MLB Baseball 8 Hours

Last updated: March 24, 2026, 11:30 PM ET

AL Central Pitching Carousel & Roster Moves

The Cincinnati Reds confirmed that left-handed starter Nick Lodolo will begin the season on the injured list due to a lingering blister concern on his left index finger, forcing immediate adjustments to their rotation plans. Simultaneously, the Boston Red Sox finalized their starting five, slotting 23-year-old southpaw Connelly Early—who made a playoff start last year—into the unit as the season commences. In transactional news, the Milwaukee Brewers bolstered their bullpen depth Tuesday, trading for reliever Jake Woodford from the Rays in exchange for minor league right-hander K.C. Hunt, signaling a proactive approach to managing pitching workloads early in the year Brewers add to bullpen depth with Woodford trade.

AL East Starters & Legal Disputes

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole completed his final spring test by striking out three batters across two innings, stating he "had fun" before returning to Florida ahead of the regular season travel schedule following a year lost to injury. Away from the diamond, the Chicago White Sox face legal action as Hall of Famer Frank Thomas filed a lawsuit alleging unauthorized use of his likeness on the team’s City Connect 2.0 uniforms worn throughout the previous campaign, a dispute over intellectual property rights that adds an off-field distraction to the start of the year.