Latest On Merrill Kelly, Corbin Carroll
The Diamondbacks have already had to deal with an unwelcome number of injury scares to key players, though Sunday’s news brought some optimism that Merrill Kelly and Corbin Carroll could both still be a part of the Opening Day roster.
Right at the very start of Spring Training, Carroll underwent surgery to fix a broken hamate bone in his right hand, putting him out of action for roughly 4-to-8 weeks (the usual timeline following such procedures). Last weekend, Kelly was scratched from throwing a live batting practice session due to some back soreness, and the discomfort persisted even though both an MRI and CT scan came back clean. Officially, the diagnosis is intercostal nerve irritation, according to the D’Backs.
It was enough for Kelly to tell the media last Wednesday that he was likely going to be starting the season on the 15-day injured list, though his outlook was different today. Kelly told MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other reporters that he received an injection of cortisone and lidocaine earlier this week, and had a pain-free session of catch today. While Kelly won’t act as the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day starter on March 26, the aim is for Kelly to now pitch at the back of Arizona’s rotation, which would line the righty up for his season debut during the team’s second series of the year.
The D’Backs begin the 2026 campaign with three games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, and then after an off-day, return home for a seven-game homestand against the Tigers and Braves. Given the March 29 off-day, the Snakes could technically delay Kelly’s first start beyond the first five games, though that would leave the club essentially playing a man short until Kelly is ready to take the mound.
With more than three weeks to go until Opening Day, there is still time for Kelly to restart his throwing progression and get fully ready to go, assuming his good health persists. Even if Kelly is only built up to throw something like 50-60 pitches, the D’Backs could use a piggyback starter or lean on the bullpen during the veteran’s first start. On the flip side, Arizona could also simply place Kelly on the IL to give him extra time to heal up, and make sure he is ready to hit the ground running once he takes the mound.
As for Carroll, it has been a little under three weeks since his February 11 surgery, but he described his progress as “definitely ahead of schedule.” The outfielder told Gilbert and other reporters that he started catching fly balls (Carroll’s right hand is his glove hand) today, and he has started to hit with both hands on the bat.
“It’s very low intensity, like flips and tee [work]….I think some other guys that have gone through a hamate injury were happy to see where I am [given] how far I am out of surgery,” Carroll said.
Manager Torey Lovullo described Carroll’s process as “right up to that line of doing too much. He’s pushing as hard as he can and as far as he can, and we love that. So we’ll continue to get updates from [hand surgeon] Don Sheridan and our medical team about what the next steps are, but yeah, he’s doing really, really well.”
Being able to hit and catch normally without any discomfort is only part of Carroll’s path to recovery, as he’ll then have to try and make up for time lost during Spring Training. Carroll has been taking part in other baseball activities, so he won’t be starting from square one once he is fully cleared. It then becomes a question of how many Cactus League games Carroll may be able to play in before March 26, and how many he’ll need before he feels properly ramped up for the regular season.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Mark P
- The Weekend Chat is underway! Let’s kick off March by talking some baseball….
Desperate Yankees fan
- Is my optimism this year valid?
Mark P
- Sure. New York is bringing back largely the same roster that won 94 games last year, plus Gerrit Cole will be healthy.
John
- Is Starling Marte a good fit with the Royals?
Mark P
- If he can duplicate even his 2025 numbers, that’s a big step up from what the Royals got from most of their lineup last year. I doubt Marte will be physically able to play the outfield on the regular, but even from a DH slot, that’s not bad. Signing Marte raises the floor of the K.C. roster, if nothing else
McGonigle’s
- Chances I go north with the Tigers out of spring training.
Mark P
- It may not happen without a pre-career contract extension. Even if McGonigle doesn’t sign a deal or starts the year at Triple-A to get more seasoning, he’ll be in the bigs at some point in 2026
Brady
- Trade idea for you- Marsh plus prospects (say Dante Nori and Jean Cabrera) for Isaac Paredes and Jake Meyers, then Phillies move off Bohm. Thoughts?
Mark P
- This isn’t a fit, but I like the idea in general of the Phillies and Astros matching up on some kind of a trade to address their mutual needs.
“Moving off Bohm” may be a bit easier said than done at this point in the offseason, however, since a lot of teams have their 3B positions filled. Maybe a team like the A’s steps in, or maybe it’s a three-team trade from the jump.
KC Pain
- Do you think we will see another early trade like we did with Priester last year? Teams like the Rays..and well the Brewers seem to have a large glut of arms that can’t possible all fit and have talent waiting in the minors.
Mark P
- It’s only March 1, so it would be unusual if there WASN’T at least one more prominent trade before Opening Day. All it takes is one injury to suddenly make a team more willing to shake up its roster
Jays
- I think the Scherzer signing by Jays was good as most of the salary is based on incentives. As a Jays fan, what do you think ?
Mark P
- I like the signing a lot, more for “you can never have too much pitching” reasons than thinking Scherzer can turn back the clock in 2026. If he covers some innings, posts something like a 4.30 ERA, and continues being a clubhouse leader, that’s more than worth it.
AA
- All the pitching concerns with Atlanta are a bit overblown. Will have players returning in second half of the season. Also, JR Ritchie has the opportunity to be a legitimate contributor to the team this season.
Mark P
- I mean, maybe? But, after Atlanta just had a season wrecked by pitching injuries, it’s obviously not great to have two starters already down less than a month into Spring Training.
Rangers Notes: Jung, Foscue, Church
A pair of injuries have hit the Rangers’ infield mix, as both third baseman Josh Jung and former top prospect Justin Foscue will be out of action for at least the next 10 days. Manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry) that an MRI revealed that Jung has a Grade 1 adductor strain, while Foscue has a right hamstring strain.
Neither injury is thought to be particularly serious, and Schumaker felt Jung in particular was going to be back on the field earlier than expected. In Foscue’s case, while his hamstring isn’t a major concern from a health perspective, the missed time is a setback in Foscue’s bid to win a spot on the Opening Day roster.
“It doesn’t change anything as far as [Foscue’s] chances,” Schumaker said. “He’s just gonna lose at-bats, which sucks for him. But…he’ll still have two weeks left of camp, really, to try to build up. He should get more at-bats.”
Jung is penciled in as the Rangers’ top choice at third base, and the former eighth overall pick is still looking to firmly establish himself as he enters his fifth Major League season. After making the All-Star team and helping Texas win the World Series in his 2023 rookie season, Jung was limited to 46 games due to a right wrist fracture in 2024. He was healthy last year, but struggled to a .251/.294/.390 slash line and 91 wRC+ over 511 plate appearances and was briefly demoted to Triple-A in July.
Now that Jung has become eligible for salary arbitration, the clock may be ticking to some extent on his future in Texas. He is earning a modest $2.9MM salary in 2026, but if Jung doesn’t take a notable step forward at the plate, he could be a non-tender candidate next offseason if the Rangers decide against giving him more chances at a higher price tag. Schumaker did praise Jung’s development in camp, and felt the third baseman’s work was “about to translate on the field.”
Foscue has only three hits over 53 PA at the big league level, translating to a .192 OPS for his brief MLB career. While a small sample size, the rather extreme nature of these struggles has already raised doubts about whether or not Foscue (also a former first-round draft pick, selected 14th overall in 2020) can eventually even hold his own against Major League pitching.
There have also been questions about Foscue’s ability to stick at second base, and the Rangers have been experimenting with Foscue as an outfielder this spring in an effort to increase his versatility. Being able to handle a corner outfield spot as well as first or second base would help Foscue’s chances of sticking on the 26-man roster, but everything will be on hold until he is healed up from his hamstring strain.
In other injury news from the Texas camp, Marc Church has been sidelined due to a teres major strain, but the right-hander is slated to throw a pair of live bullpen sessions this week, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News writes. Assuming his throwing progression goes as planned, Church should probably get in some game action before Spring Training is over, and he might still have a chance to break camp as a member of the Rangers’ pen.
The teres major strain is another unwelcome setback for Church, as he has been limited to just 38 2/3 total innings (33 in the minors, 5 2/3 in the majors) over the 2024-25 seasons. He missed a big chunk of the 2024 minor league season due to a rotator cuff injury, and he dealt with elbow inflammation, lat problems, and an oblique strain in 2025. If he can finally get healthy, Church is an intriguing candidate for a relief role, as he has a plus slider and splitter to go along with a fastball in the mid-to-high 90s.
Cubs Claim Ben Cowles
The Cubs have brought Ben Cowles back to Wrigleyville, as the team announced that the infielder has been claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays. In a corresponding move, right-hander Shelby Miller was moved to Chicago’s 60-day injured list. Miller underwent UCL and flexor surgery last October and will miss the 2026 season.
Miller’s two-year, $2.5MM deal with the Cubs was officially announced on February 15, and Cowles was designated for assignment to create roster space. The Jays claimed Cowles off the waiver wire, but the infielder now quickly finds himself back in the Cubs organization. There hadn’t been any indication that Toronto had DFA’ed Cowles, but the Blue Jays needed to open up a spot on their 40-man roster now that Max Scherzer is returning to the team.
A tenth-round pick for the Yankees in the 2021 draft, Cowles first came to Chicago at the 2024 trade deadline, when Cowles was one of two prospects dealt to the Cubs for Mark Leiter Jr. Cowles was DFA’ed last September and claimed off waivers by the White Sox, but the Cubs brought Cowles back from their local rivals in January on another waiver claim.
Throughout all of these comings and goings, Cowles has yet to make his Major League debut. The 26-year-old posted decent numbers in the lower minors but has hit only .235/.299/.368 over 536 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. The lack of offense has surely contributed to Cowles’ apparent status as 40th-man type, though he has speed (70 steals in 92 attempts in the minors) and has plenty of experience as a shortstop, second, and third baseman, plus a couple of cameo appearances in the outfield.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Cowles again land in DFA limbo the next time the Cubs need to create a 40-man opening, but the team clearly sees some value in the infielder’s skillset. Whether this translates into any time on the active roster remains to be seen, as Cowles might only get considered for a call-up if an injury arises to an infield regular.
Padres Sign Alex Verdugo To Minor League Deal
The Padres have signed outfielder Alex Verdugo to a minor league contract, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee reports. Verdugo has been a free agent since he was released by the Braves last July.
Last offseason, Verdugo didn’t land his Atlanta contract (a one-year, $1.5MM guaranteed deal) until just a week before Opening Day. He’ll get a little more Spring Training prep time this year, and a chance to try and win himself a job on San Diego’s roster as a backup outfielder.
Verdugo must also be viewing this as an opportunity to turn around his career as he enters his age-30 season. Formerly an everyday player with the Red Sox and a key piece of the trade package Boston received from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts deal, Verdugo posted okay but unspectacular numbers (.281/.338/.424 with 43 home runs in 2071 plate appearances, for a 105 wRC+) over five seasons in a Sox uniform.
Over the last two seasons with the Yankees and Braves, however, Verdugo’s production has sharply dropped. Since Opening Day 2024, Verdugo has a modest 80 wRC+, while hitting .234/.292/.339 with 13 home runs over 834 PA. In each of those seasons, Verdugo got off to a hot start before badly tailing off.
Those struggles in the Bronx led to Verdugo’s extended stay in free agency last winter, and it took some injuries within the Braves’ outfield mix to allow him to land a Major League contract. Jurickson Profar‘s PED suspension came a little over a week after Verdugo’s signing, which suddenly created the possibility of an everyday role as Atlanta’s left fielder. Verdugo voluntarily spent the first few weeks of the regular season at extended Spring Training and in the minors to get himself in proper game condition, but once called up to the Show, he hit .239/.296/.289 over 213 PA.
Once Profar was eligible for reinstatement, the Braves designated Verdugo for assignment and then released him. No other minor league offers emerged over the remainder of the 2025 season, and there hasn’t been any buzz about Verdugo on the offseason rumor mill until today’s signing. However, the Padres have apparently long had Verdugo on their radar — Acee writes that San Diego had some trade talks involving Verdugo in the past, and explored signing him last winter.
Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano are set as the Padres’ starting outfield. Miguel Andujar will also get some time in the corners, and Gavin Sheets and Nick Castellanos are technically also outfield options but the Padres will likely deploy both at first base and at DH. Bryce Johnson is a fourth-outfielder type who hasn’t shown much at the plate over parts of four MLB seasons, and the Padres plan to give Sung Mun Song some time in the outfield as they experiment with turning Song into a super-utility type in the majors.
The left-handed hitting Verdugo could spell Laureano (a righty swinger) against some right-handed pitchers, and he has more of a career track record as a hitter than Johnson, though Verdugo is best suited defensively as a corner outfielder. Since the Padres don’t have a set designated hitter, the team can rotate any number of players through the DH spot in order to give partial rest days to regulars and to help get at-bats for the bench crew.
There’s no risk for the Padres in seeing what Verdugo can do in camp, and the team has been stockpiling a lot of experienced MLB players as they evaluate their bench options. Ty France, Pablo Reyes, Jose Miranda, Nick Solak, and more are in camp on minor league deals battling it out for 26-man roster spots.
Josh Hader Still Uncertain For Astros’ Opening Day Roster
A bout of biceps inflammation in late January set Josh Hader back in his offseason prep, and has continued to limit the Astros closer during Spring Training. Hader’s throwing has been limited to games of catch, and Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara) that Hader would continue on this route through the week.
Espada didn’t provide any clarity on when Hader might start to increase his throwing progression, or whether or not the left-hander might not be available for Opening Day. “I think we still have a little bit more time. Once we start getting down to that we’ll talk more on that, but right now it’s still premature just to see where we’re at by March 26,” Espada said.
Because Hader is a relief pitcher built for a limited workload, he naturally doesn’t require as much ramp-up as a starter. In each of the last three years, however, Hader has made at least six appearances in Spring Training games, and matching that number may be difficult given that we’re less than a month away from Houston’s first regular-season contest.
The biceps injury comes on the heels of a more serious injury setback for Hader, as a left capsule sprain prematurely ended his season last August. Surgery wasn’t required, and after completing a throwing program in November, Hader said that he expected to be ready for Spring Training. That might have well been the case, if it wasn’t for the biceps inflammation that again put Hader on the sidelines.
Bryan Abreu covered the majority of save chances when Hader was on the injured list last season, so Abreu would probably be Houston’s top choice as interim closer if Hader needs a 15-day IL stint to begin the 2026 campaign. While Abreu has more than proven himself capable of high-leverage work, obviously removing a star closer like Hader from the equation weakens the bullpen depth chart as a whole.
If Hader is absent, it will put more of a spotlight on the rest of the Astros’ relief corps, from both a quality and health perspective. To the latter point, Enyel De Los Santos has started throwing again and Espada said the right-hander should start working off the mound by next week.
De Los Santos picked up a right knee strain early in camp, but it appears as though the strain ended up being fairly minor. The missed time in camp may not have much impact on De Los Santos’ availability for Opening Day, as Espada said that since De Los Santos pitched in winter ball, the righty might be able to rebuild his arm strength in fairly short order.
De Los Santos signed with Houston last August and pitched pretty well down the stretch, posting a 4.03 ERA, 6.6% walk rate, and 26.4% strikeout rate over 22 1/3 innings in an Astros uniform. He avoided arbitration with the Astros by agreeing to a one-year, $1.6MM deal for the 2026 season, giving the 30-year-old a bit of stability after already playing for eight different teams over the course of his seven MLB seasons.
Mariners Notes: Miller, Crawford, Labrada
General manager Justin Hollander updated reporters (including Seattle Sports’ Shannon Drayer and MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer) about some injury situations in the Mariners’ camp, including some side soreness for Bryce Miller. The right-hander reported some discomfort on his left side on Thursday, and a subsequent MRI revealed inflammation. Miller received a PRP shot and will be fully re-evaluated in about a week, though he could begin playing catch in a few days.
Drayer described Miller’s shutdown as “very precautionary,” and the soreness was mild enough that Miller might not have even told the team if the issue has arisen during the regular season. That said, there obviously isn’t any reason for Miller or the Mariners to push things during Spring Training. It isn’t out of the question that Miller could start the season on the 15-day injured list as a further precaution, or if he isn’t able to get back onto the mound in a week’s time to continue his normal spring ramp-up.
Miller is already coming off an injury-marred season that saw him limited to 90 1/3 regular-season innings. Bone spurs in his throwing elbow twice sent Miller to the IL, though he returned in the last half of August to make eight more starts, and then posted a 2.51 ERA over three starts and 14 1 1/3 innings in the playoffs.
Rather than undergo surgery to address the bone spurs, Miller has opted for such non-surgical treatments as a cortisone shot, a PRP shot, and a Synvisc injection to try and avoid a procedure. It was just over a week ago that Miller stated he had been able to have essentially a normal offseason, though this seemingly minor bout of side soreness is surely unwelcome.
If things developed to the point that Miller did need an IL trip, Emerson Hancock would probably be Seattle’s top choice as a rotation fill-in. Blas Castano and long man Cooper Criswell are also on the 40-man roster, or the Mariners could opt to select the contract of a non-roster invite like Casey Lawrence or Dane Dunning.
Turning to the diamond, J.P. Crawford is expected to play in his first Cactus League game of the spring on Tuesday. The veteran shortstop will be in Tuesday’s lineup as the DH, as Crawford is still recovering from a shoulder issue that has slowed his progress in camp. Hollander said the plan is for Crawford to return to shortstop the following week, which should give him plenty of time to be ready for Opening Day.
There has never been any concern that Crawford would miss any regular-season action, as the M’s were simply easing Crawford into his spring work. He is taking part in a live batting-practice session today to get some at-bats against actual pitchers under his belt before his debut game.
After an oblique strain and a fractured right hand limited Crawford to 105 games in 2024, he rebounded for a healthy 2025 campaign and a .265/.352/.370 slash line with 12 homers over 654 plate appearances (translating to a 113 wRC+). Crawford is now entering both his age-31 season, and the final year of the five-year, $51MM extension he signed with the Mariners in April 22. With star shortstop prospect Colt Emerson on the verge of his MLB debut, Crawford’s future in Seattle could be in doubt, so he’ll need a strong season to impress the M’s or potential other suitors as free agency looms.
Prospect Victor Labrada made his Triple-A debut in 2025 and could be on the radar for his first big league call-up at some point in 2026, but his season could be delayed by an oblique strain. Hollander said Labrada hurt his oblique yesterday while swinging in the batting cage, and an MRI today will determine the extent of the injury.
Labrada hit .265/.397/.376 over 235 plate appearances with Triple-A Tacoma, and he has an overall .267/.365/.402 slash line across 2155 PA in his minor league career. The 26-year-old doesn’t have much power, but he has terrific speed, with 172 steals out of 222 attempts. This speed and solid glovework at all three outfield positions could make Labrada at least a backup outfielder at the MLB level, and his ability to stick as a regular will depend on how well he can reach base and capitalize on what Baseball America describes as “solid bat-to-ball skills to hit the ball to the alleys.” BA ranks Labrada as the 26th-best prospect in the Mariners’ farm system.
Phillies Notes: Wheeler, Kerkering, Stott
Zack Wheeler threw a 21-pitch bullpen on Thursday, making the first time that the Phillies ace had thrown a BP since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in September. Wheeler and Phils manager Rob Thomson each told reporters (including The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes) that Wheeler threw only fastballs and sinkers at about 85 percent effort, which is normal for any pitcher’s first bullpen session following an injury layoff. Everything went well enough that Wheeler is slated for another bullpen on Sunday, as for now, the right-hander is on a standard ramp-up plan.
It is still early enough in the process that neither Wheeler or the team is putting any kind of timeline on when the three-time All-Star could potentially make his return to Philadelphia’s rotation. TOS surgeries and their associated recovery periods are, as Thomson put it, “new stuff, and it’s different than a lot of other injuries. So, we really can’t pin it down to a day or a week.”
Still, it would seem like the early optimism that Wheeler could be back at some point in the first half of April has yet to abate. Wheeler was given a broad timeframe of 6-8 months in the wake of his surgery, so at the very least, it would seem like he’ll be able to return in the earlier end of that two-month window. A season-opening IL stint is definite, but Thomson said it is possible Wheeler could pitch in a Spring Training game before camp is over.
The Phillies surely aren’t going to rush Wheeler’s process, of course, since simply having him back pitching isn’t nearly as important as having him back in good form, both health-wise and results-wise. It is anyone’s guess as to whether or not Wheeler will able to recapture his superstar level of production immediately or even at all, given how many (but not all) pitchers dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome have never been the same after their surgeries. The fact that Wheeler is thus far feeling normal in his prep work is a great sign that the righty can again be a force in the rotation.
In other injury news, Orion Kerkering was sidelined by a Grade 1 hamstring strain right at the start of the Phillies’ camp, but the right-hander is set to throw a bullpen session today. Assuming no setbacks in Kerkering’s ramp-up, he should be on track for the Opening Day roster, as his arm will require less build for a relief role.
Kerkering will return to a high-leverage assignment in Philadelphia’s bullpen, though the addition of Brad Keller may push Kerkering a rung lower on the depth chart. Kerkering’s 2025 season will unfortunately be remembered for his game-ending and series-ending throwing error in Game 4 of the NLDS, but he delivered another solid campaign overall, with a 3.30 ERA and 24.4% strikeout rate over 60 innings. That strikeout rate was a dropoff from his 28.8K% in 2024, however, plus Kerkering’s walk rate spiked upwards.
Bryson Stott is another Phillie looking for more consistency in 2026, but the fact that the second baseman ended last season on a high note gives him lots of optimism for the coming season. As Stott told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, some brutal numbers in the first half led Stott to overhaul his approach on the fly at midseason, with adjustments that included lowering his hands and standing closer to the plate. The left-handed hitter also simplified things by just trying to pull the ball and make solid contact, rather than focus on trying to hit to all fields.
“If you just take your swing and it’s an outside pitch, it’s going to go to left, instead of trying to guide it to left,” Stott said. “For example, I’ll get an inside heater and I’m like, ‘Well, I want to hit the ball to left this at-bat,’ and then I try to finagle the barrel around and that’s when I get myself in trouble. The second half was more of just letting the ball dictate where it’s going to go rather than me trying to dictate where it’s going to go.”
Stott enjoyed a hot start in April before sinking into a deep slump, as he batted just .196/.266/.274 over 243 plate appearances from May 1 through July 22. From that point onwards, the swing changes starting clicking, as Stott hit .307/.376/.508 over his final 202 PA of the 2025 campaign.
Most of Stott’s season-long damage came against right-handed pitchers, as he batted only .225/.287/.228 in 123 PA against southpaws. Stott posted at least decent numbers against lefties in his first two MLB seasons, but his splits have cratered over the last two years, which has threatened his role as Philadelphia’s everyday second baseman. The team’s plan is to give Edmundo Sosa a big chunk (and maybe all) of the second base playing time when a left-hander is on the mound, though Stott believes he can perform well enough against southpaws to protect his spot in the lineup.
Latest On Brendan Rodgers’ Shoulder Injury
Brendan Rodgers left Wednesday’s Red Sox/Twins game due to right shoulder soreness, and has since undergone both an MRI and a CT scan. Rodgers is now considering his options in the wake of these tests, and the situation “doesn’t look great,” Sox manager Alex Cora told the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey and other reporters.
The implication is that Rodgers might again be facing a significant shoulder surgery, which would be the third of his career. Rodgers’ rookie season with the Rockies was cut short by a season-ending surgery on that same right shoulder in July 2019, and some recurring issues in his shoulder resulted in another IL stint in 2020. Exactly three years ago today, Rodgers dislocated his left shoulder while diving for a ball during a Spring Training game, and a subsequent surgery delayed his 2023 season debut until the very end of July.
At the very least, Rodgers seems ticketed for a season-opening stint on the injured list. The veteran infielder doesn’t have any roster security since he is in Boston’s camp on a minor league contract, so it is as least possible the Red Sox could take the harsh step of cutting Rodgers entirely if he isn’t healthy. The likelier scenario is that Rodgers passes on at least the March 22 opt-out clause in his contract and is stashed on the minor league IL if he is indeed facing a long-term recovery.
The 29-year-old Rodgers was non-tendered by the Rockies following the 2024 season, and then signed a minors deal with the Astros last offseason that led to a spot on Houston’s Opening Day roster. Rodgers hit only .191/.266/.278 over 128 plate appearances and 43 games with the Astros, however, before a variety of injuries ended his season. An oblique strain led to Rodgers’ initial IL placement last June, and he suffered both a concussion and a nasal fracture after colliding with a teammate during a minor league rehab game. Back problems then cropped up for Rodgers when he next attempted to take the field during a minor league game in August.
Rodgers faced relatively steep odds of breaking camp with the Red Sox anyway, though Boston now finds itself down two middle infielders since Romy Gonzalez is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day due to shoulder problems of his own. Marcelo Mayer is slated to be Boston’s regular second baseman this season, though Rodgers was brought in as even more veteran depth at the keystone beyond the options already on hand (i.e. Gonzalez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio, Nate Eaton, Anthony Seigler).
Rays’ Steven Wilson To Begin Season On Injured List
Steven Wilson‘s ongoing back problems will prevent the right-hander from being part of the Rays’ Opening Day roster, manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). According to the Rays’ official injury update page, Wilson received an injection in his back, and it will be at least another week before he takes the mound.
While there isn’t yet any indication that the injury is overly serious, Wilson has yet to pitch during Spring Training, so he’ll need to make up for lost time in rehab work once he has recovered. An absence of longer than the 15-day minimum on the injured list certainly seems possible, though obviously such timeline projections won’t be known until later in March.
This isn’t the first time Wilson has dealt with a bad back, as a pair of back strains cost him close to two and a half months of the 2024 season when Wilson was pitching with the White Sox. The second of those back strains wound up prematurely ending Wilson’s season in mid-August, though it could be that he was shut down in part because there was no reason to hurry back for the end of Chicago’s record 121-loss season.
It’s a tough start to Wilson’s Rays tenure, as Tampa Bay just acquired the reliever as part of a four-player trade with the White Sox in November. Wilson has generally posted solid results over his four MLB seasons (apart from a 5.71 ERA over 34 2/3 innings during his injury-riddled 2024 campaign), including a 3.42 ERA over 55 1/3 innings out of the Sox bullpen last year. The sweeper is Wilson’s plus pitch and he induces a lot of soft contact, even though both his walk and strikeout rates were below average last season.