MLB Player News

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Thursday that Herrera (elbow) remains limited with his throwing and hitting, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera underwent surgery in November to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, so he's being eased into things in spring training. The elbow rehab will keep Herrera from participating in the World Baseball Classic for his native Panama due to insurance issues, but it is not expected to affect his Opening Day availability. Herrera is attempting to return to catcher in 2026 after the elbow issue limited him to designated hitter duty for the final few months of the 2025 season.

The Dodgers placed Phillips (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for Enrique Hernandez (elbow). Phillips will be sidelined for at least the first few months of the 2026 campaign after having Tommy John surgery last May.

The Mets placed Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for MJ Melendez, who signing became official Thursday. Megill will miss the entire 2026 season following September 2025 Tommy John surgery.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Thursday that Encarnacion-Strand is behind schedule after suffering a hamstring injury in January, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Encarnacion-Strand is on a running program, so he is improving, but he could miss the first few Cactus League games. The 26-year-old infielder slashed just .208/.234/.377 across 137 plate appearances last season and looks to be a bit buried on the Reds' depth chart.

Rincones will miss the first part of the Grapefruit League schedule due to left knee soreness, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Rincones was awarded a 40-man roster spot during the offseason after slashing .242/.366/.430 with 18 homers, 73 RBI, 80 runs scored and 22 steals across 119 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year. The 24-year-old outfield prospect was expected to compete for a spot on the Phillies' bench during spring training, but his chances of making the Opening Day roster have taken a significant hit now that he's slated to miss some time.

Contreras (finger) signed a one-year contract with the Brewers on Thursday to avoid arbitration.

Contreras' new deal also includes a club option for the 2027 season. The 28-year-old's production dipped a bit in 2025, as he slashed .260/.355/.399 with 17 homers, 76 RBI and 89 runs scored over 150 regular-season games while playing through a fractured finger for most of the year. He underwent surgery in the offseason to address the issue and is expected to be fully recovered by Opening Day.

The Diamondbacks signed Sewald to a one-year, $1.5 million contract Thursday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Sewald was the Diamondbacks' closer when they won the National League pennant in 2023 and opened the 2024 season in the role before eventually being replaced. He'll turn 36 in May and was limited to just 19.2 innings in 2025 due to injuries, posting a 4.58 ERA and 20:6 K:BB between the Guardians and Tigers. Sewald might not have much left in the tank, but given of the state of Arizona's bullpen, it wouldn't be far-fetched that he winds up with some save opportunities.

Ruiz has been cleared of any concussion symptoms to begin spring training, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old was limited to only 68 games last season after being struck in the head by a foul ball in late June, but Ruiz's offensive numbers were lagging even prior to the concussion issues that cost him the final three months of 2025. He'll compete in camp with Harry Ford, acquired from the Mariners in the Jose Ferrer trade this offseason, for the top job behind the plate with the Nationals.

The Dodgers re-signed Hernandez (elbow) to a one-year contract Thursday, Hernandez announced in an Instagram post.

It had been considered a formality that Hernandez would return to the Dodgers. He is recovering from left elbow surgery and is expected to begin the season on the 60-day injured list, per Noah Camras of DodgersNation.com. Once healthy, Hernandez will operate in a utility role, seeing much of his action versus left-handed pitching. The 34-year-old has hit just .219/.270/.370 over the last two regular seasons, but he's a career .272/.339/.486 hitter in the postseason.

Gray (elbow) is hoping to be part of the Nationals' Opening Day rotation, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

The once-promising right-hander is now 28 years old and has barely pitched the last two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2024. Gray did make three brief rehab appearances in the minors late last season, and he had no setbacks this winter, so he heads into camp without any restrictions. "We obviously don't want to do anything that'll jeopardize his long-term health here," Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said Tuesday. "But he was pretty darn close to being fully built up at the end of last year, and then you had the full offseason to get into good shape. So we expect him to build up like any other starting pitcher competing for a job." Gray posted a 3.91 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 143:80 K:BB over 159 innings in 2023, and his return would bolster a rotation that has only one experienced arm in Miles Mikolas, who was signed to a one-year deal Wednesday.