MLB Player News

Kepler will sit out his second consecutive contest on Saturday night after being hit in the head by an errant throw earlier this week. The 31-year-old made it through preliminary concussion protocol tests without any issues, but is presumably still being monitored. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. It’ll be Manuel Margot in right field once again in his absence.

The Yankees believe that they have made a strong offer to Bellinger — at five years and $160 million with two opt-outs — and they’re willing to let him walk if he’s unwilling to accept that or if the Mets or another big market team decide to blow that offer away. A return to the Yankees still seems like the most plausible scenario for Bellinger.

The 31-year-old southpaw appeared in 39 ballgames between the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2025, registering a 4.63 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 32/16 K/BB ratio over 35 innings. With a strong showing in Cactus League play, he should have a nice shot at landing a spot in the White Sox’ Opening Day bullpen.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com adds that Kim suffered the injury when he fell on ice while in Korea. He underwent surgery in Atlanta on Sunday to repair the injury. That means the slick-fielding 30-year-old won’t be available to help out the Braves until the end of May at the earliest estimate. In the meantime, the Braves are likely to slot in Mauricio Dubón as their starting shortstop.

While it doesn’t completely rule out the Royals making a splash on the trade market, it doesn’t sound promising that anything is actually going to happen. Both Duran and Donovan have been generating plenty of buzz on the trade front and it sounds like the Royals just won’t have the right pieces in place to get a deal done.

The 32-year-old southpaw is the top remaining free agent pitcher on the market, with the Giants and Mets among the other teams that are vying for his services. It seems like the Orioles are intent on adding at least one additional starter to their rotation before the 2026 season begins. They have also been linked to Justin Verlander should they fail in their pursuit of Valdez.

The 28-year-old outfielder was a fifth-round selection by the Rangers from the 2019 draft class and spent the first seven years of his minor league career there. In 2025, he slashed .242/.347/.344 with eight homers, 40 RBI, 32 stolen bases and a 91/59 K/BB ratio across 429 plate appearances at Triple-A Round Rock. He’ll add outfield depth for the Astros.

No word yet on the financial terms of the deal, but the two sides have reached an agreement rather than going to an arbitration hearing. The 27-year-old right-hander had requested $900,000 from the Nationals when figures were exchanged while the club countered at $825,000. Expect the agreement to land near the midpoint. Cavalli is expected to open the 2026 season in the Nats’ rotation and is becoming a popular late-round breakout option for fantasy purposes.

Pressly blossomed into one of the premier postseason relievers of his generation, converting 14 of 15 playoff save opportunities, while posting a microscopic 2.01 FIP across 45 1/3 innings for the Astros from 2018-2024. The 37-year-old stopper split the first 12 seasons of his career between the Twins and Astros before spending his final campaign with the Cubs last year. He made the leap from pedestrian middle reliever to upper-echelon closer almost immediately after arriving in Houston at the 2018 trade deadline. He hangs up his spikes after recording 117 career saves to go along with a sparkling 3.33 ERA — 3.27 FIP — 1.18 WHIP and 721/207 K/BB ratio across 691 1/3 innings over 667 appearances from 2013-2025.

Gott last pitched for the Nationals from 2016-2018 and returns to the organization to compete for a bullpen spot during spring training. The 33-year-old journeyman holds a serviceable 4.65 ERA — 4.24 FIP — 1.31 WHIP and 222/88 K/BB ratio across 243 2/3 innings over 255 career appearances since 2015. He hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2023 campaign when he made 64 appearances between the Mets and Mariners. He spent last year pitching at the Triple-A level while working his way back from Tommy John surgery.

Ríos fortifies Chicago’s bullpen depth entering spring training after making just a handful of appearances in the Mets’ system last year. The well-traveled 32-year-old veteran last appeared in the majors back in 2023 but he’s made 92 career appearances at the highest level dating back to 2017. He’s merely an emergency depth addition at this stage of his journeyman odyssey.