MLB Baseball 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 21, 2026, 2:30 PM ET
MLB Final Roster Cuts & Rotation Setups
As Opening Day approaches, several National League clubs finalized their starting rotations and minor league assignments, revealing immediate roles for key arms and prospects. The Mets announced a five-man rotation, with manager Carlos Mendoza planning to utilize Sean Manaea in a piggyback role coming out of the bullpen initially. In Philadelphia, the Phillies confirmed that rookie right-hander Andrew Painter secured the No. 5 starter role on the Opening Day roster, beating out veteran competition. Conversely, the Marlins opted to send left-hander Braxton Garrett down to Triple-A Jacksonville, positioning Janson Junk as the club's fifth starter for the immediate future.
The major league teardown continued across the league as teams trimmed their major and minor league contracts ahead of the regular season. The Yankees officially optioned outfielder Jasson Dominguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, signaling the highly touted prospect will begin the year developing outside the big league club. Similarly, the Nationals decided that top prospect Dylan Crews required more seasoning, as hitting woes prompted the team to option the batter to Triple-A. Furthermore, the Twins executed several significant cuts, releasing veteran relief pitcher Liam Hendriks, lefty Andrew Chafin, and infielder Gio Urshela from their minor league agreements following the team's roster shaping.
Off-field legal matters and league disciplinary actions also created movement among pitching staffs. Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were both transferred to unpaid non-disciplinary leave status Friday while awaiting trial concerning an alleged pitch-rigging scheme, an agreement brokered between the players and the league office. Separately, the family of former Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Costa Rican resort where their 14-year-old son, Miller, tragically died from carbon monoxide poisoning.