MLB Player News

The Yankees do not expect Volpe (shoulder) to be ready for his season debut before the end of April, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Volpe underwent surgery in mid-October to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. He is expected to be cleared to hit by February but will not be allowed to dive on the shoulder until around April. It's possible Volpe will be ready to go by early May, but a clearer picture of his timetable should be available at a later date. Jose Caballero is in line to serve as the Yankees' primary shortstop until Volpe is ready.

The Yankees expect Cole (elbow) to rejoin their rotation in late May or early June, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The team has said previously only that they did not expect Cole to be ready for Opening Day, and now it appears he could be held out for as much as the first two months of the season. Cole -- who had had Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in March -- has been throwing on flat ground but has yet to progress to mound work.

The Yankees expect Rodon (elbow) to be ready for his season debut in late April or early May, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rodon underwent surgery in mid-October to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. The left-hander is expected to be cleared to begin a throwing program later this month, but he will need time to get built up and will begin the 2026 campaign on the 15-day injured list.

The Rays designated Curet for assignment Saturday.

The 23-year-old righty will depart the Rays' 40-man roster in order to make room for Cedric Mullins, whose signing was made official Saturday. Curet turned in a 1.45 ERA over 18.2 innings in Double-A this past season but struggled upon being promoted to Triple-A, where he accumulated a 6.03 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 31.1 frames.

The Nationals traded Ferrer to the Mariners on Saturday in exchange for Harry Ford and minor-league pitcher Isaac Lyon, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Ferrer finished the 2025 season with a 4.48 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 76.1 innings, and he also recorded 11 saves upon taking over as the Nationals' closer following the departure of Kyle Finnegan. The Mariners' bullpen is a bit deeper than Washington's, however, so Ferrer is likely to take on a middle-relief role with his new club.

Rodriguez cleared waivers Saturday and was sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Rodriguez's performance improved considerably upon moving to the bullpen in 2025, as he finished the regular season with a 3.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through 73 innings. Despite his strong numbers, he became the roster casualty necessary to make room for Cody Ponce, who signed with the Jays on Tuesday. None of the other 29 clubs were willing to pay Rodriguez the $17 million he's owed over the next three seasons, so the right-hander will remain in the organization without a spot on the 40-man roster and attempt to win it back during spring training.

The Orioles designated Noda for assignment Saturday.

Noda was removed from Baltimore's 40-man roster to help make room for the additions of Will Robertson from Pittsburgh and Drew Romo from Colorado. Noda slashed just .106/.276/.170 over 23 MLB games between the White Sox and Orioles this past season, though he finished the Triple-A season with a .770 OPS through 291 plate appearances.

VanWey cleared waivers Friday and was outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

VanWey reached the majors for the first time in 2025 and logged a 5.06 ERA alongside a 1.69 WHIP over 10.2 innings. He now seems poised to begin the new season back in Triple-A, and the Astros could look to fill his spot on the 40-man roster during the Rule 5 Draft.

Trammell cleared waivers Friday and was sent outright to Triple-A Sugar Land, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Trammell signed a split contract with Houston in November that would've paid him $900,000 if he were in the big leagues, but it now appears that he will begin the 2026 campaign in the minors. The 28-year-old outfielder owns a .632 OPS over 494 plate appearances in his big-league career and likely wouldn't serve as more than a bench piece if he made it back to the majors in '26.

The Orioles claimed Romo off waivers from the Rockies on Friday.

It wasn't that long ago that Romo looked like the Rockies' catcher of the future, but his progress stalled and Hunter Goodman emerged, leading Colorado to expose him to waivers. Romo is 9-for-54 at the plate during his brief time in the majors and slashed only .264/.329/.409 across 60 games in 2025 while playing his home games at hitter-friendly Triple-A Albuquerque. The Orioles already have Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo at the big-league level, so Romo will likely begin 2026 at Triple-A Norfolk, unless the club elects to carry three catchers.