MLB Player News

Mantiply signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday that includes an invite to big-league spring training.

The 35-year-old lefty spent the previous six seasons with the Diamondbacks but was released last June. Mantiply then inked a minor-league pact with Toronto in July. He appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen for Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 3.45 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 19:0 K:BB across 15.2 innings but didn't appear in any big-league games for the Blue Jays. Mantiply will compete for one of the final spots in the bullpen ahead of Opening Day.

The Blue Jays optioned Macko to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander delivered two scoreless appearances early in camp but was never a likely bet to make Toronto's Opening Day roster. Macko started in 10 of his 18 appearances at Triple-A last season, finishing with a 5.06 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 65:36 K:BB over 64 innings.

Gonzalez left Tuesday's spring training game versus the Padres due to tightness in his lower back.

Gonzalez took the mound in the top half of the seventh inning, and he struck out his first batter but then allowed a single and three consecutive walks. He departed the game after walking in a run on what turned out to be his final batter. The White Sox labeled the righty as day-to-day after his exit.

Rojas failed a drug test for performance-enhancing drugs and is appealing his 80-game suspension, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Barring a surprise during the appeals process, Rojas is poised to sit out the first half of 2026 due to the positive drug test. The 25-year-old appeared in 71 regular-season games for the Phillies last season and had a .569 OPS. Even if the appeal goes his way, Rojas is not guaranteed to make Philadelphia's Opening Day roster.

Baez was scratched from Tuesday's exhibition game versus Team Dominican Republic due to lower-back tightness.

Baez should be considered day-to-day for the time being. Max Clark subbed in for Baez in center field in the Tigers' lineup Tuesday.

Tolle is expected to be optioned to Triple-A Worcester to begin the season if frontrunner Johan Oviedo wins the final spot in Boston's rotation, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Tolle is one of the organization's top prospects and made his MLB debut last year, but he's not likely to secure a place in the Opening Day rotation given how well the Red Sox improved their rotation during the offseason. The improved rotation depth serves an additional purpose for Boston, as it should allow the organization to secure an additional year of service time for Tolle, as long as he spends at least 46 days in the minors this season.

The Red Sox plan to option Early to Triple-A Worcester to begin the season if Johan Oviedo wins the final rotation spot, as expected, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Oviedo is the clear frontrunner to win the No. 5 spot in the rotation, and Boston has no plans to keep Early in the majors as a member of the bullpen. The left-hander received his first taste of the big leagues last year and pitched well across four regular-season starts with a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 29:4 K:BB over 19.1 innings. Early is currently on the outside looking in for a rotation spot since the Red Sox significantly bolstered the unit this winter, but the organization can also get an extra year of service time if he spends 35 days in the minors this season. The top prospect is likely to begin the season in the rotation at Triple-A Worcester but will almost certainly be up with Boston at some point in 2026.

Fried allowed one hit and three walks while striking out one across three scoreless innings during Tuesday's exhibition game against Team Panama.

The three free passes would have tied Fried's season high from 2025, but it's not a major surprise for him to be shaking off some rust in his first start of spring training. The left-hander was as advertised during his first year with the Yankees last year, finishing the regular season with a 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 189:51 K:BB across 195.1 innings. Fried worked up to 56 pitches Tuesday and will continue building up his workload over the next few weeks.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Rodgers' MRI and CT results were not encouraging, and the second baseman is seeking a second medical opinion with surgery expected to be necessary, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Rodgers was sent for imaging after he tweaked his shoulder on a dive in the field last week, and it now appears he'll be unavailable to begin the season. The 29-year-old has previously undergone major surgery on both shoulders, but it's unclear if the current issue is related to those procedures. Rodgers wasn't likely to make Boston's Opening Day roster even if healthy, and he now appears set to begin the campaign on the IL at Triple-A Worcester.

Whisenhunt logged a blown save in Monday's 6-5 Cactus League win over the White Sox, allowing four earned runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two across 1.2 innings.

Whisenhunt entered in the third inning and surrendered two singles and a double that led to two runs. He then allowed a walk and two doubles before being pulled in the fourth, as the White Sox took a 4-3 lead. On a more positive note, the southpaw averaged 95.6 mph on his four-seamer, a significant uptick from his average of 92.6 mph in 2025. The 25-year-old could compete for a spot in the bullpen ahead of Opening Day, but it wouldn't be surprising if he begins the season in Triple-A Sacramento's rotation. He recorded a 5.01 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 16:12 K:BB while giving up six long balls across 23.1 innings in five starts for San Francisco last season.