Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that Lopez will open the season in the team's rotation, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Lopez is coming off a lost 2025 season, having made just one start before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder. He's in Atlanta's camp with a clean bill of health, although it will be interesting to see in spring training how his stuff looks post-surgery. Lopez was an All-Star for Atlanta in 2024, finishing with a 1.99 ERA and 148:42 K:BB over 135.2 innings.

Simpson was designated for assignment Thursday.

Simpson made his big-league debut in 2025, posting a 7.34 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across 30.2 innings with the Marlins. He walked 22 during that time while also serving up 1.5 HR/9. Those numbers make it little surprise that Simpson lost his roster spot, which is a move that created room for John King to officially be added to the roster.

Thompson is not yet throwing off a mound after having arthroscopic left shoulder surgery in August, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Thompson missed the entire 2025 season due to shoulder issues, but it was not previously known that he had a cleanup procedure. The left-hander has been playing catch as he eases back into a throwing program. Thompson is no longer on the Cardinals' 40-man roster and should report to Triple-A Memphis once he's healthy enough to do so.

The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Chris Paddack, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Henriquez underwent a UCL reconstruction surgery with an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in December and will be sidelined for the duration of the 2026 season.

Walker believes he fixed a mechanical issue over the offseason that had affected his command last season, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Walker discovered that he had been over-rotating, which made it difficult to command his slider, in particular. That led to having to throw more sinkers for strikes, and because the hitter was able to guess what was coming, his sinker got hit harder. After finishing with a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 32.1 percent strikeout rate in 2024, Walker regressed to a 4.11 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 22.6 percent strikeout rate in 2025. The 30-year-old is the favorite to open 2026 as the Giants' closer, and he could have a bounce-back season if his mechanics are in order.

The Dodgers placed Phillips (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for Enrique Hernandez (elbow). Phillips will be sidelined for at least the first few months of the 2026 campaign after having Tommy John surgery last May.

The Diamondbacks signed Sewald to a one-year, $1.5 million contract Thursday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Sewald was the Diamondbacks' closer when they won the National League pennant in 2023 and opened the 2024 season in the role before eventually being replaced. He'll turn 36 in May and was limited to just 19.2 innings in 2025 due to injuries, posting a 4.58 ERA and 20:6 K:BB between the Guardians and Tigers. Sewald might not have much left in the tank, but given of the state of Arizona's bullpen, it wouldn't be far-fetched that he winds up with some save opportunities.

With Daniel Palencia being named Chicago's closer to start the regular season, per Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com, Maton will likely handle a setup role in the early going.

Maton has generally served as a setup option throughout his MLB career, as his high-water mark for saves is five, which he posted last year. The veteran also recorded a 2.79 ERA and 81 strikeouts across 61.1 innings in 2025, so if Palencia falters in the closer role, Maton certainly seems more than capable of stepping in. For now, his fantasy value will be capped, though he should have strong appeal in leagues that count holds.

Hentges (shoulder/knee) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, per MLB.com.

Hentges missed the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing left shoulder surgery in September 2024. He also had arthroscopic right knee surgery last August before signing a one-year deal with San Francisco in November. The left-hander is expected to be ready during spring training and will look to return to form following his lengthy absence. Over 25 relief appearances for Cleveland in 2024, he posted a 3.04 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB across 23.2 innings.

King agreed Wednesday with the Marlins on a one-year, $1.5 million deal, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Non-tendered by the Cardinals in late November, King sat on the open market for months waiting on a fully guaranteed major-league deal until the Marlins finally stepped up to the table. In Miami, King likely projects to fill a middle-relief role in front of presumptive closer Pete Fairbanks. Over 51 appearances out of the St. Louis bullpen in 2025, the 31-year-old King submitted a 4.66 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 28:14 K:BB in 48.1 innings.