Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that De Los Santos has been shut down due to a right knee strain, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

It's unclear when De Los Santos might be cleared to throw again. The right-hander posted a 4.36 ERA and 62:24 K:BB over 66 innings between Atlanta and Houston in 2025. If healthy, De Los Santos is pegged for a middle relief role in the Astros' bullpen.

Hader will resume a throwing program Wednesday after being shut down since early February with left bicep inflammation, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It seems the left shoulder strain that sidelined Hader for the final seven-plus weeks of last season is behind him, but now he has a new injury to contend with. The veteran reliever will resume throwing Wednesday and ramp up slowly, and his status for Opening Day is up in the air. If Hader needs some time on the injured list, Bryan Abreu would step in as the Astros' closer.

The Tigers announced Wednesday that Darnell (hip) will be sidelined for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Darnell is still on the mend from left hip labral repair surgery, which he underwent last September. Before being shut down by the injury, the 28-year-old righty made nine appearances out of the Colorado bullpen and logged a 3.86 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 5:7 K:BB across 11.2 innings. After being claimed off waivers by the Tigers in November, Darnell was designated for assignment but then re-signed to a minor-league deal. He's attending camp as a non-roster invitee, but he'll likely need to complete his rehab within the next week or two to have any shot at all of winning a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that he's "100 percent confident if [Hoffman] is closing most games," Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

GM Ross Atkins said early in the offseason that the Blue Jays weren't committed to using Hoffman as their primary closer in 2026, but it appears that's how the club will enter spring training. Toronto inked submariner Tyler Rogers to a three-year, $37 million contract during the winter to bolster the bullpen, but he has just three saves across the past four seasons despite consistently working in a high-leverage role and may be better suited for setup work. Hoffman's first season with the Blue Jays in 2025 was an up-and-down affair, as he closed the regular season with a 4.37 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while converting 33 of 40 save chances.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.