MLB Player News
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Hunter Dobbins SP | STL
Cardinals' Hunter Dobbins: Uncertain timeline for return
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom indicated during the team's recent Winter Warm-Up fan event that it's uncertain whether Dobbins (knee) will pitch in spring training games, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Dobbins needed surgery to repair a torn right ACL in July. He's been throwing all offseason, but the Cardinals could still choose to slow-play their offseason trade acquisition. If healthy, Dobbins will compete for a spot in the St. Louis rotation, but he does have minor-league options remaining and could also be stashed on the injured list for a while. More clarity on Dobbins' timetable should be available once spring training gets underway.
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Bailey Ober SP | MIN
Twins' Bailey Ober: Pitched through hip problems
Ober pitched through persistent hip issues last season, both before and after his IL trip in July, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. "I just never felt like I had a stable base throwing," Ober said. "It felt like my release was off almost every single throw. Sometimes I'd have 10 throws in a row where it felt great, and the next 10 are like, 'I don't know where this is going.' It was a sharp pain, and I didn't feel strong in my front leg to block."
Ober suggested at TwinsFest this past weekend that he has fully recovered from the injury this offseason. It's worth noting that even when he went on the IL and missed the month of July, the right-hander was never fully shut down, instead attacking the inflammation with medication while throwing on the side. It's difficult to buy into a complete turnaround given the depths of Ober's collapse last season, but it doesn't provide an explanation and some reason for optimism.
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Gerrit Cole SP | NYY
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: No issues in rehab
General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that Cole hasn't experienced any setbacks during the offseason while rehabbing his surgically repaired elbow, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Cole sat out the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing a Tommy John procedure that included internal bracing in March. He began his throwing program in August but has already been ruled out for Opening Day by manager Aaron Boone. Cashman added that the plan is for Cole to report to the Yankees' facility in Florida soon, and if all goes well, the veteran righty may return to a big-league mound sometime in late May or early June.
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Carlos Rodon SP | NYY
Yankees' Carlos Rodon: Progressing smoothly
General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that there haven't been any surprises so far in Rodon's (elbow) rehab, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Rodon finished the 2025 regular season with a 3.09 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 195.1 innings -- all personal bests since he joined the Yankees in 2023. After struggling in the postseason (9.72 ERA), he underwent surgery to address a bone spur in his left elbow. He began a throwing program in December and has since reported to the team's facility in Florida. Barring any setbacks, the 33-year-old southpaw will likely make a few appearances in the Grapefruit League and aim to make his regular-season debut in late April or early May.
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Andry Lara SP | WAS
Nationals' Andry Lara: Stays in organization
The Nationals outrighted Lara to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.
Lara was booted off the 40-man roster last week, but he will remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 23-year-old held an 8.79 ERA and 10:8 K:BB over 14.1 innings with the Nationals and an 8.92 ERA and 26:22 K:BB across 36.1 frames with Rochester in 2025.
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Osvaldo Bido SP | CHW
Angels' Osvaldo Bido: Claimed by Halos
The Angels claimed Bido off waivers from the Marlins on Tuesday.
It's already the fifth organization Bido has been in this offseason as he continues to bounce around via waivers. The right-hander held a 5.87 ERA and 18.7 percent strikeout rate in 2025 with the Athletics. If Bido is still with the Angels come spring training, he could wind up in a swingman role.
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Bryce Miller SP | SEA
Mariners' Bryce Miller: Adds 12 pounds over offseason
Miller has added 12 pounds over the offseason and touched 98.3 mph during a recent throwing session, he posted on his X account Jan. 16.
Miller missed time on two separate occasions during the 2025 season due to a bone spur in his right elbow, though he returned to pitch down the stretch of the regular season and playoffs. The righty received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his elbow in June and was reportedly considering getting another injection this offseason, though it's unclear whether he wound up receiving one. Either way, Miller appears poised to enter spring training without restrictions, but he will be a health risk in 2026 and is coming off a 2025 campaign that saw him collect a 5.68 ERA and 74:34 K:BB over 90.1 regular-season innings.
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Joe Ryan SP | MIN
Twins' Joe Ryan: Avoids arbitration with Twins
The Twins and Ryan avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.1 million contract Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. The deal includes a $13 million mutual option for 2027.
Ryan's $6.1 million salary for 2026 is right at the midpoint of the figures the two sides exchanged earlier this month, and he's guaranteed an additional $100,000 in the form of a buyout of his 2027 option. The right-hander posted a 3.42 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 194:39 K:BB across 171 innings in 2025. The Twins reportedly have pulled Ryan off the trade market for this offseason, but his name is likely to come up again during this year's trade deadline, if he's healthy and pitching well.
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Jose Suarez SP | ATL
Braves' Jose Suarez: Going back to Atlanta
Atlanta claimed Suarez off waivers from the Orioles on Monday.
Suarez went from Atlanta to Baltimore via waivers earlier this month and is now headed back the other direction. The left-hander made seven appearances (one start) with Atlanta in 2025, finishing with a 1.86 ERA and 16:10 K:BB across 19.1 innings of work. Suarez doesn't have minor-league options remaining, so if he's still with Atlanta on Opening Day, he's likely to slide into a long relief role with the big club.
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Justin Steele SP | CHC
Cubs' Justin Steele: Resumes mound work
Steele (elbow) threw off a mound Jan. 16 for the first time since undergoing UCL revision surgery April 18, MLB.com reports.
Throwing off a mound represents an important milestone in the recovery process for Steele, who had been limited to playing catch off flat ground since resuming a throwing program in October. He'll likely continue to build up the intensity and frequency of his bullpen sessions over the next few weeks, but Steele probably won't be ready to face hitters until the latter half of spring training. The 30-year-old lefty will almost certainly open the season on the injured list, but if he steers clear of any setbacks while building up this spring, he could avoid placement on the 60-day IL and make his 2026 debut at some point in late April or May.