MLB Player News

Hernandez is set to begin the season on the injured list due to a right shoulder strain, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The Mets haven't confirmed the move, but expect Hernandez to be formally placed on the IL shortly before Thursday's season opener in Miami. Hernandez is already back to playing catch, per DiComo, but he has a lot of building up to do before he can become an option for the Mets. The 27-year-old is expected to spend some time in the rotation at Triple-A Syracuse whenever he returns to full health.

The Rangers placed Sborz on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a sprained ankle, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Sborz tweaked his ankle either in his final Cactus League appearance March 22 or in a workout at some point thereafter, so he'll be sidelined for at least the first two weeks of the season while he's on the mend. Once healthy, Sborz will likely work in the middle innings out of the bullpen.

Texas placed Howard (arm) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Howard began experiencing right arm fatigue in early March and still needs to build back up into regular-season form. There's no exact timeframe for when he might be an option in Texas.

The Rangers placed Otto (lat) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Otto injured his right lat toward the end of spring camp and is now going to miss at least the first two months of the 2023 season. The Rangers haven't provided an official timeline for Otto's return, though the right-hander is expected to avoid surgery.

Englert was informed Wednesday that he will be on the Tigers' Opening Day roster, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The Rule 5 Draft pick joins Alex Lange, Jose Cisnero, Jason Foley, Tyler Alexander, Trey Wingenter, Chasen Shreve and Garrett Hill in Detroit's Opening Day bullpen. Englert, 23, registered a 3.64 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 136:31 K:BB over 118.2 innings (24 starts) last season between the High-A and Double-A affiliates of the Rangers.

The Cardinals designated Misiewicz for assignment Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals dropped Misiewicz from the 40-man roster to clear a spot for outfield prospect Jordan Walker. Misiewicz was acquired from the Royals back in February after being removed from their 40-man roster and will go through the waiver process again.

Rodriguez (shoulder) could be cleared to resume playing catch Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

If Rodriguez is able to play catch, the Cardinals will start building a status report from there. The right-hander was shut down late in March due to right shoulder tightness, and St. Louis is being cautious with an important part of their bullpen. Assuming no setbacks, there's a good chance Rodriguez is pitching in the middle innings for the Cardinals by the end of April.

Honeywell was informed Wednesday that he's won a spot on the Padres' Opening Day roster, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Honeywell makes the Padres even after a mixed Cactus League season that saw him register a 6.50 ERA that came with a 24:6 K:BB over 18 innings. The former top prospect will likely be a multi-inning bullpen option for the Padres to start 2023, and he isn't likely to see much time in high-leverage situations until he shows he can be trusted.

Winder (shoulder) threw 43 pitches over 2.2 innings Tuesday in Twins camp, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Twins president Derek Falvey told reporters Wednesday that Winder got up to 94 mph with his fastball but then added the 26-year-old right-hander will not be stretched out into a full starter's workload in order to protect his ailing shoulder. Consequently, it sounds like Winder is going to be deployed as a long reliever whenever he's deemed fit for live competition.

The Rays placed Armstrong (neck) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

Armstrong didn't pitch in any Grapefruit League games due to the neck issue, so unless he dramatically ramps up his throwing program in the coming days, he'll more than likely be sidelined beyond the minimum 15 days. Once healthy, Armstrong could work as a setup or middle-relief option out of the bullpen.