MLB Player News

The Brewers signed Jay to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Jay was designated for assignment by both the Brewers and Mariners in January and is now back in the Milwaukee organization as a non-roster invitee. The left-handed reliever allowed five runs (four earned) over five appearances between the Mets and Brewers in 2024.

Lopez and the Cubs agreed on a minor-league contract Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Lopez spent the 2024 campaign with the White Sox, batting .241 with one home run, 21 RBI, 40 runs scored and five stolen bases over 398 at-bats in 124 games. The infielder will presumably receive an invitation to major-league spring training in the coming weeks, though that is not confirmed. If Lopez is able to crack the Cubs' 26-man roster this season, he'll earn $1.5 million.

Assad is likely vying for the Cubs' fifth rotation spot this spring, with Jordan Wicks among his top competitors, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Assad made a career-high 29 starts a season ago and held his own, compiling a 3.73 ERA and 124 strikeouts across 147 innings. A year earlier, the righty served in a swing role, as he made 10 starts and 22 relief appearances. The Cubs likely want Assad to stick in the rotation, though the top four spots seem spoken for by Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and new addition Matthew Boyd. That leaves Assad, Wicks and possibly others to compete for the No. 5 job. Given Assad's starting experience from 2024, he's likely the favorite at this point.

Happ is a top option to begin the regular season as the Cubs' leadoff hitter, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report.

Happ hit in a number of lineup spots last year, though he appeared most frequently (66 times) as the leadoff man. Pete Crow-Armstrong has the speed to be an effective leadoff hitter but has yet to display consistent on-base skills, and Chicago manager Craig Counsell said his "gut" tells him that Crow-Armstrong won't start the season atop the order. Happ is a natural option to turn to, though Nico Hoerner and others could be in the mix as well.+

Wicks said he has focused on cardio this offseason in order to be able to pitch deeper into games in 2025, as he will potentially start the year in the rotation, Matt Danielewicz of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Wicks dealt with a handful of injuries in 2024, including an oblique strain in late September that ended the lefty's season. With Kyle Hendricks now gone, the Cubs have some rotation spots to fill, and Wicks and Javier Assad are options for the back end behind Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. However, Chicago also added veteran Matthew Boyd in the offseason, and he will most likely snag a starting spot. That could leave Wicks to handle a long-relief role out of spring training, though he could certainly make starts at some point.

Chicago manager Craig Counsell said his "gut says no" when asked about Crow-Armstrong serving as the Cubs' leadoff hitter to begin the regular season, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report.

With Cody Bellinger now in New York, Crow-Armstrong seems to have center field all to himself in Chicago, though he may not slide into the leadoff spot despite his great speed on the bases. The 22-year-old flashed plenty of promise in 2024 with 10 home runs and 27 stolen bases in 123 games, but he also batted just .237 with a .286 on-base percentage. Crow-Armstrong will have to show more consistency in getting on base if he wants to move up to the top of the order. However, even if he hits lower in the lineup, the youngster has enough upside to have a breakout campaign in 2025.

Morejon will enter spring training as a reliever, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The Padres are in need of a fifth starter with Joe Musgrove expected to miss all or most of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last October. Morejon has some experience starting in the majors and made some sense as a candidate for the open rotation spot, but manager Mike Shildt said Saturday that the southpaw "has found a really nice niche in the bullpen" and is expected to continue in that role. Morejon enjoyed his best big-league campaign in 2024, posting a 2.83 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 71:21 K:BB while notching two saves and 12 holds over 63.2 innings spanning 60 relief appearances.

Bogaerts will be the Padres' starting shortstop during the upcoming season, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

San Diego shifted Bogaerts to second base ahead of the 2024 campaign, and he ended up making 85 starts there. However, the veteran infielder did start 16 times at shortstop, with all of those appearances coming at the end of the season after Ha-Seong Kim landed on the injured list due to a shoulder injury. Kim is now in Tampa Bay, which made Bogaerts' return to shortstop an expected scenario. For fantasy purposes, it's important to note that Bogaerts made 20 appearances at the position in total during the 2024 regular season, so he should have dual-position eligibility from the beginning of the season in most formats.

Glasnow (elbow) indicated Saturday that his most recent MRI came back clean and that he's been throwing as usual during the offseason, Rowan Kavner of FOX Sports reports. "I've been throwing normal, throwing bullpens, and I feel as good as I've ever felt," Glasnow stated.

Speaking at the team's DodgerFest event, Glasnow explained that the elbow injury that ended his 2024 season turned out to be just tendinitis. The veteran right-hander stated back in November that he was planning to throw twice per week throughout the offseason without an extended break, and it appears that his work this winter has gone smoothly. Given Glasnow's comments, it seems likely that he will be ready to pitch by the time Los Angeles kicks off its season in Tokyo, Japan on March 18, though it's not yet clear if he'll be one of the team's starters for the two-game set against the Cubs.

Rojas said Saturday expects to be ready by Opening Day after undergoing hernia surgery during the offseason, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rojas revealed that he developed an infection after the procedure, which delayed his offseason program by a few weeks. The 35-year-old infielder said that he is nearly at full health, and unless he suffers a setback, he should be ready for Opening Day. Rojas slashed .283/.337/.410 with eight stolen bases, six home runs and 36 RBI across 337 plate appearances during the 2024 regular season.