The White Sox optioned McDougal to Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.

McDougal was awarded with a spot on the White Sox's 40-man roster over the offseason after posting a 3.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 113.1 total innings between High-A and Double-A in 2025. The 22-year-old will be elevated to Triple-A to begin the regular season and could make his MLB debut sometime this year if he continues to pitch well.

The Royals optioned Zobac to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday.

Zobac was awarded a spot on Kansas City's 40-man roster during the offseason, but he'll return to Double-A to begin the new year. The 25-year-old righty posted a 7.68 ERA and 1.91 WHIP over 36.1 innings at Northwest Arkansas last season but pitched 2.2 scoreless frames this spring.

The Royals optioned Kudrna to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Kudrna gave up 18 earned runs in just 11.1 innings during his first taste of Triple-A action last season. He continued to struggle this spring, allowing eight earned runs in 3.1 frames, and he'll now return to Omaha to right the ship.

Woodruff (lat) will start for the Brewers in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

Woodruff ended the 2025 season on the 15-day injured list due to a right lat strain. He was limited to mound work and live batting practices to open spring training, and the 33-year-old right-hander is ready to take the next step by pitching in a competitive setting Saturday. It's a positive sign that Woodruff will be on the Brewers' Opening Day roster.

The Phillies optioned Chace (elbow) to Double-A Reading on Saturday.

Chace will miss the first portion of the regular season while finishing up his recovery from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in May. He'll report back to Reading once he's healthy and look to reach Triple-A before the end of the year.

The Phillies optioned Curet to Double-A Reading on Saturday.

Curet reached Triple-A for the first time last season while in the Rays organization, though he posted an unsightly 6.03 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 31.1 innings. He was traded to Philadelphia during the offseason and will now head back to Double-A to begin his tenure with his new club.

The Phillies optioned Cabrera to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Cabrera spent all of 2025 at Double-A Reading, posting a 3.81 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 137 innings. After giving up just one earned run in 4.1 frames in the Grapefruit League, he'll officially receive a promotion to Triple-A to begin the 2026 campaign.

Verlander allowed two runs on two hits across two innings of work in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox. He walked two and struck out four.

Verlander wasn't particularly sharp in his spring debut as he allowed four baserunners across only two innings and needed 50 pitches to cover the frames, but the four strikeouts were a nice sign. The veteran righty signed with Detroit on Feb. 10, rejoining the team with which he began his MLB career back in 2005. Verlander should slot in near the back of Detroit's stacked rotation and could have some fantasy value in the right matchups, though his days of being an ace seem long gone at this point.

Cabrera is using his four-seam fastball more in spring training as a complement to his changeup, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera's changeup is his signature pitch, and he throws it often. However, the Cubs are asking the righty to throw his fastball more as a contrast to his off-speed stuff and to make the changeup more effective. Cabrera is throwing the four-seamer 30% of the time so far this spring, which is up from 13% during the 2025 regular season. He has good velocity on the pitch, averaging 96.7 mph last year, so he should be able to find success with the increased usage if his command is locked in. Cabrera was a key offseason trade acquisition for Chicago after posting a 3.53 ERA and 150 strikeouts across 137.2 innings for the Marlins in 2025.

Brown is experimenting with adding a sinker to his pitch mix during spring training, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brown has typically relied on a fastball and curveball, with a changeup mixed in more recently. The righty is now trying out a sinker as another out pitch, particularly against right-handed batters. Brown has racked up strikeouts at an impressive rate across two seasons in the majors, but he struggled last year with a 5.92 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 106.1 regular-season innings while splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. The 26-year-old is likely to be a reliever to begin the 2026 campaign, and an effective sinker could help him succeed in that role, especially if his fastball plays up a few ticks as well.