Mining the News (2/18/26)

Syndication: Arizona Republic

American League

Astros

• Isaac Paredes will practice fielding at first, second, and third base.

Any path for Paredes to play regularly must involve a true rotation at designated hitter. Paredes’ defensive versatility is limited, though Espada said Sunday he will see time at first base, third base and second base for however long he is in Astros camp.

Athletics

• Zack Gelof will take some outfield reps …

McNeil is expected to be the everyday second baseman for the A’s, but that does not close the door on Gelof’s opportunity to contribute. On the first day of full-squad workouts at Lew Wolff Training Complex on Monday, Gelof got his usual reps in at second base.

Then, during batting practice, the 26-year-old ventured out to center field, a spot manager Mark Kotsay said Gelof could get a look at this spring.

“I do think Zack can play the outfield,” Kotsay said. “We’ve seen Zack be a plus defender. … There could be a role that exists on this club where Zack is on the roster.

… after flattening his swing in the hope of making more contact.

From an offensive standpoint, Gelof has worked on the mechanics of his swing, looking to make it “a little bit more level” as it was in 2023, when he hit .267 with an .841 OPS, 14 home runs and 20 doubles in 69 games as a rookie.

“It was pretty steep last year and before that,” Gelof said of his swing. “Could’ve been due to injury. But I’m trying to get that flatter, back to what it was in 2023 and 2022. I’m just trying to be simple, be ready to go and hit line drives all over the field.”

Blue Jays

• Ricky Tiedemann can now fully extend his arm and has more of an athletic build.

Before his surgery in 2024, Tiedemann was dealing with bone chips in his elbow. That kept him from fully extending his elbow, so he’d have to “rip” his slider to “get around it.” Now, with full motion in that elbow and new grips on his changeup and slider, Tiedemann feels like he’s in a more sustainable spot. The eye test matters here, too.

In early 2024, Tiedemann came into camp jacked. He’d pushed his body to another level entirely. Tiedemann weighed 245 pounds in camp and was closer to 255 before the surgery. The back of his shoulders were a mile wide. Now, Tiedemann is sitting closer to the 232-235 range. He looks more like a pitcher now, not a weightlifter who’s taken up pitching.

Rays

• Gavin Lux (vs RHP) and Ben Williamson (vs LHP) could form a second base platoon.

Lux is likely to handle second base against right-handed pitchers, with Taylor Walls expected to start at shortstop, Junior Caminero at third and Jonathan Aranda handling first, while Yandy Díaz gets most of his at-bats as the DH. The Rays could platoon Lux with the right-handed-hitting Ben Williamson, who will also be an option to back up Walls and Caminero.

Red Sox

• Kutter Crawford is behind the other starters because of the flu.

RHP Kutter Crawford
Injury: Right wrist subsheath tear
Expected return: April
Status: Crawford threw a bullpen session on the first day of team workouts, but hasn’t thrown live batting practice yet. He was slowed earlier this month by the flu.

• Steven Matz’s fastball “touched 94-95 mph”.

Five pitchers faced hitters in live batting practice Monday: starters Nick Martinez, Steven Matz and Ryan Pepiot, reliever Griffin Jax and swingman Yoendrys Gómez. Martinez worked two “innings,” while the others pitched one. Matz’s fastball touched 94-95 mph.

Last season, Matz was sitting at 94.5 mph. Seems like he has some work to do.

Royals

• Noah Cameron is NOT adding a new pitch.

This offseason was the first time in a few years that Cameron wasn’t working on adding a pitch or tweaking his current arsenal. Instead, it was more about getting his body right and refining his pitches. He wanted to get his changeup in a better spot with the feel and metrics. Fastball command is always a big thing for Cameron so he doesn’t waste pitches. And he worked on throwing his cutter backdoor to righties to open things up and stay unpredictable.

White Sox

• Luisangel Acuña is trying to lift the ball more.

The White Sox are touting his versatility — and frequently overdoing it in that regard — but a higher order outcome for Acuña might be one where his swing tweaks to stay loaded in his back leg more allow him to elevate the ball for consistent power, and make him enough of an essential presence in the lineup to carve out a regular role.

After hitting .282/.397/.542 with eight homers (18 extra-base hits) in 39 games in Venezuela, Acuña feels like his production is taking on the correct shape.

Yankees

• The team’s medical staff said Aaron Judge’s elbow is fine.

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge said the team’s training and medical staff told him he wouldn’t need surgery to repair a flexor tendon strain in his right elbow, not long after the club’s playoff exit last year.

“They ran all their checks again,” Judge said Monday, “and did all the tests. They said, ‘You’re good to go,’ and I said, ‘All right, when can I start throwing?’ It was good.”

Judge said the elbow is now “feeling great” and that he hasn’t “had any issues so far.”

“I’m throwing out there confident,” said Judge, who was speaking to the media for the first time this spring at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

National League

Brewers

• Jacob Misiorowski didn’t make any changes this offseason.

Does he plan any changes for 2026?

“I mean, ride with it for right now,” Misiorowski said. “Come three games into Spring Training, maybe we’ll change something around. But right now we’re just riding what we ended the year with and see where that takes us.”

Said Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold: “I hope he’s able to anchor our staff and be right there with Brandon Woodruff the whole way. He’s got incredible upside. We’ve seen that. What we saw in the playoffs makes us all really excited about what he has a chance to be this year.”

Cardinals

• Lars Nootbaar is waiting for his rehab equipment to arrive to show up at camp.

OF Lars Nootbaar
Injury: Surgery on both heels
Expected return: Opening Day?
Status: Nootbaar underwent surgery on Oct. 7. He is currently in California and on track with his progression. He is scheduled to arrive in camp on either Feb. 17 or 18 as the club is waiting for a specialized type of rehab equipment to arrive at its spring complex.

• Potential closer, Riley O’Brien, has a sore calf.

Matthew Liberatore starts Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener for the Cardinals. Riley O’Brien is dealing with some calf soreness that the Cardinals are currently evaluating. His WBC participation is TBD.

— Jeff Jones (@jmjones.bsky.social) 2026-02-17T15:16:22.982Z

Cubs

• Matt Shaw will likely be on the short side of an outfield platoon.

.@MLBBruceLevine shares details on the Cubs' plan to use Matt Shaw in right field quite a bit.

Specifically, when left-handers start for the opponent, Seiya Suzuki will often be at DH and Shaw figures to be in right field. pic.twitter.com/rQHjQ6575C

— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) February 17, 2026

Diamondbacks

• Paul Sewald, Kevin Ginkel, and Ryan Thompson were mentioned as closer options. Also, the team wants to go with one set closer.

Those who witnessed Arizona’s run to the World Series in 2023 know well who those three arms are, and manager Torey Lovullo unsurprisingly highlighted them when asked about potential closer options.

“I mean it’s probably simple arithmetic for you guys to figure out,” Lovullo said. “I’m just going to go kind of blind here, but [Paul] Sewald, [Kevin] Ginkel, [Ryan] Thompson, all those guys that have had that experience in big moments… they’re all wanting to do it.

…

One thing is certain, however. Lovullo wants to have a defined closer, if possible. While it might not be a surprise to see some level of matchup-based adjustments this year, the D-backs have always seen their bullpens gel more beneficially with a true ninth-inning arm.

• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. feels like he’s ahead of schedule in recovery from knee surgery.

Gurriel’s recovery, however, has progressed ahead of schedule, and the first thing he said to manager Torey Lovullo when he saw him this spring was that he planned on being ready for Opening Day.

Lovullo doubts that is a realistic possibility, but it certainly appears that Gurriel will be back sooner than initially thought, though the club will be cautious in its approach.

• Adrian Del Castillo will not be healthy by Opening Day.

Adrian Del Castillo’s left calf injury will most likely keep him out of action until right around the end of Spring Training, all but ruling him out for the Opening Day roster.

Del Castillo, a catcher by trade, was in the mix to make the team and see some time as the designated hitter — but at least initially, the Diamondbacks will look elsewhere.

Dodgers

• Blake Snell has not yet thrown a bullpen session.

LHP Blake Snell
Injury: Left shoulder
Expected return: Possibly Opening Day
Status: Slow-played his offseason throwing program due to lingering discomfort in his shoulder, which is feeling stronger after rest and physical therapy. He is the only Dodgers starter who has not thrown a bullpen or live session in Spring Training, making it less likely he’s in the season-opening rotation.

• Hyeseong Kim 김혜성 and Alex Freeland are in the mix for starts at second base.

Kim had a good chance at making the Opening Day roster as it was, but with Edman out, he should be in the mix alongside prospect Alex Freeland to start against right-handed pitchers at second base. Kim also focused on improving his defense in center field this offseason, which could help give him an edge for a roster spot.

• Roki Sasaki might bring back one of his older sliders.

He was also direct about why the slider became such a focus. “I thought the slider I threw last year wasn’t very good,” Sasaki said. “The results weren’t good either.”

Then he said the answer might be returning to a version of the pitch he used before. “Originally, I had a more sweeping slider that I used to throw,” he said. “I want to throw that again.” He also noted that there are still other options in the mix, even if he didn’t show everything on Sunday. “There are other pitches too that I didn’t throw today,” Sasaki said. “Just having that will widen the range.” And he tied it back to the overall plan: “I think it will help me separate it more from the fastball, and I think I’ll be able to pitch in a better direction.”

• Teoscar Hernández’s groin never healed during last season.

Teoscar Hernández was not himself last year. He can acknowledge that now, despite insisting for much of last season that he felt fine. He was heavier, and felt like it. The results — the worst offensive season of his big-league career — showed it.

“I wasn’t moving the way I know I can move,” Hernández said. The groin injury he dealt with last year never really felt right.

• Justin Wrobleski is an option for the rotation.

One of the first names that came to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s mind: Justin Wrobleski, who spent most of last year pitching in relief.

“I think we still see him as a starter long-term,” Friedman said. “I think his ability to grow and mature and learn how to harness his stuff and compete in those moments will serve him well as he tries to navigate a lineup two, three times. He’ll certainly be a candidate. He was also so good out of the ‘pen, we have to weigh that.”

Mets

• Brett Baty is not getting outfield reps because of a hamstring pull.

Brett Baty has a minor right hamstring issue that’s currently preventing him from getting defensive work in the OF. He won’t appear in games right away. Luis Robert, Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco will also have a slower progression into games, Carlos Mendoza said.

— Tim Britton (he/him) (@timbritton.bsky.social) 2026-02-17T17:56:13.220Z

• Christian Scott’s fastball is sitting 95 mph. During his rehab, he worked on a cutter and a changeup.

When new Mets pitching coach Justin Willard watched Christian Scott throw his fastball live for the first time, he said he thought to himself, “Wow, OK, that is different.”

After missing the 2025 season because of a combined Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure, Scott’s fastball is sitting at 95 mph. Batters describe Scott’s fastball as “lively” and “explosive,” especially because he throws from a low arm slot.

While rehabbing, Scott worked on two new pitches, a cutter and a changeup. He introduced both offerings during a live batting practice session on Monday. Against Semien, Bichette and Juan Soto, Scott racked up a few swings and misses. Afterward, he solicited feedback from Semien and Soto.

The last time Scott threw in the majors, his fastball averaged 94.3 mph.

Padres

• Griffin Canning will not be healthy by Opening Day.

RHP Griffin Canning
Injury: Left Achilles tear
Expected return: Late April or May
Status: Canning’s 2025 season ended in June because of the injury. Before signing with the Padres, he threw for scouts and reportedly looked sharp. He’s expected to miss the start of the season, but should avoid the 60-day IL.

Phillies

• Alec Bohm worked on recreating his swing from 2024.

He spent the offseason in Houston, studying and trying to recapture the swing that made him an All-Star in 2024.

“I’m more focused on bat path,” Bohm said. “Where is my barrel at? In 2025, it was dragging a little bit more, which lines up with how my body was feeling. It was making me late, making me not be able to get to anything to the pull side when it needed to get there. There were times last year when it was good. But when it wasn’t good, that’s when I was dragging and couldn’t get to that front window when you talk about hitting.”

Reds

• Chase Burns is adding a changeup …

All three have their advantages, but Burns is the only one who throws 100 mph with what looks like relative ease. The slider may be Burns’ best pitch. Last year, he threw fastballs 59.7 percent of the time and his slider 33.8 percent. It will be his third pitch, the changeup, that could be the difference between a hard thrower and one of the game’s best pitchers.

Last year in the majors, he threw his changeup just 5.6 percent of the time, according to Baseball Savant. It’s a pitch he’s always thrown, but one he spent this offseason getting a better feel for tossing. Between bullpens and catch play, he’s gone from more of a traditional changeup to the kick change, he said.

“If anything, just showing it is the biggest thing,” Burns said. “(It’s) letting people know I have it in my back pocket with my fastball and slider that are going to be there.”

… and improving his curveball.

Besides his four-seam fastball, Burns has an effective slider. He’s working to improve his curveball while also developing his changeup to keep hitters guessing. Among Burns’ 2026 goals, besides making the rotation, is better location from moving the ball around all parts of the strike zone and successfully getting through a lineup three times.

• Brandon Williamson worked on his arsenal, including adding a sweeper.

Williamson has been able to use his offseason to improve his pitches. His fastball has more zip, and he’s developed a sweeper. His curveball, he felt, has been sharper. He is competing against Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Julian Aguiar for the fifth spot.

“I’m not even worried about it,” Williamson said. “I’m so excited and looking forward to just playing again. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to take the spot. But if I end up not getting it, I’ll be pretty happy if I’m in Triple-A and my arm feels good. I know I’ll get an opportunity. I just want to play.”

Rockies

• Ezequiel Tovar worked on not chasing as much and simplifying his swing.

Tovar later missed over a month due to a left oblique strain, and he has done his part to prevent similar injuries this winter with a detailed workout and eating program. Maybe by correcting swing tendencies that lead to high chase rates — a struggle he endured even when things were going well — will help.

“I over-complicated things by doing too much — too much movement,” Tovar said. “You can do more by doing little. I was doing too much movement, so it’s just simplifying stuff.

“I don’t know for sure if trying to do too much in the batter’s box caused the oblique issue. It could have been the thing, but we don’t know 100 percent. But keeping things simple in the batter’s box will help me.”