Karinchak signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training.

A shoulder injury prevented Karinchak from playing in the minors until the end of last season, but he was effective during his rehab outings, giving up just two runs in 6.2 innings while striking out 12 batters and walking six. The 29-year-old righty owns a 3.10 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 165.2 career innings, and assuming he returns to a similar level of effectiveness post-injury, he should have a solid chance to win a job in Chicago's bullpen.

General manager Dana Brown said Saturday that McCullers (forearm) will not be ready for the start of the regular season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCullers recently returned to throwing off a mound and still hopes to return early in the year, but it now appears that he will begin the season on the injured list for the third time in a row. The 31-year-old righty hasn't appeared in an MLB game since the 2022 World Series after undergoing surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur.

General manager Dana Brown said Saturday that Garcia (elbow) will not be ready for Opening Day, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Garcia missed all of last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023, and he was pulled off a rehab assignment twice due to multiple instances of elbow soreness. He managed to resume throwing live batting practice by the end of the season and hasn't experienced any problems since then, but it seems the Astros are going to be extremely cautious in getting him ready for the 2025 campaign. It's unclear exactly how far the 28-year-old's absence will extend into the regular season.

Carter (back) no longer has any restrictions on what he can do in the field or weight room, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The promise Carter showed in 2023, when he batted .306 (1.058 OPS) in 23 regular-season games and appeared in 17 postseason games for the eventual World Series champs, never materialized in 2024. The outfielder endured a slow start and then a stress reaction in his back in May. He was eventually shut down after multiple attempts to ramp up. The 22-year-old added strength and bulked up during the offseason in preparation for what is expected to be a normal spring. A healthy Carter should be a regular in the Rangers' outfield, most likely center field.

Thorpe said Friday that he received a cortisone shot in his right elbow and could miss the beginning of spring training, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Thorpe successfully underwent a procedure in early September to remove a bone spur in his right elbow. Merkin reported in mid-December that the 24-year-old right-hander was fully recovered from the surgery, and while an MRI from early January didn't reveal any structural damage, Thorpe has been dealing with soreness since then. as a result, the expectation is that he will miss the early portion of spring training. Thorpe finished the 2024 regular season with a 3-3 record across nine big-league starts with a 5.48 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 25:21 K:BB in 44.1 innings.

The White Sox have extended Schultz an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Hagen Smith will also be in big-league camp, as the White Sox are giving their top two prospects and two of the better pitching prospects in baseball a look in spring training. The 21-year-old Schultz is coming off a dominant 2024 campaign split between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, collecting a 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 115:24 K:BB over 88.1 innings. He's still being built up to handle a full workload, but it's not out of the question Schultz pushes to debut before the end of the 2025 season.

Gray would be open to serving as the Rangers' closer, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

The club has a clear opening at closer, but there's been no indication that Gray might be under consideration for the role. However, a shift to the back end of the bullpen could make some sense for the veteran righty, who has had durability issues. Gray has made seven relief appearances for Texas between the 2023 postseason and 2024 regular season, and in those outings he posted a 1.42 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB over 12.2 innings. Of course, the Rangers could also continue deploying him as a starting pitcher, as Nathan Eovaldi might qualify as the only safe bet in the rotation. Gray had surgery in September to address a nerve issue in his right foot but is expected to be ready for spring training.

Alvarez said Thursday that he is 100 percent healthy heading into the 2025 season, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Alvarez disclosed that he injured his right knee toward the end of the 2024 season. He originally thought he might need surgery to correct the issue, though he ultimately rested and is now fully recovered. Alvarez reports that he is ready to hit and field for the start of spring training.

White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Thursday that he expects Montgomery to be the team's shortstop at some point this season, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Getz was asked about the possibility of Montgomery cracking the Opening Day roster, of which he replied that the youngster would "get a lot of opportunity come spring training." Montgomery is on the 40-man roster, but a bit more seasoning in the minors seems likely after he slashed just .214/.329/.381 at Triple-A Charlotte in 2024. The shortstop turns 23 in February.

The Yankees claimed Contreras off waivers from Baltimore on Thursday.

Contreras began the offseason as a member of the Angels but has since bounced around between Texas, Cincinnati, Baltimore and now New York. Because the 25-year-old righty has no more options remaining, he will need to make the Yankees' Opening Day roster to avoid landing on waivers yet again.