MLB Player News

Johnson is in the conversation for a starting spot in the Angels' rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

With Alek Manoah and (to a lesser extent) Grayson Rodriguez struggling this spring, there is some uncertainty at the back end of the Angels' rotation. Should Manoah and/or Rodriguez not be part of the Opening Day starting staff, Johnson is one of several pitchers (including Jack Kochanowicz, George Klassen and Mitch Farris) who could be considered for a rotation role. Johnson got a look in the majors last season and struggled with a 7.36 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB over 14.2 innings across 14 relief appearances, and he ended the campaign in High-A ball. However, he's one of the organization's top prospects and has pitched pretty well this spring, posting a 4.63 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB over 11.2 frames. Johnson is still probably a longshot to break camp with the big club, but it's worth noting that he's still in big-league camp with Opening Day just 10 days away.

Rodon (elbow) threw two simulated innings at the Yankees' spring-training complex on Saturday, Paul Casella of MLB.com reports.

Rodon threw 30 pitches, upping his count after throwing 20 last Monday in his first session against live hitters since undergoing left elbow surgery last October. The veteran hurler said he felt good Saturday, suggesting that he "could have gone more" but acknowledging that he "can't do that yet" as he approaches his recovery with caution. Yankees manager Aaron Boone sounded optimistic about Rodon's rehab, indicating that the left-hander is "probably not that far behind" and saying that Rodon is "trending in a good way." While Rodon is expected to begin the season in the injured list, there remains the expectation that he will take the mound for game action before the end of spring training, and he could take his place in the Yankees' rotation before the end of April.

Dana (illness) was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.

Dana's spring campaign with the big-league club never got off the ground after being diagnosed with mononucleosis. He failed to appear in a spring game and will now report to Salt Lake to prepare for the start of the 2026 season.

The White Sox reassigned Smith to minor-league camp Monday.

The 22-year-old southpaw will open the 2026 season in the minors, likely with Double-A Birmingham. That's where he spent all of last year, posting a 3-3 record across 20 starts with a 3.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 108:56 K:BB across 75.2 innings. Per Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times, Smith will open the year in Triple-A and could make his major-league debut this season.

Hancock is competing to open the regular season as the Mariners' fifth starter, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Per Kramer, Hancock currently has a "leg up" on Cooper Criswell to open the year in Seattle's rotation, with Bryce Miller (oblique) unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. The 26-year-old Hancock has made four appearances this spring, posting a 4.76 ERA with a 0.79 WHIP and 17 strikeouts across 11.1 innings. Hancock was the Mariners' primary swingman in 2025 as well, making 22 total appearances (16 starts). He finished the year with a 4.90 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 6.4 K/9 across 90 innings.

Javier struck out five and allowed two hits and one walk over four scoreless innings Sunday in the Astros' 1-0 win over the Marlins in Grapefruit League play.

Taking the hill for his second start of spring training, Javier built up to 56 pitches, spotting 38 of them for strikes while generating 11 whiffs. The right-hander's fastball averaged 92.3 miles per hour on the afternoon, a half tick behind his average from the 2025 season and about a half tick up from the 91.7 mph he averaged during his first start back on March 9, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Javier is expected to make one final Grapefruit League start during the upcoming week before making his first turn of the regular season in the Astros' four-game home series versus the Angels at the end of the month.

McClanahan struck out seven and walked two without allowing a hit or a run in 3.2 innings Sunday against the Pirates.

The lefty's changeup was working well, getting whiffs at a 62 percent clip while he threw it 35 percent of the time. McClanahan's fastball averaged 94.8 miles per hour and touched 97.5 mph -- down from the 97.0 mph he averaged in 2022 and 2023. Still, McClanahan is discounted in drafts and can rack up strikeouts when he's healthy. He's up to eight innings through three spring starts.

Povich was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Povich will head to Norfolk after starting three contests during spring training, giving up four runs on three hits and seven walks while striking out six batters over 8.1 innings. The southpaw recorded a 5.21 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 118 strikeouts over 112.1 innings in 22 appearances, including 20 starts, with the Orioles in 2025. Povich will likely get a shot with the major-league roster in the near future.

The Rays reassigned Woodford to minor-league camp Sunday.

Woodford wasn't able to secure a long-relief role with the Rays heading into Opening Day, but he'll provide some valuable organizational pitching depth at Triple-A Durham, where he could be deployed either out of the bullpen or in the rotation. The 29-year-old righty made 22 appearances in the majors with Arizona in 2025, finishing with a 6.44 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 23:13 K:BB in 36.1 innings.

Crouse (lat) struck out two and allowed two earned runs on three hits over an inning of relief Saturday in the Orioles' 8-6 win over the Pirates in his Grapefruit League debut.

The appearance was Crouse's first of spring training and signals that he's back to full health after he hadn't pitched in a game since April 3, 2025 while he recovered from a right lat strain. After being cut loose by the Angels last April shortly upon suffering the injury, Crouse had remained a free agent until he signed a minor-league deal with the Orioles in January. He's likely to open the season at Triple-A Norfolk.