MLB Player News

Kwan left Saturday with hamstring tightness, and it’s not surprising to see him out of the lineup for the series finale. With the 26-year-old out of action, the Guardians will have Will Brennan play in left field, which Estevan Florial will act as designated hitter and hit in Kwan’s leadoff spot. For now, he should be considered day-to-day.

The 19-year-old shortstop was shut down during the Arizona Fall League due to what had been termed as arm fatigue. It seems there was a more serious underlying elbow issue at play. It’s not clear yet which elbow procedure that he’ll undergo. Walcott is expected to miss the bulk of the 2026 season while recovering.

Lively was removed from the team’s 40-man roster back in November and the veteran right-hander elected free agency. He’s in the process of recovering from Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss most of the 2026 season. He has already reported to the Guardians’ spring training facility and will continue his rehab in a familiar setting.

The session included one up/down, simulating a break in-between innings. 27-year-old hurler wound up missing the entire 2025 season due to a lower back issue that cropped up during spring training. If healthy, he could provide a major and unexpected boost to the Marlins’ bullpen heading into 2026.

The 24-year-old superstar is expected to return to the club’s spring training facility on Sunday. This won’t have any impact on Henderson’s ability to get himself ready in time for the start of the regular season and shouldn’t impact his fantasy draft stock at all. He has been the third shortstop drafted on average in early drafts, behind only Bobby Witt Jr. and Elly De La Cruz.

The 37-year-old hurler has thrown just 18 2/3 innings in the big leagues over the past three seasons, but as long as he’s healthy he could wind up being an integral part of the Twins’ bullpen. If he looks strong this spring, he could compete with Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa for save chances, making him worthy of a late-round flier in deeper mixed leagues.

Merryweather had a nice season with the Cubs in 2023, finishing with a 3.38 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 72 innings, but he’s battled some injuries since and amassed a 6.14 ERA with his velocity down about two mph these last two years. He still might be interesting in a Twins pen absent much strikeout potential.

It’s a full circle for Hendriks, who signed with the Twins as a teenager and made his major league debut for the club in 2011. One certainly can’t count on Hendriks staying healthy at age 37 after throwing just 18 2/3 innings in the majors the last three years, but if he does, there’s a good chance he’ll wind up leading the Twins in saves, given the state of their pen. If he impresses this spring, he could be worth a flier.

No aces for the Orioles, but this is another strong addition. The 36-year-old Bassitt has made 30 starts each of the last four seasons, going 52-40 with a 3.77 ERA during that span. His stuff did show signs of decline last season and he was left out of the Jays’ postseason rotation, but he wound up looking great as a setup man during the team’s World Series run. He’ll join Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz in the Orioles rotation, leaving one spot for Dean Kremer or Zach Elfin. However, they’ll surely need all six starters in the end. The move does push Cade Povich further down the depth chart, and it would seem to guarantee that Tyler Wells will open up in the pen.

Urquidy couldn’t help the Tigers after returning from Tommy John surgery late last season, but the Pirates figure to give him a chance to win a rotation spot, with a role in middle relief also possible. The 30-year-old Urquidy has a 4.00 ERA in 70 starts and 11 relief appearances as a major leaguer. All but two of those outings came with the Astros from 2019-23.

The move, which makes room for José Urquidy on the roster, comes hours after he was seen throwing at Pirates camp today. Jones’s internal brace surgery that took place last May comes with a 10-12 month recovery window, so it’s a little disappointing to see him already ruled out for the first two months of the season. Still, the Pirates weren’t going to rack up a big innings total anyway. Jones looked like a long-term No. 2 starter behind Paul Skenes while going 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA and a 132/39 K/BB in 121 2/3 innings as a 22-year-old rookie in 2024. He might have something to offer in mixed leagues come June or July.