MLB Player News
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Yimi Garcia RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Elbow feeling good
Manager John Schneider said Tuesday that Garcia is feeling good and has thrown for numerous weeks following surgery in September to clean up scar tissue in his right elbow, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The Blue Jays will remain cautious with Garcia's buildup, but the team hopes he will be ready for Opening Day. The surgery the right-hander had on his elbow effectively ended his 2025 season as he was placed on the 60-day injured list at the end of August.
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Manuel Rodriguez RP | TB
Rays' Manuel Rodriguez: Placed on 60-day IL
The Rays placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Rodriguez underwent surgery in July to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow, and he will now return to the IL to begin 2026 while he finishes up his rehab. His place on the 40-man roster will be filled by Nick Martinez, who signed a one-year deal with the Rays on Monday.
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Bowden Francis RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Bowden Francis: Out for 2026
Manager John Schneider revealed Tuesday that Francis is undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow and will miss the 2026 season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Francis dealt with a right shoulder impingement during the 2025 season that landed him on the injured list in June. He was able to commence a throwing program in August after some prior setbacks and had managed to face hitters during live batting practice. However, with the right-hander set for Tommy John surgery, he may not pitch in a game for 12 to 18 months.
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Ben Joyce RP | LAA
Angels' Ben Joyce: Uncertain for Opening Day
Manager Kurt Suzuki said Joyce (shoulder) is playing catch, but it remains to be seen if the right-hander will be ready by Opening Day, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
The 25-year-old made just five appearances in 2025 due to shoulder issues, which necessitated surgery to repair a torn labrum in May. It's encouraging that Joyce has started up a throwing program, but he'll require a significant ramp-up period while coming back from major surgery. Once healthy, he could be part of the closer mix for the Angels, along with Robert Stephenson and Kirby Yates.
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Garrett Crochet RP | BOS
Red Sox's Garrett Crochet: Tapped for Opening Day
Manager Alex Cora announced Tuesday that Crochet will start Opening Day against the Reds on March 26, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.
It's hardly a surprise the left-hander will be taking the mound first for Boston, and Cora wasted no time making it official. Crochet entrenched himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball last year, posting a 2.59 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 255:46 K:BB across 205.1 innings during the regular season.
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Cody Bradford RP | TEX
Rangers' Cody Bradford: Working in changeups
Bradford (elbow) will incorporate 8-to-10 changeups into his bullpen session Tuesday, which will be his first session that's not all fastballs, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
It's the left-hander's seventh bullpen session as he continues to ramp up his throwing program after undergoing an internal brace procedure in June. Bradford is targeting May for his season debut, and he could begin a rehab assignment sometime around Opening Day in late March.
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Jacob Latz RP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob Latz: Competing for No. 5 spot
Latz will compete for a spot in Texas' starting rotation this spring, Kenndi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Latz, who served as a swingman in 2025, had a 2.93 ERA over 46.0 innings as a reliever and 2.72 ERA over 39.2 innings in eight spot starts. Those numbers indicate how valuable he was in a dual role; however, the left-hander will be given a shot at being a full-time starter. Latz said in January at the team's Winter Warm-Up that he wants to start, but his ability to excel at both jobs may be more valuable. Kumar Rocker is also in the mix for the final spot in the rotation. Cody Bradford (elbow) also would have been part of competition, but he's not due back until mid-May.
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Dominic Hamel RP | NYY
Yankees' Dom Hamel: Sent outright to Triple-A
Hamel was sent outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
Hamel lost his spot on 40-man roster Wednesday but failed to draw any interest on the waiver wire. He struggled at Triple-A Syracuse a season ago, accruing a 5.32 ERA across 67.2 innings.
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Kaleb Ort RP | LAA
Angels' Kaleb Ort: Reporting to Triple-A
Ort (elbow) was sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.
Ort lost his spot on the 40-man roster Friday after the club signed Brent Suter. After going unclaimed on waivers, Ort will report to Triple-A to prepare for the upcoming 2026 campaign. The status of his elbow remains unclear at this time.
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Emmanuel Clase RP | CLE
Guardians' Emmanuel Clase: Not permitted in camp
Clase (personal) will remain on leave and is not permitted to report to spring training, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Both Clase and Luis L. Ortiz were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave last July amid allegations of sports gambling. The duo were then indicted in November related to an alleged scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games. There remains no timeline for a resolution in each case.