John Rooney Injury: Signs MiLB deal with Rays

The Rays signed Rooney (elbow) to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Nov. 15, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

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.