Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he expects Judge to play in "four or five" of the team's first nine Grapefruit League games before he joins Team USA in early March for the World Baseball Classic, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Veterans like Judge are typically eased into spring lineups, but he'll get in some competitive at-bats early in camp to ensure he's sharp ahead of the WBC. Boone also reiterated that Judge will be a full participant in full-squad workouts throughout the week and is facing no limitations with his throwing after a flexor strain in his right elbow resulted in a brief stay on the injured list last July and kept him from playing the outfield for about five weeks. In spite of the elbow concern, Judge continued to thrive at the plate and took home his third American League MVP Award last season while batting a career-best .331 and slugging 53 home runs over 152 games.

The Diamondbacks placed Puk (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The left-hander will be unavailable for at least the first couple months of 2026 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so his move to the 60-day IL is just a procedural move. After reporting for spring training last week, Puk said that he expects to make his season debut before July.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Ballesteros (personal) isn't expected to report to camp until next weekend at the soonest, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Cubs are short on catching depth for the early part of camp, as Ballesteros and non-roster invitee Christian Bethancourt continue to work through visa issues that have delayed their arrival in the United States. A poor defender, Ballesteros likely won't be counted on to make frequent starts behind the plate with the Cubs in 2026, but he's an impact bat who could push his way into the everyday lineup as a designated hitter. Ballesteros didn't look overmatched in his first exposure to big-league pitching last season, slashing .298/.394/.474 with a 13.6 percent walk rate and 18.2 percent strikeout rate over his 66 regular-season plate appearances for Chicago.

The Diamondbacks claimed Holman (finger) off waivers from the Athletics on Sunday.

The addition of Holman gives the Diamondbacks an intriguing developmental arm out of the bullpen. Though he struggled to a 5.09 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB over 23 innings in the big leagues with the Athletics last season, the 6-foot-6 Holman boasts a four-pitch mix and long levers that helped him finish in the 94th percentile in extension, per Aaron Hughes of SI.com. Arizona placed A.J. Puk (elbow) on the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Holman.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Schlittler (back) is expected to resume mound work Tuesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The 25-year-old right-hander reported to camp this week nursing mid-back inflammation, and his scheduled return to mound work Tuesday appears to confirm that the injury is minor. Schlittler should have a fairly normal ramp-up for the regular season and appears set for an Opening Day rotation spot for the first time in his career.

Garcia (hamstring) took live batting practice against teammate Stephen Kolek on Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Garcia strained his hamstring back in December while playing in the Venezuela Winter League, but that's no longer a concern. After a breakout 2025 campaign in which he hit .286 with 16 home runs and 23 stolen bases, Garcia was rewarded with a five-year contract extension this offseason. The 25-year-old will leave Royals camp in the near future to join Team Venezuela in advance of the World Baseball Classic, but he'll likely be locked into a top-four lineup spot for Kansas City once the regular season gets underway.

Haggerty (ankle) took live batting practice against teammate Nathan Eovaldi on Sunday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Haggerty didn't see action after mid-August of last season due to a setback in his recovery from an ankle issue during a September rehab assignment. That didn't deter the Rangers from tendering him a contract this offseason, and he's in good shape to win a utility job on the Opening Day roster. In addition to being able to play all three outfield spots, second base, third base and shortstop, the switch-hitting Haggerty will give Texas a weapon against left-handed pitching. He slashed .318/.376/.435 across 94 plate appearances versus southpaws in 2025.

Langford (oblique) took his first live batting practice session of spring training Sunday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Langford was shut down for the final five games of the 2025 season due to a left oblique strain, but he's believed to have had a normal offseason. The 24-year-old will open the season as the Rangers' everyday left fielder, though he could occasionally slide over to center in place of Evan Carter when Texas faces left-handed pitching.

The Mets claimed Rortvedt off waivers Sunday.

Rortvedt has been continually on the move during the offseason, and he's now been claimed via waivers for a third time since the beginning of November. The 28-year-old likely won't have much roster security with the Mets since Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are locked in as the big club's top catchers.

The Mets placed Nunez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher Ben Rortvedt, whom the Mets claimed off waivers from the Dodgers on Sunday. The move won't affect Nunez's timeline for a return, as the 29-year-old right-hander is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery July 14.