MLB Player News

Johnson was informed Friday that he has made the Angels' Opening Day roster, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Johnson has been making a strong case to not only make the big-league roster but also be part of the Halos' rotation. While he'll be part of the roster, his exact role remains uncertain. He and Jack Kochanowicz, who will also make the Opening Day roster, had seemingly been competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, and that path could be clear with Alek Manoah struggling this spring and Grayson Rodriguez (elbow) battling injury.

The Guardians named Bibee as their starter for Opening Day against the Mariners on Thursday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

It'll be the first Opening Day start for Bibee, who was scheduled to do so last season before being a late scratch due to an illness. The right-hander is coming off an up-and-down 2024 campaign during which he posted a 4.24 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 162:54 K:BB across 182.1 regular-season innings. Now entering his age-27 campaign, Bibee will look to regain the form that resulted in a 3.25 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across his first two MLB seasons in 2023 and 2024.

Kochanowicz was informed Friday that he made the Angels' Opening Day roster in an unspecified role, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Kochanowicz has been competing for a spot in the Halos' rotation, and while it's not a guarantee he'll be a starter, he's officially made the team. Still, there's a strong chance Kochanowicz is part of the rotation, given Alek Manoah's struggles this spring and an elbow issue for Grayson Rodriguez. Kochanowicz posted a 6.81 ERA across 111.0 innings for the Angels last season.

The White Sox released Voth on Friday.

Voth spent the 2025 campaign in Japan before signing an NRI deal with the White Sox in February. He made one appearance in spring training, allowing two runs (one earned) over two innings of relief.

The White Sox released Borucki on Friday.

After posting a 4.63 ERA across 35 innings in 2025 while spending time with the Pirates and Blue Jays, Borucki signed an NRI deal with the White Sox this offseason. However, he was unable to claim a spot in the big-league bullpen despite throwing six scoreless innings during spring training. That spring performance could draw interest on the open market from a team looking for left-handed bullpen help.

Nunez went 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Getting the start at second base and batting second against left-hander Quinn Mathews while Luis Garcia played first base, Nunez ran his steals count for the spring up to six in six attempts. It's not yet clear exactly how Nunez will be deployed this season, but Garcia's defensive issues at the keystone could create more playing time than expected for his switch-hitting backup. Nunez's wheels are legit -- he stole 46 bases in 53 attempts between Triple-A and the majors over just 102 games in 2025 -- but he has yet to show he can hit big-league pitching consistently and is batting just .207 (6-for-29) this spring with an 8:9 BB:K.

Abel is poised to begin the season in Minnesota's starting rotation after Zebby Matthews was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

The Twins have yet to announce their official rotation plans, but Abel has apparently won the battle for the No. 5 spot. The 24-year-old was dominant during spring training with a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 17:1 K:BB across 13.1 innings. Abel struggled to a 6.23 ERA in 10 appearances between the Phillies and Twins in his first taste of the majors last season, but he should find more success if he's able to keep limiting free passes, as he's had a walk rate of at least nine percent at every professional level.

Rodriguez (arm) played light catch Friday and said he doesn't consider his injury serious, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rodriguez is taking a cautious approach in his recovery from a dead arm, but that's due to his injury history rather than the severity of the current issue, as the right-hander called the injury "not serious." Still, it's unclear if Rodriguez will have to open the regular season on the injured list.

Irvin appears to be on track to begin the season as part of the Nationals' rotation, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

Josiah Gray and Mitchell Parker were optioned to Triple-A Rochester this week while Brad Lord is being shifted to the bullpen, which seemingly leaves Irvin as the last man standing for the fifth starter role. Irvin's reliability may have won the day, as he's made 33 starts in each of the last two seasons despite a 5.04 ERA, and the 29-year-old right-hander has had a strong spring with a 1.35 ERA and 15:4 K:BB over 13.1 innings.

Lord indicated Thursday that he was no longer being built up as a starter, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old righty has thrown 12.1 innings over five spring appearances (one start) with a 2.19 ERA and 8:3 K:BB, but it appears the Nationals are more comfortable with him in a long-relief role. Lord worked three scoreless innings and 36 pitches (27 strikes) out of the bullpen in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts, and he could piggyback Zack Littell early in the season while the late signing gets fully stretched out. As a rookie in 2025, Lord posted a 4.34 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 108:43 K:BB in 130.2 innings over 48 appearances (19 starts).