MLB Player News

Mahle has no restrictions heading into spring training, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. The right-hander was limited to three starts in 2024 after rehabbing from Tommy John elbow surgery.

Mahle was eventually shut down after three August starts due to shoulder soreness. After being shut down, Mahle worked on mechanical adjustments during the winter designed to limit the stress on his shoulder. "It was probably good that [the shutdown] happened, because we figured out what was wrong with my shoulder," Mahle explained. He's healthy and expected to take up a spot in the middle of the Rangers' rotation. The 30-year-old has been plagued by injuries during his major-league career, throwing more than 130 innings just once (180 innings in 2021).

Varland is likely to work as a reliever this spring and try to win a spot in the bullpen, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. "It's very possible that we see a good amount of him out of the bullpen this year," manager Rocco Baldelli said.

However, Baldelli did say the move to the bullpen wasn't certain. If Varland is kept as a starter, he'd likely begin the season in the minors. He struggled last season as a starter in Triple-A with a 4.75 ERA. As a reliever in 2023 in the majors, he showed promise with a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings and a 17:1 K:BB. If he claims a spot in the major-league bullpen, Varland could be in the high-leverage mix due to a fastball that can touch triple digits.

Ragans agreed to a three-year, $13.25 million contract extension with the Royals on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

In addition to covering him for the 2025 season, Ragans' new contract also buys out his first two seasons of arbitration eligibility. The 27-year-old southpaw cemented himself as one of Kansas City's top starters last season, finishing with a 3.14 ERA and 1.14 WHIP while striking out 223 batters over 186.1 innings.

Martin has been dealing with the flu over the past few days, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Martin was still able to play catch Friday, and with the Rangers' first Cactus League game still a week away, it's unlikely that his illness will cause him to miss any spring training reps. The 38-year-old righty turned in a 3.45 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 44.1 innings with the Red Sox last season, and he has a good chance to open 2025 as the Rangers' primary closer.

Taylor (lat) was cleared to resume throwing Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Taylor suffered a right lat strain in late January during his offseason throwing program, but he has already been given the green light to begin his rehab. It's unclear how quickly the Mariners will try to bring him along, but the 23-year-old reliever may be able to pitch in some Cactus League games.

The Yankees have moved Beeter to the bullpen on a permanent basis, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Beeter has primarily been a starter in the minors, but he moved to the bullpen last September at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and finished the year with two relief appearances for the Yankees. The righty has always had big stuff, but with a career 12.7 percent walk rate in the minors, a shift to relief always seemed likely. Beeter will probably begin the 2025 season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but could eventually be an option for the Yankees' bullpen. The 26-year-old is a little behind at the start of camp due to a shoulder issue that dates back to last season, but he has been throwing off a mound.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Friday that he expects Neto (shoulder) to bat fifth or sixth this season once he's healthy, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Neto batted second for the Angels for most of the final two months of last season, but with Mike Trout (knee) expected back and Jorge Soler added to the mix, Neto will slide down a bit in the batting order. A stint on the injured list at the beginning of the season is likely as he continues his recovery from right shoulder surgery.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Friday that he envisions Ward, Mike Trout (knee) and Jorge Soler being his first three hitters in the lineup in some order, Sam Blum of The Athleticreports.

Ward was the team's leadoff hitter for most of the final two months of last season, so he would seem likely to occupy that spot again, although Soler also batted leadoff some last year with the Giants and Atlanta. Washington did add a caveat that one of Ward, Trout or Soler could bat cleanup, so he hasn't written anything down in ink yet. Zach Neto (shoulder) is expected to begin the season on the injured list but will bat fifth or sixth upon his return, per Washington.

Wright (shoulder) could be ready to throw a live batting practice session next week, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Recovering from surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder, Wright will throw at least one more bullpen session before progressing to facing hitters. The righty hopes to be ready for Opening Day, but it will depend on how he looks and feels as he ramps things up. Wright could potentially compete for a spot in the Royals' Opening Day rotation, but he might be a long shot given how much time he's missed -- he didn't pitch at all in 2024, and he struggled over 31 innings for Atlanta in 2023 -- and the fact that he's behind other arms in camp.

Bello was shut down for a few days due to shoulder soreness but has resumed throwing, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

It's encouraging that the right-hander is already back to throwing, but any arm issues early in camp are a cause for at least mild concern. There's no indication that Bello's availability for the start of the regular season has been affected however, and Boston is counting on him to take a regular turn in a rotation that already features question marks in Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolito (elbow).