MLB Player News

Lopez (elbow) will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery next Wednesday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

It's a massive loss for a Twins team that was already thin on talent, as Minnesota will now be without its ace for the entirety of the 2026 campaign. Lopez suffered a torn UCL in his right elbow earlier this week and had hoped to avoid the dreaded Tommy John operation. With Lopez's season done before it even got started, the Twins will now head into Grapefruit League play with Joe Ryan atop the rotation, followed by Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, Simeon Woods Richardson and Taj Bradley.

Gipson-Long (oblique) is scheduled to throw a bullpen Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Gipson-Long has been dealing with a strained left oblique early in spring training but is making progress in his recovery. The right-hander appeared in eight regular-season games for Detroit in 2025, making three starts. He figures to open the campaign at Triple-A Toledo.

Berrios has appeared to be fully healthy to begin spring training, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. "Jose is fully healthy. He's looked sharp," manager John Schneider said Thursday on TSN 1050's OverDrive. "His stuff is back to where it was probably two years ago in terms of velocity and his breaking ball."

The veteran right-hander is coming off a rough 2025 campaign in which he threw just 166 innings, his lowest total in a full MLB season since 2017. Berrios didn't pitch in the final week of the regular season or in the playoffs due to elbow trouble, but the Blue Jays will need him to be healthy to start 2026 with Shane Bieber (forearm) set to begin the year on the shelf. Berrios posted a 3.63 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 382 innings from 2023-24, and him regaining that form would provide a big boost to Toronto's rotation.

Gillies will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a quad injury, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Gillies had been in camp as a non-roster invitee and will now get a late start to the minor-league season. The 6-foot-8 right-hander posted a 2.68 ERA and 51:13 K:BB over 53.2 frames between Double-A Chesapeake and Triple-A Norfolk in 2025.

Jones (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Friday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It'll be the first time Jones has faced hitters since he underwent a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow last May. The young right-hander has already been placed on the 60-day injured list, so he will not be eligible for his season debut until late May. A return by that time would be a best-case scenario, but Jones' rehab has gone well to this point.

Cole (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Friday, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

It will be Cole's first time facing hitters since last March's Tommy John surgery with an internal brace. The veteran hurler's rehab has gone swimmingly to this point, and he will continue to check off boxes as he eyes a season debut in late May or early June.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that coaches are working with Oviedo to be more explosive with his delivery, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "Just a big dude that we gotta get moving," Cora said of the 6-foot-6, 275-pound right-hander. "Not work faster as far as like tempo, but move faster. And I think we accomplished that today."

Oviedo threw a two-inning live batting practice Thursday, and the manager said he's getting closer to what coaches are looking for. Cora also raved about the right-hander's extension, but strike-throwing remains key for the hurler, whose first spring start is scheduled for Wednesday against the Twins. Oviedo appears to be the frontrunner for a spot at the back end of the rotation. One candidate, Kutter Crawford (wrist), could open the season on the injured list, and two others, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, may begin the year at Triple-A Worcester. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval is also in the mix, but he missed all of 2025 with an elbow injury.

Keller will make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday against the Rays, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Keller has turned into a consistent starter for the Pirates, though he endured a tough second half of 2025 by posting a 5.56 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 57.1 innings. He's looking to be more consistent in 2026, but he's posted an ERA in the low 4.00s with a WHIP in the mid 1.20s in each of the last three seasons. Keller will remain a stalwart in the rotation in 2026 and could serve as the No. 2 starter behind Paul Skenes.

Dotel will start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Dotel was added to the 40-man roster this offseason and will start Pittsburgh's first spring training contest. He started 27 games with Double-A Altoona in 2025, posting a solid 131:43 K:BB across 125.2 frames. Dotel will likely begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, but he could be promoted to the majors during the summer months if injuries occur in the Pirates' rotation.

Manager John Schneider said Thursday that Bieber (forearm) has progressed to throwing from 120 feet, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The team has already confirmed that Bieber will begin the regular season on the injured list due to forearm fatigue -- something he pitched through during Toronto's playoff run in 2025. Schneider added that he expects Bieber to begin throwing bullpen sessions within the next two weeks, at which point more information may emerge regarding how much time the right-hander will miss to begin the new campaign.