MLB Player News
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Ian Hamilton RP | ATL
Braves' Ian Hamilton: Outrighted to Gwinnett
Hamilton cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Hamilton doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so the demotion to Triple-A will cost him his place on Atlanta's 40-man roster. The 30-year-old righty made just two appearances in the Grapefruit League this spring, giving up one run on three hits and two walks while striking out one batter in 1.2 innings.
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Bennett Sousa RP | HOU
Astros' Bennett Sousa: Will open season on IL
Manager Joe Espada announced Thursday that Sousa will begin the regular season on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique injury, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Sousa injured his oblique during his last Grapefruit League appearance while playing the field. It's another blow to the Houston bullpen, as Sousa will join closer Josh Hader (biceps) on the injured list to open the season. The 30-year-old Sousa pitched in 44 games out of the Astros bullpen last season, logging a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 59:15 K:BB across 50.2 innings.
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Joey Gerber RP | NYM
Mets' Joey Gerber: Sent down to Syracuse
The Mets optioned Gerber to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.
Gerber pitched well during his brief stint in the majors last season, giving up just one earned run while striking out four batters over 4.1 innings. However, he will need to show consistent success before the Mets welcome him into their bullpen, especially after posting a 6.23 ERA and 1.46 across 43.1 frames in Triple-A last year.
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Bryse Wilson RP | PHI
Phillies' Bryse Wilson: Fails to crack Opening Day roster
The Phillies reassigned Wilson to minor-league camp Thursday.
The veteran right-hander signed with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee in December, but he was inconsistent across four Grapefruit League appearances with a 7:7 K:BB. Wilson could still receive a look as a multi-inning reliever for the Phillies at some point this season.
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Alexander Alberto RP | CHW
Rays' Alexander Alberto: Returned to Rays
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.
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Seth Johnson RP | PHI
Phillies' Seth Johnson: Optioned to minors
The Phillies optioned Johnson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday.
Johnson gave up two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and six walks over seven Grapefruit League appearances and won't begin the season in the majors. He made 10 appearances for the Phillies last year and had a 4.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB across 12.2 innings.
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Julian Fernandez RP | WAS
Nationals' Julian Fernandez: Sent to Triple-A
The Nationals optioned Fernandez to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday.
The right-hander closed last season in Washington's bullpen after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers in August, making three appearances during the final week of the season. Fernandez was unable to secure a place on the Opening Day roster after he surrendered five runs with a 5:3 K:BB over five innings during spring training.
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Carlos Estevez RP | KC
Royals' Carlos Estevez: Velocity still down
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.
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Danny Coulombe RP | BOS
Red Sox's Danny Coulombe: Has contract reworked
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.
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Cody Bradford RP | TEX
Rangers' Cody Bradford: Facing hitters
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.