MLB Player News
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Shane Bieber SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Shane Bieber: Workload could be eyed this spring
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that the team could monitor Bieber's workload during spring training, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Bieber isn't dealing with any known injury, but the Blue Jays will be careful with him in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old threw a total of 88 innings in 2025 after handling only 12 innings in 2024. Bieber exercised his $16 million player option for 2026 last month to remain with the Blue Jays rather than test the open market.
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Trey Yesavage SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Trey Yesavage: No hard innings cap in 2026
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that Yesavage will be in the team's rotation in 2026 and will not have a strict innings limit, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Between the minors, regular season and postseason, Yesavage threw a total of 139.2 innings in 2025 in his first professional season. While the Blue Jays will no doubt keep an eye on the right-hander's workload, particularly early on in the season, he will not be working with a strict innings cap. Yesavage posted a 3.21 ERA and 16:7 K:BB over 14 regular-season innings and a 3.58 ERA and 39:11 K:BB across 27.2 postseason frames for Toronto.
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Louie Varland SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Louis Varland: Will remain in bullpen
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that Varland will remain in a bullpen role in 2026, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Varland excelled in a full-time move to a relief role in 2025, posting a 2.97 ERA and 75:22 K:BB over 72.2 regular-season innings between the Blue Jays and Twins. The 28-year-old has a career 5.18 ERA over 23 starts at the major-league level, and it does not appear the Blue Jays have interest in giving Varland another chance to start anytime soon. He's likely to begin the 2026 campaign in a setup role.
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Zack Wheeler SP | PHI
Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Resumes playing catch
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Wheeler (shoulder) began playing catch last week, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Wheeler underwent surgery in late September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome, which had been preceded by an operation in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder. Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is considered the less severe of the two TOS diagnoses, but Wheeler remains questionable to be ready for Opening Day. A clearer picture of his timetable should be available during spring training.
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Mason Miller SP | SD
Padres' Mason Miller: Remaining in bullpen
Padres manager Craig Stammen said Monday that Miller will remain in the bullpen next season, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
The Padres mulled the idea of shifting Miller to their rotation, but Stammen noted Monday that that move would have been "a risky proposition health-wise and performance-wise." With confirmation that he'll stay in the bullpen, Miller should open 2026 as the Padres' closer and has a strong case to be the first reliever to be taken in fantasy drafts. The 27-year-old boasts a 2.56 ERA and 43.1 percent strikeout rate over the last two regular seasons, notching 28 saves over that time.
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Tyler Bremner SP | LAA
Angels' Tyler Bremner: Ready to go after elbow issue
Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Monday that Bremner (elbow) is now healthy and will be invited to major-league spring training, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
Bremner was shut down as a precaution from the instructional league due to right elbow soreness, but it seems the hurler is now back on track. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Bremner has yet to make his professional debut, but he'll be with the big-league club during spring training. The Angels are notorious for pushing top prospects quickly, so it would not be a surprise if Bremner reached the majors at some point during the 2026 season.
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Gerrit Cole SP | NYY
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: Season debut in late May/early June
The Yankees expect Cole (elbow) to rejoin their rotation in late May or early June, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
The team has said previously only that they did not expect Cole to be ready for Opening Day, and now it appears he could be held out for as much as the first two months of the season. Cole -- who had had Tommy John surgery with internal bracing in March -- has been throwing on flat ground but has yet to progress to mound work.
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Carlos Rodon SP | NYY
Yankees' Carlos Rodon: Projected for late April/early May
The Yankees expect Rodon (elbow) to be ready for his season debut in late April or early May, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Rodon underwent surgery in mid-October to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. The left-hander is expected to be cleared to begin a throwing program later this month, but he will need time to get built up and will begin the 2026 campaign on the 15-day injured list.
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Yoniel Curet SP | TB
Rays' Yoniel Curet: Designated for assignment
The Rays designated Curet for assignment Saturday.
The 23-year-old righty will depart the Rays' 40-man roster in order to make room for Cedric Mullins, whose signing was made official Saturday. Curet turned in a 1.45 ERA over 18.2 innings in Double-A this past season but struggled upon being promoted to Triple-A, where he accumulated a 6.03 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 31.1 frames.
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Zak Kent SP | STL
Cardinals' Zak Kent: Claimed by St. Louis
The Cardinals claimed Kent off waivers from the Guardians on Friday.
Kent was a full-time reliever for the first time in 2025. He posted a 4.58 ERA and 16:8 K:BB over 17.2 innings with the big club and a 2.84 ERA with 50 strikeouts over 38 frames at Triple-A Columbus. The righty will turn 28 in February and compete for a spot in the Cardinals' Opening Day bullpen.