MLB Player News

Mayo could see increased opportunity at third base for the Orioles if Jordan Westburg (oblique/elbow) has to miss time, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports.

Westburg is now dealing with an elbow injury in addition to an oblique strain, and his long-term status is uncertain. The Orioles had seemingly moved on last season from Mayo playing third base, preferring to use him instead at first base, but now the team could have a much larger need at the hot corner. Mayo has been getting lots of reps at third base in camp and could be the Opening Day starter there if Westburg is shelved. Blaze Alexander is also a candidate to play third base, though he could be needed at second base initially while Jackson Holliday (hand) is out. Mayo has slashed just .201/.285/.349 with a 31.2 percent strikeout rate in the majors, but he did perk up last September with regular playing time, hitting .301/.393/.548 with five homers.

Westburg (oblique) recently underwent imaging on his elbow, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports.

Westburg came into camp with an oblique injury, but it seems his elbow is now the bigger concern. It's unclear what the results of the imaging showed, but Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Thursday that Westburg was being evaluated by the team's medical staff and also people outside the organization. More clarity on the situation should come about after those evaluations.

Schlittler (back) recovered well from Tuesday's bullpen session and will throw one more before likely moving on to facing hitters, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Schlittler has been slowed a bit early on in camp by a mid-back issue, but he's on the mend. If the young right-hander is indeed cleared to face hitters soon, pitching in a Grapefruit League contest should follow shortly after. Schlittler is locked into a spot in the Yankees' rotation after holding a 2.96 ERA and 84:31 K:BB over 73 regular-season innings in 2025.

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.