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.

Oviedo (illness) is scheduled to start Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The right-hander was sent home from camp Thursday due to an illness, but he's ready to make his second start of spring training Monday. Oviedo allowed a run on three walks and a hit over 1.2 frames during his spring debut last week.

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.

Jenkins was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain after undergoing an MRI on Sunday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The Twins' top prospect suffered the injury Saturday when attempting to beat out a double play. Jenkins is without an official timeline for his return, but the injury could affect his availability for the start of the Triple-A season. The 21-year-old received a taste of the Triple-A level late last year and has a decent chance of making his MLB debut at some point in 2026.

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.

Soriano won't start Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners as scheduled due to an illness, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The right-hander has surrendered seven earned runs across 3.2 frames in his first two outings of spring training, and his third appearance will be pushed back due to an ailment. Soriano shouldn't miss much time and could slot back into the pitching schedule later in the week.

Church (lat) is slated to throw live bullpen sessions Tuesday and Friday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Church is working his way back from a teres major strain and could be cleared for game action by early next week if he responds well to his upcoming live sessions. The 24-year-old righty has made just six career appearances in the majors, but he boasts one of the more electric arms in the organization and could be a factor in the late innings for the Rangers later in 2026 if he can stay healthy and keep the free passes in check.

Higashioka (back) will start at catcher and bat third in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

The veteran backstop had been out of the spring lineup for the past four days due to a back issue but appears to be good to go moving forward. Heading into his second season in Texas, Higashioka is likely to be part of a timeshare with Danny Jansen behind the dish.