MLB Player News

Cease has been working on changing the shape of his four-seam fastball and adding a changeup to his arsenal, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander has always had premium raw stuff in his high-90s fastball, which averaged a career-high 98.1 mph in 2025, and plus slider, but his actual results have rarely matched the scouting reports. Adding a change or splitter could help improve his numbers against left-handed hitters -- last season with the Padres, Cease had a 4.00 K/BB and 31.4 percent strikeout rate against RHP, but just a 2.36 K/BB and 28.0 percent K rate against LHP. Until he begins using any new pitches in game action, however, there's no reason to expect something radically different than the pitch mix that saw him use his four-seamer and slider 83.1 percent of the time last year.

Garrett was touching 95 mph in a live batting practice session Wednesday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Garrett missed the entire 2025 season after December 2024 internal brace surgery on his left elbow but has no restrictions at the beginning of camp. The left-hander averaged 90.7 mph with his four-seamer in 2024 and has never averaged more than 91.5 mph with the pitch, so the fact that he's already touching the mid-90s early on in spring training is a good sign. Garrett will likely have some kind of workload restrictions in 2026, but he should have a spot in the Marlins' rotation locked up.

Henderson is shut down from throwing in Cardinals camp due to a left flexor strain, Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com reports.

Henderson scored an invitation to big-league camp after posting a 2.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 134:51 K:BB in 132 innings across 25 starts at Double-A Springfield in 2025, but he'll have to wait to make a good impression. It's unclear when the lefty might be cleared to resume throwing. Once he is healthy, Henderson will likely move up to Triple-A Memphis to begin the 2026 season.

Eovaldi (hernia) reported to camp healthy and threw his first bullpen session Tuesday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Eovaldi was shut down last season in August and eventually underwent surgery during the offseason to address a sports hernia issue. He said he'd been dealing with the hernia since 2024, but it never affected his pitching. Eovaldi had an impressive 1.73 ERA over 22 starts in 2025, his fourth consecutive season with fewer than 30 starts. The right-hander turns 36 this spring, and manager Skip Schumaker is planning a slow build-up for Eovaldi, similar to how the club handled Jacob deGrom in 2025.

Bassitt signed a one-year, $18.5 million contract with the Orioles on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Bassitt finished the 2025 regular season with a 3.96 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 170.1 innings, and he'll now head to Baltimore to help bolster an Orioles rotation that finished the year with a 4.65 ERA (seventh worst in MLB). The 36-year-old righty has made at least 30 starts every year since 2022 and posted an 8.8 K/9 last season while ranking in the 85th percentile in average exit velocity allowed.

The Pirates placed Jones (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Jones sat out all of the 2025 season after undergoing UCL repair surgery in May and will now officially miss the first couple months of the 2026 campaign as well. The 24-year-old righty threw an encouraging mound session Wednesday to begin spring camp, so the Pirates' decision to place him on the 60-day IL this early in the spring likely reflects a desire to proceed slowly with building him back up. Assuming Jones' rehab continues smoothly, he could rejoin Pittsburgh's rotation sometime in late May or early June. In the meantime, he'll give up his place on the 40-man roster to the newly signed Jose Urquidy, who could also take Jones' spot in the rotation.

The Nationals signed Mikolas to a one-year contract Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports.

Mikolas held a 4.84 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 100:37 K:BB across 156.1 innings covering 31 starts for the Cardinals in 2025. The veteran right-hander has a pedestrian 4.51 ERA over the last four seasons, but he's made 30-plus starts every year during that stretch, so the 37-year-old gives an unproven Nationals rotation some experience and durability.

Falter (biceps) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Falter spent the final five weeks of the 2025 season on the shelf due to a left biceps contusion, but he made two rehab appearances with Triple-A Omaha in late September and looks to have had a normal offseason. The veteran southpaw will likely get stretched out as a starter during spring training, but he's probably on the outside looking in for a rotation spot and could be ticketed for a long-relief role.

Lauer will earn $4.4 million in 2026 after losing his arbitration hearing with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Lauer had filed for a $5.75 million salary, coming off a 2025 campaign in which he delivered a 3.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 102:26 K:BB in 104.2 innings. The veteran lefty brought some stability to the back end of the Toronto rotation for much of the summer before he transitioned into a relief role once the Blue Jays regained some health with the returns of Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer from injuries. Scherzer is now a free agent, but with Toronto retaining Bieber, trading for Dylan Cease and preparing breakout postseason star Trey Yesavage for a full-time rotation spot in 2026, Lauer could see a larger share of his appearances out of the bullpen during the upcoming season.

Bubic (shoulder) will earn $6.15 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing against the Royals on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Royals had filed at $5.15 million, but the three-person arbitration panel chose the figure Bubic submitted. Bubic experienced a breakout 2025 season, posting a 2.55 ERA and 116:39 K:BB over 116.1 innings covering 20 starts before going down with a left shoulder strain. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Bubic threw a bullpen session Wednesday and doesn't appear to be operating with any restrictions this spring, but the Royals will keep a close eye on him after he missed nearly the entire second half last season.