Padres Notes: Adam, Canning, Waldron
The Padres have been without veteran right-hander Jason Adam so far this season as he works his way back from last year’s quadriceps surgery. While that blow to the bullpen has been manageable with elite arms like Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon holding things down, Adam is a big part of the San Diego relief corps after posting a 2.07 ERA with a 3.20 FIP in 256 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2022 season. Looking more specifically at Adam’s time with the Padres, his numbers are an even more dominant 1.66 ERA and 2.89 FIP.
It’s exciting news, then, for the Padres that Adam is nearing a return. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Adam pitched on back-to-back days over the weekend in his rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso. Sanders adds that Adam could be activated when he’s first eligible to come off the shelf on April 8, but that it’s also possible that the club will wait until April 9, when they’ll be back in San Diego for a series against the Rockies. Whenever Adam does wind up returning, it’ll be a huge boost to a Padres bullpen that has gotten lackluster performances from Jeremiah Estrada and Wandy Peralta in the early going.
As Adam’s rehab assignment nears its conclusion, right-hander Griffin Canning‘s is getting underway. Sanders notes that Canning allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings of work over the weekend with four strikeouts on 51 pitches. That leaves him with some building up left to do before he’s ready to make the jump back to the majors as a starter, but after signing a $2.5MM deal with San Diego during the offseason, the righty seems very likely to be in the Padres’ starting rotation once he is ready to go. That’s for good reason, seeing as he turned in a very respectable 3.77 ERA in 16 starts last year before suffering the achilles injury he’s currently working his way back from. That’s the production of a solid back-of-the-rotation starter, and if he can match those numbers he’ll be a huge asset to a Padres rotation that looks like the team’s biggest weakness early in 2026.
If the Padres are looking for more immediate help in the rotation, however, they might first turn to knuckleballer Matt Waldron. The 29-year-old underwent minor surgery in February and has made two rehab starts to get built up into regular season form after missing some of Spring Training. He’s looked phenomenal in those rehab starts so far, with a 39.1% strikeout rate in seven scoreless innings. Waldron has built up to 61 pitches so far and will be in line for his next rehab start later this week. The righty has a 4.86 ERA for his career in the majors and could be a real option for the club’s rotation either in the event of an injury or continued struggles from the current back-end duo of German Marquez and Walker Buehler after tough starts to the year for both players. JP Sears, Triston McKenzie, and Marco Gonzales are among the other depth options the Padres have at their disposal in the rotation.
Diamondbacks Notes: Santana, Kelly
Carlos Santana left today’s game with right groin discomfort, and manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that Santana will undergo an MRI tomorrow. The injury developed during an at-bat in the second inning, though Santana still managed to hit a single before being replaced by a pinch-runner.
The Diamondbacks have an off-day Monday before embarking on a nine-day, nine-game road trip on Tuesday against the Mets. The MRI will keep Santana from traveling with the club tomorrow, Lovullo said, though the first baseman could join the D’Backs in relatively short order depending on the test results. Even if the MRI is clean, it would seem like Santana will get at least a couple of rest days to make sure he’s entirely healthy.
The groin problem continues Santana’s rocky start to the 2026 campaign. Santana’s single today was just his second hit in 26 plate appearances, as the veteran has a dismal .083/.154/.125 slash line. Arizona signed Santana to a one-year, $2MM free agent deal to handle first base in a platoon with Pavin Smith, but that plan hasn’t really launched since Smith appeared in only two games before elbow inflammation sent him to the 10-day injured list.
Jose Fernandez was called up from Triple-A to replace Smith, and he has hit .250/.250/.625 with two homers over his first 16 PA at the big league level. Smith isn’t eligible to be activated until April 8 at the earliest, and if Santana is also IL-bound, the D’Backs might toggle first base duties between Fernandez and utilityman Ildemaro Vargas in the interim. Tyler Locklear isn’t an option in the first base picture until at least mid-May, as Locklear is recovering from offseason surgeries on both his left elbow and left shoulder.
In other injury news, Merrill Kelly should be on track to make his 2026 debut during the Diamondbacks’ road trip, though not after completing a second minor league rehab start. Lovullo told Piecoro and company that the team wants to see Kelly get a bit more “buildup” after the righty threw 72 pitches in his first rehab outing.
“I know he feels differently because he wants to go out there and compete….[but] we want to make darn sure, so we don’t take any steps backward,” Lovullo said.
Kelly developed a back problem early in Spring Training, and started the season on the 15-day IL due to what was officially termed as intercostal nerve irritation. Kelly recovered to the point that he was able to pitch in three Cactus League games, but he logged only 6 1/3 total innings, and a 12.79 ERA in that limited sample indicated Kelly wasn’t fully ready.
While health and comfort are the priorities in a rehab assignment over on-field results, Kelly looked pretty good over five scoreless Triple-A innings last Friday. The righty allowed two hits, two walks, and he hit a batter over his five frames and 72 pitches, with velocity in line with his career norms.
Brewers Notes: Frelick, Pratt, Zastryzny
Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick left Saturday’s matchup with left side tightness, the team announced. Frelick received a visit from the trainer after a base hit in the fourth inning of the night game against the Royals. He was ultimately replaced by Brandon Lockridge. Frelick grimaced and jogged to first on the single, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Frelick has started all eight of Milwaukee’s games so far. He walked and singled in the first game of today’s doubleheader against Kansas City. Even with the hit in the nightcap, he’s still hitting under .200 this year. Lockridge, Blake Perkins, and recent trade acquisition Luis Matos are candidates to pick up more reps if Frelick is forced to miss time.
The Brewers have dealt with a handful of key injuries early in the year. Outfielder Jackson Chourio began the campaign on the IL due to a fractured hand suffered in the World Baseball Classic. First baseman Andrew Vaughn went down with a hamate bone injury on Opening Day.
The pitching staff hasn’t been immune to the injury bug. Quinn Priester is working through a nerve issue in his shoulder. Craig Yoho is out with a strained calf. Rob Zastryzny was rehabbing a shoulder injury and suffered a setback. The veteran lefty reinjured himself and is headed back to Milwaukee for further testing, per Rosiak.
Zastryzny joined the organization on a minor league pact ahead of the 2024 season. He delivered a pristine 1.17 ERA in nine games with the club that year. Zastryzny bounced around last offseason, ultimately landing with the Yankees. He returned to the Brewers in a May 2025 trade. Zastryzny provided 22 innings of a 2.45 ERA last season.
Milwaukee doesn’t currently have a clear need for another lefty in the bullpen. Manager Pat Murphy has four at his disposal, with Jared Koenig and Angel Zerpa on hand for high-leverage spots and DL Hall and Aaron Ashby capable of covering multiple innings. The Brewers came into today’s action leading the league in bullpen xFIP and SIERA.
On a more positive note, prospect Cooper Pratt shared details about the decision to ink an eight-year, $50.75MM extension. The deal came as a surprise for multiple reasons, including Pratt’s inexperience and the fact that his agent, Scott Boras, isn’t known to pursue extensions. “They brought it up in spring training, and it just worked out to happen early into the season,” Pratt told reporters, including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “But I feel like we made a good decision. I feel like, in my heart, I made a good decision.”
Pratt was the driving force behind the extension, and he convinced Boras by pointing out that the security of the contract would allow him to grow and develop with less pressure, relayed Hogg. “And when I heard that, we will end up with a better player on both sides, and a more advanced player and potentially a star-level player,” Boras said. “Which, then, will justify the contract concerns I have when you are essentially doing a contract like this that will have substantial economic benefits for the team and delay free agency.”
The Brewers took Pratt with a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft. He posted a 123 wRC+ in his first full season of professional ball. The infielder spent last season at Double-A. Pratt slashed .238/.343/.348 in 120 games with Biloxi. He began the 2026 campaign at Triple-A. The news of the extension emerged a few games into Nashville’s season. “It’s not going to change anything on how I want to perform,” Pratt said. “I’m still going to want to go 5-for-5 every night. It’s just that thought in the back of your head disappears.”
Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu, Imagn Images
AL West Notes: Donovan, Joyce, Crawford
Mariners utilityman Brendan Donovan left last night’s game with an apparent leg injury in the seventh inning. Facing Angels left-hander Reid Detmers, Donovan hit a grounder to second base that he attempted to beat out for an infield hit. He landed awkwardly on the bag with his left leg, and he was replaced by Leo Rivas on defense in the bottom half of the inning. Donovan has soreness in his groin region, per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. Divish added in a separate post that imaging came back clean.
Donovan has gotten off to a hot start in 2026, batting .370/.485/.667 across his first 33 plate appearances. Defensively, he has played all eight of his games at third base, though he’ll inevitably spend time around the diamond as the season goes on. The club recently signed infield prospect Colt Emerson to a record extension, and they will reportedly play him at third base when he gets called up. That said, the club immediately optioned him after signing the deal, so he can get more seasoning in the upper minors. A short-term Donovan absence wouldn’t change that plan, leaving Rivas as the likeliest candidate to fill in if needed.
A few other updates from around the division:
- Emerson’s extension happens to align with the end of shortstop J.P. Crawford‘s contract. The veteran is in the final year of the five-year, $51MM extension he inked in 2022. Crawford missed the first week of the season with a shoulder injury. Seattle did not opt to give Emerson the role while Crawford was sidelined, but he appears to be the heir apparent at the position. The incumbent is taking it in stride, though. “I congratulated him, wishing him nothing but the best,” Crawford told Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “And he’s going to come up here and help us win ballgames. And that’s what we want at the end of the day, is to go win the World Series — and he will for sure help us do that. So I can’t wait to get him up here.” Crawford seemed to acknowledge his impending departure, calling 2026 the biggest year of his career.”I have the chance to make some money if I play well, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
- Angels reliever Ben Joyce is currently on the mend from May 2025 shoulder surgery, and Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune reports that Joyce is throwing normal bullpen sessions without issue. However, it is unknown when he will start facing live hitters. Joyce is well known for his triple-digit fastball velocity, but his impact in the majors has been limited by injuries. The 2022 third-round draft pick has thrown 49 big-league innings from 2023-25 with a 3.12 ERA, a 21.0% strikeout rate, and an 11.4% walk rate. He had a 2.08 ERA and a massive 58.9% groundball rate in 2024, but he was less impressive in limited samples in the other two years. Joyce is expected back relatively early in the season, though he’ll need a rehab assignment after such a long layoff.
- Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos is nearing a big-league return. The right-hander made consecutive Double-A appearances on Thursday and Friday. Manager Joe Espada called De Los Santos “close” to rejoining the Astros, relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. As Kawahara notes, getting De Los Santos back in the mix could create a difficult roster decision for Houston. Cody Bolton and Roddery Munoz are out of options. Bryan King, Ryan Weiss, Kai-Wei Teng, Steven Okert, and AJ Blubaugh are off to solid starts. Bryan Abreu obviously isn’t going anywhere. De Los Santos himself is out of options. The Astros also plan to go with a six-man rotation soon, which would trim down another reliever. That tweak could be Weiss moving into the rotation.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
AL East Notes: Corbin, Crawford, Pepiot, Uceta
Patrick Corbin signed a one-year, $1MM contract with the Blue Jays yesterday, and he made his organizational debut by tossing five scoreless innings and 74 pitches in a start for A-level Dunedin today. Prior to Corbin’s outing, Toronto manager John Schneider told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Sportsnet and other media that the Jays would see how the start went before deciding on any further progression. While Corbin’s unsigned status kept him from participating in a normal Spring Training, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith wrote yesterday that Corbin has gone beyond 80-pitch workloads in his personal workouts, and tossing 74 pitches today certainly indicates that the left-hander’s arm seems pretty close to fully built up.
The recovery periods for such injured starters as Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, and Shane Bieber will naturally factor into how Corbin is used in Toronto, as Schneider left open the possibility that the veteran could be used in more of a long relief role. “We definitely view [Corbin] as a starter or a length option. Until the dominoes start to fall back into place with Trey, José and Bieber, you look for length and how we can use it,” Schneider said.
If and when the Blue Jays get close to their full complement of starters healthy, Corbin is likely the odd man out of a rotation mix, so a bullpen role might eventually be in his future. Using Corbin in the bullpen would also add some needed southpaw depth to Toronto’s relief corps, as left-handers Mason Fluharty and Brendon Little have both struggled badly in the early going in 2026.
More from around the AL East…
- Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith and other reporters that Kutter Crawford is also slated to throw four simulated innings on Monday or Tuesday before beginning a minor league rehab assignment. Crawford didn’t pitch in the majors or minors in 2025 due to both a lingering knee injury, and then wrist surgery. Between Crawford and Patrick Sandoval (Tommy John surgery) both on the verge of rehab assignments, the Sox may soon have a good deal of rotation depth. Boston already has five healthy starters in Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and Connelly Early, plus prospect Payton Tolle as another depth option. As the cliche goes, however, a team can never have too much pitching, and Johan Oviedo is now a question mark as he battles an elbow strain.
- Ryan Pepiot threw a bullpen session on Friday, and Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times writes that the right-hander is expected back after the Rays’ April 6-12 homestand. Pepiot wasn’t expected to miss too much time after he started the season on the 15-day IL with right hip inflammation, and he projects to be out for roughly a week beyond the minimum 15-day absence. The 28-year-old Pepiot has been a solid part of Tampa’s rotation for two seasons, and the 2025 campaign saw him post a 3.86 ERA, a 24.6% strikeout rate, and a 9.0% walk rate over 167 2/3 innings.
- Also from Topkin, Edwin Uceta may be ready for a rehab assignment after tossing 22 pitches during an extended Spring Training game on Friday. Like Pepiot, Uceta also started the season on the 15-day IL, as the reliever was bothered by a right shoulder impingement that kept him from any game action during the Rays‘ big league spring camp.
Injury Notes: Eflin, Kirk, Cleavinger, Falter
Orioles righty Zach Eflin didn’t travel with the team to Pittsburgh. He’s on the 15-day injured list due to an elbow issue, and manager Craig Albernaz told reporters prior to today’s series opener against the Pirates that Eflin is headed for a second opinion with orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister (via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). Eflin exited his first start of the season in the fourth inning due to elbow discomfort. The O’s sent him for imaging and placed him on the 15-day injured list the following day. Albernaz did not disclose the findings of the original MRI.
It’s an ominous scenario for the Orioles and for Eflin, who returned to Baltimore on a one-year, $10MM deal after undergoing back surgery in August. The 31-year-old righty (32 next week) wound up making it back from that surgery in time for Opening Day but now has a separate injury issue threatening his ability to contribute. Eflin was terrific with the Rays and O’s from 2023-24, pitching to a combined 3.54 ERA in 343 innings across the first two seasons of a three-year, $40MM deal originally signed with Tampa Bay. He was rocked for a 5.93 ERA in 14 starts last season while trying to pitch through lat and back injuries.
A few more injury situations of particular note from around the league…
- The Blue Jays are awaiting x-ray results on catcher Alejandro Kirk, writes Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The Toronto backstop left today’s loss to the White Sox in the bottom of the tenth with a left thumb injury. An Austin Hays foul tip struck Kirk awkwardly in his glove hand, and he left the game with trainers. Tyler Heineman came off the bench to finish the game (and showed some rust on a throwing error that allowed the tying run to score with two outs). Brandon Valenzuela is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Skipper John Schneider indicated he’d get his first major league call if Kirk misses time.
- Rays lefty Garrett Cleavinger landed on the 15-day injured list this morning due to tightness in his right calf, per the team. Right-hander Hunter Bigge was recalled from Triple-A Durham in his place. It certainly doesn’t sound like a serious injury, but any absence for Cleavinger is notable for Tampa Bay. Though he’s not a household name, the 31-year-old southpaw pitched to a 3.04 earned run average with a 30% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate in 133 1/3 innings from 2023-25. He’s emerged as a key late-inning arm for skipper Kevin Cash, totaling six saves and 36 holds over the past two seasons.
- The Royals are also down a lefty reliever, as they placed swingman Bailey Falter on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. Luinder Avila is up from Triple-A and will start the first game of tomorrow’s doubleheader against Milwaukee. (Avila would have started tonight before the series opener was scrapped by weather.) Anne Rogers of MLB.com relays that Falter received an injection to treat valgus extension overload and will be shut down from throwing for a few days. The southpaw missed the final five weeks last season with biceps inflammation and has been tagged for five runs over 3 1/3 innings during his first two appearances.
Mariners Notes: Crawford, Emerson, Shortstop
The Mariners recently signed a record extension with infield prospect Colt Emerson. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to members of the media in the wake of that deal. Per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, Dipoto said that J.P. Crawford will remain the club’s shortstop this year. If Emerson is recalled to the active roster at some point, he will likely play third base, which will bump Brendan Donovan into a utility role.
Though the Mariners signed Emerson to that long-term deal, they immediately optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. That’s an unprecedented sequence of events but it also has some logic to it. Emerson is 20 years old and only has ten Triple-A games under his belt so far. The Mariners clearly believe in his long-term future but he is still a prospect and they will have to make the choices that they feel are in the best interest of his development.
They also have a fairly crowded infield at the moment. Crawford started the season in the injured list due to some shoulder inflammation but he was reinstated today. Fellow infielder Ryan Bliss was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma as the corresponding move. Crawford will retake his shortstop position with Cole Young at second and Donovan at third.
Perhaps Emerson will force his way onto the roster at some point via his bat, since his offense is his true calling card. He went from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A last year, slashing .285/.383/.458 along the way. His 11.8% walk rate and 17.5% strikeout rate were both a few ticks better than average and he hit 16 home runs, despite being very young for each level.
His defense has generally been considered a bit behind his offense. He has made strides in recent years and many evaluators think he has a chance to be a serviceable shortstop, but it’s understandable that the Mariners would opt for Crawford for now. Crawford’s defensive reviews are mixed, with Outs Above Average putting him at minus-29 for his career while he’s been credited with five Defensive Runs Saved. Despite that imbalance, he has almost 8,000 big league innings at the position, while Emerson has none and is questionable at the spot for now.
Crawford is slated for free agency after 2026, so perhaps Emerson will get a crack at the shortstop job next year. That is perhaps another reason to keep him in Triple-A for now, as he will have greater ability to continue getting reps at shortstop in the minors. His third base experience is also still fairly limited, so he’ll need to keep working at that spot as well, if that’s his current path to a big league job.
As for Donovan, his potential move is another illustration of why he was such a perfect fit for the Mariners this offseason. His versatility means that he can be moved around the diamond depending on what happens with other guys. Young only hit .211/.302/.305 last year and therefore wasn’t a sure thing at second base, while Emerson seemingly had some small chance to break camp at third.
Young went on to hit .281/.349/.667 in spring and seize the job at the keystone. He has carried that over in the season so far, as he’s currently sporting a .320/.346/.520 line. That pushed Donovan to third base for now, though his outfield experience means Emerson could push him to the grass at some point. That could take playing time away from the Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone, Rob Refsnyder, Víctor Robles group, depending on how things go between now and then.
Dipoto also expressed broad openness to doing more extensions. “I can’t tell you that there’s any likelihood we’ll get anything else done in this season, but it won’t be because we’re not interested,” Dipoto said, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. “It’s always an open door.” It was recently reported that the Mariners have broached the subject of contract extensions with both Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo, though it doesn’t appear the club got close to an agreement with either pitcher.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Red Sox Notes: Casas, Rotation, Monasterio
Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is working his way back from last year’s knee injury but his path may be delayed. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe was among those to relay today that Casas has a strained left intercostal muscle. He’ll be shut down from hitting for a few days as the Sox see how he progresses.
It’s been a frustrating few years for Casas on the health front. Torn cartilage in his ribcage limited him to 63 games in 2024. He only got into 29 games last year before rupturing the patellar tendon in his left knee, an injury that he’s still working back from. At this point, there’s nothing to suggest this latest injury is serious, but it’s not as though Casas needs another bump in the road.
Given all his injury troubles, the Sox decided not to rely on him for 2026. They acquired Willson Contreras to cover first base. That means there’s no strict rush to get Casas back but he would ideally be on the field as soon as possible to get some reps and get back in game shape. He slashed .253/.365/.477 for a 129 wRC+ over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
It’s unclear how the Sox will proceed once Casas is back. In addition to having Contreras at first, they have a crowded designated hitter spot as they try to spread playing time around to outfielders Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida. Casas could be optioned to the minors to serve as depth or perhaps put on the trade block if there’s no room for him in the big leagues. Decision day will come at some point but this latest injury provides another delay.
Turning to the rotation, left-hander Patrick Sandoval will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday, per Healey. Sandoval hasn’t pitched in a big league game since June of 2024, almost two years ago. He required surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament that year and then was non-tendered by the Angels. The Red Sox gave him a two-year, $18.25MM deal but didn’t get him back on the mound last year and he’s still recovering.
Rehab assignments for pitchers are normally capped at 30 days. However, when a pitcher is recovering from UCL surgery, a ten-day extension can be given a maximum of three times. That effectively means Sandoval could potentially be rehabbing for 60 days.
Time will tell how much rotation space the Sox have for Sandoval when he’s ready to return. They currently have a rotation consisting of Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Brayan Bello and Connelly Early, with Johan Oviedo having pitched in long relief a couple of days ago. Payton Tolle is on optional assignment and could earn a spot in that mix.
Speaking of Oviedo, he allowed four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in his one outing so far this year, with diminished velocity. Manager Alex Cora downplayed any possibility of Oviedo being injured, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “We had a conversation with him today and there’s a few things that the pitching department has noticed,” Cora said. “And just gotta keep working. That’s the most important thing. Obviously with his injuries in the past, something that we have to be very careful in this new role. But I think he’s gonna be OK.”
As Smith points out, Oviedo does have an option remaining and could be sent to the minors if the Sox so choose. That might be a bit of an awkward conversation, as Oviedo was a key offseason pick-up for them. The Sox acquired him from the Pirates with Jhostynxon García being the main piece going the other way, though that was before Suárez was signed.
Turning back to the position player mix, Healey relays that infielder Andruw Monasterio has been doing some outfield work lately to see if can be a viable option out there. His outfield track record currently consists of just four innings in left field. The Sox don’t really need outfield help with their aforementioned crowded group but extra versatility could always come in handy in the event of an injury or a late-game substitution.
Photo courtesy of Brian Fluharty, Imagn Images
Injury Notes: Murphy, Kittredge, Lodolo, Canning, Pushard
Braves catcher Sean Murphy will be with High-A Rome tomorrow, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It’s not yet determined if he will begin a rehab assignment or simply take live batting practice. Either way, Bowman suggests that Murphy could be trending towards a return before the month of May. Rehab assignments for position players can last as long as 20 days.
Murphy has been hobbled by injuries the past two years and slashed .197/.293/.384 since the start of 2024. That was a notable drop from the .240/.336/.441 line he had in his career at the end of the 2023 season. Ideally, his return from September hip surgery will get him back on that previous track. Murphy was expected back at some point in May but this latest update suggests he could beat that target.
When he gets back, it could impact other players on the roster. Jonah Heim is currently backing up Drake Baldwin. It’s expected that the club will use the designated hitter spot to give regular at-bats to both Murphy and Baldwin. Perhaps they could cut Heim from the roster or keep him as a third catcher. Dominic Smith is getting time in the DH spot for now and he has performed well, though in a small sample size of two games.
Some more injury notes from around the league…
- Orioles right-hander Andrew Kittredge is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk tomorrow, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. He missed most of spring training due to shoulder inflammation and started the season on the IL. He posted a 3.40 earned run average last year with a 30.8% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate and 49.2% ground ball rate. Baltimore has Ryan Helsley in the closer’s role. Once Kittredge is off the IL, he’ll jump into a setup role alongside guys like Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells.
- Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo is set to make a rehab start on Thursday, per Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie’s Chalkboard. A blister sent the southpaw to the IL to start the year. Goldsmith suggests Lodolo could rejoin the club for their series in Miami next week, implying Lodolo would only need to make the one rehab start. Cincinnati is also without Hunter Greene to start the year, so it would be great to get Lodolo back sooner rather than later. The rotation is currently manned by Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns and Brandon Williamson.
- Padres right-hander Griffin Canning tossed three innings in a simulated game yesterday, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and will begin a rehab assignment on Saturday. Rehab assignments for pitchers can last as long as 30 days, so it seems Canning is trending towards a return in April or perhaps in early May. It was reported a few weeks ago that late April would be possible but that May or June would be more likely. Perhaps Canning is now on a path for the more optimistic end of that window.
- The Cardinals today placed right-hander Matt Pushard on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 30th, due to right knee patellar tendinitis. Fellow righty Gordon Graceffo was recalled as the corresponding move. It’s unclear how long Pushard is expected to be out. As a Rule 5 pick, he has to spend at least 90 days on the active roster this year or else the Rule 5 restrictions will carry over into the 2027 season.
Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
Padres Notes: Arraez, Adam, Song
Luis Arraez made his return to San Diego yesterday for the first time since signing with the division rival Giants in free agency. Speaking to reporters (including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune), Arraez revealed that he “talked a lot” with the Padres during free agency before ultimately signing in San Francisco.
It’s a decision that Arraez chalks up to his desire to play second base, which wasn’t on the table in San Diego due to the presence of Jake Cronenworth. The Giants afforded him that opportunity, and Sanders notes that the $12MM salary he received from his new club was more than the Padres could offer. Considering that Michael King is San Diego’s only offseason addition making even $3MM in 2026, that certainly seems like a fair assessment.
Even if the team’s financial situation made a reunion all but impossible, Arraez’s strong desire to play second base this year does shed some light on his free agency. The soon-to-be 29-year-old posted the worst season of his career last year, hitting just .292 with a 104 wRC+. It seemed as though that left Arraez to sit through a very quiet offseason where his name rarely appeared in the rumor mill, if ever. Perhaps, however, Arraez’s desire to play second limited his market more than it otherwise would have. Teams like the Mariners, Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and the Padres themselves were all looking for help at first base this offseason, while teams on the hunt for second base help were far more limited. The Red Sox, Giants, and A’s were three of the only clubs looking to add at the keystone this winter, and Boston was known to be prioritizing defense.
That surely left Arraez with a very limited market in terms of teams willing to hand him the second base job, but that list could expand if he turns in a strong season this year. Of course, a tough season or even one where he doesn’t prove himself capable of handling the keystone could leave him looking at an even softer market next year. As Arraez himself pointed out to Sanders, his contract with San Francisco is for just one year.
“I don’t know what (will happen) later,” Arraez said of his future after the 2026 campaign (as relayed by Sanders).
In other Padres news, Sanders writes that right-hander Jason Adam threw 1 1/3 scoreless frames on a rehab assignment over the weekend and is making good progress as he looks to return from quadriceps surgery. The righty is poised to throw in a simulated game today before making back-to-back rehab appearances on Friday and Saturday. If those outings all go well, that could set him up for a return not long after his minimum IL stint date of April 8. When he does return, Adam will be a huge boon to the Padres’ bullpen. The veteran righty has been one of the best relief arms in baseball over the past few years, with a 2.07 ERA and 3.20 FIP since the start of the 2022 campaign. He’ll join a crowded high leverage mix alongside Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, and Jeremiah Estrada once he’s back in action.
Speaking of rehab assignments, infielder Sung Mun Song is rehabbing after opening the year on the shelf due to oblique tightness. MLB.com notes that he began a rehab assignment last week, and he’s appeared in three games since. That includes appearances at second base and shortstop, suggesting that he might not be too far from being healthy enough to return. The 29-year-old is waiting to make his big league debut after signing out of the KBO with the Padres on a four-year, $15MM pact over the offseason. He figures to factor heavily into the club’s bench mix once healthy, seeing time all over the infield and perhaps even in the outfield corners this year.