MLB Player News

Bummer will begin the season as part of Atlanta's bullpen, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 32-year-old southpaw will likely slot in behind Dylan Lee in the pecking order for high-leverage work. Bummer has been a fairly reliable middle-relief option for Atlanta over the last two seasons, posting a 3.69 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 120:35 K:BB in 109.2 innings, but in 98 appearances he has just seven wins, four holds and zero saves.

Lee has won a spot in Atlanta's Opening Day bullpen, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 31-year-old figures to be the top left-hander in the bullpen, although he could face competition from Aaron Bummer for that assignment. Lee is coming off a career-best 2025 season in which he recorded 19 holds, more than doubling his previous best, along with a 3.29 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 76:14 K:BB over 68.1 innings for Atlanta.

Kinley will begin the season as part of Atlanta's bullpen, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

No surprise here after Kinley posted a 0.72 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB over 25 innings for Atlanta last season following his trade from the Rockies, and then re-signed with the NL East squad on a one-year, $4.5 million deal this offseason. Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez will be the top right-handed high-leverage arms for Atlanta, but Kinley could still post strong a strong holds total as one of the primary options for the seventh inning -- his career high in holds is 15, set in 2024 for Colorado.

The Red Sox released Nittoli (elbow) on Tuesday.

Nittoli attended spring training as a non-roster invitee but saw his bid for a spot in the Red Sox's Opening Day bullpen come to an end when he suffered an elbow injury earlier this month that he ultimately addressed with an internal brace procedure. The 35-year-old righty will miss the entire 2026 season, and his rehab program will likely bleed into the early part of the 2027 campaign.

Sands will have a prominent role in high-leverage situations in the Minnesota bullpen, but manager Derek Shelton said he'll figure out who will close games as the season progresses, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. "It's going to be a little bit of a meritocracy. Guys are going to pitch themselves in or out of certain roles. We have to monitor that as the season starts," said Shelton.

The Twins closer situation remains a mystery even after spring training has concluded, but Sands may get the first chance to close games as the most prominent right-handed pitcher in the bullpen. However, Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa will likely also figure into the mix.

The Padres placed Matsui (groin) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

Since straining his left groin in late February, Matsui has begun throwing off a mound and is slated to face hitters soon, but he'll still likely to remain on the shelf until at least around mid-April. Because he missed the entire Cactus League slate, he'll need to complete a rehab assignment in the minors before making his season debut with the Padres.

The Padres placed Hoeing (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

Hoeing is set to miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow. He'll officially begin the season on the 15-day IL but will likely be transferred to the 60-day IL if/when the Padres need to clear a 40-man roster spot.

The Padres placed Adam (quadriceps) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

The 2025 All-Star underwent surgery in September to repair a ruptured left quadriceps tendon, and though he was able to strike out a batter in a perfect inning in his lone Cactus League appearance this past Friday, the Padres will give him more time to build up before adding him to the 26-man active roster. The 34-year-old right-hander will likely report to an affiliate later this weekend once the minor-league begins so that he can kick off a rehab assignment, and he could be ready for activation when first eligible April 6.

The Orioles reassigned Suarez to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Suarez wasn't able to secure a starting or long-relief role on the Orioles' Opening Day roster, but the 36-year-old will provide the organization with valuable depth at the Triple-A level. The right-hander made five appearances (one start) at the big-league level in 2025, giving up three earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out 10 over 11.2 innings.

The Rangers reassigned Sborz to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.

Sborz fell short in his bid for a spot in the Texas bullpen after yielding five earned runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out eight batters across nine innings during the Cactus League. The right-hander will likely to slot into a high-leverage role in the Round Rock bullpen and could merit consideration for a call-up if he's able to recapture the form that he displayed before undergoing shoulder surgery in November 2024.