Rockies Rumors

Jacob Stallings Joins Pirates’ Baseball Operations Department

By Steve Adams | February 11, 2026 at 4:05pm CDT

Longtime major league catcher Jacob Stallings has taken on a new role in the Pirates’ baseball operations department, Stallings tells Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Specifics surrounding his job are still being ironed out, but for now the plan will be for Stallings to be in Pittsburgh around once a month to consult with the front office and spend time visiting minor league affiliates throughout the year to work on the development of the organization’s young catchers.

Stallings tells Mackey that he played through notable back pain last season and knew as the year wore on that he was likely to retire following the 2025 campaign. The veteran backstop adds that playing for Skip Schumaker with the 2023 Marlins helped him to realize the type of impact a coach/manager whose playing career has just ended could have on players throughout the organization. Time will tell whether Stallings sticks in baseball operations or takes on more of a player development or even coaching role moving forward, but he’s jumping right back into the game following what appears to be the final season of his playing career.

Stallings, 36, opened the 2025 season on the Rockies’ roster. He’d re-signed on a one-year deal after hitting .263/.357/.453 as Colorado’s primary backstop the season prior. Things didn’t go nearly as well in ’25. Stallings hit just .143/.217/.179 in 93 plate appearances before being cut loose in Denver. He briefly latched on with the Orioles when they were hit with a litany of catcher injuries but appeared in only 14 games before being passed through waivers and electing free agency.

All told, Stallings appeared in parts of 10 major league seasons. The former seventh-round pick suited up for 577 games between the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Orioles, tallying 1922 plate appearances and batting .232/.311/.340 (77 wRC+). While Stallings was rarely a big threat with the bat, he for several years ranked as one of the game’s premier defenders behind the plate. He won a Gold Glove with the Pirates in 2021 and nabbed 21% of runners who attempted to steal against him in his career. That mark was weighed down by some low percentages later in his career, but from 2019-20 Stallings thwarted 36.2% of the runners who took off during his watch.

Stallings accrued more than seven years of major league service time and took home about $12MM in his playing career. He’ll now have a say in helping to guide the next generation of Pirates catchers and could use that opportunity as a launching point into any number of other career paths within the sport.

Readers — Pirates fans in particular — will want to check out Stallings’ interview with Mackey in full for quotes on his experiences mentoring younger catchers as a player, his relationship with Schumaker, some of the strengths he sees in new Pittsburgh skipper Don Kelly, and more.

Rockies To Sign Jose Quintana

By Anthony Franco | February 10, 2026 at 11:15pm CDT

The Rockies have followed up their Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano signings with another free agent deal for a veteran starter. Colorado is reportedly in agreement with left-hander Jose Quintana on a one-year deal, pending a physical. The ACES client is guaranteed $6MM. The Rox will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster once the signing is finalized. Jeff Criswell, who underwent Tommy John surgery last March, is a 60-day injured list candidate.

Quintana signs on the eve of Spring Training after waiting until early March to put pen to paper last winter. He settled for a deferred $4.25MM guarantee with the Brewers that was probably below his expectations coming off a 3.75 ERA in 31 starts for the Mets. Quintana managed decent results in Milwaukee as well, allowing 3.96 earned runs per nine over 131 2/3 innings.

There weren’t a whole lot of encouraging underlying numbers. Quintana’s results have outstripped his peripherals for essentially four consecutive seasons. He has never been a power pitcher, but his already pedestrian velocity and swing-and-miss rates have dropped into his mid-30s. Last year’s 16% strikeout rate was his lowest since the 14% mark he posted in his 2012 rookie season. His sinker and four-seam fastball each land in the 90-91 mph range on average. None of the southpaw’s pitches miss many bats, and last season’s 6.9% swinging strike rate was the second lowest mark for a pitcher who reached 100 innings.

Although the 37-year-old doesn’t have a huge ceiling at this stage of his career, he should raise the floor at the back of Warren Schaeffer’s rotation. The pitch-to-contact approach keeps his walks in check. Quintana doesn’t have notable platoon splits and mixes five pitches (sinker, changeup, curveball, four-seam fastball, and slurve). The deeper arsenal seems to be of particular interest to the Rox’s front office and coaching staff. Lorenzen throws seven distinct pitches, while Sugano has a six-pitch mix.

“We’ve spoken about this internally a lot,” first-year pitching coach Alon Leichman told Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post last week. “We want big arsenals. We think big arsenals will be harder to game plan against. You know, if a guy has six, seven pitches, that’s harder to game plan for than if a guy has two or three, right? So we think that’s an advantage. The more weapons you have, the more random you can be.”

The Rockies have committed just over $19MM to add the trio of veteran starters. They’ll join Kyle Freeland as rotation locks. Ryan Feltner and Chase Dollander would probably compete for the fifth starter role as things stand. There’s a decent chance an injury during Spring Training clarifies things. Feltner missed the majority of last season with back issues. Quintana himself had a pair of IL stints for a shoulder impingement and calf strain, respectively.

While it remains arguably the worst rotation in the majors, the Rockies don’t want a repeat of last year’s historically awful performance. Colorado’s 2025 starting staff had a 6.65 ERA that was the highest in any full MLB season in history. This season’s group should at least be markedly better than that.

None of Lorenzen, Sugano or Quintana are likely to fetch much at the trade deadline even if they’re managing decent results away from Coors Field. They’re all sixth starters/swing types on contenders. There’s nevertheless value in having experienced arms around to take a few innings and work with Dollander and prospects Gabriel Hughes and Sean Sullivan, each of whom could be up at some point in 2026. They’re less likely to need to rely on McCade Brown and Tanner Gordon for early-season starts.

This will push Colorado’s projected payroll to $120MM, as calculated by RosterResource. They opened last season at $122MM and seem set for a nearly identical spending pattern in Paul DePodesta’s first season as president of baseball operations.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN first reported the Rockies and Quintana had an agreement. Robert Murray of FanSided reported the $6MM guarantee. Image courtesy of Mark Hoffman, Imagn Images.

Rockies Sign Tomoyuki Sugano, Place Kris Bryant On 60-Day IL

By Steve Adams | February 10, 2026 at 12:10pm CDT

The Rockies have added some veteran innings to their rotation, signing right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year contract that’s worth a reported $5.1MM. He’s represented by the VC Sports Group. Kris Bryant was placed on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Sugano, 36, was a star in Japan prior to last season’s major league debut — one of the most durable and successful starting pitchers of the current generation in Nippon Professional Baseball. He contemplated a move to MLB earlier in his career but opted to remain with the Yomiuri Giants on a four-year, $40MM deal in the 2020-21 offseason rather than make the jump to North America.

He finally opted to commit to an MLB opportunity last offseason, signing a one-year, $13MM deal with the Orioles. He was one of several one-year additions to the Baltimore rotation, and Sugano panned out better than either Charlie Morton or Kyle Gibson did after signing a short-term deal with Baltimore.

It wasn’t a dominant debut effort by any means, but Sugano made 30 starts and piled up 157 innings with a 4.64 earned run average. His 5.3% walk rate was excellent, but the right-hander’s 15.1% strikeout rate was among the lowest in Major League Baseball. That lack of missed bats and pedestrian velocity on his fastballs (92.7 mph average four-seamer, 92.9 mph average sinker) led to too many barrels and far too many home runs. Sugano was tagged for 33 round-trippers — most in the American League and third-most in all of MLB — or an average of 1.89 homers per nine frames.

Certainly, that home run susceptibility is cause for some concern as Sugano signs on to play his home games at Coors Field. Then again, the Rockies entered the offseason in dire need of rotation help and are always going to have a hard time selling free agent starters on pitching at elevation. They managed to sway Michael Lorenzen earlier in the offseason and will now add Sugano, at the very least giving the rotation a pair of veteran options to eat innings and take some pressure off some still-developing young arms.

Sugano joins a rotation slated to include Lorenzen, Kyle Freeland and Ryan Feltner. Top prospect Chase Dollander, the No. 9 pick from the 2023 draft, was hit hard as a rookie in 2025 but probably has the inside track on the No. 5 spot. Nearly all of his 2025 struggles came at Coors Field; he posted a 3.46 ERA, 22.4% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate on the road (compared to a 9.98 ERA at home). Other candidates for the fifth spot include Tanner Gordon, McCade Brown and Carson Palmquist, among others.

The $5.1MM salary bumps Colorado to about $114.5MM in actual cash payroll and $132MM worth of luxury tax obligations, per RosterResource. Neither is close to the club’s respective franchise-record marks, though that’s to be expected as the Rockies embark on what’ll likely be a yearslong rebuilding effort under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and new general manager Josh Byrnes. If Sugano and/or Lorenzen can put together decent first halves of the season, either could find himself as a deadline option for contending clubs looking to add rotation depth, but if nothing else, they’re affordable innings eaters to help navigate a long season.

As for the Bryant side of the move, the news is unfortunate but hardly surprising. The 34-year-old played only 11 games last season and has suited up for only 170 games over the first four seasons of his seven-year deal with Colorado. He’s been diagnosed with a degenerative lumbar condition in his lower back that has made it unclear precisely when — or whether — the Rockies can count on him returning to the field.

The team will surely have more updates on Bryant as camp progresses. The 60-day minimum for his IL placement doesn’t kick in until Opening Day. All IL placements can be backdated by a maximum of three days, so at minimum, Bryant will be out for the first 57 days of the 2026 season.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reported this morning that the Rockies were working to bring in some additional rotation help. Thomas Harding of MLB.com first reported the one-year agreement. ESPN’s Jeff Passan added financial terms.

Rockies Sign Conner Capel To Minor League Contract

By Mark Polishuk | February 7, 2026 at 12:54pm CDT

The Rockies signed outfielder Conner Capel to a minors deal, as per Capel’s MLB.com profile page. The contract apparently doesn’t include an invitation to Colorado’s big league Spring Training camp, as the Rockies already announced their list of spring invites earlier this week.

Capel spent the 2025 season with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, hitting .234/.314/.360 with 10 home runs and 21 steals (out of 25 attempts) over 414 plate appearances. These underwhelming numbers kept Capel from receiving a call-up to the majors, even though injuries and suspensions left the Braves short-handed in the outfield for much of the season. Capel is out of minor league options, which may have factored into Atlanta’s decision — selecting Capel’s contract would’ve meant that the Braves would’ve had to sneak him through waivers before sending him back down to Triple-A and outrighting him off the 40-man roster.

A fifth-round pick for Cleveland in the 2016 draft, Capel made his big league debut in 2022, and hit .278/.359/.398 over 153 PA with the Cardinals, Athletics, and Reds during the 2022-24 seasons. Despite these decent numbers and Capel’s ability to play all three outfield positions, his lack of power kept him from receiving much of a look at the MLB level.

Now 28 years old, the left-handed hitting Capel will try to return to compete for a job on a Rockies team that is already pretty deep in outfield candidates. The rebuilding Rox will be prioritizing at-bats for their younger players and in-house prospects, so Capel might again be viewed purely as a Triple-A depth player. A strong performance in camp could change those plans, or it might help Capel land a job on another team in need of outfield help.

Yankees To Claim Yanquiel Fernández

By Darragh McDonald | February 4, 2026 at 12:40pm CDT

The Yankees are going to claim outfielder Yanquiel Fernández off waivers from the Rockies, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Colorado designated him for assignment a week ago. The Yanks haven’t yet officially announced this claim. When they do, they will need to make a corresponding move to open a 40-man spot.

Fernández, 23, was one of the top prospects in the Rockies’ system as of a few years ago. An international signing out of Cuba, Fernández boosted his stock with a strong 2023 season. He hit 25 home runs across three different levels, topping out at Double-A. Going into 2024, the Rockies added him to their 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. Baseball America ranked him the #3 prospect in the organization and #92 in the whole league.

His stock has dipped since then. He has taken 147 big league plate appearances with a .225/.265/.348 line and 29.9% strikeout rate. In 409 Triple-A plate appearances, his .259/.320/.437 line looks decent at first glance but actually translates to a 77 wRC+ in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. The declining offense is significant for Fernández. He doesn’t steal a ton of bases and is a corner outfielder. He has a strong arm but isn’t considered an especially strong defender. His best path to providing value is crushing the ball.

The Rockies just overhauled their front office, moving on from general manager Bill Schmidt in the fall. It seems the new regime, led by president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, wasn’t bullish on his chances of getting back on track. Fernández has a minor league option remaining and could have been kept in Triple-A as depth but the Rockies bumped him off the roster as they made buy-low pickups of slightly more experienced players like Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien.

The Yankees have a fairly crowded outfield at the moment. They project to have Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger getting regular playing time on the grass with Giancarlo Stanton in the designated hitter spot. They also have Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones in the mix and have been sniffing around the market for righty platoon guys like Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater. Guys like Marco Luciano and Seth Brown are around as non-roster depth.

That picture could change over time. There are some injury concerns in there, particularly with Stanton. There has been some trade speculation surrounding Domínguez and Jones. For now, Fernández figures to be way down the depth chart. The Yankees might try to pass him through waivers at some point in the future. If he hangs onto his roster spot, he figures to get regular playing time in Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Rockies, Kyle McCann Agree To Minor League Deal

By Darragh McDonald | February 3, 2026 at 5:15pm CDT

The Rockies and catcher Kyle McCann have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The Ballengee Group client also receives an invite to big league camp in spring training.

McCann, 28, got to make his major league debut with the Athletics in 2024. He got into 54 games and stepped to the plate 157 times. He hit five home runs and drew walks at a solid 10.2% clip but also struck out in 37.6% of those plate appearances. His .236/.318/.371 batting line was just above league average, translating to a 102 wRC+, but was buoyed by a .368 batting average on balls in play.

His minor league offense has had a similar shape, with some power and walks but lots of punchouts. Outlets like FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Statcast all ranked him as a subpar defender during his time in the big leagues, particularly when it comes to pitch framing.

The A’s designated him for assignment in January of 2025. He cleared waivers and stuck with the club as non-roster depth but was released at the end of camp. In May, he signed with los Piratas de Campeche in the Mexican League. He got into 32 games for that club and stepped to the plate 140 times. He hit eight home runs with an 18.8% walk rate and 30.7% strikeout rate. The Mexican League is very hitter-friendly, with the league-wide slash line being .295/.378/.465 in 2025, but McCann’s .319/.450/.611 line was still strong even in that inflated environment.

The Rockies don’t have a ton of depth behind the plate. Hunter Goodman and Braxton Fulford are currently the only backstops on the 40-man roster. Goodman just had a breakout season in 2025 but Fulford has just 120 big league plate appearances with a .213/.267/.324 line in those. Brett Sullivan has been brought aboard via a minor league deal but he has just a .204/.250/.291 line in his 112 big league plate appearances.

McCann gives the Rockies a second non-roster catcher with at least some big league experience. If an injury pops up and the Rockies need another catcher at some point, McCann could perhaps have a leg up over Sullivan, who is out of options. McCann has a full slate of options, so he could be shuttled between Albuquerque and Denver if he gets a 40-man spot.

Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images

Marlins Claim Garrett Acton, Designate Victor Mesa Jr. For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | February 3, 2026 at 1:30pm CDT

The Marlins have claimed right-hander Garrett Acton off waivers from the Rockies, according to announcements from both clubs. Miami designated outfielder Víctor Mesa Jr. for assignment as a corresponding move. Colorado designated Acton for assignment back on January 22nd when they signed Willi Castro. DFA limbo is normally capped at one week. MLBTR has learned that Acton was placed on release waivers and claimed last week. A player claimed off release waivers has the right to reject the assignment while electing free agency and can take five days to make that decision.

Mesa, 24, and his older brother Víctor Víctor Mesa were once notable defectors from Cuba. Their father Víctor Mesa had played in the Cuban National Series for 19 years and coached the Cuban team in the World Baseball Classic. The two sons left the island in 2018 in the hopes of pursuing deals with MLB clubs. Both brothers signed with the Marlins in October of 2018.

At that time, the elder brother was considered the stronger prospect, but things didn’t pan out for him. He never really put up good numbers in the minors. He has been off the radar since June of 2023, when he walked away from the team and hasn’t played anywhere since.

The younger Mesa stuck with the Marlins. The club added him to the 40-man roster in November of 2023 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He got to make his major league debut in 2025, taking 38 plate appearances in 16 games. He put up a .188/.297/.344 line in that small sample.

His numbers in the minors have been a bit better than that but he’s been on the injured list a decent amount. Over the past two years combined, he has taken 579 plate appearances on the farm with 20 home runs, a .266/.330/.437 line and 106 wRC+. He stole nine bases and played all three outfield spots. Prospect evaluators generally see Mesa as a depth outfielder at this point. He still has an option remaining, so perhaps he would be of interest to some other clubs. The Marlins will likely place him on waivers in the coming days.

Acton, 28 in June, also has a very limited major league track record. Between the 2023 Athletics and the 2025 Rays, he has seven big league appearances, having allowed eight earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. He missed the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Tampa put him on waivers at the beginning of November 2025, which is when Colorado claimed him.

He’s coming off an encouraging season in the minors. He logged 58 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level, allowing 3.68 earned runs per nine. His 11.4% walk rate was high but he struck out 30.1% of batters faced. He averaged around 94 miles per hour with his four-seamer while also featuring a mid-80s slider and changeup.

Acton still has a couple of options, so it seems the Marlins would rather have him as optionable bullpen depth than have Mesa as optionable outfield depth. If Acton sticks on the roster, he can be shuttled between Jacksonville and Miami fairly freely.

Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images

Rockies, Valente Bellozo Agree To Minor League Contract

By Anthony Franco | February 2, 2026 at 9:51pm CDT

The Rockies are in agreement with right-hander Valente Bellozo on a minor league deal, reports Francys Romero. The Wasserman client will presumably get a look in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Bellozo has spent the past two seasons with the Marlins. The Fish acquired him from the Astros in an early-season swap for infielder Jacob Amaya in 2024. Bellozo earned a big league look a few months later and made 13 starts as a rookie. He turned in a 3.67 earned run average despite a 15% strikeout rate and significant home run issues. He made five starts early last season before moving to the bullpen, where he usually worked multiple innings in low-leverage spots.

The 26-year-old Bellozo managed decent results up through the All-Star Break. His peripherals caught up with him in the second half, as he allowed a 6.46 ERA on 10 home runs over his final 30 2/3 innings. He finished the year with 4.65 earned runs per nine over 81 1/3 frames. He struck out 15.5% of opponents against a 6.6% walk rate.

Bellozo has plus control but sits around 90 MPH with his four-seamer. He leaned more frequently on a mid-80s cutter while mixing in a sweeper and changeup. He’s a fly-ball pitcher with below-average stuff. That’s a difficult approach to make work at Coors Field, but there’s plenty of opportunity to pitch his way back to the majors. He could even claim an Opening Day rotation spot with a strong camp.

Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen and Chase Dollander are the only three pitchers who seem assured of season-opening rotation spots. Ryan Feltner, Gabriel Hughes, Tanner Gordon, McCade Brown and recent trade pickup Pierson Ohl are on the 40-man roster and would have two rotation spots up for grabs among them. Bellozo could work into that mix or join Antonio Senzatela in long relief if he wins a job.

Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

By Darragh McDonald | February 2, 2026 at 3:12pm CDT

Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Most clubs have a slightly earlier report date this year due to the World Baseball Classic. Last year, the Cubs and Dodgers had earlier report dates because they were had an earlier Opening Day than everyone else as part of the Tokyo Series. Gavin Stone was the first player to land on the 60-day IL in 2025, landing there on February 11th. According to MLB.com, every club has a report date from February 10th to 13th this year.

It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until late May or beyond. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.

There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, and more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment. If a team wants to pass a player through waivers, perhaps they will try to do so in the near future before the extra roster flexibility opens up.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time or who have uncertain recovery timelines from 2025 injuries.

Angels: Anthony Rendon, Ben Joyce

Rendon’s situation is unique. He underwent hip surgery a year ago and missed the entire 2025 season. He is still on the roster and signed through 2026. He and the club have agreed to a salary-deferment plan and he is not expected to be in spring training with the club. His recovery timeline is unclear, but general manager Perry Minasian said earlier this month that Rendon would be “rehabbing at home,” per Alden González of ESPN. If they were going to release him, they likely would have done so by now, so he seems destined for the injured list.

Joyce underwent shoulder surgery in May and missed the remainder of the 2025 season. His current status is unclear. In August, he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he didn’t know if he would be ready for spring training. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the Halos don’t expect him back before the end of May.

Astros: Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, Brandon Walter

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025. Wesneski was first, with his surgery taking place on May 23rd. Blanco followed shortly thereafter in early June. They will likely be targeting returns in the second half. Walter’s procedure was in September, meaning he will likely miss the entire season. All three should be on the 60-day IL as soon as Houston needs roster spots for other transactions.

Athletics: Zack Gelof

Gelof underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder in September, with the expectation of him potentially being healthy for spring training. At the end of December, general manager David Forst told Martín Gallegos of MLB.com that Gelof would be “a little bit behind” in spring. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the A’s think he’ll be out through late May.

Blue Jays: Jake Bloss

Bloss underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in May. He was on optional assignment at the time and stayed in the minors for the rest of the season. Going into 2026, the Jays could keep him in the minors but they could also call him up and place him on the major league IL. Doing so would open up a roster spot but would also mean giving Bloss big league pay and service time.

Braves: Ha-Seong Kim, AJ Smith-Shawver, Danny Young, Joe Jiménez

Kim recently fell on some ice and injured his hand. He underwent surgery last week, and the expected recovery time is four to five months. The shorter end of that window only goes to mid-May, so perhaps Atlanta will hold off on making a decision until they watch his recovery, especially since they have other guys with clearer injury timelines.

Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so he shouldn’t be back until the second half and is therefore a lock for the 60-day IL once Atlanta needs a spot. Young underwent the same procedure in May, so he should also be bound for the IL.

Jimenez is more of a question mark. He missed the 2025 season due to left knee surgery. He required a “cleanup” procedure on that knee towards the end of the season. His timeline isn’t currently clear.

Brewers: None.

Cardinals: None.

Cubs: Justin Steele

Steele will probably be a bit of a borderline case. He underwent UCL surgery in April but it wasn’t a full Tommy John surgery. The Cubs described it as a “revision repair”. Steele had undergone Tommy John in 2017 as a minor leaguer.

Since Steele’s more recent procedure was a bit less serious than a full Tommy John, the club gave an estimated return timeline of about one year, putting him in line to potentially return fairly early in 2026. Given his importance to the Cubs, they would only put him on the 60-day IL if his timeline changes and he’s certain to be out through late May.

Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear

The Snakes were hit hard by the injury bug in 2025. Burnes, Walston and Martínez all underwent Tommy John surgery. Burnes and Martínez had their procedures in June, so they should be targeting second-half returns and be easy calls for the 60-day IL. Walston would be a bit more borderline because his surgery was around Opening Day in late March last year. Puk had the slightly less significant internal brace procedure in June, so he could also be a borderline case.

Turning to the position players, Gurriel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in September. He required surgery which came with a return timeline of nine to ten months, so he should be out until around the All-Star break.

Locklear should be back sooner. He underwent surgery in October to address a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder. The hope at the time of that procedure was that he would be game ready to go on a rehab assignment around Opening Day and would therefore miss only about the first month. He would therefore only hit the 60-day IL if he doesn’t meet that timeline for some reason.

Dodgers: Brock Stewart

Stewart underwent shoulder debridement surgery in September. His timeline for 2026 isn’t especially clear. He will likely start the season on the IL but it’s unclear if he’ll be out long enough to warrant landing on the 60-day version.

Giants: Randy Rodríguez, Jason Foley

Rodríguez underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL and might even miss the entire 2026 campaign. Foley’s status is a bit more murky. He underwent shoulder surgery in May while with the Tigers. Detroit non-tendered him at season’s end, which allowed the Giants to sign him. He is expected back at some point mid-season. The Giants may want to get more clarity on his progress during camp before deciding on a move to the IL.

Guardians: Andrew Walters, David Fry

Neither of these guys is a lock for the 60-day IL. Walters had surgery to repair his right lat tendon in June with a recovery estimate of eight to ten months. Fry underwent surgery in October due to a deviated septum and a fractured nose suffered when a Tarik Skubal pitch hit him in the face. His timeline is unclear. It’s possible one or both could be healthy by Opening Day, so relevant updates may be forthcoming when camps open.

Mariners: Logan Evans

Evans required UCL surgery just last week and will miss the entire 2026 season. He was on optional assignment at the end of 2025, so the Mariners could keep him in the minors. Calling him up and putting him on the big league 60-day IL would open up a 40-man spot but would also involve Evans receiving big league pay and service time for the year.

Marlins: Ronny Henriquez

Henriquez underwent internal brace surgery in December and will miss the entire 2026 season, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL.

Mets: Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and are likely to miss the entire 2026 season, making them locks for the 60-day IL. Núñez went under the knife in July, followed by Megill in September and Garrett in October.

Nationals: Trevor Williams, DJ Herz

Williams underwent internal brace surgery in July. That’s a slightly less serious variation of Tommy John but still usually requires about a year of recovery. Herz underwent a full Tommy John procedure in April. Since that surgery usually requires 14 months or longer to come back, both pitchers are likely out until around the All-Star break and therefore bound for the 60-day IL once the Nats need some roster spots.

Orioles: Félix Bautista

Bautista underwent shoulder surgery in August, and the club announced his recovery timeline as 12 months. He’s a lock for the 60-day IL and may miss the entire season if his recovery doesn’t go smoothly.

Padres: Yu Darvish, Jhony Brito, Jason Adam

Darvish underwent UCL surgery in November and will miss the entire 2026 season. Instead of going on the IL, he may just retire, but it seems there are some contractual complications to be ironed out since he is signed through 2028.

Brito and Adam could be borderline cases. Brito underwent internal brace surgery in May of last year. Some pitchers can return from that procedure in about a year. Adam ruptured a tendon in his left quad in early September. In November, he seemed to acknowledge that he wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. As of now, a trip to the 60-day IL seems unlikely unless he suffers a setback.

Pirates: Jared Jones

Jones required UCL surgery on May 21st of last year. The Bucs announced an expected return timeline of 10 to 12 months. The shorter end of that window would allow Jones to return fairly early in 2026. If it looks like he’ll be on the longer end of that time frame, he could wind up on the 60-day IL.

Phillies: Zack Wheeler

Wheeler underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome in September, with a timeline of six to eight months. As of now, it seems unlikely Wheeler would require a trip to the 60-day IL, but it depends on how his ramp-up goes. He’s also approaching his 36th birthday, and the Phils could slow-play his recovery.

Rangers: Cody Bradford

Bradford required internal brace surgery in late June of last year. He recently said he’s targeting a return in May. That’s a pretty aggressive timeline, but perhaps the Rangers will delay moving him to the 60-day IL until that plan is strictly ruled out.

Rays: Manuel Rodríguez

Rodriguez underwent flexor tendon surgery in July of last year and is targeting a return in June of this year, so he should be a lock for the 60-day IL.

Reds: Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguiar

Both of these pitchers required Tommy John surgeries late in 2024, Williamson in September and Aguiar in October. They each missed the entire 2025 season. Presumably, they are recovered by now and could be healthy going into 2026, but there haven’t been any recent public updates.

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, Triston Casas

Houck is the most clear-cut case for Boston. He had Tommy John surgery in August of 2025 and will miss most or perhaps all of the 2026 season. Casas is more borderline. He’s still recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon suffered in May of last year. It doesn’t seem like he will be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline apart from that is murky.

Rockies: Jeff Criswell, Kris Bryant

Criswell required Tommy John surgery in early March of last year. With the normal 14-month recovery timeline, he could be back in May. Anything slightly longer than that would make him a candidate for the 60-day IL. Bryant’s timeline is very difficult to discern. He has hardly played in recent years due to various injuries and is now dealing with chronic symptoms related to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Updates will likely be provided once camp opens.

Royals: Alec Marsh

Marsh missed 2025 due to shoulder problems and is slated to miss 2026 as well after undergoing labrum surgery in November.

Tigers: Jackson Jobe

Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. He will miss most or perhaps even all of the 2026 season.

Twins: None.

White Sox: Ky Bush, Drew Thorpe, Prelander Berroa

These three hurlers all required Tommy John surgery about a year ago, Bush in February, followed by Berroa and Thorpe in March. Given the normal 14-month recovery period, any of them could return early in 2026, but they could also end up on the 60-day IL if the timeline pushes slightly beyond that.

Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe

Schmidt is the only lock of this group. He required UCL surgery in July of last year and should miss the first half of the 2026 season. Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March of last year. His target is expected to be late May/early June, so he has a decent chance to hit the 60-day. However, given his importance to the club, the Yankees probably won’t put him there until it’s certain he won’t be back by the middle of May.

Rodón had surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He’s expected to be back with the big league club in late April or early May, so he would only hit the 60-day IL if his timeline is pushed. Volpe required shoulder surgery in October. He’s not expected to be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline beyond that doesn’t seem concrete.

Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images

Rockies Open To Further First Base Additions

By Steve Adams | January 29, 2026 at 11:56am CDT

The Rockies swung a pair of deals to add a couple options at first base yesterday, picking up Edouard Julien (and reliever Pierson Ohl) from the Twins in exchange for minor league pitcher Jace Kaminska and sending righty Angel Chivilli to the Yankees in exchange for first base prospect T.J. Rumfield. Both Julien and Rumfield could factor into the Rockies’ big league plans at first base, but new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta indicated following that pair of trades that he’s still open to bringing in a first baseman (link via Manny Randhawa of MLB.com).

“I think really what we’re trying to do is to create really healthy competition on our roster,” said DePodesta. “Most of the players we have acquired do have a good amount of versatility.”

The 26-year-old Julien’s glovework at second base has been generally panned, and he hasn’t handled himself all that well at first base from a defensive standpoint, either. Still, DePodesta listed him as an option at both positions, noting that the Rockies are intrigued by Julien’s minor league track record and terrific rookie season.

Back in 2023, Julien indeed looked like a potential fixture in the Twins’ lineup. A top-100 prospect prior to his big league debut, he burst onto the MLB scene with a .263/.381/.459 slash (134 wRC+) and ripped 16 home runs in 408 plate appearances as a rookie. His 31.4% strikeout rate was clearly too high, but Julien also walked in nearly 16% of his plate appearances. Throughout his minor league tenure, he was hailed as something of an all-bat prospect who’d post huge OBP numbers with above-average power but lacked a clear defensive home.

The lack of a defensive home has proven true, but Julien’s bat has wilted over the past two seasons. He’s taken 509 MLB plate appearances since Opening Day 2024 and managed only a .208/.299/.324 batting line (79 wRC+). His walk rate has dipped to a still-strong 10.8%, while his strikeout rate has nominally climbed to 32%.

Julien, who’ll turn 27 in April, will be on the roster one way or another, given the fact that he’s out of minor league options. That could be at first base, second base or designated hitter. It’ll surely depend on who the opposing starter is, too, given that the lefty-swinging Canadian has hit just .209/.278/.313 in the 126 plate appearances he’s been afforded versus southpaws at the big league level.

Rumfield, too, could factor in at first base but isn’t a lock to do so from the jump — particularly not with Julien now in the fold. Rumfield is a 25-year-old who slashed .285/.378/.447 in Triple-A this past season and .292/.365/.461 there a season prior. He doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors, but the Rockies aren’t going to simply hand him the first base job, either. He’ll likely need to earn a spot with a solid showing this spring.

Even if Rumfield plays his way onto the roster, bringing in a veteran first baseman makes some sense. If the Rockies were truly confident that he’s ready for an immediate MLB look, they coudl’ve selected him in last month’s Rule 5 Draft. Rumfield was eligible for selection but not taken. Acquiring him via trade rather than the Rule 5 creates a path to give Rumfield some further minor league time.

There ought to be plenty of first base and designated hitter at-bats available in Colorado. Someone like Luis Arraez, Nathaniel Lowe or Rhys Hoskins would add some competition and a potential deadline chip, depending on how said veteran performs over the season’s first few months. A veteran signing would probably cut into playing time for players like Troy Johnston and Blaine Crim, but they’re both 28-year-olds with less than a year of big league service and fairly marginal Triple-A track records. There shouldn’t be any financial worries standing in the way of a more veteran addition; the Rockies’ projected $110MM Opening Day payroll (via RosterResource) would be their lowest since 2021 and second-lowest since 2015.

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