MLB Player News

Stone (shoulder) threw a bullpen session at spring training Tuesday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Stone missed the entirety of the 2025 season while recovering from right shoulder surgery, but he's healthy entering camp, and Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said over the winter that he expected Stone to be ready for spring training. Stone's presence on the mound confirms that, and the right-hander should have a normal buildup this spring. Stone is tentatively expected to begin the 2026 season in the minors.

Steele (elbow) has been throwing 30-pitch bullpen sessions and is targeting a return to the majors in May or June, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Steele underwent UCL revision surgery on his left elbow in mid-April of last year, and the southpaw is currently building up strength before he's able to return later in 2026. He was Chicago's Opening Day starter two years ago and has a career 3.30 regular-season ERA, so there's plenty of upside in his arm. However, the Cubs will undoubtedly be cautious with his return, and there could be a good degree of rust as well. Fantasy managers should target the 30-year-old as an intriguing stash candidate in 2026, though expectations should be tempered due to the long layoff. It's also possible Steele returns to a bullpen role, at least initially, with Chicago adding Edward Cabrera in the offseason to bolster its rotation.

Waldrep would be sidelined for approximately three months if Dr. Keith Meister recommends surgery to remove loose bodies in the pitcher's right elbow, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

If Meister determines surgery isn't required, Waldrep could require just three weeks of rest. A decision has not yet been made but is expected this week. Even if Waldrep does not undergo surgery, it's likely he will need a stint on the injured list to begin the season. The elbow injury also effectively removes him from the competition for the final spot in Atlanta's rotation, at least in the near term.

Buehler signed a minor-league contract with San Diego on Monday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Buehler is expected to join the competition in camp for San Diego's final rotation spot, per Acee. He'll be up against the likes of Matt Waldron, Triston McKenzie, German Marquez, JP Sears and Marco Gonzales. Buehler bounced between the Red Sox and Phillies a season ago, posting a 4.93 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with a 92:61 K:BB across 126.0 innings.

Manager Dave Roberts stated Monday that Snell has yet to take part in any mound work, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Snell has reportedly been cleared to play catch and begin a throwing program, but the Dodgers won't have an accurate idea on if he'll begin the year on the injured list until he steps onto the bump. The southpaw has stated publicly that he was exhausted following the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, which included a heavy workload in the playoffs, so it would be wise to expect the team to continue to bring him along slowly, knowing there's plenty of pitching depth at the ready if Snell isn't available for the start of the 2026 season.

Brito (forearm) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday.

This is a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster for German Marquez, who signed a one-year deal with San Diego earlier in the day. Brito underwent a UCL internal brace procedure and a repair of his flexor tendon in April of 2025, and the team has yet to provide a timetable for his return.

Hjerpe (elbow) is aiming to throw a bullpen session next week, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Hjerpe played catch off the mound Monday, but a bullpen session next week would be his first since last April's Tommy John surgery. The left-hander was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster over the offseason and is on track to return to game action around midseason. Hjerpe has collected a 3.38 ERA and 127:53 K:BB over 93.1 innings since St. Louis took him in the first round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft.

Glasnow (side) completed his first live batting practice session of spring training Monday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Glasnow dealt with a sore side while making appearances out of the bullpen in the final two games of the Dodgers' World Series victory over the Blue Jays, but the right-hander appears to have had a normal offseason before he reported to spring training last week. Though sustained health has been a rarity for Glasnow during his career, he at least appears to be heading into this spring in a better spot than last year, when he was coming back from an elbow sprain that brought an early end to his 2024 season. Glasnow didn't experience any elbow-related problems during the 2025 regular season but was sidelined for over two months due to shoulder inflammation and also missed a start in August due to back tightness. He remained effective when available, however, finishing with a 3.19 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 106:43 K:BB over 90.1 innings.

The Cardinals claimed Kent off waivers from the Rangers on Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals lost Kent to the Rangers via waivers last month, but he's now headed back in the other direction. Kent accrued 17.2 innings out of the Guardians' bullpen last season, finishing with a 4.58 ERA and 16:8 K:BB. He will compete for a spot in the St. Louis bullpen but has minor-league options remaining.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that Wheeler (shoulder) extended his throwing distance off flat ground to 120 feet Monday, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Thomson acknowledged that he's uncertain when Wheeler will be ready to resume mound work, but the veteran right-hander is continuing to make steady progress in his throwing program after he underwent a procedure in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his shoulder and another surgery Sept. 23 to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome. At this point, the Phillies don't seem to be counting on Wheeler to be ready to go for Opening Day, but the 35-year-old appears on track to avoid an extended stay on the shelf to begin the 2025 campaign. Before being shut down last summer, Wheeler was firmly in the mix for the NL Cy Young Award after going 10-5 with a 2.71 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 195 strikeouts in 149.2 innings over 24 starts.