MLB Player News

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.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Wednesday that Woodruff (lat) "is in a good spot" physically and has resumed throwing bullpen sessions, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Woodruff appears to have steered clear of any setbacks in his recovery from a moderate-grade right lat strain that surfaced late in the regular season and kept him out for the Brewers' playoff run last fall, but Murphy implied that the veteran right-hander will be slow played during spring training nonetheless. Murphy cited Woodruff's injury history as a reason for exercising some caution in his ramp-up program; the 33-year-old missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing capsule repair surgery on his shoulder, and he endured multiple setbacks during the rehab process last season before finally making his 2025 debut in July. Despite showing diminished velocity upon his return, Woodruff was excellent for Milwaukee before succumbing to the lat strain, posting a 3.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 83:14 K:BB in 64.2 innings. Assuming he's ready to go for the start of the season, Woodruff should be the favorite to receive the Brewers' Opening Day starting nod after Milwaukee traded staff ace Freddy Peralta away to the Mets in January.

Padres manager Craig Stammen confirmed Wednesday that Miller will serve as the team's closer in 2026, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The announcement was merely a formality, as Miller always appeared likely to open the season as the Padres' closer once Stammen confirmed in December that the 27-year-old righty would remain in the bullpen in 2026 and after Robert Suarez bolted for Atlanta in free agency. After being acquired from the Athletics last July in a stunning deadline deal, Miller turned in a 0.77 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 45 strikeouts to go along with two saves in 23.1 innings to close out the Padres' regular season. Now that he's in line to receive the overwhelming majority of save chances in San Diego to go along with his typically pristine ratios, Miller has a strong argument for being the first closer off the board in fantasy drafts.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Wednesday that Priester will be brought along slowly at the start of camp, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Priester is recovered from the wrist injury he dealt with late last season, but Murphy said that the right-hander has "had a couple things that have kept him from progressing." The manager added that Priester hasn't been shut down and has thrown bullpen sessions, so the Brewers are seemingly just being extra cautious with him. Priester went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA and 132:50 K:BB over 157.1 frames with Milwaukee during the regular season.

Gore (ankle) was seen throwing a bullpen session Wednesday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Gore wasn't expected to be entering spring training with any restrictions after a minor right ankle impingement kept him out of action for the final week of the 2025 season, but his ability to throw a side session on the second day of camp confirms he's healthy. Acquired in a January deal that sent five prospects to Washington, Gore is likely penciled in as the Rangers' No. 3 starter behind Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi (core).