The Cubs invited Long to major-league spring training on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Long spent all of last season with Triple-A Iowa, where he sported a .307/.405/.480 slash line and mashed 20 home runs across 140 games. The 24-year-old is blocked at first base in the majors by Michael Busch, who had a breakout 2025 campaign. The offseason signing of Tyler Austin as a potential short-side platoon partner for Busch or Moises Ballesteros further blocks the righty-hitting Long, as the Cubs are unlikely to carry two righty-hitting first basemen at a time and Long isn't on the 40-man roster.

The Cubs invited Wiggins to Major League spring training on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Wiggins is Chicago's top pitching prospect, and while the 24-year-old is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Iowa, he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2026. Cade Horton followed a similar route last year and ended up making a big impact in the majors once he got the call in May, so Wiggins is worth keeping an eye on early in the campaign. The righty posted a 2.19 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 78 innings across three minor-league stops in 2025, giving a glimpse at his upside.

Ortiz (personal) will remain on leave and is not permitted to report to spring training, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Ortiz and teammate Emmanuel Clase were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave amid allegations of sports gambling last July. The two pitchers were subsequently indicted on charges in November related to an alleged scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games. There remains no timeline for a resolution in each case.

Clase (personal) will remain on leave and is not permitted to report to spring training, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Both Clase and Luis L. Ortiz were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave last July amid allegations of sports gambling. The duo were then indicted in November related to an alleged scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games. There remains no timeline for a resolution in each case.

The Tigers signed Pilkington to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Pilkington elected free agency last week after being booted off the Nationals' 40-man roster and has quickly latched on with a new organization. The southpaw put up a 4.45 ERA and 34:17 K:BB over 28.1 innings with Washington last season and is likely ticketed for the Triple-A Toledo bullpen to begin the 2026 season.

The Angels re-signed Strickland (shoulder) to a minor-league contract Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Strickland missed the entire second half of the 2025 season with a right shoulder strain and it's unclear what his current health status is. The veteran reliever held a 3.27 ERA in 19 appearances for the Angels before getting hurt, but a 14:10 K:BB in 22 innings didn't make a pretty picture. If healthy, Strickland could eventually work his way into a middle-relief role for the Halos, but an initial stint at Triple-A Salt Lake is likely.

Hader (shoulder) has been throwing lightly on flat ground and the Astros expect to have a better idea as to his status by the middle of this week, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

Earlier in the offseason, Hader -- who missed the final seven-plus weeks of last season with a left shoulder strain -- told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle that he felt "back to normal" and had been throwing off a mound. This latest update suggests there's less certainty about the closer's health, however. If it turns out that Hader had a setback or simply isn't ready, Bryan Abreu would be next in line for saves in the Houston bullpen.

Pagan and teammate Tony Santillan will likely see less work in spring training games this year, especially early in the spring, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports. "We'll slow play them a little," pitching coach Derek Johnson said. "We need to give them a bit of time on the front end to build and maybe not be in games right away.

Pagan and Santillan were heavily used by the Reds last season, particularly down the stretch as the team tried to make the playoffs. The Reds did acquire Caleb Ferguson, Pierce Johnson and Brock Burke this offseason to help lighten the load on the two returning high-leverage arms.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Monday that he doesn't anticipate Wheeler (shoulder) being ready for Opening Day, but he "doesn't think he'll be too far behind that," Paul Casella of MLB.com reports.

The declaration largely aligns with previous reports regarding Wheeler's timetable, though Thomson's words are the clearest indication yet that the Phillies don't plan on having the 35-year-old available for Opening Day. Recovering from venous thoracic outlet surgery -- which is the less severe of the two TOS diagnoses -- Wheeler began a throwing program in early December, and his rehab has gone off without a hitch to this point. More clarity on Wheeler's timeline could be available during spring training, but he seems to have a good shot at making his season debut sometime in April.

The Yankees acquired Schuemann from the Athletics in exchange for minor-league RHP Luis Burgos on Monday.

Schuemann was designated for assignment by the Athletics last week and will now head to New York to compete for a reserve infielder job this spring. Schuemann has slashed .212/.306/.297 with nine home runs, 47 RBI, 75 runs scored, 21 stolen bases and a 69:154 BB:K across 672 big-league plate appearances since making his MLB debut in 2024.