Schmitt (wrist) has begun a hitting progression after getting cleared last week, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Schmitt estimated that the grip strength in his left hand is back to 95 percent. He first got hurt all the way back on June 25 and played through the injury throughout the second half of last season, finally having surgery in December.

Lee will move to right field after the Giants signed Harrison Bader to patrol center field, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Lee grades out as a negative defensive center fielder by most metrics, and Bader on the other hand grades out spectacularly, which is especially important at Oracle Park. Drew Gilbert and Jerar Encarnacion could lose out on playing time following the Bader signing.

The Nationals outrighted Lara to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Lara was booted off the 40-man roster last week, but he will remain in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 23-year-old held an 8.79 ERA and 10:8 K:BB over 14.1 innings with the Nationals and an 8.92 ERA and 26:22 K:BB across 36.1 frames with Rochester in 2025.

The Rockies signed Weigel to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Weigel is coming off a terrific performance in the Dominican Winter League, having posted a 1.19 ERA and 34:5 K:BB over 30.1 innings. The 31-year-old has not pitched in the majors since 2021, having bounced around between the minors and independent ball since then. Weigel is likely ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 season.

Birdsong has been working on staying more upright with his delivery this offseason as he looks to improve his command, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

In his first 16 appearances (five starts) last season, Birdsong collected a 2.79 ERA and 51:19 K:BB over 48.1 innings. He then posted a 10.38 ERA and 17:18 K:BB over his next five outings, got optioned to Triple-A Sacramento and never returned to the majors. Birdsong believes he was "over-bending," which made his arm slot rise and the movement on his pitches get out of whack. The 24-year-old is pleased with his mechanical work over the winter, and he's also tentatively planning to pitch exclusively from the stretch in 2026 after he used a windup in 2025 for the first time since college. There's currently not room for Birdsong in the Giants' rotation, and he's had trouble throwing strikes both in the majors (13.1 percent walk rate) and minors (11.3 percent walk rate). However, with a 25.4 percent strikeout rate in the majors and 32.3 percent strikeout rate in the minors, Birdsong could still have upside if he's able to get his walk rate to an acceptable level.

The Cardinals signed Velazquez to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Velazquez split the 2025 season between the Triple-A level in the Royals and Pirates organizations and also spent time in the Mexican League. The 27-year-old has cranked 31 home runs in 615 plate appearances at the major-league level, but that's come with just a .212/.286/.433 career batting line and 28.8 percent strikeout rate. The Cardinals have been looking for a right-handed-hitting reserve outfielder, which gives Velazquez a chance to make the team even if the odds aren't high.

Matos could be the player whose outlook is most negatively impacted by the Giants' signing of Harrison Bader, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Matos had been set to compete for playing time in right field, but Jung Hoo Lee will now shift to that position to accommodate the arrival of Bader in center field. He's managed just a .231/.281/.369 batting line over parts of three big-league seasons and is out of minor-league options, but Matos will turn only 24 later this week and could be a change-of-scenery candidate if the Giants don't think they can fit him on their roster.

Williams said Monday that his positional focus heading into spring training will be at shortstop, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Acquired from the Mets last week in the Freddy Peralta trade, Williams' primary position so far in pro ball has been shortstop, but he's also played second base and center field and considers himself "pretty comfortable at all three positions now." Williams is likely to begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Nashville after hitting only .209/.285/.433at Triple-A Syracuse in 2025 following a late-season promotion. The 22-year-old could debut at some point during the upcoming season, likely either at shortstop or in center field.

Atlanta designated Soriano for assignment Monday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Jose Suarez, who was claimed off waivers. Soriano was a waiver claim of Atlanta himself earlier this month and now could be on the move again. The right-handed reliever has collected a 5.95 ERA and 117:55 K:BB covering 118 innings across parts of three seasons in the big leagues.

Atlanta claimed Suarez off waivers from the Orioles on Monday.

Suarez went from Atlanta to Baltimore via waivers earlier this month and is now headed back the other direction. The left-hander made seven appearances (one start) with Atlanta in 2025, finishing with a 1.86 ERA and 16:10 K:BB across 19.1 innings of work. Suarez doesn't have minor-league options remaining, so if he's still with Atlanta on Opening Day, he's likely to slide into a long relief role with the big club.