A Look At Three Starters Facing 2026 Adjustments
Pitchers and catchers report in a few days. Spring Training games are less than two weeks away. Actual baseball is right around the corner, which means it’s officially “best shape of his life” season. There will be countless stories around the league about offseason improvements for virtually every player.
These days, those anecdotes are typically punctuated by a reference to Driveline or another facility of its ilk. And they almost always pertain to a flaw from the previous year. A hitter who struggled to make hard contact did swing speed training in the winter. A pitcher who faded in the second half changed his diet to improve endurance.
A trio of starters stand out as needing to make drastic changes heading into the 2026 season. Two of them are well on their way, while the third is more of a question mark. Here’s a quick rundown of each pitcher through the lens of the challenge they face in the upcoming year.
Michael Lorenzen vs. Coors Field
The veteran righty encounters this obstacle of his own volition. It’s one of the most imposing impediments in all of sports. Lorenzen signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Rockies, which means he’ll call Coors Field home. The venue trumps all others in terms of offensive production. Coors easily tops Statcast’s Park Factors leaderboard, scoring a 113 over the past three seasons. Fenway Park is a distant second at 104. Coors Field is No. 1 in park effect for hits, runs, singles, and OBP from 2023 to 2025.
Fortunately, Lorenzen already has a plan. He intends to lean on an eight-pitch mix to conquer Coors Field. “I feel like I own the shapes (of my pitches) … I just know what I’m trying to do, I know what the feel is I’m looking for and the shape I’m trying to create,” Lorenzen told reporters, including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “But, obviously, being in Colorado is going to have its challenges, so I’ll be making my way up there soon to throw a few bullpens and just see exactly how these shapes are going to move.”
Lorenzen threw seven pitches last season, per Baseball Savant. He only used the sweeper 8.2% of the time, but every other offering was above 10%. Lorenzen’s most common pitch was his four-seamer, though he still only threw it at a 22% clip. The 34-year-old righty scuffled to a 4.64 ERA with Kansas City. He was likely looking at a depth starter/swingman role at other destinations, but signing with Colorado will give him a good chance to slot into a rotation.
“We didn’t have to convince him of anything; he ran toward this challenge,” head of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said. “Michael definitely wanted to pitch here. … I don’t think he’s afraid of anything. This is a challenge that he was actually (eager) to take on.”
Roki Sasaki vs. A Starter’s Arsenal
Maybe Lorenzen can loan Sasaki a couple of pitches. He’ll need them as he transitions back to the rotation. The NPB import struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, posting a 4.46 ERA with 28 strikeouts to 22 walks across eight starts. Sasaki hit the IL in May with a shoulder injury. He returned at the tail end of the season and emerged as the best reliever in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Sasaki allowed just one earned run across 10 2/3 innings in the postseason. He racked up three saves and two holds.
Sasaki’s splitter was as advertised, recording a strong 37.2% whiff rate as his go-to punchout pitch. The rest of the repertoire left much to be desired. Sasaki threw his fastball about half the time. It rarely missed bats (11.1% whiff rate) and was clobbered for a .500 SLG. Sasaki threw a slider 16.3% of the time, but it had a zone rate below 40%.
The plan is for Sasaki to return to the rotation in 2026. Blake Snell‘s slow buildup this offseason could make it easier to fit Sasaki. Relying on a fastball/splitter combo isn’t normally a viable approach for a starter, and manager Dave Roberts agrees. “He needs to develop a third pitch,” Roberts told Dylan Hernandez for the New York Post.“It’s going to need to be something that goes left.”
Sasaki is working on a cutter and a two-seamer, per Hernandez. The former would fit the bill as something that moves away from a right-handed hitter. Both pitches could help Sasaki find the zone more frequently. He had a 59.3% strike rate last year, nearly 5% below league average.
Shota Imanaga vs. His Floundering Fastball
Imanaga’s “rising” fastball was the primary driver behind his success in 2024. The pitch, coupled with an elite splitter and a smattering of breaking balls, carried the left-hander to a sub-3.00 ERA with standout control in his rookie season. Imanaga got off to a strong start in 2025, but the wheels came off following a hamstring strain in early May. The veteran scuffled to a 4.14 ERA after returning from the IL. He gave up 24 home runs in 17 starts. The struggles continued in the playoffs, as Imanaga was tagged for six earned runs in 6 2/3 postseason innings, including three more homers.
The fastball was clearly different after the injury. Imanaga’s heater slipped by half a tick in velocity and by 1.6 inches in induced vertical break. The pitch’s Stuff+ went from a strong 112 to an underwhelming 98. (h/t to Carson Wolf on X for digging up those splits)
If Imanaga’s fastball doesn’t have its elite characteristics, the home runs will keep coming. Hitters have put the ball in the air against Imanaga at a hefty 66.1% clip in his two MLB seasons. Those balls were finding the gloves of outfielders when his arsenal was most effective, but they were getting squared up and leaving the yard last year.
Maybe an offseason of rest for the hamstring will be the relief Imanaga needs to get back on track. A tweak here or there could also alleviate the concerns with his primary pitch. Either way, Imanaga will be one to watch closely this spring.
Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images
Join The FREE MLBTR Newsletter!
Get the latest news sent directly to your inbox with the FREE MLB Trade Rumors newsletter! We’re coming to you weekday mornings with the most important stories from the previous day. It’s the best way to stay up to date on everything happening around the league.
Here’s what you can expect from the newsletter:
- A quick recap of newsworthy content from the past 24 hours
- Links to analysis from our talented team of writers
- Updates about breaking stories or upcoming news on the horizon
If we’re in your inbox, something notable just happened. Don’t miss out! Sign up below…
Mariners Sign Brian O’Keefe To Minor League Deal
Catcher Brian O’Keefe is heading to MLB Spring Training with the Mariners, the team announced Friday. O’Keefe joined the organization on a minor league pact that same day, per his MLB.com transaction tracker.
The agreement is a homecoming of sorts for O’Keefe. The veteran catcher made his MLB debut with Seattle back in 2022. He appeared in 10 games with the Mariners from 2022 to 2023. O’Keefe went to Spring Training with the Twins the following year, but was cut in March. He landed in Kansas City as a minor league free agent. He launched 18 home runs with a 130 wRC+ in 72 games with Omaha in 2024. The strong performance earned O’Keefe a Spring Training invitation with the Royals, but he ended up back with the Storm Chasers. He hit .158 in 43 games with the team this past year and was released in June.
St. Louis took O’Keefe in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. He was a well-above league-average hitter in the Cardinals system, but never made it beyond Double-A. O’Keefe ended up in Seattle’s organization in December 2019. A Curt Casali trip to the paternity list led to O’Keefe’s first callup. He spent a bit more time with the big-league club following a Tom Murphy injury.
Seattle has a rock-solid option in Cal Raleigh handling most of the reps behind the plate, though the club’s depth options have shifted this offseason. The Mariners dealt Harry Ford to the Nationals in a trade that netted reliever Jose A. Ferrer. A reunion with free agent Mitch Garver was mentioned in December, but nothing came of it. Seattle instead signed Andrew Knizner, traded for Jhonny Pereda, and handed Spring Training invitations to former big leaguers O’Keefe and Jakson Reetz.
Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images
Dodgers Notes: Ohtani, Snell, Edman
Shohei Ohtani was on the mound for the final out of the last World Baseball Classic, striking out then-teammate Mike Trout to take home the trophy. The 2026 edition of the event won’t feature Ohtani the pitcher. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, that the Japanese right-hander will not be pitching in the WBC. Roberts added that it was Ohtani’s decision.
Though Roberts said the team “absolutely” would’ve worked out Ohtani pitching in the tournament if he wanted to (per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register), recent developments around WBC insurance may have thrown a wrench into the situation. Evan Drellich of The Athletic noted Ohtani was unlikely to be covered as a pitcher, meaning he couldn’t have pitched in the WBC regardless of his personal preference. The insurance issues have led Team Puerto Rico to consider removing themselves from the event.
Ohtani will still be on Team Japan as a DH. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic relayed that the righty said he’ll be ready to pitch to open the regular season. Ohtani didn’t pitch at all in 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery. A shoulder procedure at the conclusion of that season kept him off the mound until June of this past year. Ohtani made 14 starts for the Dodgers in 2025. He delivered a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings. Ohtani wasn’t as dominant in the playoffs, though he did toss six innings in three of his four outings, something he did just once in the regular season.
Health tends to be the main question mark for L.A.’s rotation, and Blake Snell is taking steps to make sure he feels right in 2026. The talented left-hander told reporters, including Ardaya, that he’s taking a more deliberate approach to building up strength this offseason. “Last year, I was rushing,” Snell said. “I wanted to pitch so bad.”
After signing a massive five-year, $182MM deal, Snell went down with shoulder inflammation just two starts into his Dodgers tenure. He posted eight walks to just four strikeouts in those two games. “Just never felt great, never felt what the normal (is) I’ve felt my whole career,” Snell said. He returned in August and looked like himself, piling up strikeouts and keeping opposing offenses off the board. The lefty limited the Reds, Phillies, and Brewers to two earned runs over 21 innings in the playoffs. The Blue Jays tagged him for 10 earned runs over three appearances, but Snell’s final postseason line still looks solid.
Even with the slower buildup, “the plan” is for Snell to be ready for Opening Day, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. If Snell isn’t ready by late March, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan would likely fill out a rotation. The Dodgers are a good bet to rely on more than five starters anyway, given the injury histories and heavy workloads of their core arms. As Ardaya points out, the starters covered 137 1/3 of 165 innings during the 2025 playoff run.
Tommy Edman is also going with the gradual approach this offseason. The 30-year-old is recovering from ankle surgery. The procedure included ligament repair and the removal of bone spurs, notes Ardaya. Edman said the issues affected him as a baserunner and as a defender bouncing between second base and center field. Similar to Snell, his status for Opening Day is uncertain.
“I think it all depends on how the progression goes along,” Edman said. “I’m not putting that as a hard line in the sand. I am doing everything I can to be ready for Opening Day. But if it comes around to that time and my ankle is 90 percent, not quite where I need it to be, I’m going to do my best to be patient with it and get it back to 100 percent and not dealing with it for the rest of the year.”
The Pirates’ Rotation Options
Pittsburgh has spent the majority of the offseason focused on hitting. For a club that finished dead last in scoring last season, the approach makes sense. The Pirates parted with a pair of young starters to acquire more bats. The team sent Mike Burrows to Houston in a three-way trade that netted them Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum. Pittsburgh moved Johan Oviedo to Boston for Jhostynxon Garcia. The deals have left them with a void to fill at the end of the rotation.
Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler, and Mitch Keller are the locks. Braxton Ashcraft has a decent claim to the No. 4 spot. The young righty initially worked as a multi-inning reliever before transitioning to a starting role. Ashcraft either started or piggybacked with another starter in his final nine appearances. He allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but one outing in that stretch.
Jared Jones would be the obvious choice to round out the group if he were healthy, but the right-hander underwent UCL surgery in May. He expressed optimism about his progression at PiratesFest this week. Jones told reporters, including Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that he’s worked up to two bullpens a week and has been mixing in offspeed pitches. Even with the encouraging results, Jones will be hard-pressed to be ready for Opening Day. The recovery timeline for the surgery is typically 10 to 12 months. Pittsburgh is likely to take it slow with its prized asset.
Here’s a look at the top candidates to open the season as Pittsburgh’s fifth starter. Given Chandler’s inexperience and Ashcraft’s limited workload, there could be an opportunity to remain in the rotation even after Jones’ return.
The Incumbent: Carmen Mlodzinski
Of the current Pirates not named Skenes or Keller, Mlodzinski made the most starts last season. He tossed a career-high 99 innings between the rotation and the bullpen. Mlodzinski made nine starts to begin the year, but put up an ERA well over 5.00. He found himself at Triple-A Indianapolis by mid-May. The 26-year-old returned to the big-league club in June, operating primarily as a reliever. He chipped in a handful of spot starts down the stretch.
Mlodzinski has been a valuable member of the pitching staff since debuting in 2023. He’s compiled a 3.25 ERA across 109 games. The adjustment to starting just hasn’t suited him, at least not yet. Mlodzinski has a 4.47 ERA as a starter, compared to a 2.71 mark as a reliever. He would seem to have a deep enough arsenal to get through the order multiple times, as he threw five different pitches at least 10% of the time in 2025, but the results haven’t shown it. Opponents have hit just .214 against Mlodzinski the first time through the order. That number jumps to .381 the second time through the order. Mlodzinski is probably best used in a versatile role, instead of as a locked-in rotation piece.
The Rookies: Thomas Harrington and Hunter Barco
Pittsburgh’s second and third picks in the 2022 draft are on the verge of contributing with the big-league squad. Both Harrington and Barco made their debuts this past season, but only for a handful of appearances apiece. They have options remaining and are long shots to make the Opening Day roster, but they’d be the most intriguing choices.
Harrington had moved swiftly through Pittsburgh’s system until hitting a roadblock in 2025. After pitching decently at Triple-A to close the 2024 campaign, he struggled mightily at Indianapolis last year. Harrington stumbled to a 5.34 ERA with a middling 21.7% strikeout rate. After posting above-average strikeout numbers at previous stops, Harrington has failed to reach 22% in both stints at Triple-A. He was hammered for 15 earned runs over 8 2/3 innings in his brief MLB time.
Barco didn’t reach Triple-A until May. He kept his ERA under 4.00 with more than a strikeout per inning, though it came with a career-worst 13% walk rate. His swing-and-miss numbers have been much more impressive than Harrington’s, but the control has been a step behind recently. Barco tossed three scoreless innings with the Pirates at the tail end of the season. The fact that he succeeded in his cup of coffee and Harrington flopped might be enough to give him the edge on a roster spot. Barco would also give Pittsburgh a lefty in the rotation.
The Classic Pittsburgh Free Agent
Speaking of lefties, we’ve arrived at the most likely scenario. Pittsburgh has a penchant for relying on veteran southpaws to eat innings at the back of the rotation. As MLBTR’s Anthony Franco pointed out, Jose Quintana, Martín Pérez, and Tyler Anderson have all fit the bill in recent seasons. It was Andrew Heaney and trade acquisition Bailey Falter this past year.
General manager Ben Cherington has mentioned adding to the rotation. Quintana, Anderson, and Perez are still available. How about Patrick Corbin? After being one of the worst pitchers in the league in his final years in Washington, he had a resurgence of sorts in Texas last year. Corbin navigated his way to a sub-4.00 ERA through July. He was knocked around over the final two months of the season, but he put together a respectable first half. The 36-year-old Corbin could be the next soft-tossing lefty to find success at PNC Park.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images
Injury Notes: Eovaldi, Musgrove, Callihan
Nathan Eovaldi‘s 2025 campaign ended in August when he went down with a rotator cuff strain. The veteran righty dealt with another health issue in October, undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia. Eovaldi said on the SportsDay Rangers podcast that he’s recovered from both issues and expects to be ready for the 2026 season.
“I don’t expect to have any limitations coming into Spring Training,” Eovaldi said. “I’ve been throwing multiple bullpens, and my arm feels great, body feels great, and I’m ready for the season to get going.”
Eovaldi was phenomenal when healthy last season. His 1.73 ERA over 22 starts would’ve led the league if he had thrown enough innings to qualify for the crown. Injuries have plagued Eovaldi for the majority of his career, but he’s stayed relatively healthy in his three seasons with Texas. The 35-year-old has averaged more than 25 starts a year as a Ranger. He’ll form an imposing trio at the top of the rotation with Jacob deGrom and the newly-acquired MacKenzie Gore.
Fellow veteran starter Joe Musgrove is also getting back on track after multiple injuries. He missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Musgrove hit the IL multiple times in 2024 with elbow inflammation. He made it back for nine starts down the stretch, plus a postseason appearance, but ended up going under the knife in October of that year. Musgrove is expected to be good to go for Spring Training, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune. Acee adds that Musgrove was preparing to be available in the NLCS if the Padres made it that far.
“I feel really good right now,” Musgrove said. “I feel like I’m in a good position physically, mentally for the season.”
San Diego will need Musgrove to be a steady presence on a staff with minimal proven options beyond Michael King and Nick Pivetta. The 33-year-old righty hasn’t reached 100 innings or 20 starts since 2022. “We expect him to be a guy that can throw a lot innings for us this year,” president of baseball operations A.J. Preller told reporters back in December.
On the position player side, Reds utilityman Tyler Callihan said he’s a “full-go” for Spring Training. The 25-year-old missed much of the 2025 season after a brutal crash into the wall in Atlanta. He broke his left forearm and wrist while trying to reel in a Matt Olson drive. Callihan provided the update to reporters, including Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer, at Redsfest last week.
An injury to Jeimer Candelario in late April opened up a spot on the MLB squad for Callihan to make his debut. He played in just four games before getting hurt. Callihan had been torching Triple-A pitching prior to getting called up. Given his experience in both the infield and outfield, Callihan could play a versatile role for the Reds this season. “He’s going to come in and compete for a spot on the club,” president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “That’s a testament to him and his rehab and our rehab staff and him just putting in the work.”
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images
Finding The Rays’ Closer Replacement
There was a time in the not-so-distant past that Tampa Bay shuffled through closers every season. Manager Kevin Cash took over in 2015. Over the next eight seasons, the club had seven different saves leaders. Alex Colome was the only reliever to pace the team in back-to-back seasons (2016 and 2017). That changed in 2023, when Pete Fairbanks took over as the full-time closer.
Fairbanks racked up 75 saves over the past three seasons. He’s been Cash’s go-to stopper when healthy. The right-hander ranks third in franchise history with 90 saves. He would have almost certainly passed Colome (95) and Roberto Hernandez (101) had he remained with the organization for another year. Instead, Tampa Bay declined Fairbanks’ $11MM option and allowed him to hit free agency. He signed a one-year, $13MM deal with the Marlins on Christmas Eve.
The Rays will now need to fill the void left by Fairbanks. Considering the organization didn’t want to pay a reasonable price to keep him, the new closer will likely be an internal choice. Tampa Bay has a long history of manufacturing solid relievers, with Fairbanks himself being part of that lineage. These are the potential candidates…
Uceta was the primary high-leverage righty behind Fairbanks last season. He led the bullpen with 76 innings and tied for the team lead with 21 holds. Uceta only had one save in 2025, but he previously served as the closer when Fairbanks missed time in 2024. The right-hander recorded the first five saves of his MLB career that season.
The closer-caliber stuff is there for Uceta. His fastball, changeup, and cutter all had whiff rates above 31% last season. He has a 15.5% swinging-strike rate for his career. The main issue is the long ball. Uceta gave up 11 home runs in 2025, which ranked in the top 10 among relievers. He had a healthy 34.4% fly ball rate and a massive 29.5% pulled air contact rate. A propensity to allow fly balls to the pull side is a scary trait for a reliever called on to protect small leads.
Acquired at the trade deadline for Taj Bradley, Jax was set to be the closer in waiting. He had been the setup man in Minnesota behind Jhoan Duran, though he had forced somewhat of a timeshare in 2024. Jax earned a career-high 10 saves that season. He opened the year as the closer with Duran dealing with an oblique injury, and was still called upon to finish games even when the incumbent returned. The 2025 campaign didn’t begin as smoothly, as Jax had a 4.50 ERA when he was dealt to Tampa Bay, but a 2.08 SIERA and a 1.79 xFIP suggested he had been unlucky.
The change of scenery didn’t help Jax. He allowed seven earned runs in his first 7 1/3 innings with Tampa Bay. Jax allowed three home runs in that stretch, including a game-losing three-run blast to Cal Raleigh in early August. He closed the season with 10 scoreless appearances, though they mostly came in low-leverage spots. Jax also served as an opener in two games down the stretch.
Garrett Cleavinger (honorable mention)
FanGraphs’ bullpen depth chart lists each of Uceta, Jax, and Cleavinger as closers. It’s fair to include Cleavinger, given his high-leverage work last season. He matched Uceta with 21 holds as the preferred lefty setup man. However, Cleavinger’s candidacy has a clear flaw. He’s the only left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster. There’s virtually no chance he’ll get the closer job without another lefty in the bullpen.
Baker had the makings of the unheralded reliever that Tampa Bay turns into a shutdown guy. He spiked a 32.5% strikeout rate through three months last season with the Orioles. The Rays traded for him in early July. Baker made a significant pitch mix tweak in 2025, doubling his changeup usage and prioritizing it ahead of his slider. The changeup was Baker’s best whiff pitch by far. It also held opponents to a measly .128 batting average.
While the jump in strikeouts was nice, Baker still got hit incredibly hard. He gave up barrels at a 12.6% clip, which ranked in the 1st percentile. His 48.3% hard-hit rate put him in the 3rd percentile. Unless Baker can find a way to miss bats and limit damage, he’s likely ticketed for the middle innings.
While he might not break camp with the team, Bigge looms as the potential closer of the future. Tampa Bay acquired him at the 2024 trade deadline in the deal that sent Isaac Paredes to the Cubs. Bigge had dominated at Triple-A that season, earning his first big-league promotion. He pitched well in his brief time in Chicago, then continued to excel with the Rays.
Bigge’s 2025 season was wrecked by two injuries. He went down with a lat strain in early May. In June, he was hit in the face by a 105 mph foul ball. Bigge suffered multiple facial fractures due to the incident. He did not make it back on the mound.
Bigge has the premium velocity and putaway pitch (a wipeout slider) to succeed as a closer. His recovery timeline isn’t clear, but he should be available to contribute on the big-league club at some point. Considering the long layoff, Bigge might be more of a 2027 closer candidate.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
Tomoyuki Sugano Intends To Stay In MLB
Free agent Tomoyuki Sugano is not planning to return to Nippon Professional Baseball, per a report from Yahoo Japan (hat tip here for the translation). The report cited a recent television interview from Sugano in which he said he’s “not considering” coming back to NPB. He has connected with multiple teams and is “waiting for offers.”
The report doesn’t mention any suitors, and it also doesn’t clearly state that the teams Sugano was referring to were in MLB, but it seems like a safe assumption. With the longtime NPB hurler rebuffing the idea that he’d return to Japan after one year in MLB, he’s presumably working through negotiations with big-league clubs. The recent interview echoes the sentiments Sugano shared near the end of last season.
Sugano signed a one-year, $13MM deal with Baltimore last offseason. He posted a 4.64 ERA across 30 outings. The righty got off to a solid start, putting up a 3.04 ERA through a dozen appearances, before falling off as the season went on. Sugano had an xFIP and a SIERA in the mid-4.00s during that stretch, so regression was coming.
Never a big strikeout pitcher, Sugano struggled mightily to miss bats stateside. His 15.7% strikeout rate ranked in the 6th percentile. He had the fourth-lowest swinging-strike rate among pitchers who threw at least 150 innings. Given that Sugano had a stellar 5.3% walk rate, plenty of balls were put in play against him. Sugano ceded a hefty 11.8% barrel rate and an above-average fly ball rate. That combo is part of the reason he gave up 33 home runs, the third-most in the league.
Sugano spent 12 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants before joining the Orioles. He capped off his time in NPB with a strong 2024 that saw him go 15-3 with a pristine 1.67 ERA. Sugano pushed his low walk rate down to a miniscule 2.6% that season. He didn’t receive a ton of fanfare last offseason, but landed a decent commitment from Baltimore.
The 36-year-old Sugano boasts a six-pitch arsenal. His mix is fairly unique, as his splitter and sweeper lead the way in terms of usage. Sugano’s four-seamer averaged just 92.7 mph, but he also threw a sinker and cutter at least 12% of the time. The full repertoire resulted in an underwhelming 92 Stuff+ last season.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images
AL East Injury Notes: Rodon, Henderson, Kjerstad
Carlos Rodón seems to be progressing well from the surgery he had in October to remove loose bodies from his elbow. In an appearance on Foul Territory’s livestream of the New York Baseball Writers’ Gala, Rodón said he was back throwing eight weeks removed from the surgery. He’s been recently doing mound work as well.“It doesn’t really feel like much of a rehab,” Rodón said.
The most recent timeline from the team had Rodón returning in late April or early May. That would put him slightly ahead of Gerrit Cole and well ahead of Clarke Schmidt. Cole and Schmidt are coming back from Tommy John surgery. Rodón stressed the improved mobility he had following the surgery. “I couldn’t really bend my elbow,” he said of his pre-surgery movement.
Rodón set career highs in starts (33) and innings (195 1/3) last season. He finished top 10 in strikeouts. A forearm strain cost him a few months to begin his Yankees tenure in 2023, but he’s been largely healthy since then.
The strong 2025 campaign for Rodón fell apart in the postseason. He was rocked for nine earned runs over 8 1/3 innings between the ALDS and ALCS. Rodón posted an uninspiring 8:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his two starts.
New York will open next season with a rotation consisting of Max Fried, postseason breakout Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and trade acquisition Ryan Weathers. It’s a relatively unproven group (outside of Fried) with a lengthy injury history. Veterans Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough are on hand to eat innings. The unit will try to hold down the fort as Rodón, Cole, and Schmidt work toward their returns.
Elsewhere around the division, the Orioles received some positive news on a pair of young left-handed bats. Gunnar Henderson says he’s fully healthy after dealing with a shoulder impingement for much of last season, as relayed by Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Henderson revealed the injury earlier this month. He reiterated at this week’s fanfest event that the problem is behind him. “Feel great, shoulder feels great, so I feel like I’m in a great spot right now. Swing’s been feeling awesome so far.”
Henderson delivered a solid all-around season in 2025, though his power numbers fell precipitously from the heights he reached the previous year. After slugging 37 home runs in 2024, he hit just 17 this past season. Henderson’s slugging percentage dipped from .529 to .438, and his ISO went from .248 to .165. It’s hard to complain about a 120 wRC+ and a career-best 30 steals, but the final result was a bit of a letdown after Henderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting the prior year. He should be a threat for 35+ homers once again with the shoulder injury cleared up.
Heston Kjerstad is also expected to be good to go heading into 2026. Manager Craig Albernaz told reporters, including Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, that Kjerstad will be a “full participant” in Spring Training. There hasn’t been a clear explanation for the outfielder’s absence to end last season, but it appears to be in the rearview. Kjerstad was shut down in late July while dealing with fatigue. Reports in September were that he was seeing doctors about an unspecified medical condition.
“He’s itching to get back to where he can get back to,” Albernaz told reporters, including Kubatko. “Heston’s pedigree, he had to prove how good he was in the minor leagues, and going to the Fall League (in 2022) and winning MVP, like, that’s not an easy league to do that in.”
Kjerstad was the second overall pick in 2020. He’s struggled to gain a foothold in the majors, slashing .218/.284/.365 in sporadic playing time over the past three seasons. Baltimore trading for Taylor Ward, signing Pete Alonso, and retaining Ryan Mountcastle make it tough to see Kjerstad cracking the roster to open 2026.
Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images
Astros Notes: Altuve, Infield, Left-Handed Bats
The Astros held their annual FanFest event on Saturday. Aside from the autograph sessions and photo opportunities, the main theme was trying to sort out the crowded infield mix. With Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, Carlos Correa, and Christian Walker all vying for playing time, not to mention Yordan Alvarez manning DH, it’s a difficult puzzle to tackle.
“We have to be creative,” manager Joe Espada told reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic. “And I have to find ways to get them all in the lineup and keep everyone healthy.”
Altuve, a career second baseman, began last season as Houston’s primary left fielder. The results were about what you’d expect from a 35-year-old playing the outfield for the first time. Altuve posted a miserable -10 Defensive Runs Saved and -5 Outs Above Average in his 47 appearances on the grass. Espada maintained the stance that Altuve would be back at second base in 2026, with only the occasional start in the outfield.
While his batting average dipped, Altuve remained a productive offensive player last season. He swatted 26 home runs and chipped in 10 steals. Perhaps more importantly, he stayed on the field. Altuve appeared in 155 games, his most since 2016.
Altuve won’t be the only Astro getting a chance at second base this season. Paredes and Brice Matthews will get reps at the position, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Matthews will also get opportunities in center field.
Paredes played strictly third base in his first season in Houston, but he has experience at all four infield spots. The majority of his second base appearances came during his two full seasons with the Rays. Paredes made 44 starts at the keystone from 2022 to 2023. He’s never been a standout defender at any spot, but his work at second base has been passable. Paredes has recorded -1 Defensive Runs Saved in his 456 2/3 innings there.
Getting Paredes’ bat in the lineup, regardless of where he fits, will be key. The righty’s pull-heavy, fly ball-driven approach worked just as expected when he made Daikin Park his home. Paredes launched 20 home runs in just 102 games in 2025. A hamstring injury robbed him of the chance to attack the Crawford Boxes for a full season, but the initial returns were promising.
MLB.com has Matthews as Houston’s top prospect. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick in 2023. He put up 17 home runs and 41 steals at Triple-A last year, earning a brief MLB call-up. Matthews has primarily played second base in his minor league career. He also has experience at third base and shortstop, plus a handful of appearances in the outfield.
Baseball America labeled Matthews the best defensive infielder in Houston’s system. Even with his lack of an MLB track record, he’s likely the best glove the Astros could utilize at the position. Adding Matthews to the infield mix would further muddle a crowded situation. There’s also the question of whether he could make enough contact to earn regular at-bats. Matthews had a 27.9% strikeout rate with Sugar Land last season. It was 31.4% across four minor league levels in 2024. Matthews fanned 20 times in 47 MLB plate appearances.
The infield glut could be sorted out by a trade or two, and general manager Dana Brown told reporters several players are drawing interest. Rome cited Walker and Jesus Sanchez as two names that fall into that bucket. He also mentioned Boston has interest in Paredes, though a deal isn’t believed to be close. In terms of additions, Brown mentioned looking for a left-handed hitter to offset the righty-laden lineup. “If that opportunity presents itself and we can make some sort of trade to do that, it would be intriguing for us to make the team better.”
As Rome points out, the Angels were the only team to have fewer left-handed at-bats than the Astros last season. Victor Caratini accounted for nearly half of those plate appearances, and he’s now a Twin. Alvarez is the only lefty penciled in for regular work, with Sanchez and Zach Cole also factoring into the outfield group.
Steve Adams recently covered Houston’s outfield issues in a Front Office article. The free agent market for lefty-swinging outfielders is barren, especially with Max Kepler missing the first half of the year. Michael Conforto, Adam Frazier, and Mike Tauchman are among the remaining options who earned semi-regular playing time in 2025. The trade market would yield more interesting candidates. Rome tossed out Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, adding that Houston finds the latter more intriguing than the former.
Brown still has a couple of months to make adjustments to a team that missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016. “We’re going to continue to grind all the way up until spring training and maybe even in spring training. We don’t want to leave any stone unturned for making this team a better team.”
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images