2 hours agoChicago White Sox outfielder
Oscar Colas (wrist) exited Thursday's spring training contest early due to a wrist sprain. The team noted that the outfielder is day-to-day. Fantasy managers should continue his status as he may be held out of the lineup for a few days. The 26-year-old is currently competing for a depth role in the Chicago outfield. Last season, Colas appeared in 13 games for the White Sox and held a .273/.368/.273 slash line. During the 2023 campaign, Colas logged a career-high 75 contests and posted a .216/.257/.314 line with nine doubles and five long balls. Given his lack of consistent success in the major leagues, fantasy managers should expect Colas to begin the 2025 campaign at the Triple-A level.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Chicago White Sox
2 hours agoNew York Mets right-handed pitcher
Sean Reid-Foley cleared waivers. The Mets placed Reid-Foley on waivers earlier this week and will now begin his 2025 campaign with Triple-A Syracuse. Last season, Reid-Foley logged 21 2/3 innings with the Mets and held a strong 1.66 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP. He tallied 25 punchouts but showed weak command of his pitches as he served up walks with a 15.6 percent rate. Reid-Foley generated an elite 62.7 percent ground-ball rate with a stellar .198 xBA. Across 131 2/3 career innings in the majors, the former second-round selection has held a 4.10 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP. Reid-Foley will likely get the call to the majors when the Mets need additional depth in their bullpen later in the season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: New York Mets
2 hours agoKansas City Royals relief pitcher
Carlos Estevez (back) threw his "best" bullpen session on Wednesday and is set to complete his next session on Saturday. Estevez has been battling lower-back tightness since late-February. However, it appears the 32-year-old has been progressing well and may avoid missing time during the regular season. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status as he looks to ramp-up his workload. Earlier in the offseason, the Royals signed Estevez to a two-year $32 million contract. Given his salary, Estevez is expected to compete for a high-leverage role in the bullpen alongside
Lucas Erceg. Last season, Estevez logged 55 innings to the tune of a 2.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He tallied 50 punchouts but with a 3.19 xERA, which suggests he may face minor regression when he returns to the bump. If healthy, Estevez will compete for save opportunities with Erceg.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anne Rogers
3 hours agoKansas City Royals right-handed pitcher
Alec Marsh (shoulder) is set to face live hitters for the first time on Sunday. The 26-year-old has been able to complete several bullpen sessions and will now take the next step in his recovery plan. Marsh was battling tightness in his shoulder during the offseason, which delayed him at the start of camp. However, it appears the 26-year-old is nearing his return to game action. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he faces a setback. Last season, Marsh logged a career-high 129 innings with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He tallied 123 punchouts with a strong 7.1 percent walk rate. However, he generated a high 4.97 xERA with a 40.9 percent hard-hit rate, which were both well below the average marks. When healthy, he will likely compete alongside
Kris Bubic for the final spot in the starting rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anne Rogers
3 hours agoKansas City Royals catcher
Salvador Perez (eye) has bruising below his eye but is "all good" and set to return to the starting nine on Friday. Perez exited Wednesday's contest early due to the laceration. However, the veteran backstop avoided a significant injury and will not miss any time. The 34-year-old was also able to practice on Thursday. Last season, Perez posted a .271/.330/.456 slash line with 27 long balls. He generated an elite .360 xwOBA and a .522 xSLG which placed him in the 92nd and 95th percentile respectively. He also generated an above-average 12.2 percent barrel rate and a 44.8 percent ard-hit rate. Fantasy managers should expect Perez to serve as the everyday catcher in the Kansas City and will see occasional starts at first base. He is a strong target when looking for RBI behind the dish as he will bat behind
Bobby Witt Jr.,
Vinnie Pasquantino, and
Jonathan India.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anne Rogers
4
hours
agoBaltimore
Orioles
outfielder
Tyler
O'Neill
(rib
cage)
was
scratched
from
Thursday
night's
Grapefruit
League
contest
against
the
Pittsburgh
Pirates
due
to
left
rib-cage
soreness.
The
Orioles
are
saying
he
was
removed
from
the
lineup
as
a
precaution.
It
doesn't
appear
to
be
anything
read more...
4 hours agoTampa Bay Rays infielder
Curtis Mead, who showed up to spring training in excellent shape, recorded eight hits in his first nine Grapefruit League at-bats and also went 4-for-4 with a walk in Thursday's spring contest against the Philadelphia Phillies to raise his current average to a ridiculous .778. The 24-year-old former top prospect in Tampa's system is certainly putting his best foot forward as he battles with outfielder
Eloy Jimenez in camp for one of the last spots on the roster heading into the 2025 regular season. The Australian native has hit only .244 (50-for-205) with two home runs, 12 RBI and 51 strikeouts in 224 plate appearances over 62 games in his first two MLB seasons. He has yet to prove he belongs in the lineup everyday, but Mead can play both second and third base and could function as a utility infielder for the Rays in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
4 hours agoLos Angeles Angels outfielder
Taylor Ward (knee) is back in Thursday's Cactus League lineup against the division-rival Seattle Mariners and is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff. Ward developed some knee soreness in camp earlier in the week but will be returning to the lineup for the first time since Monday after several days off. The 31-year-old veteran has only played in four Cactus League games to this point, but he's swung a hot bat, going 3-for-8 with a double, RBI and a run scored. He will be L.A.'s regular left fielder yet again in 2025 and could benefit from a fantasy perspective if
Mike Trout can stay healthy all year with his move to right field. In his seventh year with the Halos in 2024, Ward had a career-high 25 home runs and 75 RBI while slashing .246/.323/.426 in 663 plate appearances to make him a top-40 fantasy outfielder.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoThe Cleveland Guardians re-signed
Tyler Naquin to a minor-league deal on Thursday as a pitcher, according to MLB.com's Zack Meisel. The 33-year-old was originally drafted by Cleveland as an outfielder with the 15th overall pick in 2012 out of Texas A&M University, and he played in the big leagues with the organization from 2016-2020 before spending time with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Chicago White Sox from 2021-23. Naquin always had a plus arm, so he will try his hand at pitching to attempt to extend his MLB career. He will turn 34 years old next month and will be a long shot to find any kind of fantasy appeal, let alone a lasting big-league roster spot as a pitcher in 2025 for the Guardians. Naquin was a .263/.316/.445 hitter with 61 homers and 237 RBI in 562 career games in his eight big-league seasons as an outfielder.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Zack Meisel
5 hours agoTexas Rangers right-hander
Jack Leiter, the second overall pick in 2021, had an extra two mph on his four-seam fastball when he arrived to spring training this year, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Leiter sat at 98 mph and touched 100 mph in his first Cactus League outing. The former Vanderbilt star's fastball was demolished in his first taste of the big leagues in 2024, but evaluators see his extra velocity this year as a potential game-changer since the pitch has well-above-average vertical break. Leiter is also getting plenty of depth on his new kick changeup. There's no guarantee that he'll break camp in Texas' Opening Day starting rotation, but the improvements that Leiter has made could help him bounce back considerably in his second major-league season whenever he gets his chance. There's opportunity for fantasy managers here after Leiter had a rough 8.83 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in his first nine outings a year ago.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
5 hours agoESPN's Jeff Passan writes that the Chicago White Sox, who set an MLB record for most losses in a single season in 2024, ended last season believing that pitching prospect
Sean Burke would be part of their starting rotation in 2025. The 25-year-old right-hander, who stands at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds has also looked good in spring training, using a high-octane fastball and what can be a devastating curveball. In two Cactus League starts, he's allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out three in five innings. Passan believes Burke will be able to hold his own while the White Sox wait for top pitching prospects
Noah Schultz and
Hagen Smith. Burke is Chicago's No. 13 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and impressed in his small sample size to close 2024. Shoulder issues in the past put his durability in question, but Burke's four-pitch mix make him intriguing in AL-only leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
5 hours agoUpdating a previous report, Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said third baseman
Junior Caminero (back) had "just a little tight back" and is "probably very day-to-day" after he was pulled early from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Cash also added that the team doesn't expect Caminero "to miss too much time." Fantasy managers that already invested in the 21-year-old as a prime breakout candidate in 2025 can breathe a sigh of relief. Barring a setback with his back, Caminero should be fine for Opening Day later this month. Entering Thursday's game, the Dominican infielder has gone 4-for-17 (.235) with three home runs, a triple, eight RBI and four runs scored in six spring training games. He's fully expected to be Tampa's starting third baseman all year and has massive power upside.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
5
hours
agoChicago
Cubs
left-hander
Justin
Steele
(illness)
was
scratched
from
his
scheduled
Cactus
League
start
on
Thursday
against
the
Kansas
City
Royals
due
to
flu-like
symptoms.
Right-hander
Ben
Brown,
who
is
competing
for
a
spot
in
the
Opening
Day
read more...
5 hours agoESPN's Jeff Passan writes that Kansas City Royals first base prospect
Jac Caglianone will get repetitions in the outfield this year and could find himself playing corner-outfield spot to accelerate the timeline for his major-league debut to potentially this summer. As things currently stand, the Royals have a logjam at first base with
Vinnie Pasquantino and
Salvador Perez sharing the position. Last year's sixth overall pick out of the University of Florida only had 126 professional plate appearances last year with High-A Quad Cities, so he definitely could use more minor-league seasoning, but the 22-year-old left-handed slugger is an imposing presence (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) and hit a 115.4 mph home run in his first spring training game. Caglianone struck out only 20% of the time at High-A last year but also had only two bombs. He'll surely be on the fast track for the Royals, but those in single-year fantasy leagues can hold off for now.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
6 hours agoBaltimore Orioles right-hander
Grayson Rodriguez (triceps) is dealing with right-triceps soreness and is being evaluated in camp, according to manager Brandon Hyde. The Orioles are expected to have more of an update on Rodriguez after the tests come back. The 25-year-old's velocity was notably down during his Grapefruit League outing on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins, but he said he was not injured. While there's no need to panic just yet, it isn't great news, and Rodriguez could need a stint on the injured list to begin the 2025 season. We should have a better timetable on his return by the end of this week, but until then, expect Rodriguez's draft stock to fall. If Rodriguez were to open the year on the IL, either
Cade Povich or
Albert Suarez would likely take his rotation spot. A lat strain in August prematurely ended Rodriguez's sophomore season in 2024 after a great start to the year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
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