Herrera was designated for assignment by the Royals on Tuesday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Herrera was cast off Kansas City's 40-man roster in order to free up a spot for Terrance Gore, who was signed to a split contract in a corresponding move. The 26-year-old appeared in 86 big-league games in 2018, hitting .234/.386/.317 with one homer and three steals.

Descalso signed with the Cubs on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

The veteran utility man had a career season in 2018, coming to the plate 423 times and recording career bests in homers (13), walk rate (15.1 percent), ISO (.198) and wRC+ (111) while hitting .238/.353/.436. He's not a star by any means and has just one season with an above-average batting line under his belt, but his ability to perform capably around the infield and in left field while providing some value at the plate is a great fit for a Cubs' roster which includes a number of flexible players already. He won't be a first-choice option anywhere for the Cubs but should play often at various spots around the diamond for Joe Maddon, a manager who is certainly fond of rotation.

Margot sustained a bone bruise when he fouled a ball off his left foot in a Dominican Winter League game earlier this month, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

General manager A.J. Preller acknowledged that Margot probably will be shut down for the rest of the winter-ball season as a result of the injury, but the outfielder's availability for spring training won't be in any peril. That being said, the lack of opportunity to gain momentum before spring arrives could hinder Margot's efforts to claim the everyday center field gig on the heels of a disappointing 2018 campaign in which he slashed .245/.292/.384 across 519 plate appearances. Margot still projects as the frontrunner for those duties due to his stellar defense and encouraging track record at the dish prior to last season, but he'll still face a challenge from the toolsy Franchy Cordero, who will vie for the starting gig now that he's made a full recovery from elbow surgery.

General manager Al Avila said last week that Fulmer has regained full range of motion in his surgically repaired right knee and remains on track to be ready for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

A report earlier this month suggested that Fulmer was slightly behind in his recovery from surgery to address a damaged meniscus and frayed cartilage, but Avila's comments paint a rosier picture of the right-hander's recovery. Fulmer will presumably test out the health of his knee in workouts later this winter, and if he gets the green light from his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, the 25-year-old should report to spring training without any limitations.

General manager Brian Cashman relayed last week that Sanchez has finished the "heavy lifting" of his rehab from left shoulder surgery and will serve as the Yankees' primary catcher in 2019, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Sanchez was a major disappointment both offensively and defensively in 2018, slashing just .186/.291/.406 across 374 plate appearances while yielding 18 passed balls, five more than any other backstop. The 26-year-old's lack of defensive polish may force a move to first base or designated hitter down the line, but the Yankees remain hopeful that with improved health, Sanchez can acquit himself well enough to be a passable option behind the dish. For fantasy purposes, Sanchez still projects as an elite fantasy asset at the position if he can avoid the extended absences and terrible luck on balls in play that marred his 2018 campaign.

Brantley has agreed to a two-year, $32 million deal with the Astros, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sport reports.

Brantley spent his entire big-league career with the Indians prior to becoming a free agent this offseason (2009-18). Although the deal hasn't been made official quite yet, both sides have agreed in principle and are working out the details. He put up stellar numbers at the dish a season ago, posting a .309/.364/.468 batting line, and he showed some pop by hammering 17 home runs and driving in 76 over 143 games. Houston already has a number of solid outfielders (George Springer and Josh Reddick to name a few), though Brantley figures to slot in as the starting left fielder, especially considering he made 134 starts in left field during the 2018 season. However, he may also see time at first base and as the designated hitter, per Passan.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said Teague (ankle) will not play Wednesday against the Pistons, Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Despite being active, Teague was held out of Monday's game against the Kings due to left ankle inflammation. While the issue doesn't appear to be anything overly serious, the Timberwolves will play it safe and give Teague the next three days to recover before potentially returning for Friday's game against the Spurs. Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones should once again benefit from Teague's absence.

Maten tallied 31 points (11-19 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), 10 rebounds and two assists in the loss Monday to Iowa.

Maten posted another double-double, a consistent theme for the forward this year. It seems unlikely Maten will continue to wreak havoc on the G League, but Miami's depth at the NBA level might mean it'll take longer than normal to call up someone who has displayed his level of skill.

Rivers is expected to sign with the Grizzlies once he is officially bought out by the Suns, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

Rivers, who was dealt to the Suns as part of the deal that sent Trevor Ariza to Washington earlier in the week, is set to join the Grizzlies after being waived by Phoenix. Before being traded, Rivers posted averages of 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 23.6 minutes with the Wizards (29 games). He figures to see similar opportunities with the Grizzlies, though his exact role remains undetermined.

Oubre (not injury related) practiced for the first time with the Suns on Tuesday, Gina Mizell of The Athletic reports.

Oubre passed his physical and took the court with his new teammates for the first time since the trade. His status for Wednesday's matchup in Boston remains unclear for now, although it's positive news that he managed to log some practice time with Phoenix. Oubre's availability for Wednesday should clear up in the near future.

Ingram (ankle) will begin a rehab stint with the South Bay Lakers on Tuesday.

Ingram has been sidelined for the last six games because of a left ankle sprain, but it's good news that he's beginning to trend in the right direction. An exact timeline for his return has yet to be firmly established, although there's a possibility he could be back with the Lakers in time for Friday's matchup against New Orleans.

Smith (wrist) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Nuggets, Dwain Price of the Mavericks' official site reports.

As expected, Smith won't play Tuesday after entering the day listed as doubtful. The guard has now missed seven of the last eight games while nursing a right wrist injury. Jalen Brunson and J.J. Barea (ankle) should handle the bulk of ball handling duties with Smith sidelined. Thursday's game against the Clippers will be Smith's next chance to return.

Koivu (knee) will return to action Tuesday evening against the visiting Sharks, Jessi Pierce of The Athletic Minnesota reports.

Koivu, fortunately, wasn't dealing with a long-term injury as was initially feared to be the case, but it doesn't appear that he will slide back into the top six upon his return. Instead, Koivu should be on the third line with Jason Zucker and Luke Kunin. That Wild won't go as far as leaving the heady veteran off the power play, though.

Baertschi (concussion) won't return to the lineup prior to the Christmas break, as coach Travis Green told reporters, "I don't expect him to play in the next week before the break."

Baertschi hasn't played since Oct. 24, a stretch of 26 games on the sidelines, and will miss a minimum of the Canucks' next three contests. The fact that the team considers him day-to-day is certainly a good sign, but no firm timeline of when he might be available has been announced, so fantasy owners will have to take a wait and see approach.

Grubauer will defend the home net versus the Canadiens on Wednesday, Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic reports.

Grubauer will take on a Habs team that has gone 6-4-0 in the past 10 games without much direction one way or the other in a tightly contested Atlantic Division. Still, Colorado's chief backup will need to watch out for Max Domi, in particular, as the 23-year-old wunderkind leads Montreal with 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) through 34 games.

Nilsson will start between the pipes in Tuesday's home game against the Lightning.

Nilsson hasn't been great in the month of December, suffering three consecutive losses while posting a sub-par 3.01 GAA and .899 save percentage over that span. The Swedish netminder will look to start righting the ship while picking up his fourth win of the season in a brutal home matchup with a Tampa Bay club that's 10-3-2 on the road this campaign.

Nelson (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision for Tuesday's matchup with Arizona, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

Nelson exited Monday's 4-1 win over the Avalanche after logging 11:54 of ice time due to an undisclosed injury, so the fact that he's considered questionable for Tuesday's contest doesn't come as a surprise. If Nelson's unable to go, Ross Johnston or Tom Kuhnhackl will likely draw into the lineup against the Coyotes.

Hickey is still undergoing testing for the upper-body injury he suffered versus Colorado on Monday, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

The news effectively rules Hickey out for Tuesday's clash with Arizona, which figures to open the door for Luca Sbisa to return to the lineup. In 32 games this season, the 29-year-old Hickey tallied just four assists, 37 shots and 56 blocks and won't offer much in terms of offensive firepower.