MLB Player News

Arrighetti (elbow) is expected to be 100 percent for the beginning of spring training, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Arrighetti missed the final month of the season with a right elbow injury, but he's considered healthy now and is "having a very productive offseason," per Astros general manager Dana Brown. The 25-year-old was limited to only seven starts at the major-league level in 2025, as he was sidelined four months with a right thumb fracture in addition to the elbow issue. Brown indicated that Arrighetti has a rotation spot for 2026 locked up.

Fitts (arm) heads into the winter with no limitations, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Fitts, who missed the final 30 games of the season due to right arm neuritis, is throwing again and should have a normal offseason, per Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Injuries to projected rotation members during the spring opened a spot for Fitts early on before he landed on the IL with a pectoral strain. Pending the team's offseason moves -- re-sign Lucas Giolito or add a viable free agent -- Fitts will be part of a group competing for a spot at the back end of the rotation or the bullpen.

Skubal was named the winner of the 2025 American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 28-year-old lefty didn't receive all 30 first-place votes like he did in 2024, with four votes going to Garrett Crochet, but Skubal will still take home the award for a second consecutive season. He set career bests in ERA (2.21), WHIP (0.89), strikeouts (241) and innings (195.1) while making 31 starts for a second straight regular season.

Giolito said Saturday in an appearance on Audacy's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast that he began his offseason throwing program in mid-October and is fully recovered from the right elbow injury that ended his season in late September.

The right-hander came down with right elbow soreness at the end of the regular season and was unavailable to pitch in the playoffs for the Red Sox. However, Giolito noted that "within three days, my elbow felt 100 percent fine again," and "whatever injury there was, it's gone." Giolito is entering free agency, and assuming his medicals check out fine, he should receive plenty of interest on the open market. The 31-year-old held a 3.41 ERA and 121:56 K:BB over 145 innings for Boston in 2025.

Ortiz was arrested in Boston earlier Sunday after he was indicted on charges for his alleged role in a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Fellow Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase has also been indicted, though he has yet to be taken into police custody. Citing a statement from the Department of Justice, Zack Meisel of The Athletic relays that Ortiz and Clase are facing charges of "wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy" after the two pitchers were accused of intentionally throwing balls in games so that bettors could wager on the pitches. According to Passan, prosecutors allege that Clase's involvement in the betting scheme dated back to as early as May 2023, while Ortiz was included at a later date. Ortiz has remained on administrative leave since July 3 while MLB has conducted its own sports-betting investigation. If MLB concurs with the accusations levied against Ortiz in the indictment, the 26-year-old right-hander's time in affiliated ball would most likely be over.

Walter (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

This move is procedural as the Astros set their 40-man roster for the offseason. Walter is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2026 season.

Wesneski (elbow) was activated from the injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

This move was procedural as the Astros get their 40-man roster in order for the offseason. Wesneski will be sidelined until at least the middle of the 2026 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Blanco (elbow) was activated from the injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

This move was strictly procedural, as Blanco is recovering from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace. He is expected to miss most of the 2026 season.

Santos (back) posted an 8.49 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB In 11.2 innings over four appearances between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock upon being activated from Frisco's 7-day injured list Aug. 29.

Santos had been on the shelf for more than four months due to a stress reaction in his back, which he sustained following his second start of the season with Frisco. Due to the extended time Santos missed, the Rangers sent him to the Arizona Fall League, where he submitted a 5.28 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 15:9 K:BB in 14.1 innings. The 23-year-old righty will be heading into his second straight season as a member of the Rangers' 40-man roster, but he's unlikely to seriously contend for an Opening Day spot with the big club and will likely be ticketed for the Round Rock rotation to begin the 2026 campaign.

Bieber exercised his $16 million player option for 2026 on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

After falling just one game short of capturing his first World Series title, Bieber will opt into another year with the Blue Jays and receive a $6 million raise in the process. The 30-year-old right-hander missed the first several months of the 2025 season while working his way back from Tommy John surgery but returned in time to make seven regular-season starts and post a 3.57 ERA across 40.1 innings. It remains to be seen how his surgically repaired elbow will hold up over the course of a full season, but the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner is still deserving of fantasy attention heading into 2026.