MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that having Ohtani (shoulder) pitching by May "sounds about right," Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani has yet to take the mound for the Dodgers after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2023, and he underwent another procedure to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder after the World Series last year. While his hiatus from pitching will seemingly extend about a month into the regular season, there's been no indication that the two-way superstar's surgeries will prevent him from being part of Los Angeles' Opening Day lineup. Ohtani has already proven that rehabbing from surgery doesn't bother him much at the plate, as he slashed .310/.390/.646 while recording the first 50-50 season in MLB history en route to being unanimously named the National League's MVP -- all while recovering from his Tommy John procedure.

Buxton is feeling "as good as he's felt in a lot of years," general manager Derek Falvey said at Saturday's TwinsFest, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.

Unlike last year when Buxton had offseason knee surgery and had finished the previous season with a hamstring issue, Buxton entered the offseason relatively healthy and doesn't have a major rehab entering spring training. It's not quite "best shape of his life" territory for Buxton, but it's as good as we're going to get at this stage of his career.

Alvarez said Thursday that he is 100 percent healthy heading into the 2025 season, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Alvarez disclosed that he injured his right knee toward the end of the 2024 season. He originally thought he might need surgery to correct the issue, though he ultimately rested and is now fully recovered. Alvarez reports that he is ready to hit and field for the start of spring training.

The Mets' current plan is to have Vientos be their first baseman this season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

That's assuming Pete Alonso isn't re-signed, which is now the expectation. Vientos had a breakout season offensively in 2024, slashing .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs over 111 regular-season contests for the Mets before adding another five long balls and a .998 OPS in the playoffs. The 25-year-old earned minus-6 Outs Above Average at third base, so a move to the cold corner isn't a surprise. Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio (knee) and Luisangel Acuna are in line to compete for the third base job.

The Mets and Torrens avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Thursday.

Torrens was eligible for arbitration for the second time. He's slated to open the 2025 season as the Mets' backup catcher behind Francisco Alvarez.

Rooker (forearm) signed a five-year, $60 million contract extension with the Athletics on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

It was reported earlier in the offseason that the two sides were working together on an extension, and a deal has ultimately been reached to keep the 30-year-old with the A's for the foreseeable future. Rooker put together the best season of his big-league career in 2024, hitting .293 with 39 home runs, 112 RBI and 82 runs scored over 145 games.

The Rays signed Jimenez to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Per Hector Gomez of Z101Digital.com, Jimenez will earn $2 million if he makes the Opening Day roster, with an additional $2 million bonus waiting if he gets to 500 at-bats. Jimenez, 28, slashed only .238/.289/.336 with six home runs over 98 games between the White Sox and Orioles in 2024. He's reached 100 games played just twice in his career and hasn't hit 20 home runs since his rookie season back in 2019. Jimenez did still have a 49 percent hard-hit rate this past season and represents a no-risk, moderate-upside play for the Rays on a minor-league deal.

The Pirates signed McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million contract Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It's the same contract terms that McCutchen inked last offseason. The 38-year-old collected a .739 OPS with 20 home runs in 2024 as the Pirates' full-time designated hitter. He should have the same role for Pittsburgh in 2025.

The Rangers signed Pederson to a two-year, $37 million contract Monday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

The deal has an opt out after the first year. Pederson is coming off arguably the best offensive season of his career, having slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs over 132 contests. The left-handed hitting Pederson didn't make a single start against a traditional left-handed starter, and while the Rangers might not be quite as strict as the Diamondbacks were, the overwhelming majority of the 32-year-old's playing time should come at designated hitter versus righties.

Atlanta signed Capel to a minor-league contract Dec. 7.

Capel, 27, saw some spot duty with the Reds in 2024 but spent most of the year at Triple-A Louisville, putting up a .774 OPS with 12 homers in 74 contests. The outfielder is likely to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Gwinnett.