Luke Little

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Luke Little (lat) is on a "slow ramp-up" during spring training. The 24-year-old sustained a strained lat in July, which eventually cut his 2024 campaign short. Given the time he missed, the team is opting to exercise caution with the hard-throwing southpaw. Given his slower ramp-up, fantasy managers should expect Little to face an uphill battle to be ready in time for Opening Day. However, if he can begin to reach full strength in the coming weeks, he could have an opportunity. After tossing six 2/3 clean innings during the 2023 season, Little posted a 3.46 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP across 26 innings last season. He tallied 28 punchouts but showed weak command, allowing walks at a high 16.5 percent walk rate. However, he was able to generate ground balls at an elite 71.2 percent rate. When Little is cleared for action, he could eventually earn a high-leverage role in the Chicago bullpen.