Veen will likely need an injury in Colorado's outfield to have a chance to make the Opening Day roster, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post reports.

The Rockies have a relatively set starting group in the outfield, with Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Jordan Beck and Jake McCarthy projected to earn the majority of playing time. That likely leaves Veen on the outside looking in for a potential roster spot at the start of spring training. He had a brief stint in the majors in 2025, but he struck out 37.8 percent of the time across 37 plate appearances before being demoted and spending the rest of the campaign at Triple-A Albuquerque.

Hendriks (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Wednesday that includes an invitation to big-league spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Hip and elbow injuries limited Hendriks to just 14 regular-season appearances in 2025, during which he accumulated a 6.59 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 13.2 frames. An unstable bullpen situation in Minnesota may allow the 37-year-old righty to win a spot on the Twins' Opening Day roster, but he will first need to prove he can still be effective in the Grapefruit League.

Bassitt signed a one-year, $18.5 million contract with the Orioles on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Bassitt finished the 2025 regular season with a 3.96 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 170.1 innings, and he'll now head to Baltimore to help bolster an Orioles rotation that finished the year with a 4.65 ERA (seventh worst in MLB). The 36-year-old righty has made at least 30 starts every year since 2022 and posted an 8.8 K/9 last season while ranking in the 85th percentile in average exit velocity allowed.

Ritter will have the chance to compete for the starting role at second base during spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Ritter made his big-league debut in 2025 and split his playing time almost exactly evenly between second base and shortstop. Ezequiel Tovar will likely play nearly every day at the latter position, while Edouard Julien and Willi Castro are both offseason additions that will factor in at the keystone. That seemingly leaves a narrow path for Ritter to make the Opening Day roster, though a strong spring could change his outlook.

The Pirates placed Jones (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Jones sat out all of the 2025 season after undergoing UCL repair surgery in May and will now officially miss the first couple months of the 2026 campaign as well. The 24-year-old righty threw an encouraging mound session Wednesday to begin spring camp, so the Pirates' decision to place him on the 60-day IL this early in the spring likely reflects a desire to proceed slowly with building him back up. Assuming Jones' rehab continues smoothly, he could rejoin Pittsburgh's rotation sometime in late May or early June. In the meantime, he'll give up his place on the 40-man roster to the newly signed Jose Urquidy, who could also take Jones' spot in the rotation.

Rainer, who had his 2025 campaign come to a premature end in June after dislocating his right shoulder, is in line to be ready for the start of the 2026 minor-league season, MLB.com reports.

Rainer dislocated his shoulder diving back to first base in a June 3 game for Single-A Lakeland, and he underwent surgery shortly after that. The 20-year-old shortstop seems to be almost fully recovered, and if he stays healthy all season long, he will look to build on the positive momentum he was establishing before getting hurt. Rainer, the 11th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, posted an .835 OPS across 35 games for Lakeland in his first professional campaign, and he's one of the top prospects in Detroit's system. The youngster could make the jump to High-A West Michigan at some point this year and perhaps climb even higher.

With Daniel Palencia being named Chicago's closer to start the regular season, per Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com, Maton will likely handle a setup role in the early going.

Maton has generally served as a setup option throughout his MLB career, as his high-water mark for saves is five, which he posted last year. The veteran also recorded a 2.79 ERA and 81 strikeouts across 61.1 innings in 2025, so if Palencia falters in the closer role, Maton certainly seems more than capable of stepping in. For now, his fantasy value will be capped, though he should have strong appeal in leagues that count holds.

McCarthy is expected to compete with Mickey Moniak to start in right field to begin the 2026 season, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post reports.

The Rockies acquired McCarthy this offseason but have a versatile roster, so he could face significant competition for the starting role in right field. Moniak may be the primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching, so there could be room for both to start, but Willi Castro, Troy Johnston and Tyler Freeman also figure to factor in at a corner outfield spot. Most importantly, McCarthy will need to bounce back as a hitter to maintain a regular role after posting only a .592 OPS across 222 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2025.

The Phillies requested Castellanos not to report to spring training this week as the club ramps up efforts to trade him, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Philadelphia has been looking to trade the 33-year-old outfielder all offseason, but his $20 million salary for 2026 -- which is the final year of his contract -- plus his poor defense and .694 OPS during the regular season last year have made that difficult. According to Gelb, the Phillies could release Castellanos if a trade is unable to be reached by the end of the week. Adolis Garcia is poised to take over in right field for Philadelphia after signing a one-year, $10 million contract in December.

The Nationals placed Herz (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The move clears a spot on Washington's 40-man roster for Miles Mikolas, who signed a one-year deal with the club Wednesday. It's unclear how close Herz is to beginning a throwing program after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, but he's likely to be sidelined for at least most of the season's first half.