MLB Player News

The Royals selected Zobac's contract from Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander missed time in 2025 due to a knee injury, which limited him to 14 appearances. Zobac spent most of the campaign with Northwest Arkansas and had a 7.68 ERA over 36.1 innings, but the Royals still elected to shield him from potentially being selected in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.

The Royals selected Kudrna's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The 22-year-old righty spent most of last season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he had a 4.21 ERA over 94 innings. Kudrna made four appearances for Omaha late in the season and struggled at the highest level of the minors with a 14.29 ERA.

The Padres selected Mendez's contract from Double-A San Antonio on Tuesday.

The right-hander is one of San Diego's top prospects, so his addition to the 40-man roster was to be expected ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. Mendez posted a 1.78 ERA and 11.2 K/9 over 75.2 frames in the lower minors during 2025 but surrendered 20 earned runs over six late-season starts after being promoted to Double-A.

The White Sox selected McDougal's contract from Double-A Birmingham on Tuesday.

McDougal turned in a 3.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP to go with a 136:49 K:BB over 113.1 innings between High-A and Double-A in 2025. Considered one of the top pitching prospects in the White Sox's farm system, the 22-year-old will officially receive a spot on the 40-man roster to prevent another team from selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft, and he has a strong chance to make his MLB debut in 2026 and join a talent-deficient White Sox rotation.

The Red Sox selected Drohan's contract from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Drohan missed nearly four months of the Triple-A season with a forearm injury but was extremely effective when healthy, turning in a 2.27 ERA and 1.02 WHIP alongside a 67:16 K:BB through 47.2 innings. The 26-year-old southpaw will be ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December now that he owns a spot on Boston's 40-man roster, and he could compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster if his strong performance continues into spring training.

The Red Sox selected Sandlin's contract from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Sandlin began 2025 at Double-A Portland and posted a 3.61 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 82.1 innings before receiving a promotion to Worcester. The 24-year-old righty struggled upon arriving at Triple-A (7.61 ERA, 2.07 WHIP), but the Red Sox will give him a 40-man spot to ensure he remains with the organization past December's Rule 5 Draft. He is likely to report to Worcester to begin the 2026 season.

The Angels selected Urena's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.

The right-hander spent most of the 2025 campaign at Double-A Rocket City, where he had a 4.33 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 121:74 K:BB across 139.1 innings. Urena moved up to Triple-A for his final outing of the season and could be back at the highest level of the minors to begin 2026.

The Astros selected Ullola's contract from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday.

The move adds Ullola to the 40-man roster and protects him from next month's Rule 5 Draft. Ullola spent the entirety of the 2025 campaign at Sugar Land, finishing with a 3.88 ERA and 131:78 K:BB over 113.2 innings. The 23-year-old will compete for an Opening Day roster spot, but a career 15.6 percent walk rate in the minors suggests more seasoning is needed.

King rejected the Padres' $22.025 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

King was limited to 15 regular-season starts in 2025 due to shoulder and knee issues, but it's still not a surprise he elected to turn down the qualifying offer. King posted a 3.44 ERA over 73.1 innings last year and had a 2.95 ERA during his first season as a full-time starter in 2024. Extending the qualifying offer will net the Padres a compensatory draft pick, assuming he doesn't re-sign with the team.

Spiers (elbow) was designated for assignment by the Reds on Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Cincinnati needed a 40-man spot for one of its young prospects, and Spiers was a likely choice to be bounced given he's expected to miss most, if not all, of 2026. The right-hander made three appearances (two starts) in the majors this past season before undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of July. Spiers has put up a 5.69 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 117 career innings in the majors.