MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Schmidt (shoulder) is expected to rejoin the rotation "in the middle of the month," Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Schmidt has appeared fully recovered from his rotator cuff tendinitis for a while and just needs to continue getting stretched out at this point. He will need to make a rehab start, but Schmidt seems to be tracking toward a season debut sometime during the Yankees' April 11-16 homestand.

The Orioles included Mateo (elbow) on their season-opening 26-man active roster, and he'll be available off the bench in Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Just one day earlier, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun noted that Mateo didn't have a locker in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre, which seemed to suggest that the 29-year-old wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster after logging just 11 at-bats in the Grapefruit League while recovering from UCL reconstruction surgery on his non-throwing elbow. However, Mateo told Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com that he feels ready to play after logging extra at-bats in Florida in recent days, and the Orioles are apparently confident enough in his health, too. Mateo projects to handle a utility role for the Orioles, with most of his starts likely to come against left-handed pitching.

Jansen (rib) is expected to be in the lineup for the Rays' opener Friday against the Rockies, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Jansen didn't have any limitations while going through a simulated game Wednesday and evidently bounced back well Thursday, which should clear the way for his Opening Day availability. He is expected to operate as Tampa Bay's primary catcher this season.

The Guardians placed Sabrowski (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Sabrowski missed most of the Cactus League schedule while dealing with inflammation in his elbow, but he has resumed throwing from flat ground up to 105 feet, per MLB.com. The 27-year-old lefty doesn't have a defined return timeline just yet, but that may change once he receives the green light to begin throwing off a mound.

The Guardians placed Means (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Cleveland will hold off on sending Means to the 60-day IL for now, though he isn't expected to be ready for MLB action until the final month of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. If the left-hander runs into any snags during his rehab program, Cleveland may opt to hold Means out for the entire season.

The Orioles outrighted Bowman to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.

After the Orioles selected his contract and added him to the 40-man roster Sunday, Bowman seemed in good position to be part of the Opening Day bullpen, but the team ultimately elected to go in a different direction with its 26th spot on the active roster to begin the season. Bowman will now be pushed off the 40-man roster, but he'll remain in the organization and will look to impress at Norfolk with the hope of earning a call-up at some point later on in 2025.

The Guardians placed Stephan (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Stephan has been throwing off a mound since the beginning of March, though he still has a long way to go in his rehab from UCL reconstruction surgery. Assuming the rest of his ramp-up process goes smoothly, he should return to Cleveland's bullpen within a few months.

The Orioles designated Contreras for assignment Thursday.

Contreras was competing for a spot in the Orioles' Opening Day bullpen as a multi-inning reliever but didn't distinguish himself this spring, yielding six earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out eight over eight frames during the Grapefruit League. Since he didn't have minor-league options remaining, the Orioles will risk losing him to waivers by designating him for assignment. Contreras has now been DFA'd on six separate occasions by five organizations since last May.

The Guardians placed Cecconi (oblique) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Per MLB.com, Cecconi has begun a throwing progression since being diagnosed with a mild left oblique strain just over a week ago. He's up to throwing from 120 feet on flat ground, so he could soon be ready to throw bullpen sessions. The Guardians intend to have Cecconi get stretched back out as a starter, so he'll likely be at least a few weeks away from coming off the IL.

The Guardians placed Bieber (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Bieber still has several months left in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, so his move to the L is simply procedural. Assuming he doesn't run into any setbacks, the right-hander should be able to return around midseason.