Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Kahlil Watson underwent sports-hernia surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to fix his bilateral core-muscle injury, according to the team. Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia recommended a surgical intervention to address the injury after it was diagnosed as a sports hernia. Watson will start his rehab this week in Goodyear, Arizona, and his return-to-play timeline is expected to be around eight to 12 weeks. The 23-year-old former first-rounder by the Miami Marlins in 2021 made his major-league debut with Cleveland this year and played in 27 games (91 plate appearances), going 21-for-88 (.239) with just one home run, 11 RBI, nine stolen bases, and six runs scored. In 98 games at Triple-A Columbus, Watson hit .247/.361/.455 with an .816 OPS, 19 homers, 60 RBI, 24 stolen bases, and 68 runs scored. He is considered the team's No. 14 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he should be fully healthy at spring training in 2027 as he competes for a spot on Cleveland's Opening Day roster. Despite being only 5-foot-9 and 179 pounds, Watson has raw power from the left side and plenty of speed to spare.

After 10 seasons in the major leagues, veteran catcher Mitch Garver has decided to call it a career and retire, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Garver has hinted at interest in both coaching and media opportunities once his playing days were over. The 35-year-old was originally drafted in the ninth round by the Minnesota Twins in 2013 out of the University of New Mexico. He spent the first five years of his MLB career with the Twins before joining the Texas Rangers in 2022 and 2023. Garver spent the last three seasons of his career playing for the Seattle Mariners. In 701 total games played during the regular season, Garver hit .229/.325/.432 with a .756 OPS, 110 home runs, 324 RBI, 301 runs scored, and six stolen bases. Garver played in only 50 games this past season with the M's and hit just .175 (22-for-126) with four homers, 15 RBI, 22 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 149 plate appearances. His best season came in his third year in the league with Minnesota in 2019, when he hit a career-high 31 home runs while batting .273/.365/.630 in 93 games played.

Texas Rangers infield prospect Sebastian Walcott has been working out in the outfield and will likely play the outfield in an Arizona Fall League game, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Walcott missed a significant chunk of the 2026 season after undergoing internal brace surgery on his elbow last February. However, he made it back for the end of the year and mashed, hitting .322/.398/.586 with nine home runs, 20 RBI, 44 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases across 171 plate appearances at Double-A. The 20-year-old is widely considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball. He's mostly played on the left side of the infield, but Texas has Corey Seager and Josh Jung locked in at shortstop and third base. If Walcott is able to prove he can be effective in the outfield, he could be in the mix for an Opening Day role in Texas in 2027.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that starting pitcher Max Fried (elbow) got his elbow re-imaged and that his ligaments are "in a good place," per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Fried dealt with recurring bone bruise issues in his left elbow during the 2026 season, necessitating two separate stints on the injured list. However, the 32-year-old finished the year on the mound and will not require surgery over the offseason. Fried remained effective when healthy in 2026, recording a 5-5 record with a 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts across 112 2/3 innings (20 starts). The veteran left-hander's 94.9 mph average fastball velocity and 24.0% strikeout rate were both right in line with his career norms. As long as Fried makes it through the offseason healthy, he profiles as a high-end starting pitcher option for fantasy managers in 2027.