MLB Player News

Cowles was claimed off waivers by the Cubs on Sunday.

Cowles will return to Cubs camp after being designated for assignment by Chicago on Feb. 15 and ultimately claimed by the Blue Jays a few days later. The infielder appeared in five spring-training games in his time with Toronto, going 0-for-9 with five strikeouts. Cowles played in 113 games with Triple-A Iowa in 2025, batting .238 with nine home runs, 44 RBI, 55 runs scored and 16 stolen bases over 421 at-bats. He'll likely open the 2026 campaign at Triple-A if he sticks around with the Cubs' organization.

The Mets optioned Carrillo to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.

The right-hander received his first taste of the majors last year and surrendered seven earned runs across 4.2 frames with the Mets. Carrillo delivered a scoreless frame in his lone appearance in the Grapefruit League but won't stick around big-league camp.

The Cubs placed Miller (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

Miller inked a two-year, $2.5 million contract with Chicago earlier this month, but as expected, he will begin the 2026 campaign on the IL. The 35-year-old underwent UCL and flexor tendon surgery on his right elbow Oct. 13 and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season. In a corresponding move, the Cubs claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Blue Jays.

Verdugo agreed to a minor-league contract with the Padres on Sunday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The veteran outfielder signed with Atlanta for the 2025 campaign and had a .585 OPS in 56 games before being designated for assignment in early July. Verdugo will report to minor-league camp for the Padres, and it's difficult to envision a realistic path to him making the Opening Day roster.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell suggested Saturday that Busch won't be deployed in a platoon to open the season and has earned the right to play regularly versus left-handed pitchers, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Busch is coming off a breakthrough 2025 campaign in which he slashed .261/.343/.523 with 34 home runs, but the left-handed-hitting first baseman was largely shielded from same-handed pitching and did the overwhelming share of his damage versus righties, whom he faced for 497 of his 592 regular-season plate appearances. The Cubs signed the right-handed-hitting Tyler Austin this winter with the intention of having him fill the short side of a platoon, but with Austin now set to miss multiple months after recently undergoing a knee procedure, Counsell appears content to give Busch a full run of at-bats at first base. While the added exposure to lefties could lead to a drop in his batting average, Busch could increase his output in the counting categories due to the higher overall volume of plate appearances.

Kelly (back) said Sunday that he's optimistic he'll avoid a stint on the injured list to begin the regular season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Kelly is no longer in line to start Opening Day versus the Dodgers, but he could be ready to pitch in Arizona's second series of the season at home versus Detroit, which runs March 30 through April 1. The right-hander was shut down one week ago after experiencing mid-back tightness but has seemingly responded well since receiving a cortisone shot. He was able to play catch Sunday without issue and could gradually increase the distance and intensity of his throwing sessions during the upcoming week.

Dubin (elbow) struck out one batter and allowed two earned runs on two hits over an inning of relief Thursday in the Diamondbacks' 13-10 Cactus League win over the Royals.

Dubin appears to be fully healthy after spending the final two weeks of 2025 on the Orioles' injured list due to right elbow discomfort. He signed a minor-league deal with Arizona in December and is competing for a spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen. Between his stops with Houston and Baltimore last season, Dubin posted a 5.08 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 28:11 K:BB in 33.2 innings.

Holman (finger) is scheduled to make a relief appearance Tuesday in the Diamondbacks' exhibition against Team Mexico, SI.com reports.

Holman didn't pitch after June 11 last season while battling rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder as well as a right middle finger strain, but he's seemingly 100 percent healthy. Arizona claimed the right-hander off waivers from the Athletics earlier this month and could give Holman a look as a middle reliever.

Loaisiga (elbow) struck out a batter and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk over one inning of relief Saturday in the Diamondbacks' 8-5 Cactus League win over the Angels.

The 31-year-old made his first appearance of the spring Saturday and looks to be healthy again after a right elbow flexor strain limited him to just 29.2 innings with the Yankees in 2025. Loaisiga joined the Diamondbacks on a minor-league deal this winter but should have a good chance at claiming a spot in an unsettled Arizona bullpen, and potentially even high-leverage duty, if he can emerge from camp healthy.

Hunt is dealing with an oblique injury and has been shut down from activity, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Hunt signed a minor-league pact with San Diego in December and has been taking part in big-league camp, though he hasn't seen action in any spring games. The 28-year-old isn't on the team's 40-man roster and wasn't expected to be a serious contender for an Opening Day job even prior to suffering the injury. San Diego added fellow catcher Brendan Durfee to major-league camp to take Hunt's place.