Schmitt (wrist) will continue his hitting progression for one more week and is then expected to be cleared for all baseball activities, per MLB.com.

Schmitt underwent surgery in early December to remove the carpal boss in his left wrist but is expected to be ready before Opening Day. The 26-year-old infielder slashed .237/.305/.401 with 12 home runs, 40 RBI and 34 runs scored across 348 plate appearances in 95 games last season. He's expected to play a utility role in 2026 after the Giants signed Luis Arraez during the offseason.

Strickland (shoulder) tossed a bullpen session Wednesday during the Angels' first workout of spring training, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Strickland didn't make any appearances in the majors or minors after July 6 last season due to a right shoulder strain, but he looks to be fully healthy as spring training gets underway. The veteran right-hander is attending camp as a non-roster invitee and will need to perform well during the Cactus League to clinch a spot in the Angels' Opening Day bullpen. Strickland made 19 appearances for the Halos last season, notching one save and two holds while posting a 3.27 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 22 innings.

Gelof (shoulder) said Wednesday that he's "feeling healthy, feeling ready to go" and expects to be a full participant when he reports to spring training later this week, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

After posting 14 home runs and 14 steals in just 69 games as a rookie in 2023, Gelof looked to be a central figure in the Athletics' rebuilding effort, but injuries and an ability to make consistent contact against big-league pitching have left his future murky. He didn't make his 2025 big-league debut until early July while recovering from a fractured bone in his right wrist and a stress reaction in his ribs, then slashed just .174/.230/.272 with a 45.5 percent strikeout rate over 101 plate appearances between two stints with the Athletics before he was shut down in late September due to a dislocated left shoulder. He appears to be healthy again following surgery on the shoulder, but Gelof may need a strong showing at the plate during Cactus League play to make a compelling case for a spot on the Athletics' Opening Day roster.

The Nationals signed Mikolas to a one-year contract Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports.

Mikolas held a 4.84 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 100:37 K:BB across 156.1 innings covering 31 starts for the Cardinals in 2025. The veteran right-hander has a pedestrian 4.51 ERA over the last four seasons, but he's made 30-plus starts every year during that stretch, so the 37-year-old gives an unproven Nationals rotation some experience and durability.

Falter (biceps) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Falter spent the final five weeks of the 2025 season on the shelf due to a left biceps contusion, but he made two rehab appearances with Triple-A Omaha in late September and looks to have had a normal offseason. The veteran southpaw will likely get stretched out as a starter during spring training, but he's probably on the outside looking in for a rotation spot and could be ticketed for a long-relief role.

Lauer will earn $4.4 million in 2026 after losing his arbitration hearing with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Lauer had filed for a $5.75 million salary, coming off a 2025 campaign in which he delivered a 3.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 102:26 K:BB in 104.2 innings. The veteran lefty brought some stability to the back end of the Toronto rotation for much of the summer before he transitioned into a relief role once the Blue Jays regained some health with the returns of Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer from injuries. Scherzer is now a free agent, but with Toronto retaining Bieber, trading for Dylan Cease and preparing breakout postseason star Trey Yesavage for a full-time rotation spot in 2026, Lauer could see a larger share of his appearances out of the bullpen during the upcoming season.

Bubic (shoulder) will earn $6.15 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing against the Royals on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Royals had filed at $5.15 million, but the three-person arbitration panel chose the figure Bubic submitted. Bubic experienced a breakout 2025 season, posting a 2.55 ERA and 116:39 K:BB over 116.1 innings covering 20 starts before going down with a left shoulder strain. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Bubic threw a bullpen session Wednesday and doesn't appear to be operating with any restrictions this spring, but the Royals will keep a close eye on him after he missed nearly the entire second half last season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Wednesday that Woodruff (lat) "is in a good spot" physically and has resumed throwing bullpen sessions, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Woodruff appears to have steered clear of any setbacks in his recovery from a moderate-grade right lat strain that surfaced late in the regular season and kept him out for the Brewers' playoff run last fall, but Murphy implied that the veteran right-hander will be slow played during spring training nonetheless. Murphy cited Woodruff's injury history as a reason for exercising some caution in his ramp-up program; the 33-year-old missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing capsule repair surgery on his shoulder, and he endured multiple setbacks during the rehab process last season before finally making his 2025 debut in July. Despite showing diminished velocity upon his return, Woodruff was excellent for Milwaukee before succumbing to the lat strain, posting a 3.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 83:14 K:BB in 64.2 innings. Assuming he's ready to go for the start of the season, Woodruff should be the favorite to receive the Brewers' Opening Day starting nod after Milwaukee traded staff ace Freddy Peralta away to the Mets in January.

King agreed Wednesday with the Marlins on a one-year, $1.5 million deal, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Non-tendered by the Cardinals in late November, King sat on the open market for months waiting on a fully guaranteed major-league deal until the Marlins finally stepped up to the table. In Miami, King likely projects to fill a middle-relief role in front of presumptive closer Pete Fairbanks. Over 51 appearances out of the St. Louis bullpen in 2025, the 31-year-old King submitted a 4.66 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 28:14 K:BB in 48.1 innings.

Padres manager Craig Stammen confirmed Wednesday that Miller will serve as the team's closer in 2026, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The announcement was merely a formality, as Miller always appeared likely to open the season as the Padres' closer once Stammen confirmed in December that the 27-year-old righty would remain in the bullpen in 2026 and after Robert Suarez bolted for Atlanta in free agency. After being acquired from the Athletics last July in a stunning deadline deal, Miller turned in a 0.77 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 45 strikeouts to go along with two saves in 23.1 innings to close out the Padres' regular season. Now that he's in line to receive the overwhelming majority of save chances in San Diego to go along with his typically pristine ratios, Miller has a strong argument for being the first closer off the board in fantasy drafts.