MLB Player News
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Gerrit Cole SP | NYY
Yankees' Gerrit Cole: No issues in rehab
General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that Cole hasn't experienced any setbacks during the offseason while rehabbing his surgically repaired elbow, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Cole sat out the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing a Tommy John procedure that included internal bracing in March. He began his throwing program in August but has already been ruled out for Opening Day by manager Aaron Boone. Cashman added that the plan is for Cole to report to the Yankees' facility in Florida soon, and if all goes well, the veteran righty may return to a big-league mound sometime in late May or early June.
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Carlos Rodon SP | NYY
Yankees' Carlos Rodon: Progressing smoothly
General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that there haven't been any surprises so far in Rodon's (elbow) rehab, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Rodon finished the 2025 regular season with a 3.09 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 195.1 innings -- all personal bests since he joined the Yankees in 2023. After struggling in the postseason (9.72 ERA), he underwent surgery to address a bone spur in his left elbow. He began a throwing program in December and has since reported to the team's facility in Florida. Barring any setbacks, the 33-year-old southpaw will likely make a few appearances in the Grapefruit League and aim to make his regular-season debut in late April or early May.
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Leo De Vries SS | ATH
Athletics' Leo De Vries: Nets invite to spring training
The Athletics have extended De Vries an invitation to big-league spring training.
The Athletics also invited Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump, among others, to major-league camp. Acquired from the Padres in the trade that sent Mason Miller to San Diego, De Vries slashed .255/.355/.451 with 15 home runs, 11 stolen bases and a 66:107 BB:K over 118 games between the High-A and Double-A levels in 2025. De Vries' best production came after a late-season promotion to Double-A Midland, and he'll likely head back there to begin the 2026 season. Just 19 years old, De Vries is not a finished product but has some of the highest upside of any position player in the minors.
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Jhonathan Diaz RP | SEA
Mariners' Jhonathan Diaz: Outrighted to Triple-A
The Mariners outrighted Diaz to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday.
Diaz was removed from the Mariners' 40-man roster last week but will remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. The left-hander has collected a 4.66 ERA and 33:27 K:BB over 46.1 frames covering parts of five seasons at the major-league level.
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Aaron Judge RF | NYY
Yankees' Aaron Judge: No lingering elbow issues
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Judge's right elbow is "doing really well" as the outfielder ramps up his throwing ahead of the World Baseball Classic, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Judge spent time on the injured list and was limited to serving as a designated hitter for a while during the second half of last season due to a flexor strain. He returned to the outfield in September and surgery was deemed unnecessary. At this point, there does not seem to be any worry from the Yankees or Judge that the reigning AL MVP's elbow issue will linger into 2026.
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Wade Meckler CF | LAA
Angels' Wade Meckler: Booted from 40-man roster
The Angels designated Meckler for assignment Wednesday.
The Angels needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of waiver claim Kaleb Ort (elbow). Meckler was a waiver claim himself earlier this month and will now go through the waiver process again. He slashed .287/.390/.370 at Triple-A Sacramento in the Giants organization in 2025 but swatted only one home run over 87 contests.
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Kaleb Ort RP | LAA
Angels' Kaleb Ort: Claimed by Angels
The Angels claimed Ort (elbow) off waivers from the Yankees on Wednesday.
After posting a 2.55 ERA and 26:4 K:BB over 24.2 regular-season innings in 2024, Ort regressed to a 4.89 ERA and 49:27 K:BB over 46 innings with the Astros in 2025. He also missed the final month of this past season with elbow inflammation, and it's unclear whether he'll be full-go for the start of spring training. Ort is out of minor-league options.
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Mike Siani CF | NYY
Yankees' Michael Siani: Removed from 40-man roster
The Yankees designated Siani for assignment Wednesday.
The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Angel Chivilli, who was acquired via trade Wednesday. Siani was just claimed off waivers by the Yankees last week, the third time this offseason he's been scooped up via waivers. The 26-year-old outfielder will be available again for other teams to claim.
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Angel Chivilli RP | NYY
Yankees' Angel Chivilli: Sent to Yankees
The Yankees acquired Chivilli from the Rockies on Wednesday in exchange for T.J. Rumfield, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Chivilli has managed just a 6.18 ERA and 71:33 K:BB over 90.1 innings covering two major-league seasons. However, the 23-year-old ranked in the 88th percentile in fastball velocity, the 84th percentile in groundball rate and had whiff rates exceeding 40 percent with both his changeup and slider. There could be some untapped potential for Chivilli as he gets out of Colorado and into the Yankees' pitching development.
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Evan Carter LF | TEX
Rangers' Evan Carter: Aiming for 30 stolen bases
Carter said last week that one of his goals this season is to steal 30 bases, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Carter is 19-for-21 on stolen-base attempts in 131 career games, and he ranked in the 90th percentile in sprint speed in 2025. The outfielder believes new first-base coach Travis Jankowski -- who stole 104 bases in his career -- will be able to help him get the most out of his speed on the bases. Injuries have been Carter's biggest downfall, as he's played only 108 games with the big club over the last two seasons. However, he's fully recovered from the fractured wrist that ended his 2025 season and said that "I actually feel really good right now" after merely "kind of telling myself that I feel good in the past." Carter remains a major injury risk in 2026 -- particularly since his back issues have been chronic -- and the left-handed hitter is unlikely to play much versus southpaws. There's still some breakout potential with the 23-year-old, though, and he only costs a late-round flier in fantasy leagues.