MLB Player News

Stroman has yet to report to spring training as of Thursday, and the Yankees haven't yet determined when he might be ready to participate in workouts, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

According to the terms of MLB's collective bargaining agreement, Stroman isn't required to take the field for spring training until Feb. 22, but his voluntary absence is noteworthy with all other pitchers and catchers having reported to camp. Stroman was still present in Tampa on Tuesday to take his pre-camp physical, and he's expected to continue working out on his own over the next few days before joining the Yankees. The 33-year-old's decision not to report to camp comes while his role entering the 2025 season is uncertain, after the Yankees signed Max Fried to an eight-year deal over the winter to give the team a projected five-man rotation that also includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil. Unless the Yankees head into Opening Day with a six-man rotation or lose one of the other five pitchers to an injury, Stroman could find himself in the bullpen after he turned in a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 154.2 regular-season innings during his first season with New York in 2024.

The Angels signed Anderson to a minor-league contract Wednesday.

Anderson, 30, made two starts and four relief appearances between the Rangers and Marlins last season, posting an 8.27 ERA and 10:1 K:BB over 16.1 innings. He will likely begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he will provide some experienced rotation depth.

Orioles GM Mike Elias noted Thursday that Kjerstad is a frontrunner for a spot on the Opening Day roster, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. "He has earned the right to get at-bats in the corner outfield and at designated hitter, especially against right-handed pitchers," Elias said.

Even after letting Anthony Santander walk in free agency, the Orioles still have a deep stable of options in the outfield and at designated hitter, as Baltimore brought in Tyler O'Neill, Ramon Laureano and Dylan Carlson to join a group that already includes Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser. Cowser and Mullins will handle the bulk of the starts in center field, but Kjerstad looks like he'll have every opportunity to stake his claim to a strong-side platoon role in a corner spot or at DH. Elias said that the Orioles don't necessarily need Kjerstad to have a big spring to secure his roster spot, but a strong showing in the Grapefruit League could certainly help him stand out from the pack. Though his playing time at the big-league level wasn't consistent last season, Kjerstad acquitted himself well in the opportunities he received, slashing .253/.351/.394 with four home runs over 114 plate appearances.

Sugano has yet to report to Orioles camp due to visa issues but is expected to arrive this weekend, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Assuming he does indeed report this weekend, Sugano's brief tardiness shouldn't affect his spring training prep much. The Japanese right-hander inked a one-year, $13 million contract with Baltimore in December and is expected to open the 2025 season in its rotation.

General manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Bautista (elbow) has a "very good chance" of being part of the Orioles' Opening Day roster, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

While Elias acknowledged that Bautista likely won't be cleared to pitch in Grapefruit League games until late in spring training, the right-hander has been throwing bullpen sessions and has seemingly avoided any setbacks in his recovery from October 2023 Tommy John surgery. The Orioles are still planning to ease Bautista along during camp, but if he shows that he can recapture his pre-surgery velocity and command all of his pitches in spring workouts and appearances, he'll likely head into Opening Day as the team's closer. Bautista had been one of baseball's top-end gamers during the 2023 season, notching saves in 33 of his 39 opportunities while compiling a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 110 strikeouts over 61 innings.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Mateo (elbow) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Mateo's rehab from UCL reconstruction surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow is going well, but he will be held out game action until late in spring training. The 29-year-old's stint on the injured list to begin the season could be relatively brief, and once healthy he will fill a utility role for Baltimore.

Rogers is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day after suffering a right knee subluxation in January, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Per general manager Mike Elias, Rogers is weeks behind schedule and it's not clear when he might be ready to ramp things up again. The left-hander was looking like a long shot to make the Opening Day rotation, anyway, and now he's facing an additional hurdle. Rogers held a 4.92 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 97:56 K:BB across 124.1 innings in 2024 between the Marlins and Orioles before spending the final month of the regular season in the minors.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed Thursday that Bichette is a "full go" for spring training after making a full recovery from September surgery to address a fractured right middle finger, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Bichette needed to have a pin inserted during surgery to stabilize his finger, but Schneider relayed that the pin was removed long ago, and the veteran shortstop feels normal heading into camp. The 2024 campaign was by far the worst of the 26-year-old's six-year MLB career, as his OPS plummeted to .599 after he had delivered marks north of .800 in each of the prior five seasons. Bichette also continued his trend of halting his involvement in the running game; he was held to five stolen bases for the second season in a row after pilfering 25 bags in 2021 and 13 in 2022. Better health in 2025 could allow Bichette to bounce back to some degree after he also had two separate stints on the injured list last season due to calf strains, but fantasy managers shouldn't bank on him fully re-emerging as the five-category standout he was in 2021 and 2022.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Wagner (knee) is "doing everything" during the first week of spring training and will see some exposure to first base and third base in addition to second base during camp, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

After getting his first call to the big leagues last August, Wagner played 172 of his 175 innings in the field at the keystone and slashed .305/.337/.451 over 86 plate appearances before being shut down for the season in late September for arthroscopic surgery to address inflammation in his left knee. Wagner was cleared to resume baseball activities early in the offseason and looks like he'll be operating under no restrictions during camp, where he'll get reps at three different infield spots with the hope of improving his chances of winning a spot on the Opening Day roster. While he may not have a direct path to a full-time gig at any one position, Wagner's versatility and contact skills could be enough for him to settle into a near-everyday role.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Swanson will be "a little behind" due to right forearm fatigue, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The club is proceeding cautiously with the reliever early on in camp, but Schneider believes that Swanson will have enough time to be ready for Opening Day. Swanson struggled in 2024 with a 5.03 ERA and 37:14 K:BB while allowing 11 home runs over 39.1 innings. However, if healthy, his track record (2.39 ERA, 31 percent strikeout rate from 2022 to 2023) suggests a bounce-back season should be in store.