MLB Player News

Jankowski signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Jankowski slashed just .200/.266/.242 with 12 RBI over 207 plate appearances last season with the Rangers. The 33-year-old outfielder has never been regarded as an offensive threat with a career .624 OPS and he'll most likely serve as organizational depth at Triple-A Iowa.

Rom has been shut down from throwing after feeling soreness in his surgically repaired left shoulder during a recent bullpen session, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Rom had been considered fully recovered from the arthroscopic surgery he had last May, but he has now encountered a setback. He'll rest for a few days following a PRP injection before a timeline is established for when he can resume throwing. Rom was removed from the Cardinals' 40-man roster earlier in the offseason but is in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Baty has been taking groundballs at shortstop and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza didn't rule out Baty seeing some action there during Grapefruit League play, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Baty's main focus remains on third base and second base, but it's possible he'll give shortstop a try if he looks good enough there in workouts. The Mets' four infield spots are all spoken for, so Baty's best shot at playing time will be to increase his versatility. He has started only at third base so far at the major-league level but has been used some at second base and in left field in the minors.

The Brewers signed Margot to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Margot slashed only .238/.289/.337 with four home runs and five stolen bases over 129 contests during his lone season with the Twins in 2024. The 30-year-old's defensive metrics have slipped in recent years, but he sports a career .279/.338/.415 line versus left-handed pitching. Margot will compete for a reserve outfielder job.

Del Castillo will be limited to designated hitter duty initially in Cactus League play due to right arm fatigue, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The injury does not appear to be a long-term concern, as the Diamondbacks expect Del Castillo to be ready to catch in games by early March. The 25-year-old is competing with Jose Herrera for the backup catcher job behind Gabriel Moreno.

Montgomery (finger) will throw a bullpen session Saturday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Montgomery has been limited this spring by a left index finger strain but has been cleared for mound work. The veteran left-hander should have plenty of time to ramp up before Opening Day, but his role is up in the air following last year's struggles and the Diamondbacks' rotation depth.

Schunk cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.

The 27-year-old was designated for assignment by the Rockies earlier in the week but will stick in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. Schunk will remain in big-league camp as a non-roster invitee but is likely to begin the campaign at Albuquerque.

Wilson suffered an oblique injury Friday while hitting in the batting cage, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

He will be examined further to determine the severity of the injury. If healthy, Wilson has a good shot to win a spot on Phillies' Opening Day roster as a reserve. He's slashed an impressive .288/.375/.490 over 120 plate appearances at the big-league level.

Phillips (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

It will be his first this spring, as Phillips is still working his way back from a right shoulder injury that kept him out of last year's World Series. While he has already been ruled out for the Dodgers' two-game series in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18-19, it's not clear whether he might have a chance to be ready for the team's domestic opener March 27.

Sasaki is slated to make his Cactus League debut sometime next week, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Sasaki is expected to start March 19, the Dodgers' second of two games in Tokyo against the Cubs to begin the regular season. With his first spring training outing coming soon, it would seem to line Sasaki up for three exhibition appearances before his outing in Tokyo.