MLB Player News

Shuster will build up his pitch count this spring while competing for a rotation spot with the White Sox, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports.

Shuster has had experience as both a starter and reliever at the big-league level, though he was used nearly exclusively out of the bullpen by the White Sox in 2024. That could change in the current campaign, as he'll work to build up his pitch count, beginning with a Cactus League outing Saturday. While acknowledging those plans, manager Will Venable didn't commit to Shuster beginning the 2025 campaign in the rotation.

Jung (wrist) has no physical limitations to start spring training, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung had a pair of wrist surgeries in 2024 and was limited to only 188 plate appearances as a result. He reported that he was fully recovered in early January, but that has now been confirmed by his participation in baseball activity early in camp as Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reported that Jung participated in batting practice this week.

The Blue Jays signed Yarbrough to a minor-league contract Thursday with an invite to spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Yarbrough made his first appearances with the Blue Jays in August after being dealt by the Dodgers in late July. With Toronto, he recorded a 2.01 ERA across 31.1 innings in 12 games. The southpaw was used out of the bullpen in all 12 of his appearances and will presumably fill a piggyback or long-relief role if he gets onto the MLB roster this year.

Volpe is scheduled to start Friday in the Yankees' Grapefruit League opener versus the Rays, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Aside from catcher Austin Wells, right fielder Aaron Judge and injured designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbow), the Yankees are expected to roll out a starting nine of their projected Opening Day starters in the first game of the exhibition slate. Volpe's placement in the lineup will be one to watch throughout the spring, as he had served as the Yankees' primary leadoff man leading up to the All-Star break last season before slotting between the fifth and ninth spot throughout the second half while Gleyber Torres ultimately took over as the team's table setter. Torres and last season's No. 2 hitter, Juan Soto, have since moved elsewhere in free agency, but their departures won't necessarily clear the way for Volpe to reclaim a spot atop the lineup. While Volpe offers excellent speed in the leadoff role, his .288 on-base percentage over 319 career games has made him a less palatable option. He'll at least be heading into the spring with some momentum following a strong playoff run this past fall in which he produced a .286/.407/.408 slash line to go with five steals in five attempts over 14 games, but Volpe will need to build off that small sample during the Grapefruit League to secure a prominent spot in the batting order.

Goldschmidt is scheduled to start Friday in the Yankees' Grapefruit League opener versus the Rays, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

He'll be making his Yankees debut after he wrapped up a six-year stint in St. Louis by signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract with New York in December. The 37-year-old has seen his production tail off dramatically following his MVP-winning 2022 campaign, but the .716 OPS he provided for St. Louis in 2024 represents a notable upgrade from what the Yankees received from the trio of Anthony Rizzo (.636), Ben Rice (.613) and DJ LeMahieu (.528), who combined to make more than 90 percent of the starts at first base a season ago.

Hamilton (calf) threw a live batting practice session Thursday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

The right-hander faced off against Austin Wells, Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez and Cody Bellinger in the live session. The 29-year-old reliever didn't make any appearances after injuring his calf in Game 3 of the Yankees' loss to the Guardians in the ALDS last fall, but his ability to face hitters early on during spring training suggests he's fully healthy.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he expects Judge to make his Grapefruit League debut March 1 or shortly thereafter, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Judge isn't dealing with an injury during camp, but the Yankees plan to hold the star outfielder out for the first week and a half of exhibition play to let players vying for roster spots pick up more at-bats. After Judge played 172 games between the regular season and postseason in 2024, Boone is mindful of building in some extra maintenance this spring for the reigning American League MVP as he prepares for what should be another hefty game count in 2025, assuming health prevails. Judge should help his chances of staying healthy by handling a less active role on the defensive end during the upcoming season, as he's expected to move back to his more natural right field position after he made the majority of his starts in center field in 2024 while former teammate Juan Soto patrolled right field.

Hader worked this offseason on limiting his movements before his windup in an effort to not tip his pitches, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Houston failed to make the ALCS for the first time in eight years, with Hader giving up a three-run double to Andy Ibanez as the Tigers were able to break open Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series and eliminate the Astros early. During the regular season, Hader logged a 3.80 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 105 strikeouts and 34 saves in 71 innings. In addition to trying to cut down on any pre-windup tells, Hader said he is working on making his changeup a bigger part of his arsenal, although that's something he's wanted to do for years, by his own admission, so it's too early to say this will actually be the year he can rely on anything besides his sinker and slider. Regardless of whether he has a more reliable third pitch, Hader should once again rank near the top of the majors in saves and strikeouts among relievers.

Macko underwent arthroscopic surgery Thursday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Macko suffered the injury early on in camp and an operation had been expected. Blue Jays manager John Schneider was not able to offer a timetable for the lefty's return, but Macko would seem likely to miss at least the first month or so of the season. Once recovered, Macko is likely headed to Triple-A Buffalo.

The Red Sox signed Moore to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

The Red Sox were looking for some left-handed relief depth with Zach Penrod going down with an elbow injury. Moore is coming back from an injury of his own, having missed the final month of last season with a left forearm strain. However, the southpaw has been throwing this offseason without any apparent issues, per Bradford. Moore held a 5.03 ERA and 41:26 over 48.1 frames with the Angels in 2024, but he was very effective from 2022 to 2023 with a 2.20 ERA and 27.4 percent strikeout rate. If heathy, the 35-year-old should have a good shot to make Boston's Opening Day roster.