MLB Player News
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Clarke Schmidt SP | NYY
Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Shifts back to 60-day injured list
Schmidt (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
Schmidt underwent an internal brace surgery July 11 and will be out until at least the middle of the 2026 season. This move doesn't come as a surprise and is procedural to create a roster spot for the signing of Paul Goldschmidt.
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Munetaka Murakami 1B | CHW
White Sox's Munetaka Murakami: Getting up to speed
Murakami will have his Cactus League debut delayed until Feb. 28, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
It was always the White Sox's plan to bring Murakami along slowly as he adjusts to his first season stateside, though Feb. 28 represents a later exhibition debut than originally anticipated. There doesn't appear to be any cause for concern at this point, as he's still expected to appear in a few Cactus League games before playing in the World Baseball Classic.
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Alan Roden OF | MIN
Twins' Alan Roden: Recovered from thumb surgery
Roden, who had surgery in August to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, had a normal offseason, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
It sounds like he's fully healthy as spring training begins. Roden will compete for a starting role in the outfield but could also be part of a platoon in the corner outfield. He struggled in his first taste of the majors last season (hitting .204 with a .589 OPS in 43 games with the Blue Jays) but had a second strong season at Triple-A (.919 OPS). He was traded to the Twins at the deadline and struggled again with a .463 OPS in 12 games before suffering a season-ending thumb injury.
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Jordan Walker RF | STL
Cardinals' Jordan Walker: Could steal more bases in 2026
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."
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Zack Thompson RP | STL
Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Recovering from shoulder surgery
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.
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Jeff Criswell P | COL
Rockies' Jeff Criswell: Returns to 60-day IL
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.
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Hunter Dobbins SP | STL
Cardinals' Hunter Dobbins: Not doing fielding, running drills
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.
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Ronny Henriquez RP | MIA
Marlins' Ronny Henriquez: Lands on 60-day injured list
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.
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Ryan Walker RP | SF
Giants' Ryan Walker: Found mechanical fix over winter
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.
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Cory Lewis SP | MIN
Twins' Cory Lewis: Shut down with shoulder strain
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.