Category: MLB

The desert was still yawning to life on Thursday when Edwin Díaz stepped out onto the manicured grass at Camelback Ranch — and just like that, spring training flipped from a warm-up to the starting line of a three-peat in the making.

Welcome to #DodgersST, Edwin! pic.twitter.com/wsljDZI6RW

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 12, 2026

The Los Angeles Dodgers, long looking for someone to lock down the 9th inning, now have a closer whose résumé reads like a gauntlet thrown down across baseball.

Last season, with the New York Mets, Díaz posted a 1.63 ERA across 66⅓ innings, converting 28 of 31 save opportunities while fanning 98 hitters and walking just 14.

That performance vaulted him into the upper echelon of relief arms — a No. 3 ranking in “The Shredder,” a No. 5 nod from Brian Kenny, and a top-5 placement from Mike Petriello.

The traffic through the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2025 was a carousel of uncertainty — veteran closers like Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates flamed out and October saw starting pitchers closing games, a surreal twist that culminated in a World Series Game 7 victory built on Snell, Glasnow, and Yamamoto.

L.A. needed a high-leverage reliever. They got Díaz.

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He arrives not as a reclamation project or a placeholder, but as a reigning force. His heater sits in the upper 90s, his slider wipes batters out, and his track record of dominance demands respect. 

The trumpet is ready to blare. DJ Severe has “Narco” queued up on his playlist. And for the Dodgers, spring training just got its newest bullpen star.

The news on Monday that the team had lost reliever Andrew Saalfrank for the season, after shoulder surgery, was not exactly the way the Diamondbacks wanted the week of pitchers and catchers reporting to start. Since debuting as a September call-up in 2023, Saalfrank has posted a 1.79 ERA, and was better even than that last year, with a 1.24 ERA. Of course, that was limited to only 28 appearances, coming after he had finished serving a suspension for gambling. But going into the off-season, he was one of only a few relievers who seemed locked in for a 2026 bullpen spot. So discovering he won’t be appearing is a significant blow.

What can the team do in the left-handed bullpen department? Let’s look at the various areas from which they could pull.

The 40-man roster

There are currently seven left-handed pitchers on the 40-man roster. However, for one reason or another, most of there are not credible replacements for Saalfrank.

• Mitch Bratt – Outside of his 2023 stint in the Arizona Fall League, he has been almost exclusively a starter. While using him in the bullpen is possible e.g. Ryne Nelson, that would most likely be as long relief, not the situational lefty role Saalfrank occupied.
• Kohl Drake – The same goes for Drake, perhaps even more so. He will be part of the team’s rotational depth in 2026, and quite close to the top of the AAA depth chart. The Diamondbacks will want to keep him stretched out down in Reno, for that purpose.
• A.J. Puk – Puk said yesterday he is hopeful he can return by early May. Because his procedure was less invasive, that should reduce the rehab time. He may start in low-leverage situations, but I would expect him to take over the closer’s role quite quickly, with Justin Martinez likely out until late August.
• Eduardo Rodriguez – Simply put, earns too much money to be moved to a bullpen role at this point, with two years still left on his contract.
• Blake Walston – It’s been a while, Walston having Tommy John surgery in mid-March 2025. While there have been no updates since, expectation at the time was about fourteen months, so we are probably looking at late May before he can pitch.

That leaves just two candidates: Philip Abner and Brandyn Garcia, and they have less than twenty innings of major-league experience between them. That’s not necessarily a show-stopper – Saalfrank claimed the job fresh out of the minors, making more appearances in the 2023 playoffs than in the regular season. But it’s not a great body of work on which to base things. Abner looked decent in 2025, with a 2.86 FIP, but that’s off a pitiful sample size of 3.2 innings. Garcia, who came over from Seattle in the Josh Naylor trade, has slightly more experience and put up a decent 3.07 FIP between the Mariners and D-backs. Rolling the dice with either would be a risk.

Non-roster invitees

While there are a lot of non-roster invitees to spring training, only three are left-handed pitchers. Conveniently, I wrote about those at the link above. Inconveniently, none of them are a good fit for the role. While Tommy Henry is in camp, he is recovering from Tommy John surgery last June, so clearly isn’t going to be ready. Spencer Giesting and Yu-Min Lin are both young starting pitchers, and would be better served in their development by staying in that role, rather than getting intermittent work out of a major-league bullpen. So I don’t see any of the trio as being a credible replacement for Saalfrank on Opening Day.

Outside the organization

I would definitely not be surprised to see the team go outside the current system to find a replacement, and there are a couple of names of definite interest, and both should already be known to Arizona fans. The first is former D-back Anthony Banda, who was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers – they simply had too many lefties. It’s generally expected they will be able to find a trade partner for him before he hits waivers. He has had an ERA+ of 130 across the last two years, covering 119 appearances, and at $1.625 million for the year, seems well worth that price. Should the D-backs be in on him? There is always a general reluctance to deal within the division, but he certainly would fill a need.

The other possibility is the free-agent market, and a reunion with Jalen Beeks. He was the busiest member of the Diamondbacks pitching staff last year, appearing 61 times, and with a solid ERA+ of 115, while being paid $1.25 million. He would be another reasonably cheap option, and unlike Banda, would not cost prospect capital. There are other decent left-handed veterans still on the market. Justin Wilson was good with the Red Sox, and Danny Coulombe – a local kid, who went to Chaparral HS, possibly overlapping with the SnakePitette – was great with the Twins, then terrible after being traded to the Rangers at the deadline. Does Mike Hazen have the money left for any of these?

Conclusion

While there is no requirement to have a left-hander in the bullpen, it has been standard practice for the D-backs in the Lovullo era, and we all know how he likes to play match-ups. So, given the paucity of the options currently in the system, I would not be surprised to see the team look for an outside replacement. This could come via a trade, a free-agent signing or even adding a non-roster invitee or two to the squad, and seeing who impresses in spring training. At least the timing of Saalfrank’s surgery gives time for alternatives to be assessed. Which this sucks, it would have sucked considerably harder if it had happened on the eve of Opening Day.

The Yankees were in pursuit of a few right-handed bats this offseason, and they reportedly checked in with the Phillies on outfielder Nick Castellanos.

According to the NY Post's Jon Heyman, the Yankees looked into making a trade with the Phillies for Castellanos earlier in the offseason, but stopped their pursuit after receiving mixed reviews about the slugger.

New York would eventually re-sign Paul Goldschmidt to fill that right-handed bat role off the bench, while also periodically spelling Ben Rice at first base against left-handers and for late-game defense. New York had also considered signing Ty France, Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater, who played with the Yanks in 2025, as right-handed options this offseason.

As for Castellanos, the Phillies officially released him on Thursday for a few reasons. He had a subpar 2025 season where he slashed .250/.294/.400 with an OPS of .694 and 17 homers. There were also reports of conduct detrimental to the team, including bringing a beer into the Phillies dugout during a game last June, which Castellanos admitted to on Instagram. 

Castellanos is owed $20 million in 2025.

After seven productive seasons with Detroit, Castellanos made stops in Chicago -- with the Cubs -- Cincinnati and eventually Philadelphia after signing a four-year deal before the 2022 season. He made two All-Star teams (2021, 2023) and won a Silver Slugger in his 13-year career. 

Castellanos, who turns 34 in March, will now look to take his talents elsewhere.

One of the key moments in the film “Moneyball” comes when Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane and Brent Jennings’ Ron Washington visit Chris Pratt’s Scott Hatteberg to inform him they’re offering him a contract to play first base for the Oakland Athletics, even though he’s only played catcher in his big-league career so far. Beane insists that it’s not that hard. Washington disagrees.

24 years later, the 73-year-old Washington is the San Francisco Giants’ new infield coach. And he’s got another relative newbie at first base in Rafael Devers, who was enmeshed in a huge first base controversy last season with the Boston Red Sox after they signed third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency, moved Devers to DH, then asked him to play first.

But if Hatteberg could develop into a first sacker at age 32 with an elbow injury that hampered his throwing, then Devers, just 29 years old and already familiar with playing infield, should surely develop, right? Here’s the “Moneyball” playbook.

Get rejected by the Boston Red Sox

Done and done! Not only did the Sox trade Devers to the Giants in a deal where they seemed most interested in salary relief — they have only one player left from that return left on their roster — they bad-mouthed Devers after the deal, saying he had “not lived up to his responsibilities” by refusing to switch positions midseason. A team source also lamented what Devers’ actions would do to a club “increasingly reliant on young, impressionable players.” Won’t someone think of the Red Sox children!

(Note: The Red Sox were “increasingly reliant” on young players because they didn’t want to pay Mookie Betts or Xander Bogaerts.)

Find a wife

Hatteberg’s wife, Elizabeth, helped him prepare for his position change by hitting grounders to him off a tee at a tennis court near their home. However, Devers does not have a wife, so he’ll have to get someone else to do it. Is Bob Melvin busy? Does Devers live near a tennis court? If Devers chooses to seek out the wife first, it’s possible that Washington is not the right man to help with his Hinge profile.

Become a pickin’ machine

According to Chapter 8 of “Moneyball,” titled: “Scott Hatteberg: Pickin’ Machine,” Washington spent the six weeks of spring training in 2002 encouraging Hatteberg as he learned the new position. Every time Hatteberg dug a throw out of the dirt, Washington would yell, “Pickin’ machine!”

Is Devers really going to be worse than some of the Oakland first basemen Washington had to work with before? This is a group that included both Jason and Jeremy Giambi (R.I.P.), Olmedo Sáenz, Matt Stairs, and John Jaha. The bar for becoming una máquina recolectora is not too high.

Receive huge from Buster Posey

Obviously, this is the pinnacle of success every San Francisco Giants aims for.

Luis Arraez

Probably would not have been signed by 2002 Billy Beane.

As for Bryce Eldridge in left field… look, Wash is only in charge of the infield and he can only do so much.

The Minnesota Twins signed three-time All-Star reliever Liam Hendriks to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training on Thursday.

Hendriks, who turned 37 on Tuesday, made his major league debut with the Twins on Sept. 6, 2011, and appeared in 30 games from 2011-13 before finding great success and dealing with much adversity in his career.

The right-hander appeared in just 14 games last season with the Boston Red Sox, going 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA, seven walks and 12 strikeouts in 13 ⅓ innings.

The native of Australia went on the injured list with right hip inflammation, suffered a setback and missed the rest of the season. He had a right elbow ulnar nerve transposition procedure in September and became a free agent in November.

Hendriks underwent treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in early 2023 and made his debut that season on May 29 for the Chicago White Sox. But he pitched in only five games – going 2-0 with one save and a 5.40 ERA in five innings – before an elbow injury required Tommy John surgery and led to a lost 2024 campaign for rehabilitation.

For his career, Hendriks is 33-36 with 116 saves, a 3.88 ERA, 166 walks and 739 strikeouts in 663 2/3 innings over 490 regular-season games (44 starts) for the Twins, Kansas City Royals (2014), Toronto Blue Jays (2014-15), Oakland Athletics (2016-20), White Sox (2021-23) and Red Sox (2025).

From 2019 to 2022, Hendriks was selected to three All-Star Games and in the other year, 2020 with Oakland, he finished ninth in the American League Cy Young Award voting and 13th for AL Most Valuable Player.

As a child in Catholic school I was taught the difference between want and need. Needs: food, shelter, water, clean air to breathe. Wants were everything else, always tinged with a suspicion of selfishness. The implication was clear: wants were excessive, amoral, ungodly. So as a kid I never asked at a birthday party for the piece of cake I wanted, the one thick with frosted flowers; if the person cutting the cake handed me that slice, a tacit reward for being so altruistic, so agreeable, such a good girl, so be it, but I wouldn’t make my mouth say the words. I learned over time how to push down want and shape it into something acceptable, something that took just enough to satisfy a desire but didn’t dare ask for more.

But yesterday, standing in a rain of blue and green confetti, watching the Seahawks victory parade, that want surged up suddenly, an aching feeling in my chest that was so acute I literally had to breathe around it.

Because I want this for the Mariners. So badly. I want the streets to be full of Mariners jerseys. For confetti in Northwest Green. For MVP chants to follow Cal Raleigh down the street, carrying an award earned in a ballroom and not in the court of public opinion. I want that compass rose S, something that has signified so much pain over the years as we’ve watched it sink lower in the standings, flying from every flag on every building.

I want the Mariners players to get to wave from their own custom-wrapped double decker buses. For J.P. Crawford, who has seen this organization and fanbase through so much, has had the captaincy passed down to him, has grown into a husband and father here, to get to wave to his adopted city. For Julio Rodríguez, who has not always been treated kindly by the city he threw both arms around to adopt, to have a moment of pure, untarnished joy. For the core of young pitchers who put their bodies on the line every night and push past pain and exhaustion, who push each other to be better, to have a moment to relax and take it all in. I want Josh Naylor to feel like he made a good choice, signing himself in partnership with this city for the next half-decade.

And I want the Mariners front office and staff members and clubhouse attendants and nutritionists and mental skills coaches and all the hundreds of people who touch the on-field product without ever being seen to get their due praise other than the tepid applause of a hurriedly-read list of names on Opening Day. Justin Novak the bullpen catcher who has a t-shirt for each member of the roster, even if he has to special-order some of them from Etsy. Ally the nutritionist who curates game-day snack boxes and smoothie flavors of the day written in a sunny penmanship that tempt grumpy professional athletes into taking care of themselves. Kaz the manual therapist who trained with Cirque de Soleil, taking care of bent and battered bodies. Pete the beloved clubhouse attendant who brings in a bucket of his own personal Halloween candy the last series of the season. All these people deserve their flowers, and not just on Opening Day.

I want this for Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander, proof their plan has worked, that the gambles and risks they’ve taken—or not taken—have been correct. For ownership to be rewarded for making a financial investment in the team, to realize that winning baseball is profitable and fun. I want this for Dan Wilson and the fierce protective love he feels over his players, all that he pours into them with no expectation of getting anything back. For all the nights after losses we walked by his office and saw him sitting in his chair staring into the middle distance, processing but in pain.

I want this for Rick Rizzs. Before he retires, while he is still the primary play-by-play voice of the Seattle Mariners, and our remaining direct link to Dave Niehaus, who never got the privilege of calling a World Series game. I want it, too, for all the broadcasters who have to make a good broadcast out of a bad game. (And maybe, selfishly, for the media members who have to do the same.)

But really I want it for the fans. For the people who haven’t quit on this franchise despite years of ineptitude, frustrating losses, head-scratching decisions, embarrassing meltdowns by members of the organization. All the shame we’ve carried over the years with this team, on the field and off. I want this for the people who know baseball isn’t boring, who drag friends to games and make them care about our sport, and grow the fanbase one soul at a time. For Mariners fans to get to feel the connection Seahawks fans felt yesterday, united in joy, the crowd shouting as one, bouncing chants up and down the street on a cold winter’s day. Right now that kind of connection feels so precious, a way of being in the world that isn’t complicated or fraught but just joyful, being in community with each other.

Last year I was not sad about the outcome of the ALCS. No, that’s not right—I wouldn’t let myself be sad. Because sadness meant wanting more than I felt like I had the right to ask for. It was a historic run by one of the best Mariners teams we’ve ever seen. It was logistically implausible, considering where they started the season, and yet came so close to being possible. It was enough that they made it this far. It was enough.

Now I know. It was not enough.

That became clear during the post-season media meeting, where eyes were still wet and the pain was still palpable. It sharpened over Fan Fest, the collective low-grade fury over the way the season ended and the steely determination to do better. It honed into a clear point with the trade for Brendan Donovan, slotting in the missing piece in a game the Mariners are determined not to lose again.

It’s scary, wanting things. Wanting opens you up to being vulnerable, exposed, hurt and disappointed. It feels bone-deep selfish: who am I to want this more than anyone else? I have always believed in parity, in fairness. No one gets everything. Be happy with what you’re given by grace and don’t ask for a second serving.

But I want. Want is a noun and a verb that answers itself: the lack of the thing (want, noun) creates the need for the thing (want, verb). And it’s time to make peace with that, to reframe it not as greed, and not as something owed, but purely as an object of desire. At Fan Fest, George Kirby spoke about how he and his fiancee practice manifestation, speaking things into existence (George, I have a feeling, never had trouble asking for what piece of cake he wanted). Because that is how it starts: Naming a thing, and being honest about it, is the first step to bringing it to you, to making it yours.

I saw a parade.

I want a parade.

Let’s go get a parade.

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller has found himself in a bind year after year when it comes to starting pitching, and every year he has managed to eke his way out. He traded for Sean Manaea just before the beginning of the 2022 season, signed free agent Michael Wacha in ‘23, traded for Michael King and signed Dylan Cease in ‘24, and signed Nick Pivetta in ‘25. Each time, Preller has found creative ways to attain reliable starting pitching. Unfortunately, he may be unable to swindle his way out of trouble this year.

With a lack of trade candidates (and an even greater lack of payroll flexibility), Preller could be out of options. That being said, the creative GM has never shied away from bold moves in the past and it’s unlikely he’ll stop now, even when faced with his thus far absent contract extension.

In light of the news that the Padres lost out on Chris Bassitt to the Baltimore Orioles, as well as veteran Justin Verlander to the Detroit Tigers, here are a few possible additions (from least to most expensive) Preller might make in the coming weeks prior to Opening Day.

Patrick Corbin

The 36-year-old veteran had a solid year with the Texas Rangers in 2025, finishing with a 4.40 ERA through 30 starts. What he lacks in elite stuff he makes up for in durability. Since 2017, Corbin has made 30 or more starts every year, apart from the shortened 2020 season. His ability to consistently take the mound is something the Padres desperately need.

Corbin was the definition of league average in ‘25, with a 1.36 WHIP and 131 strikeouts. He’s unlikely to give the Friars a flashy front-end starter, but he will give San Diego exactly what they are looking for: reliable depth in their starting pitching.

Right now, FanGraphs projects the Padres’ depth chart in starting pitching to be 26th in MLB based on WAR (wins above replacement), with only the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies having worse projections. Those are not teams San Diego wants to grouped with if they’re seeking to contend in ‘26. They need solid depth, and Patrick Corbin can give it for a reasonable price.

Zack Littell

The journeyman righty found himself splitting time in 2025 between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cincinnati Reds. Littell has been on five teams in only eight years of MLB service time. After spending the first five years of his career as a reliever, Littell converted to a full-time starter after being traded to the Rays during the 2023 season and exceeded expectations. He finished the year with a 3.93 ERA across 26 games (14 starts) in Tampa Bay. He has yet to post an ERA over 4.00 since converting to the starter role, finishing ‘25 with a career-best 3.81 mark.

Littell would likely be more expensive than Corbin, given his younger age and reliable track record as a starter. But it could be worth it to offer him a creative multi-year deal similar to how the Padres structured Pivetta’s deal last season.

If San Diego were to pick up Littell, he would represent a middle-of-the rotation starter who could take pressure off Joe Musgrove as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery. This addition would immediately give the club breathing room in their depth chart, giving Musgrove time to acclimate in his return to pitching.

Zac Gallen

This is the big one. The former ace who helped the Arizona Diamondbacks make it to the World Series in 2023. By his standards, Gallen is coming off a down year, which is the only thing making it even remotely possible San Diego signs him. He ended 2025 with a 4.83 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP, but the underlying metrics paint the picture that the ace that finished 5th in NL Cy Young voting in 2022 is still there.

While it’s incredibly (almost ridiculously) unlikely that the Padres sign Gallen, especially amidst rumors that his market is heating up and he’d like to return to the Diamondbacks, anything’s possible with Preller in the general manager’s chair.

Maybe Arizona moves on from Gallen or the Padres offer him a player-friendly contract with opt-outs like they did with King earlier this year. Perhaps Preller swings a trade at the last minute to free up payroll and then offers Gallen a short-term deal with a higher AAV.

The long and short of it is this, the Friars need quality pitching if they’re going to contend in 2026. As good as the bullpen is, they need consistent starters to cover five-plus innings each game. Otherwise relievers are going to get taxed fast, and pretty soon that bullpen — no matter how elite it is — will look sluggish from overuse. It’s hard to say where the Padres will go from here but one thing is for sure: they’re running out of time to make a move.

The Yankees were talked out of pursuing Nick Castellanos.

The team looked into trading for the Phillies slugger earlier this offseason, but backed off after receiving mixed reviews, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman. 

Instead, the Yankees brought back Paul Goldschmidt, who will serve as a right-handed bat off the bench and spell the lefty-swinging Ben Rice at first base. 

The Yankees had also considered Austin Slater, Randal Grichuk and Ty France to fill the righty bat role. 

Castellanos, who was released by the Phillies on Thursday after a turbulent 2025 season, could be a fit for the Padres, Jays, A’s, Rangers, Royals and Reds, per Heyman. 

The veteran outfielder/designated hitter, who turns 34 next month, posted full-season lows with a .250 average and an on-base percentage of .294. 

And he wasn’t exactly a model citizen in the locker room. 

After his release, Castellanos admitted on Instagram to bringing a beer into the Phillies’ dugout after being removed from a game in Miami last June.

At the time, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said his benching in the next game had to do with an “inappropriate comment.”

In August, Castellanos appeared to call out Thomson, saying there was “no conversation” with his manager after he was pulled from a game for the slick-fielding Harrison Bader.

Shortly after the Phillies were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NLDS, Castellanos was rumored to be heading out of Philadelphia. 

On Wednesday, a day before news of his release, the team told Castellanos not to report to their spring training facility.

Castellanos, a two-time All-Star, has one year and $20 million remaining on a five-year, $100 million deal he signed after the 2021 season.

"What else did you expect?!!!"

Those were Kiké Hernández's own words when he broke the news on his Instagram Thursday morning that he was re-signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The defending back-to-back World Series champions also announced a one-year extension of third baseman Max Muncy's contract. As had been mostly expected all offseason, the two stalwart veterans are re-joining the Dodgers just ahead of spring training.

In a corresponding move, the Dodgers placed right-handed pitcher Evan Phillips on the 60-day injured list.

"[Three] in a row has a nice ring to it," Hernández said in his post, accompanied by a picture of him at the Dodgers' World Series parade from November.

Kiké Hernández contract details

According to multiple reports, Hernández's deal is for one-year, $4.5 million. The longtime fan favorite at Dodger Stadium underwent surgery on his left elbow over the offseason and is not expected to be ready for Opening Day, which is part of the reason he and the Dodgers waited until spring to get the contract done. That way, the club could place him on the 60-day IL and keep a 40-man roster spot open.

The 34-year-old utilityman's numbers during the regular season declined in 2025 -- his .621 OPS was a career-low -- but the legend of "October Kiké" once again rose to the occasion. Starting in 17 postseason games, Hernández put together multiple clutch performances, including back-to-back multi-hit games in the Wild Card and a crucial two-run double as the Dodgers rallied to beat the Philadelphia Phillies in game one of the NLDS.

But his biggest moment -- maybe of his career -- came in Game 6 of the World Series when Hernández possibly saved the Dodgers season when he turned a game-ending double play with the bases loaded on a running catch in left field that he immediately threw to Miguel Rojas at second base to force a game seven.

“October Kiké is something pretty special,” manager Dave Roberts said at the time. “And the track record speaks for itself. Throughout history, he's one of the best throughout history of the postseason.”

The Philadelphia Phillies have released outfielder Nick Castellanos, per multiple reports. Castellanos had one year left on the five year, $100 million deal he signed with the Phillies prior to 2022 season.

It had been a given that the Phillies were not going to open camp with Castellanos still on the team, and the only question was whether they could find someone to take Castellanos and pay a small portion of the $20 million he is owed in 2026, or if they’d end up simply cutting him. In his four seasons with the Phillies, Castellanos slashed .260/.306/.426 and put up a 1.3 bWAR.

We had previously talked about the possibility of the Rangers taking a look at Castellanos as a potential platoon DH when he hit the market. However, this piece in the Athletic by Matt Gelb, where Gelb says that “many teammates had come to resent Castellanos for his attitude” even before he sat in the dugout in a June game in Miami drinking a beer while displaying his displeasure at being lifted for defense late in the game. Gelb also paints a picture of a player who views himself as a star and is unhappy if he is not being treated like one, and not wanting to accept a part-time role.

So yeah, thinking that’s a no on Castellanos for the Rangers.

TAMPA — It only took a day for the first injury concern of Yankees camp to pop up, even if they insist it is not much of a concern at all.

Cam Schlittler is dealing with mid-back inflammation that he is also feeling in his left lat, the right-hander said Thursday, though he described his level of concern as “zero” and claimed the Yankees are just being cautious by keeping him off the mound for a few days.

Last year’s breakout star indicated he has been dealing with the issue for a few weeks, but he will continue to throw on flat ground and hopes to get back on the mound for a bullpen session by next week.

“It’s just so insignificant,” Schlittler said at Steinbrenner Field. “It’s very minor. We’re just taking some precautions for a few days and that’s really it. … . I’ve been dealing with it for a little bit, so just want to make sure I’m on top of it and ready for Opening Day and that week in San [Francisco].”

The Yankees are already set to open the season with Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt on the injured list, and while they say they feel good about their starting depth, they can ill afford to lose Schlittler on top of all that.

There have been some examples in recent years of the Yankees initially downplaying an injury only for it to turn into something more serious, so while back inflammation sounds harmless enough in the middle of February, it will bear watching in the coming days as Schittler tries to return to building up for the regular season.

The 25-year-old, who posted a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts last season before dazzling against the Red Sox in the American League wild-card series, recently got tests done on his back that came back with “good news,” manager Aaron Boone said.

“Just want to make sure we don’t turn this into something else,” Boone said. “He’s felt a little tweak here and there, but has been doing his lives. He’s already done two [innings] in lives, so I don’t think it’ll slow him that much.”

Boone and Schlittler both said the righty was already ahead of other pitchers in his progression, having faced hitters multiple times.

If he is able to get back on the mound by next week and advance without issues, he still should have plenty of time to start the season on time.

“That setback, it’s really minor in terms of the longevity when you’re looking to throw a full season,” said Schlittler, who has been working out here for about a month. “There’s really no concern or worries when it comes to that stuff.”

The Yankees are banking on Schlittler being a staple in their rotation and building off what he did last year after being called up midseason to make his MLB debut as an injury replacement for Schmidt.

He delivered beyond expectations, after having started the year at Double-A, and punctuated his season mowing down the Red Sox with a memorable 12-strikeout gem in the playoffs.

“I feel like I found my identity a little bit those last three outings I had,” Schlittler said. “It took two months up there to really figure out how I need to pitch and all that. For me, it’s just the routine and making sure I’m taking care of myself on and off the field. Going out there with what I learned at the end of last season and really taking off.”

The potential of having Schlittler pitch a full season is part of the reason why the Yankees are so high on what their rotation could give them this year, especially once Rodón and Cole return.

Now they just need this “minor” back issue to remain minor so he can have the chance to deliver on that promise.

“I came in here last spring training kind of as a no one, prospect, whatever it was,” Schlittler said. “But I was really trying to learn things. Come in here, get my work in. It was more of an experience last year. Now I feel like being over here, I’ve earned that role and I’m going to go out there, I know exactly what I need to do. When these games come up, I’ll work on things and prepare for the season.”