MLB Player News
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Bryce Elder SP | ATL
Braves' Bryce Elder: Fighting for rotation spot
Elder could begin the season as Atlanta's No. 5 starter with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) on the 60-day IL, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Atlanta's pitching depth will be tested right out of the gate, with Elder, Joey Wentz and prospect Hurston Waldrep viewed as the top candidates to fill in for Schwellenbach. Elder made 28 starts for the team in 2025, and while his overall 5.30 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB over 156.1 innings weren't very encouraging, the right-hander did have a strong finish to the campaign with a 2.82 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 41:8 K:BB over his final seven starts and 44.2 innings. Both Wentz and Elder are out of minor-league options, giving them a leg up on Waldrep for a spot on the 26-man roster -- either as the fifth starter or as a long man in the bullpen.
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Joey Wentz SP | ATL
Braves' Joey Wentz: In mix for fifth starter spot
Wentz could begin the season as Atlanta's No. 5 starter with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) on the 60-day IL, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Atlanta's pitching depth will be tested right out of the gate, with Wentz, Bryce Elder and prospect Hurston Waldrep viewed as the top candidates to fill in for Schwellenbach. Wentz looked very good in his first month with the team last season after being claimed off waivers from the Twins in July, but by the end of the campaign the southpaw had a 4.92 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 64:23 K:BB through 64.0 innings for Atlanta. However, Wentz and Elder are both out of minor-league options, giving them a leg up on Waldrep for a spot on the 26-man roster -- either as the fifth starter or as a long man in the bullpen.
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Payton Tolle SP | BOS
Red Sox's Payton Tolle: Looking to protect fastball
Tolle plans to mix in more secondary offerings to complement his fastball during the upcoming season, Christoper Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Over his 16.1 regular-season innings in the big leagues last season, Tolle's fastball averaged 96.7 miles per hour with a perceived speed of 98.7 mph due to extension and ride. The heater can be a weapon for the young left-hander, but opponents were able to hit the pitch in 2025, going 13-for-46 (.283 average) against it with a .565 slugging percentage. That's likely due to Tolle's heavy reliance on the offering, which he threw 64.1 percent of the time. Tolle feels his changeup -- which he threw just 6.9 percent of the time -- can be featured more often in 2026. Though Tolle will be given the chance to compete for the fifth spot in Boston's Opening Day rotation this spring, the fact that the 23-year-old has minor-league options remaining could work against him. Along with Tolle, Kutter Crawford, Connelly Early, Johan Oviedo and Patrick Sandoval are vying for back-end rotation spots.
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Ryan Feltner SP | COL
Rockies' Ryan Feltner: Entering season healthy
Feltner feels 100 percent healthy after dealing with back and shoulder injuries in 2025, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.
Feltner was limited to only six starts due to a combination of injuries, but he spent his offseason in Florida, working out for six hours most days to improve his durability. His regimen included some traditional strength work, but he also worked with a personal trainer to better understand his movements and the strain placed on his body while on the mound. The Rockies have added several veterans to their pitching staff this offseason, but Feltner should still be a strong candidate to contribute if he can remain healthy.
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German Marquez SP | SD
Padres' German Marquez: Latches on with Padres
Marquez signed a one-year contract with the Padres on Saturday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Marquez struggled mightily during his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, finishing 2025 with an unsightly 6.70 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 126.1 innings with the Rockies. Leaving the pitcher-unfriendly environment of Colorado should help to improve the 30-year-old's numbers, but he still likely faces an uphill battle to make the Padres' rotation.
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Merrill Kelly SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Named Opening Day starter
Manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday that Kelly will start the Diamondbacks' March 26 season opener versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
The 37-year-old entered camp as the favorite for the Opening Day nod, but the re-signing of Zac Gallen on Friday made the decision less obvious. Kelly posted a 3.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 128.2 innings with Arizona last season but failed to match that production after being traded to Texas, where he put up a 4.23 ERA across 55.1 frames.
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Jake Miller SP | DET
Tigers' Jake Miller: Recovering from hip surgeries
Miller has been limited to playing catch thus far during spring training and is ramping up slowly after he underwent labral repair surgery on both of his hips in October, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Though he's present at big-league camp and is soaking up knowledge from veteran pitchers such as Tarik Skubal and Justin Verlander, Miller isn't expected to pitch in any Grapefruit League games while he works his way back from a pair of surgeries. Instead, the 24-year-old prospect is focusing on a throwing program and getting back to full health. Miller showed some promise in 2025 when healthy, posting a 1.80 ERA and striking out 21 batters across 20 total innings between Single-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie. He will likely begin 2026 at Double-A again and could move up to Triple-A Toledo at some point if he continues to impress.
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Griffin Canning SP | SD
Padres' Griffin Canning: Signs with Friars
Canning (Achilles) signed a one-year contract with the Padres on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Canning was on his way toward having one of the best seasons of his MLB career in 2025, posting a 3.77 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 76.1 innings before rupturing his left Achilles tendon in late June. It's unclear where the 29-year-old is in his rehab process, but when healthy, he will likely claim a spot in San Diego's rotation.
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Zac Gallen SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Returning to Arizona
Gallen signed a one-year, $22.025 milion contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
After not receiving the level of interest he might have expected on the open market, Gallen will officially return to the Diamondbacks for another season on a contract that will pay him the same amount as the qualifying offer he declined earlier this winter. The 30-year-old righty is coming off the worst season of his big-league career, as he finished 2025 with a 4.83 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while serving up 31 homers -- tied for fourth-most in MLB. He remains a reliable option from a health standpoint, however, making at least 31 starts in three of the past four years.
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Royals' John Means: Signs MiLB deal with Royals
Means (Achilles) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Royals on Friday.
Means missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he's now due to miss the entire 2026 campaign after rupturing his Achilles during the offseason. His two-year deal will allow him to remain with the Royals in 2027, at which point the left-hander will work toward making his first MLB appearance since 2024 and just his 11th since 2022.