MLB Player News

The Rockies placed Criswell (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Criswell sat out the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, and he'll now officially remain sidelined for the first few months of the 2026 season while he finishes up his rehab. His 40-man roster spot will be given to Jose Quintana, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Rockies this week.

Dobbins (knee) is being held out of fielding and running drills early on in Cardinals camp, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Dobbins' throwing program is on track, but he is being eased into other baseball activities as he comes back from last July's right ACL surgery. It's unclear when Dobbins might pitch in games or if he'll be ready for Opening Day, which could, in effect, take him out of the rotation competition. Dobbins was acquired via trade from the Red Sox this offseason in the deal that sent Willson Contreras to Boston.

The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Chris Paddack, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Henriquez underwent a UCL reconstruction surgery with an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in December and will be sidelined for the duration of the 2026 season.

Walker believes he fixed a mechanical issue over the offseason that had affected his command last season, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Walker discovered that he had been over-rotating, which made it difficult to command his slider, in particular. That led to having to throw more sinkers for strikes, and because the hitter was able to guess what was coming, his sinker got hit harder. After finishing with a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 32.1 percent strikeout rate in 2024, Walker regressed to a 4.11 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 22.6 percent strikeout rate in 2025. The 30-year-old is the favorite to open 2026 as the Giants' closer, and he could have a bounce-back season if his mechanics are in order.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Thursday that Herrera (elbow) remains limited with his throwing and hitting, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera underwent surgery in November to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, so he's being eased into things in spring training. The elbow rehab will keep Herrera from participating in the World Baseball Classic for his native Panama due to insurance issues, but it is not expected to affect his Opening Day availability. Herrera is attempting to return to catcher in 2026 after the elbow issue limited him to designated hitter duty for the final few months of the 2025 season.

The Dodgers placed Phillips (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for Enrique Hernandez (elbow). Phillips will be sidelined for at least the first few months of the 2026 campaign after having Tommy John surgery last May.

The Mets placed Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for MJ Melendez, who signing became official Thursday. Megill will miss the entire 2026 season following September 2025 Tommy John surgery.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Thursday that Encarnacion-Strand is behind schedule after suffering a hamstring injury in January, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Encarnacion-Strand is on a running program, so he is improving, but he could miss the first few Cactus League games. The 26-year-old infielder slashed just .208/.234/.377 across 137 plate appearances last season and looks to be a bit buried on the Reds' depth chart.

Rincones will miss the first part of the Grapefruit League schedule due to left knee soreness, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Rincones was awarded a 40-man roster spot during the offseason after slashing .242/.366/.430 with 18 homers, 73 RBI, 80 runs scored and 22 steals across 119 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year. The 24-year-old outfield prospect was expected to compete for a spot on the Phillies' bench during spring training, but his chances of making the Opening Day roster have taken a significant hit now that he's slated to miss some time.

Contreras (finger) signed a one-year contract with the Brewers on Thursday to avoid arbitration.

Contreras' new deal also includes a club option for the 2027 season. The 28-year-old's production dipped a bit in 2025, as he slashed .260/.355/.399 with 17 homers, 76 RBI and 89 runs scored over 150 regular-season games while playing through a fractured finger for most of the year. He underwent surgery in the offseason to address the issue and is expected to be fully recovered by Opening Day.