MLB Player News

White Sox manager Will Venable said Monday that Sandlin has contended with elbow soreness recently but is slated to resume throwing Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Venable noted that Sandlin dealt with a back issue earlier in spring training prior to experiencing elbow soreness. The two injuries help explain why Sandlin never made an appearance in the Cactus League before the White Sox optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday. Sandlin is set to get back on a throwing program this week, but it's unclear if he'll have enough time to get fully built up before Charlotte begins its season in late March.

Alberto won't make a scheduled appearance Monday versus the Rockies due to back tightness, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

Alberto is expected to be ready to pitch in a day or two, so he's not believed to be dealing with a significant setback. The 24-year-old is trying to win a bullpen spot with the White Sox after being plucked in the Rule 5 Draft. Alberto has yielded three runs with a 4:2 K:BB over five innings so far this spring.

Rodon (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Monday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

It's the first time Rodon has faced hitters since he had surgery last October to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. The veteran left-hander's rehab from the procedure has gone off without a hitch, and he is expected to make some Grapefruit League appearances before Yankees camp breaks. Rodon will begin the year on the 15-day injured list, but he could be ready for his season debut before the end of April, at the earliest.

The Athletics optioned Basso to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Basso will head to Las Vegas to begin the season but should be near the top of the list for a promotion if the Athletics need another lefty arm out of the bullpen at any point. The 28-year-old made 11 appearances (one start) for the Athletics in 2025, accruing a 2.31 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and 8:9 K:BB over 11.2 innings.

The Athletics optioned Barnett to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Barnett made five late-season starts for the Athletics in 2025, submitting a 6.85 ERA and 1.66 WHIP across 22.1 innings in what was his first taste of the big leagues. With the Athletics rotation in better health heading into 2026, Barnett wasn't able to clinch a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he should be one of the top candidates to get a call-up from Triple-A whenever the big club is in need of a spot starter.

The Athletics optioned Nett to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Acquired by the Athletics from the Padres in July, Nett ended up spending the entire 2025 season at the Double-A level between the two organizations, logging a 3.75 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 116:48 K:BB across 105.2 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander is expected to spend nearly all of the 2026 campaign at Triple-A but put himself in consideration for a promotion to the big leagues in the second half if he's able find early success in the Pacific Coast League.

Lindor (hand) remains confident he'll be available for the Mets' March 26 season opener versus the Pirates, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The veteran shortstop has progressed to hitting in a batting cage as he works his way back from hamate bone surgery. Lindor won't get his normal workload in official spring training games regardless of whether he meets that timeline or not, but he thinks he'll be able to stack up enough at-bats in back-field contests to make up the difference once he's cleared for game action. Lindor slashed .267/.346/.466 with 31 home runs and 31 steals over 160 games in 2025, his second career 30-30 campaign.

The Athletics optioned Zhuang to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Zhunag will make the jump up to the Pacific Coast League to begin the 2026 campaign after he spent all of last season at Double-A Midland, where he turned in a 4.08 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 145:35 K:BB in 145.2 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander was added to the Athletics' 40-man roster over the winter but is likely to find himself behind several other minor-league arms for a call-up to the majors.

Lambert has shown both elite velocity and elite induced vertical break on his four-seam fastball in camp, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The 23-year-old right-hander has yet to pitch above Double-A, but it may not be long before he's handling high-leverage situations with the Mets. Lambert's fastball can reach triple digits on the radar gun, but it's also averaged between 19 and 20 inches of induced vertical break, which measures how much carry a ball up in the zone appears to have. The only two MLB pitchers who averaged better than 97 mph and more than 19 inches of carry with their four-seamers in 2025 were Brewers closer Trevor Megill, who posted a 2.49 ERA and 31.3 percent strikeout rate, and Padres setup man Jeremiah Estrada, who delivered a 3.45 ERA and 35.5 percent strikeout rate. For his part, Lambert fired up a 1.62 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 81:17 K:BB over 50 innings between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton last season.

Robert could make his Grapefruit League debut with the Mets on Thursday, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The 28-year-old center fielder has been treated with kid gloves early in the spring, having him play exclusively on back fields, but the Mets appear just about ready to let Robert start ramping up in earnest ahead of Opening Day. "He's in a good place right now," manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday. "You just watch him take batting practice, and the way the ball comes off his bat is different. He could be special." It's been a while since Robert was healthy enough to display his considerable upside, but the last time he played close to a full season in 2023, he slashed .264/.315/.542 with 38 homers and 20 steals in 145 games.