MLB Spring Training Buzz: Astros Closer Josh Hader Resumes Throwing

It's time to dust off those ball bags! MLB spring training has commenced. Pitchers and catchers are starting to report to Arizona and Florida for all 30 teams with Opening Day on March 25. Rosters are getting finalized and every team's new offseason additions are getting their reps in — not to mention the much anticipated World Baseball Classic that will see the world's best players compete on the international stage. Here are all the notable news and last-minute dealings as teams ramp up to Opening Day: Feb. 13 Astros closer Josh Hader warming up again Hader played catch again Friday after the six-time All-Star LHP dealt with biceps tendinitis while throwing bullpen sessions in the offseason. Astros manager Joe Espada said Hader, who missed the end of last season with a shoulder capsule strain, had stopped playing catch after a series of offseason bullpens before getting to Florida for the start of spring training this week. The 31-year-old Hader was 6-2 with 28 saves and a 2.05 ERA in 48 appearances last season, his second since joining the Astros in free agency. His last game was a two-inning outing against the Yankees on Aug. 8, which was before Houston missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Joey Loperfido sent to Astros The Blue Jays acquired outfielder Jesús Sánchez from the Astros for outfielder Joey Loperfido on Friday. The 28-year-old Sánchez hit .237 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs in 134 games last season between the Marlins and Astros. The left-handed hitter has 73 home runs in 580 games over six major league seasons. Loperfido, 26, split last season between Toronto and Triple-A Buffalo, batting .333 in 41 games with the Blue Jays. He has appeared in 122 career major league contests between Houston and Toronto. Feb. 12 Dodgers bring back Kiké Hernandez Hernandez has signed a one-year deal worth $4.5 million to stay with the Dodgers through the season. Hernandez, 34, has played nine of his 12 major league seasons with the Dodgers. Last season, he hit .203 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 92 games during which he played in the outfield, first base, second base and third base. Phillies release Nick Castellanos Philadelphia announced that it has released Castellanos. It was reported that Philly was trying to trade the right fielder, but it was to no avail. Castellanos, a two-time All-Star, was reportedly told not to report to the Phillies' Spring Training facility as the parties worked toward a resolution. Castellanos is coming off a 2025 campaign where he totaled 17 home runs, 72 RBIs and a career-low -0.8 wins above replacement, while posting a .250/.294/.400 slash line. Dodgers All-Star Max Muncy signs extension The Dodgers have signed Muncy to a one-year, $10 million guaranteed extension, the team announced. It includes a $7 million salary for 2027 and a $10 million team option for 2028. Last season, Muncy, a two-time All-Star who has won three World Series with the Dodgers, totaled 19 home runs, 67 RBIs and 3.6 wins above replacement in 100 regular-season wins, while posting a .243/.376/.460 slash line. He missed time due to knee and oblique injuries. Muncy then hit three home runs in the postseason en route to the Dodgers winning the 2025 World Series. Feb. 11 Orioles sign Chris Bassitt The Orioles and pitcher Chris Bassitt agreed to a one-year deal worth $18.5 million. Bassitt spent the last three seasons with the Blue Jays. In 2025, he finished 11-9 with a 3.96 earned runs average. Bassitt was an All-Star with the Athletics during the 2021 season and led the American League with 16 wins in 2023. Mets SS Francisco Lindor  undergoes surgery The Mets are optimistic that Lindor will recover for opening day after having surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand. Lindor is the third prominent player to suffer hamate bone injuries in the opening week of spring training. Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll fractures hand Carroll won't play for Team USA in the WBC after breaking his right hamate bone in batting practice. Carroll is having surgery for the injury and could begin the 2026 regular season on the injured list. Carroll, a two-time All-Star who was set to play in his first WBC for Team USA, has led the National League in triples in each of the last three seasons. Orioles 2B Jackson Holliday to undergo surgery The former No. 1 draft pick will have surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his right hand and will miss Opening Day. O's president of baseball operations Mike Elias said that Holliday sustained the injury during batting practice. He also said that third baseman Jordan Westburg is recovering from a right oblique injury that could delay his participation in spring training games. Holliday, 22, hit .242 with 17 home runs, 55 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2025. Blue Jays OF Anthony Santander out for foreseeable future The switch-hitting outfielder will miss the next five-to-six months due to left labral surgery, manager John Schneider announced. Santander, who's entering the second season of a five-year, $92.5 million deal, was limited to just 59 combined games in 2025 (regular and postseason) due to a shoulder injury. In the regular season, he totaled just six HRs, 18 RBIs and -1 wins above replacement, while posting a .175/.271/.294 slash line. In 2024, Santander was an All-Star for the Orioles, hitting a career-high 44 HRs and averaging 35 HRs and 95.3 RBIs per season from 2022-24. Feb. 10 Rockies' Kris Bryant on 60-Day IL The Rockies will continue to be without one of their oft-injured big signings through at least two months after Bryant landed on the 60-day injured list due to a degenerative lumbar disc disease (lower back). The slugger has appeared in just 170 games with the Rockies since agreeing to a $182 million, seven-year contract in March 2022. In other news, the Rockies added Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to their rotation, agreeing to a $5.1 million, one-year contract with the right-hander. Sugano, 36, went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA in 30 starts with the Orioles last year. He pitched in Japan before agreeing to a $13 million, one-year contract with the O's in December 2024. Sugano played for the Yomiuri Giants for 12 seasons, winning three MVP awards in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Mets' Juan Soto changing positions Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns announced that Soto will be shifting from right field to left field next season. Soto has extensive experience at both corner outfield positions but has primarily started in right field over the last two years. Last season was Soto's first with the Mets and saw him total -7 defensive runs saved in right field. At the same time, the six-time Silver Slugger totaled a career-high 43 home runs, 105 RBIs, a National League-high 38 stolen bases and 6.2 wins above replacement, while posting a .263/.396/.525 slash line. Tigers sign RHP Justin Verlander It's a full-circle moment for the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer, who returns to the club where he became a breakout star. The three-time Cy Young winner inked a one-year deal with the Tigers for $13 million. Verlander's 266 wins are tied with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 34th on baseball's career list, while his 3,553 career strikeouts are eighth and closely trailing Don Sutton with 3,574. Verlander now bolsters an already stacked rotation that includes two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, who also signed with Detroit in free agency. Verlander was traded to Houston in August 2017 and helped the Astros win the World Series that same year and again in 2022. Now he gets an opportunity to chase a third championship with the Tigers, who are looking for the franchise's first title since 1984. Feb. 9 Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte "happy" to stay put Marte said he remains happy staying with Arizona despite an offseason of speculation that the All-Star could be traded. "We talked a lot and hashed some things out, talked it all through and everything is great," Marte said ahead of reporting to spring training early. "[GM] Mike [Hazen] knows I love the D-backs, I love my teammates. Everyone knows what type of player I am, and I'm just happy it all worked out and [that] I'm here." Hazen said that he did listen to offers but that a potential deal "never ended getting that close." "I felt like I had to do my job just to listen to what people had to say," Hazen said. "He's a superstar player for us, and has been for a long time, and is going to continue to be." In his nine seasons for the Diamondbacks, Marte has made three All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger Awards, finished third (2024) and fourth (2019) in NL MVP Award voting, as well as being named MVP of the 2023 National League Championship Series. Marte will take part in the WBC for the Dominican Republic. Diamondbacks LHP Andrew Saalfrank to miss 2026 Saalfrank will miss the season after shoulder surgery, the team confirmed. The 28-year-old was expected to be an important part of the team's bullpen after compiling a 1.24 ERA over 28 appearances last season.  It's another hit for the pitching staff, which already is without relievers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, along with ace starter Corbin Burnes, for the first few months of the season. All three are recovering from elbow surgery and hope to be back during the summer. Saalfrank called the surgery a "tough pill to swallow," adding that "the game of baseball can be a brutal one, but it's also given me some of the best moments of my life, and I don't expect that to change moving forward." The Associated Press contributed to this report.