MLB Player News

The Twins reassigned McCaughan to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

McCaughan made 12 appearances (five starts) in the big leagues between stops with the Guardians and Marlins in 2024, logging a 6.21 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 42 innings. He joined the Twins on a minor-league deal in December and never made much of a run at an Opening Day roster spot while the Minnesota pitching staff has enjoyed relatively sound health this spring. McCaughan is expected to report to Triple-A St. Paul, where he could be deployed in the rotation or in long relief.

The Twins optioned Camargo to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Camargo was never going to make the Opening Day roster as long as both Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez were healthy. He'll provide catching depth at St. Paul.

Taylor (lat) will begin the season on the injured list but is expected back at some point in April, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Taylor has been held out of Cactus League play due to a right lat strain suffered back in January. He has progressed well since then and will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, but the the 23-year-old reliever simply needs more time to ramp up. Taylor collected a 3.72 ERA and 25:7 K:BB over 19.1 innings with Seattle last season.

The Nationals returned Reifert to the Rays on Tuesday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

A Rule 5 selection by the Nationals in December, Reifert flashed his swing-and-miss slider this spring in striking out nine batters over 6.1 innings. However, he also issued 12 walks and yielded 12 runs (11 earned) to earn a trip back to his previous organization. Reifert should begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Durham.

Gonzalez will undergo an MRI on Tuesday after feeling tightness in his right oblique Monday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Gonzalez "feels like there's nothing there" but wanted to get tested as a precaution. Any injury to the oblique is cause for some concern, but at the moment, the Red Sox appear to be viewing Gonzalez as day-to-day. More will be known about Gonzalez's condition after the MRI results are in. If healthy, Gonzalez will see some starts versus lefties this season for Boston.

Dunning's "stock only seems to continue slipping" and he could begin the season in the minors, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Given the expected makeup of their Opening Day rotation, the Rangers have a big need for relievers capable of throwing multiple innings. It's a quality Dunning can provide, but it sounds like he might be on the outside looking in for a rotation spot, anyway. Dunning posted a 5.31 ERA over 15 starts and 11 relief appearances for Texas last season and has minor-league options remaining.

Carter has "eased concerns about tentativeness in his swing" following a good showing in a recent minor-league game and several hard-hit balls during Cactus League play, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Grant writes in his latest Opening Day roster projection that the idea of Carter not making the team "seemed to be gaining momentum," but it appears the young outfielder's stock is trending back up. Carter is slashing only .222/.300/.296 with no home runs in 11 Cactus League games this spring, while his competition for the center-field job, Leody Taveras, is batting .237/.310/.500 with three long balls. Both players appear likely to crack the Opening Day roster, but it's not clear what the playing time split in center field between the two will look like.

Garcia gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning of relief during Monday's split-squad game against the Yankees.

The veteran right-hander has been almost untouchable this spring, posting a 0.00 ERA and 9:0 K:BB through six Grapefruit League innings. Garcia has recorded double-digit holds in three straight seasons, and he seems likely to make it four straight as he gets ready to be the Blue Jays' top setup man ahead of new closer Jeff Hoffman.

The Tigers announced Tuesday that Urquidy (elbow) has been cleared to play catch up to 105 feet three times a week, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Urquidy underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career back in June, so he'll have several more checkpoints to reach in the recovery process before he's cleared to make his Tigers debut, perhaps at some point in the second half of the season. Detroit signed Urquidy earlier this month on a one-year, $1 million deal that includes a $4 million team option for 2026.

Bloss could be an option as the Blue Jays' No. 5 starter if Max Scherzer (thumb) isn't ready for the start of the season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Yariel Rodriguez is the more likely candidate to fill in, but he's struggled this spring, serving up four homers and walking six batters over 9.2 innings with 11 strikeouts. Bloss' numbers aren't any better -- he's got a 6:6 K:BB and has been taken deep three times in eight Grapefruit League innings -- but per Matheson, he has looked sharper in his recent outings. Eric Lauer would be another candidate for a spot start or two early in the season if Scherzer's season debut is delayed. The Jays won't need a fifth starter until March 31.