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Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) continues to make progress, but it's still unknown if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Leake, recovering from left wrist surgery, looked good during in a controlled game on Tuesday, allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out four in five innings. The right-hander has not played catch or done defensive drills, but his arm looks to be in shape. Leake hopes to catch a ball next week, but he's more concerned with swinging a bat. If he's not ready for the start of the season, Leake will likely wind up only missing a start or two. The veteran right-hander is mostly an innings-eater for the D-backs and fantasy owners, and his mediocre strikeout rate gives him little upside in mixed leagues. His current ADP sits at 449.3, so he's mostly just one to stash in NL-only leagues.
The Arizona Diamondbacks will be "cognizant" of starting pitcher Luke Weaver's innings total this year, according to general manager Mike Hazen. Weaver was limited to 64 1/3 innings in the big leagues in 2019 and has never had more than 140 1/3 innings in any one season. It could mean a tighter leash with Weaver's pitch counts early in the season. The D-backs could occasionally use a sixth starter in order to push Weaver's starts back. Whether the team shuts Weaver down early in the season will depend on whether the club is in the playoff race. This could definitely cap the 26-year-old's fantasy upside in 2020, but he remains a fine target in mixed leagues after he went 4-3 with a 2.94 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in his 12 games started last season.
Arizona Diamondbacks infield prospect Domingo Leyba received an 80-game suspension on Friday after testing positive for Boldenone, which is in violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. Leyba is ranked as the team's No. 30 prospect and has the skills to become a solid utility player for the Snakes at the major league level, but he'll miss half the season in 2020. The 24-year-old made his big league debut in Arizona last year and hit .280/.367/.440 with no homers and five RBI in just 25 at-bats. That was after he hit a cool .300 with 19 homers and 77 RBI in 112 games for Triple-A Reno. He can be ignored for fantasy purposes for now.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Stephen Vogt (elbow) left the Cactus League game early on Thursday after he was hit by a pitch on his right elbow, but he iced the elbow and said he should be fine for Friday. Vogt, 35, should be Carson Kelly's primary backup behind the plate in Arizona in 2020. The left-handed hitter batted .263/.314/.490 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 99 games for the Giants last year. With limited playing time, it's even a stretch to call him relevant in two-catcher leagues, so Vogt's only real appeal might be as a cheap catching option in DFS on days he faces a right-hander and gives Kelly a breather.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) threw a 68-pitch simulated game over four innings on Thursday. Leake is still sporting a cast for his left wrist fracture, and he'll need to start catching baseballs to see how much impact his wrist can handle. The right-hander struck out five in his simulated game, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season. He'll likely slide down to the No. 5 spot in the rotation this year behind Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver, but Leake is an innings-eater for the D-backs and fantasy owners. His lack of swing-and-miss stuff, however, makes him mainly an asset in NL-only affairs.