MLB Player News

Cousins is currently shut down due to a right forearm strain, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

It's possible the reliever will be ready to resume a throwing program next week or the following week, per Yankees manager Aaron Boone. However, the injury has Cousins' availability for Opening Day in question. Cousins was excellent in 37 regular-season appearances for the Yankees last season, holding a 2.37 ERA and 53:20 K:BB across 38 innings. If healthy, he could see some high-leverage relief work.

Staumont signed Tuesday with the Reds on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to big-league spring training.

Staumont split time between the Twins and Cubs organizations in 2024, making all 25 of his big-league appearances with the former club and submitting a 3.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 18:14 K:BB in 24.1 regular-season innings. He'll get the chance to compete for a middle-relief role in Cincinnati's Opening Day bullpen during spring training.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora mentioned Whitlock as a closer candidate Tuesday along with Liam Hendriks and Aroldis Chapman, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Whitlock is only nine months removed from undergoing an internal brace procedure on his right elbow, but he's slated to face hitters Tuesday and is considered fully healthy as camp opens. It might be a stretch to think he'd be thrown into the ninth inning right away after missing so much time, but Whitlock does boast a career 2.65 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 150:29 K:BB over 132.2 regular-season frames as a reliever, picking up nine saves along the way. Justin Slaten was not mentioned by Cora as a closer candidate but could also be in the mix.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Tuesday that he's open to the team using Hendriks and others in a closer by committee, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

The Red Sox would surely prefer for someone to emerge as the clear choice to close, whether that's Hendriks, Aroldis Chapman, Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock (elbow) or someone else, but if that doesn't happen they could use multiple guys in the role. Hendriks enters camp healthy and is viewed as the slight favorite to handle the ninth inning. However, he just turned 36 and made only six rehab appearances in 2024 after appearing in just five games in 2023, so it's uncertain how much rust may impact his performance, particularly early in the season.

Jansen (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Angels on Tuesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Jansen finished last season with the Red Sox with 27 saves while registering a 3.35 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 61:20 K:BB across 53.2 innings. The 37-year-old right-hander ended the campaign on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation but should be ready to go for the start of spring training. Jansen is likely to assume closing duties with the Angels, which would shift Ben Joyce to a setup role.

Guenther has a good chance to make Detroit's bullpen coming out of spring training, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Guenther saw some work with the Tigers down the stretch last season and pitched well, turning in a 0.86 ERA and 0.52 WHIP across 21 innings. The lefty could now parlay that into an Opening Day bullpen role if he has a strong spring training. Guenther would likely see low-leverage opportunities in the early going, though he could seize a larger role at some point if he continues to impress.

Lange (lat) may not make Detroit's Opening Day bullpen, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The Tigers have added some pitching depth in the offseason, including Tommy Kahnle, who figures to secure a bullpen spot out of the gates. Kenta Maeda may also shift to the bullpen, with Alex Cobb added to the rotation. These developments could push Lange out, especially because he's recovering from June lat surgery and still has minor-league options remaining. The righty led Detroit with 26 saves just two years ago but has seemingly fallen out of favor. Control has always been an issue for Lange, and he walked 17 batters in only 18.2 MLB innings last season, making him a risky bullpen option.

Matzek agreed to a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Monday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Matzek reportedly impressed at a recent showcase, enticing the Yankees to extend him a contract. The veteran southpaw struggled in 2024 while with Atlanta, posting a 9.90 ERA with 10 strikeouts over 10 innings at the big-league level, but he's success in the past in the majors, having turned in sub-4.00 ERAs in three straight seasons from 2020 through 2022. His minor-league deal presumably includes an invitation to MLB spring training that will allow him to compete for a spot in New York's Opening Day bullpen.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Monday that Assad is dealing with oblique soreness and will undergo imaging Monday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

It's not clear when Assad was injured, but the issue is significant enough that he's being sent in for an MRI. If healthy, Assad will compete for the final spot in the Cubs rotation after a season where he may have been pitching over his head. He logged a 3.73 ERA in 147 innings while all of his ERA estimators (xERA, FIP, xFIP, SIERA) were above 4.60. Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks are the other top candidates for the final spot in Chicago's rotation.

Junk signed a minor-league contract with the Marlins on Monday.

Junk's deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training, where he'll get the chance to compete for a spot in Miami's Opening Day bullpen. The 29-year-old has seen MLB action in each of the last four campaigns, but he hasn't covered more than 17 innings in any of those seasons while bouncing around across five different organizations. Over his 15 career MLB appearances (seven starts) spanning 40 innings, Junk owns a 6.75 ERA and 1.78 WHIP.