Lavender (elbow) cleared outright waivers Wednesday and was returned to the Mets.

The Rays acquired Lavender via the Rule 5 Draft last winter, so now that he's been outrighted off the Rays' 40-man roster, he'll return to the Mets' farm system. The 25-year-old lefty missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace, and he underwent another procedure in August to remove a bone spur in his left elbow. His availability for the start of spring training remains unclear.

The Padres are considering moving Morgan into their rotation next season, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report.

Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon are the more high-profile names being mulled for a shift from the bullpen to the rotation, but Morgan is also under consideration. A former infielder and undrafted free agent who didn't begin pitching until 2022, Morgan posted a 2.66 ERA and 50:23 K:BB over 47.1 regular-season innings for the Padres in 2025. The 26-year-old had two opener assignments for the Padres, but the last time he made a traditional start came in 2022 at Hope International, an NAIA school.

Darrell-Hicks was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.

Darrell-Hicks lost his spot on the 40-man roster Thursday. He'll remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed.

La Sorsa signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Saturday that includes an invitation to big-league spring training, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

La Sorsa gave up eight earned runs in just 6.2 innings with the Reds in 2025, but he finished the minor-league season with a 2.59 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across 48.2 innings at Triple-A. He'll get another chance to work his way back to the majors during spring training; otherwise, he'll help round out the bullpen at Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Cardinals outrighted Thompson (lat) to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Thompson missed the entire 2025 season with a left lat strain he suffered in March. He endured several setbacks during his recovery, and it's unclear whether he will be ready for spring training. Thompson is now off the 40-man roster but will remain in the organization.

The Pirates designated Darnell (hip) for assignment Thursday.

Thursday marks the second time in six days that Darnell has been DFA'd, as he joined the Pirates via waiver claim from Colorado last Friday. The 28-year-old righty posted a 3.19 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 53.2 Triple-A innings during 2025 despite playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, giving him a fair amount of appeal for bullpen-needy teams browsing the waiver wire.

The Pirates designated Darrell-Hicks for assignment Thursday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Darrell-Hicks struggled to find his footing on the mound in 2025, posting a 7.45 ERA and 1.45 WHIP through 9.2 MLB innings, as well as an 8.45 ERA and 1.93 WHIP through 38.1 innings in Triple-A. He'll lose his place on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster as a consequence of his struggles, and he'll likely have to turn things around dramatically before the club considers adding him back.

The Reds claimed Munoz off waivers from the Cardinals on Thursday.

Munoz gave up 10 earned runs in 11 innings with the Cardinals in 2025 but finished the minor-league season with a 3.28 ERA and 1.33 WHIP through 57.2 frames at Memphis. The Reds, evidently intrigued by his Triple-A statline, will now bring the 25-year-old in to add depth to their pitching staff, but because he has no more options remaining, Munoz will need to make the Opening Day roster in order to stay on the 40-man roster.

The Mets claimed Castillo off waivers from the Orioles on Thursday.

Castillo had stints with Arizona, Baltimore, Seattle and the Mets in 2025. He'll return to New York after being exposed to waivers. Castillo posted a 3.94 ERA across 32 innings of relief in the big leagues this year.

The Dodgers added Ortiz to the 40-man roster on Thursday

Ortiz jumped up from High-A to Triple-A this season, and the young southpaw, who turns 26 in January, is now a part of the 40-man roster. He logged a 2.76 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in 16.1 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2025.