MLB Player News

Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said Wednesday that the hope is Loaisiga (elbow) will be ready to return by late April or early May, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Loaisiga had his right UCL repaired in April, but it wasn't Tommy John surgery so the hope is he will be able to make it back in a little over a year. The right-hander re-signed with the Yankees on a one-year contract last week and, if healthy, could re-emerge as a key piece in their bullpen.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Williams will be the team's closer in 2025, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Boone indicated that Luke Weaver could receive the occasional save opportunity, but it's going to be Williams in the ninth inning when he's available. The announcement comes as no surprise, as Williams has been one of the game's best relievers since arriving in the big leagues, having collected a 1.83 ERA and 39.4 percent strikeout rate in six seasons.

The NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization signed Allen to a one-year, $1 million contract Tuesday, Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net reports.

Allen, 27, holds a career 5.79 ERA in 45 appearances (15 starts) covering parts of five seasons at the big-league level. He'll receive a nice little raise as he applies his trade overseas.

The Yankees signed Brewer to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Brewer's 2024 season with the Cubs was cut short in early July after he punched the dugout wall with his left hand and fractured it as a result. The right-hander started throwing to batters in August and began a rehab assignment in September, but he was not activated before the season ended. The 32-year-old went unclaimed while on waivers after the Cubs removed him from their active roster in November. After posting a 5.22 ERA in 2024, Brewer will look to rebound with the Yankees.

The Cubs acquired Poteet from the Yankees on Tuesday in exchange for Cody Bellinger and cash consideration, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Poteet, 30, made four starts and one relief appearance for the Yankees in 2024, collecting a 2.22 ERA and 16:8 K:BB across 24.1 innings. He could be used either as a starter or reliever, with the rotation at Triple-A Iowa perhaps being his most likely destination.

Atlanta signed Weems to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Weems, 32, holds a career 5.26 ERA and 161:77 K:BB over 155.2 innings covering parts of five seasons at the major-league level. He will likely begin the 2025 campaign in the bullpen at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Holmes said Tuesday that he wants to throw at least 160 innings in 2025, Metsmerized Online reports.

Whether the Mets share the same goal is not clear. Holmes is making the move from the bullpen to the rotation in 2025 after spending each of the last six seasons exclusively pitching in relief. The most innings the 31-year-old has ever thrown in a season came back in 2016, when he tossed 136.1 frames with Double-A Altoona in the Pirates organization. Holmes threw 75 innings between the regular and postseason with the Yankees in 2024.

Crochet said last Friday that he doesn't intend to have any radical change to his pitch mix for the upcoming season, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Crochet toyed with a sinker late last season and felt it gave him a fifth pitch to throw at any time, but the left-hander indicated he won't deviate much from the four-seamer/cutter usage this season. He made quite the jump in 2024, moving from the bullpen to the rotation while throwing 146 innings over 32 starts. Crochet projects as Boston's No. 1 starter.

Stewart (shoulder) started throwing in mid-November, but the Twins are unsure if he will be ready for the start of spring training, the Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Stewart underwent season-ending arthroscopic right shoulder surgery in August, and his initial recovery timeline was 5-to-6 months. He's been a lockdown reliever for Minnesota when healthy, collecting a 0.66 ERA and 56:17 K:BB through his first 41 innings with the Twins in 2023 and early 2024. However, he hurt his shoulder in May last year and wasn't the same pitcher thereafter, leaving his status for 2025 somewhat in question. If healthy and back to his prior form, he'd be a top setup option in the bullpen.

Uribe (knee) is a candidate to earn save chances after Devin Williams was traded to the Yankees on Friday, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.

Uribe began the 2024 season as the closer for the Brewers with Williams on the injured list, though he lost the role in mid-April and didn't appear in the majors after May 1. His primary appeal in the ninth-inning role is his velocity, as he averages over 100 mph on his fastball. However, he has a 16.6 percent walk rate in 45 career innings in the majors, leaving Trevor Megill as seemingly the top option entering 2025.