MLB Player News

The Diamondbacks placed Burnes (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The move was merely procedural, as Burnes is targeting a season debut around the All-Star break while he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Zac Gallen, who re-signed with Arizona on a one-year deal.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday that moving Hence to a relief role is not something that has been "truly discussed at the moment," Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said in December that the team had engaged in internal conversations about whether a move to the bullpen would be best for Hence's long-term health. However, the Cardinals have opted to keep the righty stretched out for now. Hence was limited to just eight appearances in 2025 due to a lat strain and shoulder impingement, and he has yet to reach 100 innings in a pro season because of durability issues. He worked on mechanical changes this offseason and also incorporated a new stretching and recovery plan, and the 23-year-old entered spring training healthy. Hence is on the 40-man roster but has yet to advance past Double-A Springfield, and he could return to Springfield to begin the 2026 campaign.

Hoerner and the Cubs will likely discuss a contract extension during spring training, but it's unclear if a deal will get done, Jesse Rogers of ESPN said on the Waddle and Silvy podcast.

Hoerner is in the last year of a three-year, $35 million contract, giving the Cubs some incentive to extend him before the season gets underway. However, the team's acquisition of Alex Bregman has pushed Matt Shaw off third base, and he could slot in at second base in 2027. That could impact Chicago's willingness to invest in Hoerner, who batted .297 last year with 29 stolen bases over 156 regular-season games. The 28-year-old has never hit for much power, but he's a career .282 hitter who's swiped 131 bases across seven MLB seasons, giving him plenty of fantasy appeal.

Waldrep remains likely to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett, even with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) having been placed on the 60-day IL, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta's pitching depth will be tested right out of the gate, with Bryce Elder and Joey Wentz viewed as the top candidates to fill in for Schwellenbach along with top prospect Waldrep. However, the 23-year-old right-hander still has minor-league options remaining, while Wentz and Elder do not, giving them the edge in the camp battle for spots on the 26-man roster -- either as the fifth starter or as a long man in the bullpen. Waldrep should still get another crack at the majors at some point in 2026 after posting a 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 55:22 K:BB over 56.1 innings last season.

Elder could begin the season as Atlanta's No. 5 starter with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) on the 60-day IL, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta's pitching depth will be tested right out of the gate, with Elder, Joey Wentz and prospect Hurston Waldrep viewed as the top candidates to fill in for Schwellenbach. Elder made 28 starts for the team in 2025, and while his overall 5.30 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB over 156.1 innings weren't very encouraging, the right-hander did have a strong finish to the campaign with a 2.82 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 41:8 K:BB over his final seven starts and 44.2 innings. Both Wentz and Elder are out of minor-league options, giving them a leg up on Waldrep for a spot on the 26-man roster -- either as the fifth starter or as a long man in the bullpen.

Wentz could begin the season as Atlanta's No. 5 starter with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) on the 60-day IL, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta's pitching depth will be tested right out of the gate, with Wentz, Bryce Elder and prospect Hurston Waldrep viewed as the top candidates to fill in for Schwellenbach. Wentz looked very good in his first month with the team last season after being claimed off waivers from the Twins in July, but by the end of the campaign the southpaw had a 4.92 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 64:23 K:BB through 64.0 innings for Atlanta. However, Wentz and Elder are both out of minor-league options, giving them a leg up on Waldrep for a spot on the 26-man roster -- either as the fifth starter or as a long man in the bullpen.

After setting a franchise record for strikeouts last season, Greene is focused on making more consistent contact in 2026, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

On balance, Greene had a productive 2025 campaign, as he set new career highs with 36 home runs, 84 runs scored and 111 RBI over 157 regular-season games. He also had a career-worst 30.7 percent strikeout rate and saw his batting average (.258) and OBP (.313) dip from 2024. The talented outfielder said he may have been too focused on going deep, so he's going to try to be more selective and take what the pitcher gives him. He may also implement some small mechanical tweaks to his swing. The tradeoff could mean a drop in homers for Greene this year, but the 25-year-old remains a top fantasy target, and there's still room for growth in his game.

Yoshida's role for the 2026 roster is uncertain entering training camp, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Yoshida enters the fourth year of a five-year contract having underwhelmed since his arrival in Boston. Injuries have played a part, but the 32-year-old has also been passed on the depth chart by younger options. A shoulder injury to open 2025 limited him to 55 regular-season games in which he recorded an unremarkable slash line of .266/.307/.388, but an .837 OPS during the month of September suggests the shoulder was still an issue most of the year. Designated hitter appears to be his best fit, but the Red Sox also need to figure out a spot for Triston Casas (knee) when he's cleared to play, and the team already has four other outfielders pushing for regular at-bats.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday that Uceta arrived at camp with a "cranky shoulder" and won't be available to pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic as a result, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cash labeled the decision to pull Uceta out of the WBC as precautionary and indicated that the Rays fully expect the right-hander to be ready to go for Opening Day. The team heads into the upcoming season without a set closer after letting Pete Fairbanks walk in free agency, and Uceta could factor into the team's late-inning mix if his shoulder isn't a concern. The 28-year-old netted one save and 21 holds over 70 appearances last season while racking up an impressive 103 strikeouts across 76 frames.

Casas (knee) will be doing individual drills when the Red Sox have their first full-squad workout Sunday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

He'll be taking part in drills similar to the rest of the team. For the first time in three seasons, Casas does not enter camp as the primary starter at first base, as offseason trade acquisition Willson Contreras will handle the position. That leaves designated hitter as a potential landing spot for Casas once he's healthy, and he could provide a boost to a lineup that, on paper, lacks power. Any of Boston's four main outfielders could also slot in at DH, however, and Masataka Yoshida will be in the mix as well. Casas, who is recovering from May 2025 knee surgery, isn't expected to be ready for game action by Opening Day.