MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol believes Walker could steal more bases in 2026, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder is surprisingly fleet of foot, ranking in the 84th percentile in sprint speed last season. Walker stole a career-high 10 bases in 13 attempts in 2025, and Marmol thinks there could be more in the tank for the 23-year-old if the team is able to "coach him up in a way that he feels comfortable taking more risks." Of course, Walker will need to get on base more to have an opportunity to pilfer more bags, and the former top prospect has been trying to implement swing changes he worked on this offseason at Driveline Baseball. Marmol has been encouraged by what he's seen from Walker early on in camp, noting that, "he knows what's at stake, and man, he's working really hard at it."

Thompson is not yet throwing off a mound after having arthroscopic left shoulder surgery in August, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Thompson missed the entire 2025 season due to shoulder issues, but it was not previously known that he had a cleanup procedure. The left-hander has been playing catch as he eases back into a throwing program. Thompson is no longer on the Cardinals' 40-man roster and should report to Triple-A Memphis once he's healthy enough to do so.

The Rockies placed Criswell (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Criswell sat out the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, and he'll now officially remain sidelined for the first few months of the 2026 season while he finishes up his rehab. His 40-man roster spot will be given to Jose Quintana, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Rockies this week.

Dobbins (knee) is being held out of fielding and running drills early on in Cardinals camp, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Dobbins' throwing program is on track, but he is being eased into other baseball activities as he comes back from last July's right ACL surgery. It's unclear when Dobbins might pitch in games or if he'll be ready for Opening Day, which could, in effect, take him out of the rotation competition. Dobbins was acquired via trade from the Red Sox this offseason in the deal that sent Willson Contreras to Boston.

The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Chris Paddack, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Henriquez underwent a UCL reconstruction surgery with an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in December and will be sidelined for the duration of the 2026 season.

Walker believes he fixed a mechanical issue over the offseason that had affected his command last season, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Walker discovered that he had been over-rotating, which made it difficult to command his slider, in particular. That led to having to throw more sinkers for strikes, and because the hitter was able to guess what was coming, his sinker got hit harder. After finishing with a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 32.1 percent strikeout rate in 2024, Walker regressed to a 4.11 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 22.6 percent strikeout rate in 2025. The 30-year-old is the favorite to open 2026 as the Giants' closer, and he could have a bounce-back season if his mechanics are in order.

Lewis has been shut down from throwing after he was diagnosed with a moderate subscapularis strain in his right shoulder, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Lewis is coming off a disappointing season as he had an ugly 7.27 ERA and 87:68 K:BB ratio in 73 innings at Triple-A in 2025. He missed some time last season with a right shoulder injury, but it's not clear if this setback is related. Lewis has had an unusual career path, as he's increasingly incorporated a knuckleball in his arsenal. He'll likely be shut down for at least a few weeks before being evaluated.

Rodon (elbow) has thrown 5-to-6 bullpen sessions and is scheduled to throw another one Saturday, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Rodon also revealed that he was given two platelet-rich plasma injections in his surgically repaired left elbow in order to expediate the healing process. The expectation is that Rodon will make a few Grapefruit League starts and be ready for his season debut in late April or early May.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Thursday that Herrera (elbow) remains limited with his throwing and hitting, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera underwent surgery in November to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, so he's being eased into things in spring training. The elbow rehab will keep Herrera from participating in the World Baseball Classic for his native Panama due to insurance issues, but it is not expected to affect his Opening Day availability. Herrera is attempting to return to catcher in 2026 after the elbow issue limited him to designated hitter duty for the final few months of the 2025 season.

The Phillies released Castellanos on Thursday.

After attempting and failing to unload Castellanos and his $20 million price tag during the offseason, the Phillies will now cut their losses and release him into free agency. The 33-year-old outfielder took another step back last year, as he slashed .250/.294/.400 with 17 homers, 72 RBI and 72 runs scored across 589 regular-season plate appearances. Despite his regression, the two-time All-Star figures to receive plenty of interest in the open market now that teams will be able to bring him in at a much lower price.