1 week agoTexas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (hernia) took live batting practice in camp on Monday for the first time since having sports-hernia surgery on Jan. 30. Manager Bruce Bochy said that Seager could be in the lineup on March 25-26 for the team's exhibition games against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. While Seager is making good progress in his rehab, he said himself that he's still unsure if he'll be ready to play on Opening Day on March 28. If the 29-year-old reigning World Series MVP is able to play in any Cactus League games in the next week or in the two exhibition games against Boston, there's a good bet that he'll be ready for Opening Day. In one of the best offenses in baseball and a great hitter's park in Texas, Seager is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 7 fantasy shortstop despite coming off offseason surgery.Source: RangersToday.com - Jeff Wilson
1 week agoNew York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that outfielder Aaron Judge (abdomen, oblique) is likely to play in four of the team's final six Grapefruit League games. Judge was also expected to resume taking batting practice last Friday and return to spring training action on Sunday or Monday, but that didn't happen. Although fans and fantasy managers may be getting worried about Judge's Opening Day availability, especially after he missed over 50 games due to hip and toe injuries in 2023, both the Yankees and Judge continue to downplay his injuries this spring. Unless the 31-year-old former MVP doesn't return to Grapefruit League action at all this week, fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried about Judge's status for the start of the 2024 regular season. When healthy, he is an elite fantasy baseball commodity.Source: YES Network - Justin Shackil
1 week agoChicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet has been named the team's Opening Day starter on March 28 against the Detroit Tigers in Chicago. For lack of other options after trading Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres last week, Crochet is being moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation and will now kick off the 2024 regular season for the Pale Hose. The 24-year-old southpaw was the 11th overall pick in 2020 out of Tennessee and has made 72 big-league appearances in his three seasons with the White Sox, but his start on March 28 against Detroit will be his first. Crochet is also under two years removed from Tommy John surgery, so he's not really much of a fantasy option in mixed leagues. However, it's worth noting that he has struck out 12 and walked none in nine scoreless Cactus League innings this spring.Source: Chicago Sun-Times - Daryl Van Schouwen
1 week agoLos Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) was scratched from Monday's Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers because of back tightness. Schanuel is being considered day-to-day, so it doesn't appear to be a very serious injury, but the young 22-year-old could be held out of action for a few more days this week. Last year's 11th overall pick made a quick rise to the big leagues and impressed in 29 games with the Halos, going 30-for-109 (.275) with a homer and six RBI in 132 trips to the plate. The left-handed-hitting first baseman will get every chance to see regular at-bats at first base for the Halos in his first full MLB season in 2024, and he has the plate discipline and contact skills to be a useful asset in AL-only leagues. However, his usefulness in mixed fantasy leagues is questionable with a limited power profile.Source: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
1 week agoMinnesota Twins right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (elbow/forearm) will begin the season on the injured list. He will visit Dr. Keith Meister to evaluate the next steps on his ailing right elbow. The right-hander was shut down by the team early in the spring but has recently thrown bullpen sessions. He has yet to appear in a Cactus League game to this point, however. The veteran was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners this offseason after tossing a 4.88 ERA across 19 outings (18 starts) with the Giants in the 2023 season. He was involved in a deal for Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray before being dealt to Minnesota in a trade that saw Jorge Polanco head to the Mariners.Source: Bobby Nightengale
1 week agoNew York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) is "still pretty sore" but is moving around better on Monday, according to manager Aaron Boone. The veteran left Saturday's Grapefruit League game early after fouling a ball off his foot and underwent imaging on the issue afterward. "I definitely think it's going to cost him some days here," Boone added. Likely to serve as the club's leadoff hitter and everyday third baseman, LeMahieu took a step back at the plate last season, hitting .243 with 15 home runs and a .717 OPS across 136 games and 562 trips to the plate. LeMahieu's best fantasy production is behind him but he could be a decent source of runs if he can remain atop the Yankees lineup this season.Source: Bryan Hoch
1 week agoNew York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (abdomen, oblique) "should be good to go" for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pittsburgh Pirates following an off day on Tuesday, according to manager Aaron Boone. Judge has been dealing with an abdomen/oblique issue this spring while he also noted that he is still bothered by a toe injury he suffered when crashing into the outfield wall last season. The superstar hasn't seen much spring action his far, hitting only .143 without a homer across six appearances and 16 trips to the plate. He was a monster at the plate again in the 2023 season, hitting .267 with 37 home runs and a 1.019 OPS across just 106 games and 458 trips to the plate. When healthy, he is one of the very best assets fantasy baseball has to offer.Source: Bryan Hoch
1 week agoMinnesota Twins reliever Jhoan Duran (oblique) will begin the season on the injured list due to a moderate oblique strain, according to president of baseball operations Derek Falvey. The fireballer has endured a rough spring as he sports an 11.57 ERA with four strikeouts and 10 hits allowed across five appearances and 4 2/3 innings of work. He also sports a 2.36 WHIP, although he has not allowed a home run. However, the 26-year-old has been nothing short of stellar in his young big-league career, working to a tidy 2.15 ERA alongside a dynamite 25.3% K-BB% across 116 appearances through his first two seasons. He has averaged a whopping 101.3 mph on his four-seam fastball in that time and is one of the top closers in fantasy baseball despite what could be a minimum stay on the injured list to begin the season.Source: Betsy Helfand
1 week agoFree-agent right-hander Michael Lorenzen threw 70 pitches on Sunday, getting up and down four times while also hitting 94 to 96 mph with his fastball on the radar gun, according to a report viewed by The Athletic. The 32-year-old veteran remains without a team with Opening Day quickly approaching, despite the fact that he threw a no-hitter with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. If Lorenzen does sign with a team soon, he should be pretty stretched out despite not facing actual competition in spring training. Both the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees have obvious needs in their starting rotations and have reportedly been considering signing Lorenzen. The former first-rounder of the Reds in 2013 out of Fullerton made his first career All-Star team in 2023 but struggled late in the year and was demoted to the bullpen in Philadelphia.Source: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
1 week agoLos Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) has been cleared to start a throwing program later this week, six months after having his second elbow surgery. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Ohtani's surgery last Sept. 19, said that if Ohtani "goes along with the throwing program as we have it scheduled," he could begin throwing to hitters in late September. However, manager Dave Roberts reiterated that the team doesn't expect Ohtani to pitch until 2025. The skipper did acknowledge the possibility that the Dodgers could consider playing Ohtani in the field later this year if his arm has recovered enough. The 29-year-old Japanese superstar played a total of 8 1/3 innings in the outfield in his six seasons with the Angels (all in 2021), so it's unlikely we'll see him in the outfield much, if at all, later in 2024.Source: Orange County Register - Bill Plunkett
1 week agoThe Cleveland Guardians reassigned first base prospect Kyle Manzardo to minor-league camp on Monday. The team also reassigned catcher Bryan Lavastida and outfielder Petey Halpin. According to MLB Pipeline, Manzardo is the team's No. 2 prospect behind only outfielder Chase DeLauter. The 23-year-old will begin the year in the minors, but he should make his MLB debut at some point in 2023 after hitting .381/.458/.476 in 13 Cactus League games this spring. He projects to be the team's first baseman of the future, but he has struggled in the minors against left-handed pitching and is currently blocked at the cold corner in Cleveland by Josh Naylor. Despite the fact that Manzardo won't open the year on the Opening Day roster in the big leagues, he should be rostered in all dynasty/keeper leagues.Source: MLB.com - Mandy Bell
1 week agoSan Diego Padres prospect Jackson Merrill has won the team's Opening Day center field job. As such, Merrill should be in the Padres' starting lineup for both of the games against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers to kick off the 2024 season in Korea on March 20-21. The 20-year-old projects to be the team's starting shortstop in the long term, but because of his athleticism and no other real options at center field, Merrill is going to open the season starting in center in San Diego. In addition to being athletic enough to play the outfield, Merrill hit .351/.400/.595 with two home runs and two steals in 13 Cactus League games this spring to win the job. Fantasy managers in deep-mixed and NL-only leagues may want to temper their expectations in Merrill's first season, but he's definitely a young player on the rise.Source: MLB Network - Jon Morosi
1 week agoThe Boston Globe's Peter Abraham writes that right-hander Chris Martin (groin) may not be ready for Opening Day on March 28. Closer Kenley Jansen (back) was scratched from making his second Grapefruit League appearance on Monday, but theread more...
1 week agoBoston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (back) has been scratched from the team's Grapefruit League game on Monday versus the Minnesota Twins due to lower-back tightness. However, he could pitch as soon as Tuesday, and the Red Sox still expect that he'll be ready for Opening Day on March 28. Jansen didn't make his spring training debut until last Friday due to lat soreness that he experienced after reporting to camp a month ago, so he hasn't been able to get much work in this spring. Boston is being extra cautious with the 36-year-old veteran reliever. Jansen is MLB's active leader in saves and will be Boston's primary ninth-inning man in 2024, but the injuries are beginning to pile up, and he should be considered a shaky No. 2 fantasy closer.Source: MLB.com - Ian Browne
1 week agoMinnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (back) was scratched from Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox due to lower-back tightness on his right side, according to the team. It's unclear exactly how serious Buxton's back injury is, but given his lengthy injury history, we shouldn't be surprised if it ends up being something that causes him to start the 2024 season on the injured list. The oft-injured 30-year-old was unable to play a single game in the outfield for Minnesota last year due to a knee injury that required offseason surgery. Buxton played in only 85 games in 2023 and hit a weak .207 (63-for-304) but also hit 17 home runs and drove in 42. He has played in over 100 games just one in nine big-league seasons, so Buxton's inability to stay on the field now far outweighs his actual power/speed capabilities.Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press - Betsy Helfand