Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta said Thursday that Merryweather has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will likely need about 3-to-4 weeks to recover before being available in games, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

While Merryweather could resume full baseball activities in about two weeks, he doesn't look like he'll be on track to pitch again before the Twins' Grapefruit League slate comes to an end. With that in mind, the injury effectively ends Merryweather's bid for a berth in the Opening Day bullpen, as he had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee and likely needed a strong spring to clinch a spot. Expect Minnesota to reassign Merryweather to minor-league camp in the coming weeks.

Hader (biceps) played catch off the mound Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Hader was just tossing the ball and not throwing a bullpen session, so while it's a step in his rehab progression, it's a minor one. Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that Hader is not yet scheduled for a bullpen session. It appears unlikely at this point that Hader will have time to ramp up for Opening Day, and if that's the case, Bryan Abreu would be in line to fill in as Houston's closer.

Poche agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Wednesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Poche, 32, gave up 13 earned runs in just 9.1 major-league innings last season between the Nationals and Mets. He had signed a deal in January to spend the 2026 campaign in the Mexican League but will now pursue an opportunity to remain stateside. The southpaw owns a career 4.01 ERA in the majors and is just three seasons removed from putting up a 2.23 ERA with the Rays, so he could earn a spot in Detroit's bullpen at some point in 2026 if he returns to his previous form.

Kolek felt tightness in his left side while warming up in the bullpen during Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Kolek went into the clubhouse to have his left side evaluated by medical staff, and an update on his status should be made within the next couple days. The 28-year-old right-hander was acquired by the Royals from the Padres at the trade deadline in late July and is competing for a spot in Kansas City's rotation. Across five starts with the Royals in 2025, Kolek posted a 1-2 record with a 1.91 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB across 33 innings.

Minter (lat) expects to throw a live batting practice session next week, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

It would be his first time facing hitters since last May's left lat surgery. Minter is aiming to pitch in at least one Grapefruit League game before the end of camp, and the Mets hope to get the southpaw back in their bullpen by early May.

Henry (back) struck out two batters in a perfect inning of relief Tuesday in the Nationals' 6-1 win over the Cardinals in Grapefruit League play.

Despite closing the past season on the injured list while recovering from a back strain, Henry appears to be under no restrictions during the early weeks of spring training. The Nationals head into the 2026 season without an obvious option to close games, and Henry should have the opportunity this spring to stake his claim to a late-inning role. While Henry collected two saves and nine holds over his 57 relief appearances for Washington last season, his peripherals (4.69 SIERA, 8.3 K-BB%, 31.7 GB%) were mostly underwhelming.

Pallante was charged with one run while fanning two batters over two innings Tuesday versus the Nationals in his first Grapefruit League outing.

Pallante didn't give up a hit, but the Nats plated a run against him in the first inning on a walk, a stolen base, a wild pitch and an error. The righty has been working on a kick-change and threw four of them in the start, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Pallante noted that the kick-change is "nothing like anything I throw" and is "going to be really good" when he has a feel for the pitch. The hope is that it helps Pallante -- who has a career 16.2 percent strikeout rate -- miss more bats. Pallante is competing for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation following a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw him post a 5.31 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 111:62 K:BB over 162.2 innings covering 31 starts.

Junk (ankle) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.

It's another box to check for Junk, who is working his way back from a Grade 1 mild right ankle sprain. He shouldn't be far off from his Grapefruit League debut, barring any setbacks. Junk is in the running for a spot in the Marlins' rotation, but a long-relief role is more likely.

Barlow allowed two runs on three hits and no walks across one inning in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the Brewers. He did not record a strikeout.

Barlow entered in the fifth inning to make his Athletics debut after signing a one-year deal with the club Feb. 6, and he allowed some hard contact, including a pair of two-out doubles by Tyler Black and David Hamilton that each drove in a run. The veteran right-hander is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he posted a 4.21 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with a 9.9 K/9 and a career-worst 5.9 BB/9 across 68.1 innings with the Reds. His 59 career saves will keep him in the mix for closing duties, though middling results in recent seasons offer little security as Barlow competes with fellow veteran Mark Leiter and younger options Justin Sterner, Elvis Alvarado and several other arms.

Latz allowed two hits over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring start against Arizona.

Latz made his Cactus League debut and was all over the strike zone, landing 20 of his 26 pitches for strikes. The left-hander delivered first-pitch strikes to six of the eight batters he faced. He's competing with Kumar Rocker for the fifth spot in the rotation, but he could ultimately land in a hybrid role.