MLB Player News

He picked up a strikeout while pitching around a walk and a hit in the frame. Qualls had been limited recently by a left knee injury, but it doesn’t appear to be an issue anymore.

As expected all along, Boone continued to say Schlittler will likely be a bit behind at the start of the season. He could be built up to 65-80 pitches by then if all goes well. He’s not a priority scoop in fantasy leagues this year but has a high upside case if he can prove his health over the next few weeks.

Bernabel had a shot at Washington’s first-base vacancy after coming over on a minor league deal, but it appears to be trending towards Abimelec Ortiz handling the job at the moment. Still just 23, Bernabel will likely play at AAA if he sticks with the Nationals.

The Padres seem pretty comfortable with a 2-3-4 of Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, and Fernando Tatis Jr., but the leadoff hitter spot has not been solidified yet by new manager Craig Stammen. If true, this would be a small boost for Cronenworth’s value — he would see the majority of the at-bats in a good lineup and could significantly bump his run total in 2026.

It’s not exactly ominous, but back injuries are never great news and can linger. Jacob Melton is stepping in today for the Rays. The Rays should have an update on Mullins’ status in the near future.

Greene said that he has no UCL damage, but said he was dealing with elbow discomfort down the stretch in 2025. Francona elaborated that “He’s just not recovering the way he’s comfortable. The ball is coming out pretty good. You’re asking a guy to go out there and throw as hard as he can. We need to make sure he’s ok.” While Greene said that he “know[s]” he has bone spurs and added he hopefully “can still make a good amount of starts and not miss a really good chunk of the season and most importantly the playoff push.” This is all rather ominous news and Greene probably should come heavily discounted in drafts at the moment until we get a more definitive update.

No major concerns here on Carter’s availability for the regular season, as apparently whatever illness Corey Seager had is going around the clubhouse.

That’s in a best-case scenario. Minter is scheduled to throw his first live BP session today. The veteran lefty reliever is recovering from a torn lat muscle he suffered last May.

Lavender missed the 2025 season while recovering from an internal brace procedure. He has thrown just seven innings since 2023, and will look to get back on the horse in (likely) Syracuse or Binghamton.

He has no timeline for his return. Kittredge was set to be one of the main options in the pen ahead of closer Ryan Helsley this season, but this shut down sounds likely to land him on IL. More hold opportunities will funnel down to Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano.

It pushes back the expected timeline back a little from our last update, where AJ Cassavell noted that Canning was expected to start the year on IL but “might not be there very long.” Canning is still working on getting his change-of-direction back so he can field the position well, but is full-go when pitching.