MLB Player News

Johnson is in the conversation for a starting spot in the Angels' rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

With Alek Manoah and (to a lesser extent) Grayson Rodriguez struggling this spring, there is some uncertainty at the back end of the Angels' rotation. Should Manoah and/or Rodriguez not be part of the Opening Day starting staff, Johnson is one of several pitchers (including Jack Kochanowicz, George Klassen and Mitch Farris) who could be considered for a rotation role. Johnson got a look in the majors last season and struggled with a 7.36 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB over 14.2 innings across 14 relief appearances, and he ended the campaign in High-A ball. However, he's one of the organization's top prospects and has pitched pretty well this spring, posting a 4.63 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB over 11.2 frames. Johnson is still probably a longshot to break camp with the big club, but it's worth noting that he's still in big-league camp with Opening Day just 10 days away.

Peraza is in contention for starts at second base early in the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Christian Moore and Kyren Paris were optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, and the Angels have yet to decide who will be their primary option at second base. Left-handed-batting Adam Frazier may have the upper hand, but manager Kurt Suzuki emphasized Monday that the team hasn't yet settled on a starter, saying the competition "might come down to the wire." Suzuki also stated that the Angels may opt to go with a modified platoon based on matchups, and Peraza could very well be part of that mix along with Frazier and Vaughn Grissom (hand). Peraza is out of minor-league options and has had a great spring, slashing .341/.386/.634 with two homers, six doubles, eight RBI and five stolen bases.

Neto (wrist) is now expected to return to game action with the Angels on Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Neto seems to be doing fine after spraining his left wrist while sliding into home plate Saturday against Seattle. The star shortstop took batting practice on the field Monday, and manager Kurt Suzuki said he was impressed with Neto's session. The team initially considered having Neto play in a minor-league game Tuesday but changed course because that contest is an A-ball matchup, which could increase the risk of Neto getting hit by a pitcher with poor command. Instead, Neto is slated to take part in a Cactus League game Wednesday. At this point, it looks like he'll be fine for Opening Day.

Feltner has allowed 10 earned runs on 11 hits and six walks while striking out 12 across 8.1 innings in four Cactus League appearances.

Feltner had an injury-plagued 2025 season, but he added strength this offseason and has been healthy. He's in contention for the fifth-starter role, though he's allowed three earned runs in three consecutive outings. Positively, Feltner has a 9:2 K:BB across his last two spring appearances, which is enough for Thomas Harding of MLB.com to include Feltner in his projected rotation to begin the season.

Dollander has allowed six earned runs on 13 hits and four walks with six strikeouts across 10.1 innings across four Cactus League appearances.

Dollander prevented runs effectively through his first three spring outings, but he still had only a 5:3 K:BB across seven innings. He also allowed four earned runs across 3.1 frames in his most recent outing against the Mariners, potentially placing his spot in the rotation in jeopardy to begin the season. In Thomas Harding's most recent roster projection, Ryan Feltner was penciled into the fifth starter role, though he also noted that Colorado would prefer for Dollander to claim the job.

Romano is one of several Angels relievers who could factor into the closer mix during the early part of the regular season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Robert Stephenson (shoulder) had at one point been considered a favorite for save opportunities, but he recently had a setback and is likely to open the campaign on the injured list. Ben Joyce (shoulder) probably has the most closer-like stuff of anyone in the team's bullpen, but he's also expected to begin on the IL. That leaves a trio of veteran relievers -- Romano, Kirby Yates and Drew Pomeranz -- in the running for early save opportunities. Yates may be the slight favorite for the closer role, but manager Kurt Suzuki said Monday that the team hasn't yet made a decision in that regard and also indicated that the Angels may "just use the three high-leverage guys and mix and match." Romano has 133 career regular-season saves and has looked good this spring with four scoreless innings and a 3:0 K:BB over four outings, but he is coming off a disastrous 2025 campaign during which he posted an 8.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 42.2 innings spanning 49 regular-season appearances with Philadelphia. The right-hander's velocity has also been down about 1.5 mph this spring, and he's stated that he'd like to work his way back up to his usual velocity before the start of the campaign.

Edman (ankle) has continued to ramp up his running progression and is also taking on-field batting practice, per MLB.com.

Edman seems to be making steady progress in his recovery from right ankle surgery. He's already been ruled out for Opening Day, though it's possible that he could be ready to join the Dodgers before the end of April. Edman is eventually slated to start at second base this season, and while he's out that position could be manned by Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas, Alex Freeland or a combination of that trio.

Ryan has had a strong spring but is expected to begin the season in the minors, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Ryan's most recent spring outing was a four-inning start against Texas on Sunday, during which he allowed just one run and struck out five batters. The right-hander has posted an impressive 1.86 ERA with a 12:4 K:BB over 9.2 frames spanning four appearances this spring, and with Blake Snell (shoulder) slated to open the season on the IL, there had been some thought that Ryan could be a candidate for the open rotation spot. However, Chen surmises that Ryan will almost certainly begin the campaign in the minors due to an early schedule that includes three days off over the first 15 days of the season (which should reduce the need for a sixth starter) and the presence of Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski, both of whom have more experience as swingmen. It's also worth noting that Ryan missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, so while there's a good chance he'll get an opportunity with the big club at some point during the campaign, the Dodgers are likely to manage his workload carefully.

Rodon (elbow) threw two simulated innings at the Yankees' spring-training complex on Saturday, Paul Casella of MLB.com reports.

Rodon threw 30 pitches, upping his count after throwing 20 last Monday in his first session against live hitters since undergoing left elbow surgery last October. The veteran hurler said he felt good Saturday, suggesting that he "could have gone more" but acknowledging that he "can't do that yet" as he approaches his recovery with caution. Yankees manager Aaron Boone sounded optimistic about Rodon's rehab, indicating that the left-hander is "probably not that far behind" and saying that Rodon is "trending in a good way." While Rodon is expected to begin the season in the injured list, there remains the expectation that he will take the mound for game action before the end of spring training, and he could take his place in the Yankees' rotation before the end of April.

Padres manager Craig Stammen said Sunday that Song (oblique) has resumed swinging a bat, per 97.3 The Fan.

Stammen mentioned that Song "took some swings...off the tee" Friday and that he would subsequently continue a hitting progression. The manager also indicated that the team hopes to get Song into some games before the end of spring training, though even in that case it's not certain that the South Korean slugger will be ready for Opening Day. Song initially hurt his oblique in January and then aggravated the issue in early March, so San Diego is likely to be cautious in the pacing of his recovery schedule.