MLB Player News

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said in November that Sasaki will "absolutely" be in the team's starting rotation next season, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.

Sasaki thrived down the stretch of the regular season and playoffs as a reliever, but Gomes noted that shifting Sasaki to the bullpen was more about "trying to get his delivery back." Gomes added of Sasaki that "we're definitely viewing him as a starter and a really good one." Sasaki posted a 4.72 ERA while walking 22 batters over 34.1 innings in his eight starts for the Dodgers in 2025, but the team is confident Sasaki's struggles in the rotation were related to his mechanics, which they feel have been corrected. The 24-year-old is sure to have workload restrictions as he transitions back to a starting role, though the Dodgers' preference for a six-man rotation will make that easier.

Garcia suffered a strained hamstring Sunday while playing for Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League, Marcos Grunfeld of El Emergente reports.

Garcia will wait to hear back from the Royals about either returning to winter ball at a later date or shutting things down. At the very least, he is expected to be sidelined for the next week or so. Garcia had a breakout 2025 campaign for Kansas City, slashing .286/.351/.449 with 16 home runs and 23 stolen bases over 160 games.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that the team could monitor Bieber's workload during spring training, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Bieber isn't dealing with any known injury, but the Blue Jays will be careful with him in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old threw a total of 88 innings in 2025 after handling only 12 innings in 2024. Bieber exercised his $16 million player option for 2026 last month to remain with the Blue Jays rather than test the open market.

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Monday that the team is hopeful Jobe (elbow) will be ready to pitch in games by September, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Jobe underwent Tommy John surgery in June. Prepping for game action late in the 2026 regular season is a reasonable goal, but it's likely Jobe will not be a significant contributor to the Tigers again until 2027.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Monday that he would like Alvarez (ankle) to "spend most of his season" at designated hitter, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez started 32 games at DH and 15 in left field during his injury-shortened 2025 campaign, and Houston wants to limit his time in the field in hopes that it will help keep him healthy. While it makes sense for the Astros to do everything they can to keep Alvarez's bat in the lineup, it makes for a difficult lineup construction for Espada, especially when it comes to where Isaac Paredes (hamstring) slots in. Alvarez's 2025 season ended prematurely due to a severe left ankle sprain, but general manager Dana Brown said Monday that the slugger will be ready to go for the start of spring training.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Betts will remain at shortstop next season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The news comes as no surprise after Betts earned a plus-6 in Outs Above Average in 2025 in his first season as a full-time shortstop. Betts played just one inning in right field in 2025, so he will enter the 2026 campaign with only shortstop eligibility in fantasy leagues.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday that Minter (lat) is questionable for Opening Day, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Minter underwent season-ending left lat surgery in early May and it's unclear where exactly he is in the rehab process. Stearns noted that if Minter is not ready for Opening Day, his absence is expected to be brief. The southpaw exercised his $11 million player option for 2026 and is poised to fill a key setup role for the Mets, if healthy.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that Yesavage will be in the team's rotation in 2026 and will not have a strict innings limit, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Between the minors, regular season and postseason, Yesavage threw a total of 139.2 innings in 2025 in his first professional season. While the Blue Jays will no doubt keep an eye on the right-hander's workload, particularly early on in the season, he will not be working with a strict innings cap. Yesavage posted a 3.21 ERA and 16:7 K:BB over 14 regular-season innings and a 3.58 ERA and 39:11 K:BB across 27.2 postseason frames for Toronto.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that Varland will remain in a bullpen role in 2026, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Varland excelled in a full-time move to a relief role in 2025, posting a 2.97 ERA and 75:22 K:BB over 72.2 regular-season innings between the Blue Jays and Twins. The 28-year-old has a career 5.18 ERA over 23 starts at the major-league level, and it does not appear the Blue Jays have interest in giving Varland another chance to start anytime soon. He's likely to begin the 2026 campaign in a setup role.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Wheeler (shoulder) began playing catch last week, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Wheeler underwent surgery in late September to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome, which had been preceded by an operation in mid-August to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder. Venous thoracic outlet syndrome is considered the less severe of the two TOS diagnoses, but Wheeler remains questionable to be ready for Opening Day. A clearer picture of his timetable should be available during spring training.