MLB Player News
-
Cole Henry RP | WAS
Nationals' Cole Henry: Wrapping up solid spring
Henry has posted a 3.86 ERA and 6:3 K:BB over 4.2 Grapefruit League innings this spring.
The 26-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut in 2025, producing a 4.27 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 52:32 K:BB over 52.2 innings. Despite those pedestrian numbers, Henry is expected to fill a high-leverage role in the Nationals' bullpen to begin the 2026 campaign, although he appears to be behind Clayton Beeter in the pecking order for save chances.
-
Cionel Perez RP | WAS
Nationals' Cionel Perez: Clinches roster spot
The Nationals informed Perez on Monday that he'll be included on the Opening Day roster, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Perez had been attending spring training as a non-roster invitee and earned a spot in the Washington bullpen after striking out five and allowing just one unearned run on two hits and one walk over six innings during the Grapefruit League. Expect Washington officially select Perez's contract when the team finalizes its roster shortly before Thursday's opener in Chicago. Given the lack of established relief options in Washington in addition to how well he pitched in the spring, Perez could find himself in the mix for a key setup role right away during the season.
-
Gregory Soto RP | PIT
Pirates' Gregory Soto: Could see save chances
Pirates manager Don Kelly indicated Monday that Soto is in the mix to see save opportunities this season, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
Dennis Santana will enter the season as the favorite to see most of the save chances for Pittsburgh. However, Kelly noted that he could use Santana in leverage spots earlier in games at times, and the skipper also pointed out Soto's closing experience. The left-handed Soto has held lefty bats to a .211/.306/.294 batting line in his career, making him a candidate to see some save chances when the opposition has lefties due up in the ninth inning.
-
Dennis Santana RP | PIT
Pirates' Dennis Santana: Will not be full-time closer
Pirates manager Don Kelly indicated Monday that Santana will not be the only reliever he uses for save opportunities, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.
Santana notched 16 saves for Pittsburgh last season, with 10 of those coming in the final two months after David Bednar was traded. The 29-year-old is the heavy favorite to lead the Pirates in saves in 2026, but Kelly noted that he could use Santana earlier in games at times if the situation calls for it. Gregory Soto looks to be next in the pecking order and could be used to close when the opposition has lefty bats due up.
-
Robert Suarez RP | ATL
Braves' Robert Suarez: Wrapping up strong spring
Suarez has allowed one run on four hits with a 9:1 K:BB over five Grapefruit League innings this spring.
The 35-year-old right-hander racked up 76 saves for San Diego with a 2.87 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 9.0 K/9 over the prior two seasons, but he'll begin his time in Atlanta as the top setup man for closer Raisel Iglesias. Suarez could still see ninth-inning action when Iglesias is unavailable, and if the incumbent struggles again early as he did in 2025, it wouldn't be a surprise if the two switched roles.
-
Jeremiah Estrada RP | SD
Padres' Jeremiah Estrada: Dominant in Cactus League action
Through nine spring appearances, Estrada has tossed 9.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits while posting a 16:7 K:BB.
Estrada has looked nearly unhittable in exhibition action while racking up a 14.9 K/9. The walks are a bit concerning, though the flamethrowing reliever is coming off a 2025 regular season during which he posted a career-best 8.9 percent walk rate. Estrada also recorded a career-high 30 holds last year and is slated to again be a key high-leverage arm for San Diego in 2026.
-
Kyle Leahy RP | STL
Cardinals' Kyle Leahy: Makes Opening Day rotation
Leahy will open the season in the Cardinals' rotation, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Leahy's regular-season debut will occur March 30 with a start at home against the Mets. The right-hander has not been used as a starting pitcher regularly since 2022, but he often worked multiple innings out of the Cardinals' bullpen last season and was stretched out as a starter this spring, finishing with a 4.58 ERA and 20:5 K:BB over 17.2 frames. Leahy has not reached 90 innings in any of the last three seasons while being used in the bullpen, so he's sure to face some form of workload restrictions in 2026.
-
Reynaldo Lopez RP | ATL
Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Blames velocity dip on mechanics
Lopez said Monday that he is fine physically and mechanical issues are to blame for his diminished velocity during Sunday's Grapefruit League outing versus the Twins, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Lopez averaged just 89.2 mph with his four-seamer in the start, yielding four runs on five hits and two walks over 4.2 frames. The right-hander's velocity has been down all spring, though not to the level it was Sunday. Lopez could see an uptick in velocity after the regular-season adrenaline kicks in, but it's also possible this is the new normal for him as he comes back from shoulder surgery. The 32-year-old is scheduled to make his season debut Saturday against the Royals and should probably be left on fantasy benches for the time being.
-
Joe Ross RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Joe Ross: Clinches roster spot
The Diamondbacks informed Ross on Sunday that he'll be included on the Opening Day roster, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Ross, who had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee, submitted a 7.71 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 6:5 K:BB in seven innings during Cactus League play. The 32-year-old has worked primarily as a starter during his career but will operate as a multi-inning reliever for Arizona.