MLB Player News

The Rays have named Rasmussen their Opening Day starter, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rasmussen was excellent in 2025 in his first full season back from elbow surgery, collecting a 2.76 ERA and 127:37 K:BB over 150 innings covering 31 starts. He had his workload carefully monitored last season but should have the reins loosened in 2026. That said, given that Rasmussen has undergone three major elbow surgeries, he's unlikely to ever be a workhorse. His Opening Day assignment will come March 26 in St. Louis.

The Mariners signed Garver to a minor-league contract Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Garver spent the last two seasons with the Mariners serving as the team's backup catcher to Cal Raleigh. Garver will get a chance to reprise that role for the 2026 campaign, and he'll face competition from Jhonny Pereda and Andrew Knizner in spring training. Garver appeared in 87 regular-season games for Seattle in 2025 and slashed .209/.297/.343 with three steals, nine home runs and 30 RBI across 290 plate appearances.

Weber signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Tuesday.

Weber played 97 games with the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate in 2025, slashing .310/.368/.434 with 43 RBI and 60 runs scored across 404 plate appearances. The 28-year-old infielder has yet to make his MLB debut, but a lack of talent on Chicago's big-league roster could allow him to make the jump this season if he continues to play well in the minors.

Alexander signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Tuesday.

Alexander spent nearly all of 2025 at Triple-A, slashing .254/.355/.450 across 462 total plate appearances with three organizations. He'll now begin the 2026 campaign in the Astros' farm system and is again likely to spend most of the year at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Rodgers (back) is fully healthy for the start of spring training and will compete for a utility role on the Red Sox's Opening Day roster, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.

After signing a one-year deal with the Astros last February, Rodgers was limited to just 43 games at the big-league level in 2025. He initially missed time due to an oblique strain, then was involved in a nasty on-field collision during a minor-league rehab assignment in July in which he sustained a concussion as well as back, knee and hip injuries. He was able to resume his rehab assignment in late August before being shut down after one game, but after a full offseason to heal up from his injuries, Rodgers looks to be back to 100 percent. A Gold Glove Award winner at second base with the Rockies in 2022, Rodgers will need to prove he can capably handle other infield positions during the spring in order to boost his chances of making the roster as a utility player.

The Blue Jays claimed Cowles off waivers from the Cubs on Wednesday.

Cowles slashed just .235/.300/.371 with nine home runs and 18 steals over 462 plate appearances at hitter-friendly Triple-A Iowa in 2025. The 26-year-old has some defensive versatility with the ability to handle shortstop, second base and third base. He's likely ticketed for Triple-A Buffalo to kick off the 2026 season.

The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Francis will miss the entire 2026 season after the Blue Jays recently revealed that he would need reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, so his move to the 60-day IL was merely procedural. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Ben Cowles, whom the Blue Jays claimed off waivers from the Cubs.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that McMahon will be given some reps at shortstop during spring training in order to find out whether he can be a backup option at the position, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

McMahon played three innings at shortstop for the Rockies during the 2020 season, but that's the extent of his experience at the position. In all likelihood, the Yankees would use McMahon at shortstop only in an emergency situation. The 31-year-old is slated to be the team's primary third baseman against right-handed pitching.

Moore worked out at third base Wednesday for the second straight day during spring training, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Moore still looks like the frontrunner to open the season as the Angels' top second baseman, but manager Kurt Suzuki said that the 23-year-old is getting a look at the hot corner in camp "just to open up options for him." Yoan Moncada is penciled in as the Angels' primary third baseman, but Moore could fill in at the position when the veteran needs a day off. Moore hit seven home runs and stole three bases across 184 plate appearances in his first taste of the big leagues last season, but a bloated 33.7 percent strikeout rate played a big part in him batting just .198.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Wednesday that Dana has yet to throw a bullpen session during spring training while he recovers from an illness, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Dana seems to have overcome the illness and has since reported back to camp, but after missing about a week of workouts, he's currently behind the Angels' other rotation candidates during spring training. Suzuki said that Dana is in great shape and shouldn't need much time to build back up, so the bout with the illness likely won't be anything that dramatically affects his chances of making the Opening Day roster. Dana made seven appearances (five starts) for the Halos in 2025 and logged a 6.40 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 33:18 K:BB in 32.1 innings.