MLB Player News

Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Wednesday that Rodriguez (elbow) will begin throwing bullpen sessions in January and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, Taylor Blake Ward of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Acquired from the Orioles on Tuesday in exchange for Taylor Ward, Rodriguez missed all of the 2025 campaign due to multiple arm issues and eventually underwent a right elbow debridement to remove a bone spur in August. He had been slated to begin a throwing program in October and will progress to mound work in January. Staying healthy has been difficult for Rodriguez, but he's flashed big upside when on the bump and will carry a career 4.11 ERA and 259:78 K:BB over 238.2 regular-season frames into the 2026 season. Rodriguez is sure to have some kind of workload restrictions with his new club in 2026 following a lost season.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said during the GM Meetings last week that Ryan (elbow) will go through a "normal" buildup during spring training, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ryan hasn't pitched since August 2024 Tommy John surgery, but he should have a relatively normal spring training since the righty will be 18 months removed from the operation by that point. The 27-year-old held a 1.33 ERA and 18:9 K:BB over 20.1 innings covering four starts for the Dodgers in 2024, but after a long layoff, he's likely to begin the 2026 season in the minors.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said during last week's GM Meetings that Stone (shoulder) will be ready for spring training and have a "normal" buildup, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Stone missed the entire 2025 campaign while recovering from right shoulder surgery. The operation involved the repair of a full capsule tear and partial tears of the labrum and rotator cuff, so it's uncertain how Stone's stuff will bounce back from such a major operation. However, at least at this time, he appears to be in line for a relatively normal spring training. Given the Dodgers' rotation depth and Stone's long layoff, the 27-year-old is likely to begin the 2026 campaign in the minors.

The Astros signed Maldonado to a minor-league contract Nov. 14.

Maldonado holds a 7.20 ERA and 18:12 K:BB over 25 innings across parts of two big-league seasons. The 27-year-old will give the Astros some experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Sugar Land.

The Phillies signed Peguero to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

Peguero never got settled in during his four seasons with the Pirates, slashing just .227/.278/.368 over 315 plate appearances. He'll turn just 25 next month and can play all over the infield, so Peguero could be useful organizational depth for Philadelphia.

The Rays signed Rooney (elbow) to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Nov. 15, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rooney elected free agency earlier this month after being removed from the Astros' 40-man roster, and he's quickly landed in a new organization. The lefty reliever had elbow surgery in September, though the specific nature of the procedure and a recovery timeline aren't clear. Rooney made one appearance for Houston but spent most of 2025 at the Triple-A level, holding a 2.56 ERA and 55:24 K:BB over 38.2 frames.

The Tigers released Lange on Tuesday.

Lange passed through waivers after being designated for assignment and has now been cut loose. The 30-year-old led the Tigers with 26 saves in 2023 but dealt with injuries the last two seasons, most notably requiring right lat surgery. Lange is healthy now, and he could land a major-league deal with a new organization.

The Orioles traded Rodriguez (elbow) to the Angels on Tuesday in exchange for Taylor Ward.

Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to multiple injuries to his right arm. He's expected to be ready for the start of spring training, but his extensive injury history and 4.11 ERA through two MLB seasons have given the O's cause to ship Rodriguez out to the Angels, upgrading their own offense in the process. Rodriguez, meanwhile, should have little trouble claiming a spot in a Halos rotation that finished the year with a 4.91 ERA (third worst in MLB).

The Angels traded Ward to the Orioles on Tuesday in exchange for Grayson Rodriguez.

Ward enjoyed one of the best seasons of his MLB career in 2025, posting a .792 OPS while setting new career highs with 36 homers, 103 RBI and 86 runs scored over 157 games. With the 31-year-old slugger due to enter free agency next offseason, the Angels will send him to Baltimore, where Ward figures to remain an everyday starter in the outfield while injecting the lineup with a bit of additional power.

The Athletics selected Zhuang's contract from Double-A Midland on Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Zhuang spent the entire 2025 season at Midland and finished the year with a 4.08 ERA and 1.28 WHIP to go with a 145:35 K:BB over 145.2 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander is ineligible to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft now that he owns a spot on the Athletics' 40-man roster, and he could be bumped up to Triple-A next year. However, his unimpressive performance in Double-A doesn't inspire much confidence in his chances of reaching the big leagues in 2026.