MLB Player News

Freeland (back) will start Wednesday's exhibition game against Team USA, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

It will be the first game appearance this spring for Freeland, who has been slow-played while dealing with back spasms. The veteran lefty was cleared to start Wednesday following a couple bullpen sessions and he should have time to build up his stamina for Opening Day.

Medina (elbow) will make his Cactus League debut with a relief appearance Monday against the Padres, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

It will be the first time Medina has pitched in a game since he underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2024. The 26-year-old faces an uphill battle in making the Athletics' Opening Day roster, but he should play a role with the big club this season either as a starting pitcher or reliever.

Musgrove (elbow) will start Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Great Britain, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Musgrove will be making his first appearance in a game setting since his October 2024 Tommy John surgery. The veteran right-hander has been throwing off the mound throughout Padres camp, most recently tossing three innings in a simulated game last week. Musgrove was sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 campaign, but he will not have strict workload limitations in 2026.

Dana has been slowed in Angels camp after being diagnosed with mononucleosis Jan. 31, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Dana noted Monday that the illness caused fatigue, but he kept his appetite and didn't lose weight. The right-hander has been throwing on flat ground the last few weeks and will throw his first bullpen session of the spring Tuesday. It's going to be difficult for Dana to sufficiently rebuild his stamina in time for Opening Day, which could effectively rule him out in the competition for a rotation spot.

Scherzer could be ready for his Grapefruit League debut as soon as Saturday versus the Phillies, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Scherzer is in Blue Jays camp after agreeing to terms last week, though his deal has yet to be officially announced. It's not a given that the 41-year-old will be part of the Opening Day rotation, but Scherzer had been throwing on his own so it shouldn't take too long to rebuild his stamina.

Wacha allowed no hits or walks across two scoreless innings in Sunday's Cactus League win over the Brewers. He struck out three.

Wacha followed Sunday's starter, lefty Kris Bubic, and looked in control, recording three strikeouts and allowing no baserunners over two innings. The veteran right-hander bounced back from a shakier first Cactus League outing Tuesday, when he surrendered a run on three hits and three walks across two frames. Coming off a 2025 campaign in which he posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 31 starts and 172.2 innings -- his fourth consecutive season with an ERA below 4.00 -- Wacha will aim to remain a steady presence in the Royals' rotation entering 2026.

Bubic (shoulder) allowed a run on four hits and no walks across two innings in Sunday's Cactus League win over the Brewers. He struck out three.

Bubic wasn't dominant in his spring debut, allowing four hits over two frames, but he did record three strikeouts in his first game action since July 26 after being sidelined by a left rotator cuff strain. The southpaw was in the midst of his strongest season to date in 2025 before the injury, posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 20 starts and 116.1 innings. Bubic should log additional Cactus League appearances before slotting back into the Royals' rotation to begin the 2026 regular season.

The Rangers optioned Teodo (back) to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday.

Teodo has been slow-played this spring following last season's back issues, as he's been throwing off a mound but has not appeared in a Cactus League game. It's unclear whether he will be ready to go at the beginning of the minor-league season. Teodo made a full-time move to a relief role in 2025 but struggled during his time with Round Rock, holding a 9.00 ERA and 23:17 K:BB over 18 innings. He's got a big arm but has strides to make with his control and durability.

The Nationals reassigned Lara to minor-league camp Monday.

Washington outrighted Lara to the minors in January, but the 23-year-old righty still received an invitation to big-league camp to begin spring training. Lara made eight appearances out of the Washington bullpen in 2025, though he'll likely have a tougher time resurfacing in the majors this season now that he's no longer on the 40-man roster.

The Rangers optioned Santos (hand) to Double-A Frisco on Monday.

Santos was almost surely going to begin the season in the minors regardless, but his fate was sealed when he suffered a fractured left (non-throwing) hand in late February. The injury is expected to sideline him until late March, so he could need a little time to get ramped up before joining the active roster at Frisco.