MLB Player News

Manager Kurt Suzuki said Joyce (shoulder) is playing catch, but it remains to be seen if the right-hander will be ready by Opening Day, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old made just five appearances in 2025 due to shoulder issues, which necessitated surgery to repair a torn labrum in May. It's encouraging that Joyce has started up a throwing program, but he'll require a significant ramp-up period while coming back from major surgery. Once healthy, he could be part of the closer mix for the Angels, along with Robert Stephenson and Kirby Yates.

Verlander agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Tigers on Tuesday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The veteran right-hander spent the 2025 campaign in San Francisco, finishing the season with a 3.85 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 137:52 K:BB across 152 innings. Verlander is now coming back to Detroit, where he won Rookie of the Year, an MVP and a Cy Young Award across the first 13 seasons of his big-league career. He'll turn 43 years old on Feb. 20 and will help round out a Tigers rotation headlined by Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez.

Manager Alex Cora announced Tuesday that Crochet will start Opening Day against the Reds on March 26, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.

It's hardly a surprise the left-hander will be taking the mound first for Boston, and Cora wasted no time making it official. Crochet entrenched himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball last year, posting a 2.59 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 255:46 K:BB across 205.1 innings during the regular season.

The Red Sox placed Houck (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The right-hander underwent a hybrid reconstruction of the UCL in his right elbow, plus a flexor tendon repair, in August, so his move to the 60-day IL was always a matter of time. Houck is targeting late 2026 to rejoin the Red Sox, but it wouldn't be surprising if he's unable to rejoin the major-league roster until 2027.

Bradford (elbow) will incorporate 8-to-10 changeups into his bullpen session Tuesday, which will be his first session that's not all fastballs, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

It's the left-hander's seventh bullpen session as he continues to ramp up his throwing program after undergoing an internal brace procedure in June. Bradford is targeting May for his season debut, and he could begin a rehab assignment sometime around Opening Day in late March.

Civale agreed to a one-year $6 million contract with the A's on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The 30-year-old right-hander split the 2025 campaign between the Brewers, White Sox and Cubs, finishing the regular season with a 4.85 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 88:33 K:BB across 102 innings. Civale started in 18 of those 23 appearances last year and is a safe bet to work out of the Athletics' rotation, providing another veteran presence in a unit that's unsettled at the back end.

Mayer's starting position has yet to be determined, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. He played both second base and third base during his rookie season in 2025.

Mayer had been ticketed for a starting role at third base, replacing the departed Alex Bregman, but Monday's acquisition of Caleb Durbin from Milwaukee creates uncertainty. Both Mayer and Durbin have experience at the hot corner and second base in the majors, and manager Alex Cora was hesitant to make any decisions Monday. An early indicator of the infielders' eventual landing spot should come Feb. 15, when Boston's position players report to Fort Myers and where the two are stationed during spring training drills.

Lee is the favorite to start at shortstop for the Twins but must show improved range and more consistent offense, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Lee took over as the everyday shortstop last season after Carlos Correa was traded, but he struggled at the position defensively. The Twins have very little depth behind Lee at shortstop, so they have little choice but to throw him out there and hope for improvement with the glove. If Lee falters, Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia would be next in line at shortstop for Minnesota.

Ober worked with a specialist much of the offseason after dealing with a nagging hip issue in 2025 and has noticed a "big difference," Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Ober posted a 5.10 ERA over 27 starts last season and saw his average four-seamer velocity tumble from 91.7 mph to 90.3 mph year-over-year. The 30-year-old also lost the command he had been known for, but he is now fully healthy and seems optimistic about a bounce-back season in 2026. Prior to 2025, Ober had a career 3.76 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 25.6 percent strikeout rate and 5.4 percent walk rate.

Rocker enters spring training as a competitor for a spot in the starting rotation, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Rocker broke camp last season in the rotation but experienced an injury and mechanical issues on his way to a 5.74 ERA across 64.1 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander was eventually optioned to Triple-A Round Rock in August and shut down shortly thereafter to refine his mechanics. "Kumar is in a really good spot," Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said. "I think last offseason, maybe, he got away from some things that he needed to do to have success. This offseason, he's gotten back to those things." The organization's acquisition of MacKenzie Gore left one rotation spot available, with Rocker and Jacob Latz viewed as the primary candidates.