MLB Player News

Adam (quadriceps) said Friday that he "absolutely" thinks he could be ready in time for Opening Day, 97.3 The Fan reports.

Coming back from left quadriceps tendon repair surgery, Adam has been throwing bullpen sessions but still needs to show he can field his position and run without issue. The reliever said that the "ultimate priority" is to be healthy for the bulk of the season, but he believes he has a chance to be available for Opening Day. Previous estimates have had Adam in line for his season debut around mid-April, and that's probably still the most likely scenario.

Pearson underwent a cleanup procedure on his right elbow during the offseason but will throw a bullpen session Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander joined the Astros on a one-year, $1.35 million contract during the offseason, and it appears he's opening camp in good shape despite the procedure. Pearson surrendered 15 earned runs over 11 relief outings for the Cubs last season but was dominant at the Triple-A level with a 2.22 ERA across 44.2 innings. He's primarily worked as a reliever since 2021, but Houston is expected to give him a chance to stretch out as a starter during spring training.

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

Holmes was shelved for the final two months of last season with a partially torn UCL in his pitching elbow, but he's successfully rehabbed the injury to this point and entered spring training without limitations. The righty remains a major health risk, but he'll be part of Atlanta's rotation as long as he can stay off the injured list. Holmes posted a 3.99 ERA and 123:54 K:BB over 115 frames in 2025 before getting hurt.

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.

Montero signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Thursday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Hector Gomez of Z101Digital.com reports.

Montero bounced between three teams in 2025 but still covered 60.1 innings in the majors. His primary problem was control, as he walked 37 batters while striking out 58. If Montero earns a roster spot, he'd likely begin the season in a low-leverage role.

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 Royals traded Causey to the Athletics on Thursday in exchange for Mitch Spence.

Causey spent time with the Royals' High-A and Double-A affiliates in 2025, posting a 1.72 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 73.1 innings across the two levels. The 23-year-old righty will likely begin his tenure with the Athletics in Double-A and aim to reach Triple-A Las Vegas at some point this summer.