MLB Player News

Means (elbow) agreed Monday with the Guardians on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $7.5 million club option for 2026, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

The two sides reportedly had made progress on a deal over the weekend and now they've crossed the finish line. Means underwent his second Tommy John surgery last June and could miss the entire 2025 season, so the Guardians are essentially making a roll of the dice on him for 2026. The left-hander has made just 10 starts at the major-league level since 2022 due to injuries but held a 3.62 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 134:26 K:BB over 146.2 frames covering 26 starts in 2021.

Rocker doesn't project to make the Rangers' rotation if the five starters ahead of him are healthy, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

With Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Cody Bradford and Tyler Mahle all healthy, Landry expects Rocker to begin the year at Triple-A as a depth option. Of course, those five starters may not all remain healthy between now and Opening Day, and Rocker has little to prove on the farm, so he should still make the majority of his 2025 appearances in the big leagues.

Buchanan will be sidelined for about a week after badly spraining his left ankle during a fielding drill, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The injury shouldn't have any long-term ramifications, but Buchanan was already a longshot for a roster spot, and the injury won't help his case. The 35-year-old made one big-league appearance with the Reds in 2024, which marked his first MLB action since 2015.

Corniell (elbow) has begun playing catch and could be game-ready by July or August, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Corniell is 10 months removed from a right UCL repair. The 21-year-old is on the Rangers' 40-man roster but has yet to advance past A-ball, so he's not a real candidate to see action in the majors this season. He could, however, be a candidate for the 60-day injured list if the Rangers need to free up a 40-man roster spot.

The Red Sox placed Sandoval (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Sandoval's move to the 60-day IL opened up a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Alex Bregman, whom the Red Sox officially signed to a three-year, $120 million contract. After he was non-tendered by the Angels early in the offseason, Sandoval caught on with the Red Sox in December on a two-year, $18.25 million contract. Sandoval underwent internal brace surgery on his left elbow in June and is unlikely to be ready to contribute for the Red Sox until the second half of the 2025 season.

Teodo (thumb) threw a bullpen session Sunday with no apparent issues, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The right-hander was pulled from his bullpen session Saturday due to thumb soreness, but the fact he returned to throwing a day later indicates it wasn't a serious concern. Teodo is one of the organization's top prospects and posted a 1.98 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 110:50 K:BB across 86.1 innings at the Double-A level last year.

Buehler threw his first live batting practice Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Boston manager Alex Cora was pleased with the session, noting Buehler's volume of strikes. The right-hander is coming off a rough regular season with the Dodgers, but he was effective during the postseason and hopes to build off that.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that the team is thinking of Gray as a starter, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. Recent rumors and reports suggested the Rangers are considering using Gray as a closer.

Gray confirmed that he hasn't been approached by anyone in the organization about the possibility of being a closer or reliever, although the pitcher said he'd do whatever is best for the club. "[Gray closing], it's not in our focus right now," Bochy said. "During the season, as always, you make adjustments. I'm not saying that we plan on doing it, but you've got to figure ways to make a team better." The 33-year-old right-hander, who spent three separate occasions on the injured list in 2024, was good out of the bullpen in a small sample size. Gray allowed one run across 5.2 relief innings against the Astros and Diamondbacks on the way to Texas winning the World Series in 2023.

DeGrom threw a bullpen session Saturday, his first since the start of training camp, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

DeGrom entered camp healthy after dealing with a second Tommy John elbow surgery that wiped out much of 2023 and 2024. The right-hander made three starts last September and recorded a 1.69 ERA over 10.2 innings. A healthy deGrom is key for the Rangers, who have won seven of the pitcher's nine starts over the last two seasons.

Bieber (elbow) threw off a mound Saturday, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports.

Bieber threw a 15-pitch session, and his velocity was in the 87-to-89 mph range, which is higher than he anticipated. The right-hander underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in April of 2024 and is targeted for a return this summer.