Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Thursday that Westburg (oblique) is "physically unable to participate right now" and is being evaluated by the Orioles' medical team, as well people not associated with the club, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Westburg entered camp with a right oblique strain, though Albernaz did not confirm Thursday that it's the oblique continuing to hold Westburg back or a different injury. When asked whether Westburg's injury is worse than initially feared, Albernaz said, "I just want to make sure that we're doing our due diligence and make sure Jordan is in the best chance to play this year." The Orioles could have more on Westburg's status soon after the infielder is evaluated.

Manager Will Venable officially named Dominguez as the closer for the White Sox to begin the 2026 season, James Fegan of Sox Machine reports.

Dominguez joined the White Sox on a two-year, $20 million deal in late January, which presumably lined him up to be the team's closer. Venable left no doubt during comments to the media early in spring training, clearly tabbing Dominguez for the ninth-inning role. Interestingly, Brian Bannister, the White Sox's director of pitching, credited Dominguez's introduction of a splitter for his reduced home-run rate in 2025 and believes it can carry over into 2026 due to its ability to neutralize lefty power.

Williams credits a midseason mechanical adjustment to explain his improvement in the second half of 2025, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Williams made a subtle adjustment during on off day in June, raising the position of his hands from resting at the belt to the chest. The goal was to create a longer arm path to better locate his pitches, and he described it as "night and day" from that point on. Following a period of adjustment, Williams was one of the better pitchers in the game after the All-Star break. He went 7-1 with a 2.18 ERA while pitching at least six innings in eight of 12 starts following the break. Additionally, the walks (5.3 BB/9) that were a pesky issue and raised his pitch counts over the first half of the season dropped to 3.3 per nine innings in the second half. The right-hander, who made 31 starts in 2025, is now an anchor in the Guardians rotation entering 2026.

The Rays have named Rasmussen their Opening Day starter, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rasmussen was excellent in 2025 in his first full season back from elbow surgery, collecting a 2.76 ERA and 127:37 K:BB over 150 innings covering 31 starts. He had his workload carefully monitored last season but should have the reins loosened in 2026. That said, given that Rasmussen has undergone three major elbow surgeries, he's unlikely to ever be a workhorse. His Opening Day assignment will come March 26 in St. Louis.

The Mariners signed Garver to a minor-league contract Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Garver spent the last two seasons with the Mariners serving as the team's backup catcher to Cal Raleigh. Garver will get a chance to reprise that role for the 2026 campaign, and he'll face competition from Jhonny Pereda and Andrew Knizner in spring training. Garver appeared in 87 regular-season games for Seattle in 2025 and slashed .209/.297/.343 with three steals, nine home runs and 30 RBI across 290 plate appearances.

Weber signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Tuesday.

Weber played 97 games with the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate in 2025, slashing .310/.368/.434 with 43 RBI and 60 runs scored across 404 plate appearances. The 28-year-old infielder has yet to make his MLB debut, but a lack of talent on Chicago's big-league roster could allow him to make the jump this season if he continues to play well in the minors.

Alexander signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Tuesday.

Alexander spent nearly all of 2025 at Triple-A, slashing .254/.355/.450 across 462 total plate appearances with three organizations. He'll now begin the 2026 campaign in the Astros' farm system and is again likely to spend most of the year at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Rodgers (back) is fully healthy for the start of spring training and will compete for a utility role on the Red Sox's Opening Day roster, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.

After signing a one-year deal with the Astros last February, Rodgers was limited to just 43 games at the big-league level in 2025. He initially missed time due to an oblique strain, then was involved in a nasty on-field collision during a minor-league rehab assignment in July in which he sustained a concussion as well as back, knee and hip injuries. He was able to resume his rehab assignment in late August before being shut down after one game, but after a full offseason to heal up from his injuries, Rodgers looks to be back to 100 percent. A Gold Glove Award winner at second base with the Rockies in 2022, Rodgers will need to prove he can capably handle other infield positions during the spring in order to boost his chances of making the roster as a utility player.

The Blue Jays claimed Cowles off waivers from the Cubs on Wednesday.

Cowles slashed just .235/.300/.371 with nine home runs and 18 steals over 462 plate appearances at hitter-friendly Triple-A Iowa in 2025. The 26-year-old has some defensive versatility with the ability to handle shortstop, second base and third base. He's likely ticketed for Triple-A Buffalo to kick off the 2026 season.

The Blue Jays placed Francis (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Francis will miss the entire 2026 season after the Blue Jays recently revealed that he would need reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, so his move to the 60-day IL was merely procedural. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Ben Cowles, whom the Blue Jays claimed off waivers from the Cubs.