, per Passan.

Roa elected free agency Friday.

The 26-year-old was outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville by the Marlins on Thursday, and he was able to reject that assignment since he had been outrighted previously. Roa made two scoreless appearances for Miami during the 2025 season and had a 2.83 ERA over 60.1 innings at Triple-A.