John Rooney: Everything you need to know

Rooney (elbow) was activated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday. After undergoing elbow surgery in September, Rooney is back healthy and ready to continue his development in the minors. The 29-year-old left-hander made three rehab appearances at the High-A level on a rehab assignment before being reinstated, working around two walks and fanning one in a scoreless inning for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday.

The Rays signed Rooney (elbow) to a minor-league contract Nov. 15. Rooney elected free agency earlier this month after being removed from the Astros' 40-man roster, and he's quickly landed in a new organization. The lefty reliever had elbow surgery in September, though the specific nature of the procedure and a recovery timeline aren't clear. Rooney made one appearance for Houston but spent most of 2025 at the Triple-A level, holding a 2.56 ERA and 55:24 K:BB over 38.2 frames.

Rooney (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list and outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Rooney underwent elbow surgery in September, though the exact nature of the operation is unclear. He's now eligible to be a free agent, but could serve as organizational depth in Houston.