Zach Eflin Going For MRI With Elbow Discomfort
8:36pm: Manager Craig Albernaz confirmed the O’s anticipate placing Eflin on the 15-day injured list (via Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner). The team will know more after he goes for imaging tomorrow. Baltimore is off Thursday and could operate with an extra reliever for a few games. They’ll presumably recall Kremer to step into the rotation by the middle of next week.
8:31pm: Orioles righty Zach Eflin left his season debut tonight in the fourth inning after a visit from the trainers. The team announced the issue as elbow discomfort and will surely have more details over the next few days.
The injury seemingly occurred on a 76 mph curveball to Texas third baseman Ezequiel Duran. Eflin had pitched well before the injury, striking out seven while allowing one run across 3 2/3 frames. His velocity was fine throughout the appearance and there was no indication the veteran righty was struggling physically until his last pitch. Baltimore’s bullpen would give up seven runs over the final 4 1/3 innings and take an 8-5 loss.
Eflin has unfortunately battled a number of injuries throughout his career. Knee issues were the main concern during his early days with the Phillies. Over the past couple seasons, he had been bothered more frequently by back and arm issues. Eflin had brief injured list stints related to his lower back in both 2023 and ’24. He had three trips to the IL last year, a season in which he was limited to 14 starts.
The 31-year-old suffered a lat strain in April, knocking him out for a month. The back flared up not long after he returned. A second back injury resulted in a lumbar microdiscectomy that ended his season. Eflin returned to the O’s on a one-year, $10MM free agent deal midway through the rehab. That went without issue, but his return for the start of the season is clouded by possible concern about the elbow.
If Eflin hits the injured list, the O’s would presumably turn to Dean Kremer to round out the rotation. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A to begin the season. It was a numbers game more than anything, as they would have needed to go to a six-man rotation if they didn’t want to use Kremer out of the bullpen. He’s a perfectly capable fifth starter who’d slot behind Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt.
Astros’ Zach Cole Suffers Broken Toe
Astros outfielder Zach Cole broke a toe on his right foot while playing in a Triple-A game, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. He was hit by a pitch from Rangers’ non-roster reliever Mason Thompson in the fourth inning on Sunday. He’s out indefinitely, according to McTaggart.
It’s a hit to an already thin Houston outfield. Cole entered Spring Training with a strong chance to secure his first Opening Day roster spot. He’s a left-handed hitter in an outfield that leans very heavily to the right side. The Astros didn’t find a trade for lefty-batting outfielder despite general manager Dana Brown repeatedly citing that as an offseason goal.
The 25-year-old Cole had a rough Spring Training, however, ultimately playing his way off the MLB roster. He struck out 20 times in 50 trips to the plate. The pure hitting ability has been the big question throughout Cole’s career. He has fanned at more than a 30% rate at virtually every stop. That includes 20 strikeouts over 52 MLB plate appearances as a September call-up last year.
Cole also connected on four home runs and a pair of doubles in his first 15 major league games. He hit 19 homers and stole 16 bases while batting .279/.377/.539 in the minors last year. Cole’s power and ability to play anywhere in the outfield could make him an intriguing fourth or fifth outfielder even if he’s unlikely to make enough contact to profile as an everyday player.
There’s no immediate change to Houston’s big league outfield picture. Cam Smith is playing every day in right field. Jake Meyers is the primary center fielder, while Joey Loperfido and Brice Matthews are working in a left field platoon. With Zach Dezenzo opening the season on the injured list, third baseman/corner outfielder Shay Whitcomb is their only healthy position player on optional assignment. He’d presumably be recalled if any of Houston’s big league hitters require an IL stint.
Jorge López, Austin Adams Sign With Mexican League Teams
A pair of longtime MLB relievers recently joined teams in the Mexican League. The Saraperos de Saltillo announced a deal with former All-Star closer Jorge López last week. Meanwhile, righty Austin Adams — a veteran of parts of eight MLB seasons — recently signed with the Tecos de los Dos Laredos. Mexican League contracts typically come with an out clause that allows the player to sign a minor league deal if they perform well enough to attract interest from an affiliated club.
López was pitching in the big leagues as recently as last season. The 33-year-old righty signed a $3MM free agent contract with the Nationals going into the ’25 campaign. He made 26 appearances but was rocked for a 6.57 earned run average with a career-low 16% strikeout rate. It was a marked dip from a sub-3.00 ERA with a 23% strikeout percentage between the Mets and Cubs a year earlier.
Washington designated López for assignment at the end of May. He was released a few days later and remained unsigned for the rest of the year. López returned to the mound in his native Puerto Rico over the winter. He also made an appearance for his home country during the World Baseball Classic, recording one out while allowing two hits.
Adams, 35 in May, most recently pitched in the majors with the Athletics in 2024. He had a decent year, allowing just under four earned runs per nine while striking out 28% of batters faced across 41 1/3 frames. He signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox for the ’25 campaign. He couldn’t find the strike zone, walking 21 batters and hitting three more in 23 2/3 Triple-A innings. Boston released him at the end of July. A slider specialist, Adams has always missed bats but has struggled with his control.
Cody Ponce Going For Imaging With Knee Discomfort
9:36pm: Ponce is going for an MRI tonight, manager John Schneider said postgame (relayed by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). Francys Romero reports that the Jays are recalling Estrada from Triple-A Buffalo. That seems likely to be the corresponding move for a Ponce injured list placement, though it’s possible they’re simply looking for a fresh arm in the bullpen after Brendon Little and Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles logged 30+ pitches in tough outings tonight.
8:20pm: Blue Jays starter Cody Ponce left tonight’s season debut on a cart in the third inning. The team has only announced the injury as right knee discomfort.
Ponce stumbled while trying to field a chopper off the bat of Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy (video provided by Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). The big righty was unable to field the ball cleanly, then tried stopping abruptly to pick it up. He tweaked his right leg, took a few more steps, then went down on the dirt a little to the left of first base.
After spending some time on the ground in clear discomfort, Ponce was able to get to his feet with help from trainers and teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He walked gingerly but under his own power to a cart and was taken off the field at Rogers Centre. Louis Varland was called upon from the bullpen.
The Jays will provide more details after Ponce goes for testing. He’ll surely be sent for imaging to determine whether there are any ligament issues. A timetable won’t be known until then. At the very least, it’s tough to see Ponce avoiding a stint on the 15-day injured list.
Toronto has one of the deeper rotations in MLB, as they arguably have eight viable starters. They’ve needed it with season-opening injured list stints for Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and José Berríos. None of those are expected to be long-term absences. Yesavage, who is behind with a shoulder impingement, is set for a 45-pitch simulated game later this week. Bieber will progress to throwing off a mound on Friday, while Berríos is scheduled for a bullpen session tomorrow (all updates courtesy of the MLB.com injury tracker).
Even if he avoids serious injury, it’s a brutal break for Ponce. The 31-year-old was making his first big league start since 2021. Ponce pitched three seasons in Japan and had a dominant ’25 season with the Hanwha Eagles in Korea. He leveraged the numbers and improved stuff into a three-year, $30MM free agent deal with Toronto. Ponce had fanned three hitters across 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball before the injury.
Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer and swingman Eric Lauer are penciled into the rotation. Toronto has off days on April 3rd, 9th, and 14th. They could get by using a four-man rotation and just one bullpen game into the middle of April. They’d probably prefer to stay on a five-man starting staff and take advantage of the extra days of rest early in the season.
Toronto doesn’t have much rotation depth in the upper minors. Jake Bloss and Ricky Tiedemann are also injured. Prospects Lázaro Estrada and Adam Macko are the other options on the 40-man roster. They each worked a couple innings out of the bullpen in their Triple-A season debuts over the weekend. Grant Rogers, Chad Dallas, CJ Van Eyk and recent minor league signee Austin Voth are non-roster possibilities for a spot start.
Astros Select Cody Bolton
The Astros announced they’ve selected pitcher Cody Bolton onto the big league roster. Reliever Christian Roa has been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to open an active roster spot. Hayden Wesneski, who’ll miss the majority of the season rehabbing Tommy John surgery, moves to the 60-day injured list to clear space on the 40-man roster.
Bolton returns to the majors for the first time since last April. The 27-year-old righty made one MLB appearance for Cleveland, tossing two innings of three-run ball. Cleveland optioned Bolton to Triple-A after that outing. He was injured in a car accident shortly thereafter, and the Guardians released him in June. Bolton signed a minor league contract with Houston at the end of July.
The 6’2″ hurler was still injured at the time. He made his organizational debut towards the end of August. Bolton pitched 13 2/3 innings with Sugar Land to close the year, allowing three runs. He struck out 15 while issuing eight walks. Bolton remained in the system over the offseason, pitching once this spring. It wasn’t a good outing, as he walked four of the six batters he faced, but the Astros will bring him back up as a long reliever.
Roa has worked as a single-inning reliever this spring and for his first two appearances with Houston. The Astros swap in Bolton to add a long reliever behind Lance McCullers Jr. for tonight’s start against the Red Sox. Houston used six relievers, including Roa, yesterday after Tatsuya Imai failed to escape the third inning in his big league debut.
Marlins To Recall Deyvison De Los Santos For MLB Debut
The Marlins are promoting first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos, reports Kevin Barral of Fish On First. Miami scratched Christopher Morel from tonight’s starting lineup with a left oblique strain.
The Fish will know more about Morel’s status after he goes for imaging tomorrow. Even mild oblique strains usually require injured list stints. They tend to cause too much discomfort for hitters trying to rotate through swings. Moderate strains can cost a player more than a month.
That’ll open the first major league opportunity for De Los Santos. The 22-year-old was acquired from the Diamondbacks in the A.J. Puk deadline deal in 2024. Miami added him to the 40-man roster that offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. The Guardians had actually plucked De Los Santos from the Arizona system in the prior Rule 5, but he had a tough spring and was returned to the D-Backs at the end of camp. He got out to a monster start to the ’24 season, connecting on 28 home runs across 87 games before the trade.
De los Santos’ production dropped as soon as he switched organizations. He finished the ’24 campaign with a .240/.284/.459 slash over 50 games for Miami’s top affiliate. De Los Santos spent all of last year with Triple-A Jacksonville (aside from an injury rehab assignment in A-ball). He had a below-average .241/.311/.363 slash with just 12 longballs. A left quad strain cost him five weeks between May and June.
Miami will not need to make any corresponding roster moves aside from placing Morel on the 10-day injured list. De Los Santos still holds his 40-man roster spot and will be recalled from his season-opening optional assignment to the minors. He’ll probably work as a right-handed bench bat. Connor Norby made his first career start at first base in their Opening Day win over the Rockies. Graham Pauley and utilityman Javier Sanoja could pick up some extra third base work if Norby plays first regularly while Morel is out of action.
Dodgers Trade Damon Keith To Brewers
The Dodgers are trading minor league outfielder Damon Keith to the Brewers for cash, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The 25-year-old is expected to begin his tenure in the Milwaukee organization in Double-A.
Keith played the entire 2025 season at that level. He struggled to a .226/.296/.386 line with 11 home runs across 362 plate appearances. Keith swung and missed too often and struck out a near-31% clip. Whiffs have been an issue for the 6’3″ outfielder going back to his selection in the 18th round of the 2021 draft.
Eric Longenhagen, James Fegan and Brendan Gawlowski gave Keith an honorable mention in their writeup of the Dodgers’ farm system in December. They praised his right-handed power while unsurprisingly flagging a lack of bat control that has led to the whiffs. Keith ranked among L.A.’s top 30 prospects at Baseball America a few seasons ago but has fallen off the list as his strikeouts climbed at the higher levels.
Keith hasn’t played center field since he was in High-A during the 2023 season. He’s a corner bat who’ll look to put himself on the radar for a Milwaukee organization with a lot of outfield depth. Keith has gone unselected in the past two Rule 5 drafts. He’ll be eligible again next offseason but won’t reach minor league free agency until the end of the 2027 season if the Brewers don’t put him on the 40-man roster before then.
Astros, Peter Lambert Agree To Minor League Deal
The Astros are bringing back Peter Lambert on a minor league contract, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction tracker. The righty will head to Triple-A Sugar Land.
Lambert was in camp with Houston. He triggered an out in his minor league deal after being informed he wouldn’t begin the season on the MLB roster. Lambert apparently didn’t find a big league opportunity in his brief free agent stay. He’ll therefore return as non-roster rotation depth.
The 28-year-old (29 next month) is back after one season in Japan, where he allowed a 4.26 earned run average across 116 1/3 innings. That’s not an especially impressive number in a pitcher-friendly league. Lambert had the fifth-highest ERA among the 47 NPB pitchers to toss at least 100 frames. He fanned 20.5% of opponents — a solid mark in a league where hitters are more focused on putting the ball in play than they are in MLB — but issued walks at a 10.2% clip. That’s the highest rate among the aforementioned group of 47 pitchers.
A former second-round pick of the Rockies, Lambert pitched 12 1/3 innings this spring. He allowed four runs, recording eight strikeouts while issuing five walks. Lambert mixed five offerings with a 95 mph fastball leading the arsenal. He’ll join Spencer Arrighetti, Jason Alexander, Colton Gordon, Miguel Ullola and J.P. France among the depth starters at Sugar Land. All of them aside from France and Lambert occupy 40-man roster spots.
Dodgers Hire Clayton Kershaw As Special Assistant
Clayton Kershaw is back with the Dodgers in a non-playing role. The club hired the future Hall of Famer as a special assistant in their front office, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Kershaw retired at the end of the 2025 season, though he was included on the Team USA roster for this spring’s World Baseball Classic. That was largely symbolic, as he didn’t make an appearance and was subbed off the roster before the semifinals.
Kershaw tells Sonja Chen of MLB.com he’ll “be involved” with the organization. Special assistant roles around the league vary. Some of these hirings are ceremonial or public relations moves, while others involve working with MLB players and/or prospects during Spring Training and throughout the season.
In either case, it’s fitting that Kershaw remains a Dodger in some capacity. He spent all of his legendary career in Dodger blue, posting a 2.53 ERA in a little under 3000 innings. Kershaw won the NL MVP in 2014 and is still the most recent pitcher to do so. He won five ERA titles, three Cy Young awards, and three championships.
Kershaw is in L.A. this weekend for the season-opening series against the Diamondbacks. He was part of NBC’s broadcast team for last night’s opener. He’s back at Dodger Stadium tonight as part of the World Series ring ceremony.
White Sox Re-Sign LaMonte Wade Jr. To Minor League Deal
The White Sox re-signed first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. to a minor league contract. He reported to Triple-A Charlotte and is playing tonight’s season opener for the Knights. Wade was in camp with Chicago but released at the end of Spring Training.
Wade is a veteran of parts of seven MLB seasons. He has spent most of the past few seasons as the Giants’ primary first baseman, at least against right-handed pitching. Wade was an above-average hitter as recently as 2024, when he put up a .260/.380/.381 slash line across 401 plate appearances. It was his second consecutive season with excellent on-base marks in a platoon role. Wade combined to hit .258/.376/.401 between 2023-24. Among hitters with 800+ trips to the plate, he ranked 11th in on-base percentage.
Everything went off the rails last year. Wade hit .167 with a .275 OBP over 50 games for San Francisco. They traded for Rafael Devers at designated hitter and eventually signed Dominic Smith to play first base. Wade was designated for assignment as the corresponding move for the Smith acquisition.
The Angels rolled the dice on a change of scenery, acquiring Wade out of DFA limbo in a small trade. They got him into 30 games over two months, but he hit .169/.260/.215 and was released in August. That ended his season with a .167/.271/.254 slash over 242 plate appearances.
Wade had a fantastic Spring Training. He hit three home runs and took nine walks while striking out 10 times over 49 trips to the plate. The White Sox are taking a look at Munetaka Murakami as their primary first baseman. They didn’t have a lot of roster flexibility on the bench. Wade had a few days to see if he could leverage that camp into a big league opportunity before circling back to begin the year in Triple-A with the Sox.