MLB Player News

Kochanowicz did not factor into the decision for Sunday's 9-7 loss to the Astros. He allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out three across four innings.

Kochanowicz put the Halos in a hole early after giving up four runs in the second inning. The Angels gave the 25-year-old right-hander plenty of run support, but he was unable to record an out in the fifth and was tagged with another run after being pulled. Kochanowicz generated 11 whiffs on 94 pitches but tossed only 55 strikes, and it probably wasn't the start he was hoping for after beating out Alek Manoah (finger) for the fifth spot in the Angels' rotation at the end of training camp. Kochanowicz is tentatively slated to start next weekend at home against the Mariners.

Rodriguez (shoulder) has been playing catch and doing strengthening exercises but has yet to throw a bullpen session, per MLB.com.

Rodriguez began the season on the IL (retroactive to March 22) due to right shoulder inflammation. The Angels have been adamant that he's not dealing with a major injury, but the fact Rodriguez hasn't yet progressed to throwing bullpens may mean he's leaning toward not being ready to return when immediately eligible. Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson are getting opportunities to be part of the rotation early in the campaign.

Grissom (wrist) has been participating in batting practice and taking groundballs at the Angels' complex in Arizona, per MLB.com.

Grissom landed on the IL on March 24 (retroactive to March 22) due to a left wrist sprain. He seems to be progressing toward a return and isn't expected to miss extensive time. However, general manager Perry Minasian has indicated that Grissom will need a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated.

Dominguez (0-1) blew his save opportunity and took the loss against the Brewers on Sunday. He allowed two runs on two hits and one walk in one-third of an inning.

The White Sox found themselves in trouble after loading the bases in the eighth inning, which prompted the team to bring in Dominguez to protect a three-run lead. He got the first batter he faced to pop out and was one out away from getting out of the frame unscathed. However, he proceeded to give up a two-run single to Luis Rengifo before yielding a three-run homer to Christian Yelich. It was a tough situation to get out of, but the White Sox signed Dominguez to a two-year, $20 million contract this past offseason to do just that.

Yates has been playing catch and his injured left knee is improving, per MLB.com.

Yates landed on the IL on March 24 due to left knee inflammation. The Angels are planning to take a cautious approach with his return, so the fact that he's been able to do some throwing -- even just playing catch -- is a positive sign. Yates' next step will likely be a bullpen session. Jordan Romano is the lead candidate for saves for the time being, and whether Yates enters the ninth-inning mix upon his return could depend on the performance of the former Blue Jays closer.

Handley was removed in the bottom of the fifth inning of Triple-A Norfolk's 6-2 loss to Nashville on Sunday after being hit in the left ankle by a pitch, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Outrighted off the Orioles' 40-man roster during the offseason, Handley ended up sticking around in the organization and was expected to serve as catching depth at Norfolk in 2026. Handley will likely be sent in for further tests as the Orioles look to determine the severity of his ankle injury.

Abel (0-1) was the pitcher of record in Sunday's 8-6 loss to the Orioles after allowing five earned runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out four batters over 3.1 innings of relief.

Manager Derek Shelton told Matthew Leach of MLB.com on March 20 that Abel would be part of the Twins' season-opening rotation, but the 24-year-old will have to wait a little bit to make his first start. Due to a pair of early off days, the Twins are able to temporarily get by with a four-man rotation, so Abel was available in the bullpen for the season-opening series with the Orioles and ended up making his 2026 debut Sunday with starter Bailey Ober getting chased after four innings. Abel lacked control and was hit hard in the relief outing, which will likely give fantasy managers some pause about including him in lineups once his turn in the rotation comes up. The right-hander tentatively lines up to make his first start during next weekend's home series versus the Rays.

Smith signed a minor-league contract with Minnesota on Sunday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

The 32-year-old righty owns a 3.48 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 192 career appearances in the majors, but after missing the entire 2025 season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, he had to settle for a minor-league deal with the Nationals in free agency this winter. Smith was released after he was unable to win a spot in Washington's season-opening bullpen, but he quickly found work in a new organization. He's expected to report to Triple-A St. Paul and could be in the mix for a call-up quickly if he shows that he's regained his pre-surgery velocity and command.

Diaz went 5-for-6 with a double and four RBI in Sunday's 11-7 win over the Cardinals.

Diaz couldn't be contained Sunday, matching his career high in hits while tallying his 10th career game with at least four knocks. The 34-year-old first baseman is coming out of the gates furiously, going 9-for-16 (.563) in his first three games while hitting safely in each outing so far as Tampa Bay's leadoff man.

Matz (1-0) notched the win Sunday against the Cardinals, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out two.

Matz hardly pitched well enough to deserve the win Sunday, but the Rays gave him plenty of run support. The veteran southpaw produced a respectable 10 whiffs on the day, and it's notable he was able to throw 81 pitches in his first start since April of last year. The expectation entering the season was that Matz would be on a pitch count initially, making his workload something to monitor in next week's scheduled outing in Minnesota versus the Twins.