MLB Player News
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Alex McFarlane SP | PHI
Phillies' Alex McFarlane: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
The Phillies selected McFarlane's contract from Double-A Reading on Tuesday.
McFarlane made his return from Tommy John surgery in 2025 and spent most of the season with High-A Jersey Shore, posting a 4.79 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 73.1 innings. The right-hander is likely still a couple years away from seeing the majors, but the Phillies still opted to protect him from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
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Andrew Painter SP | PHI
Phillies' Andrew Painter: Added to 40-man roster
The Phillies selected Painter's contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.
The 2021 first-round pick returned to action last season for the first time since 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he endured some struggles at Lehigh Valley with a 5.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 111:46 K:BB over 106.2 innings. Painter's workload was encouraging, however, and his standing as Philadelphia's top pitching prospect lines him up to potentially make his MLB debut in 2026.
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Steven Zobac SP | KC
Royals' Steven Zobac: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
The Royals selected Zobac's contract from Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander missed time in 2025 due to a knee injury, which limited him to 14 appearances. Zobac spent most of the campaign with Northwest Arkansas and had a 7.68 ERA over 36.1 innings, but the Royals still elected to shield him from potentially being selected in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
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Ben Kudrna SP | KC
Royals' Ben Kudrna: Added to 40-man roster
The Royals selected Kudrna's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The 22-year-old righty spent most of last season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he had a 4.21 ERA over 94 innings. Kudrna made four appearances for Omaha late in the season and struggled at the highest level of the minors with a 14.29 ERA.
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Miguel Mendez SP | SD
Padres' Miguel Mendez: Joins 40-man roster
The Padres selected Mendez's contract from Double-A San Antonio on Tuesday.
The right-hander is one of San Diego's top prospects, so his addition to the 40-man roster was to be expected ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. Mendez posted a 1.78 ERA and 11.2 K/9 over 75.2 frames in the lower minors during 2025 but surrendered 20 earned runs over six late-season starts after being promoted to Double-A.
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Tanner McDougal SP | CHW
White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Shielded from Rule 5 Draft
The White Sox selected McDougal's contract from Double-A Birmingham on Tuesday.
McDougal turned in a 3.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP to go with a 136:49 K:BB over 113.1 innings between High-A and Double-A in 2025. Considered one of the top pitching prospects in the White Sox's farm system, the 22-year-old will officially receive a spot on the 40-man roster to prevent another team from selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft, and he has a strong chance to make his MLB debut in 2026 and join a talent-deficient White Sox rotation.
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Shane Drohan SP | BOS
Red Sox's Shane Drohan: Grabs spot on 40-man roster
The Red Sox selected Drohan's contract from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Drohan missed nearly four months of the Triple-A season with a forearm injury but was extremely effective when healthy, turning in a 2.27 ERA and 1.02 WHIP alongside a 67:16 K:BB through 47.2 innings. The 26-year-old southpaw will be ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December now that he owns a spot on Boston's 40-man roster, and he could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster if his strong performance continues into spring training.
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David Sandlin SP | BOS
Red Sox's David Sandlin: Added to 40-man roster
The Red Sox selected Sandlin's contract from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Sandlin began 2025 at Double-A Portland and posted a 3.61 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 82.1 innings before receiving a promotion to Worcester. The 24-year-old righty struggled upon arriving at Triple-A (7.61 ERA, 2.07 WHIP), but the Red Sox will give him a 40-man spot to ensure he remains with the organization past December's Rule 5 Draft. He is likely to report to Worcester to begin the 2026 season.
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Walbert Urena SP | LAA
Angels' Walbert Urena: Added to 40-man roster
The Angels selected Urena's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.
The right-hander spent most of the 2025 campaign at Double-A Rocket City, where he had a 4.33 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 121:74 K:BB across 139.1 innings. Urena moved up to Triple-A for his final outing of the season and could be back at the highest level of the minors to begin 2026.
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Miguel Ullola SP | HOU
Astros' Miguel Ullola: Joins 40-man roster
The Astros selected Ullola's contract from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday.
The move adds Ullola to the 40-man roster and protects him from next month's Rule 5 Draft. Ullola spent the entirety of the 2025 campaign at Sugar Land, finishing with a 3.88 ERA and 131:78 K:BB over 113.2 innings. The 23-year-old will compete for an Opening Day roster spot, but a career 15.6 percent walk rate in the minors suggests more seasoning is needed.