MLB News
Porter Hodge Could See Save Opportunities
According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Porter Hodge could still see save opportunities. Earlier in the offseason, the Cubs acquired longtime closer Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros, who is expected to be the team's top closer. However, manager Craig Counsell noted that Hodge and Pressly could form a "dynamic duo" in the late innings. Hodge became Chicago's closer down the stretch last season and was quite effective in this role. Across his final 13 2/3 innings last season, the 23-year-old tallied eight saves and held a strong 1.32 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP. He struck out 18 batters and served up seven free passes. While Pressly should be the option to target for saves in this bullpen, fantasy managers in deeper formats should consider drafting Hodge in the final rounds of their draft, as he could find a path to seeing double-digit save opportunities.
0 hour ago
Dodgers Sign Luis Garcia To Minor-League Deal
According to Aram Leighton of Just BB Media, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed right-handed pitcher Luis Garcia to a minor-league contract that includes an invite to spring training. The 38-year-old opened the 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Angels before finishing the season with the Boston Red Sox. With the Angels, he was quite effective, holding a 3.71 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP across 43 2/3 innings. However, in Boston, Garcia posted an 8.22 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in 15 1/3 innings of work. Under the hood, Garcia generated a solid 3.56 xERA and an above-average 50.3 percent ground-ball rate, which were both above the average marks. However, he tallied strikeouts at a low 20.9 percent rate. If he makes the major league roster, Garcia will likely have a low-leverage role in the Dodgers bullpen.
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Drew Thorpe Could Throw Off The Mound Next Week
According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Drew Thorpe (elbow) could throw off the mound at "some point" next week, depending on how well he progresses this week. Thorpe underwent surgery in September to remove a bone spur and then faced several setbacks during the offseason. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the 24-year-old's status during spring training as he would likely have a spot in the Opening Day rotation if he is cleared for action. However, given his current status, he may begin the season on the injured list. Thorpe spent most of the season in Double-A and was able to skip the Triple-A level entirely when he made his big league debut. Across his first 44 1/3 innings in the majors, the right-hander posted a 5.48 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Given his current status, he should only be targeted in AL-only formats.
1 hour ago
White Sox Agree To Terms With Joey Gallo
According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, the Chicago White Sox have signed free-agent first baseman/outfielder Joey Gallo to a minor-league contract that includes an invite to spring training. Gallo spent the entire 2024 campaign with the Washington Nationals. Across 76 games in D.C., Gallo posted a .161/.277/.336 line with 10 home runs and nine doubles. Under the hood, he generated a strong 13.1 percent barrel rate but held a hefty 39.2 percent strikeout rate. However, he was able to draw walks at a hefty 12.3 percent rate. During the 2023 campaign, Gallo held a .177/.301/.440 line with 21 home runs. Fantasy managers should expect the 31-year-old to compete for a spot on the Chicago Opening Day roster during camp. If he does make the roster, he will likely see most of his starts at first base or right field.
1 hour ago
German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, Lucas Gilbreath All Healthy
According to Patrick Lyons of Just BB Media, Colorado Rockies pitchers German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, and Lucas Gilbreath are healthy entering spring training. All three pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2023 campaign. Marquez was able to log four innings of work last season but then battled a stress reaction, which kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season. Senzatela made three starts during the final month of the season and held a hefty 6.57 ERA with a 1.86 WHIP. Gilbreath returned to the mound in August but then returned to the injured list shortly after with shoulder inflammation. Marquez was a reliable contributor to the starting rotation during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, where he logged 361 2/3 total innings. Marquez and Senzatela will likely have a role in the starting rotation in 2025, while Gilbreath will be deployed out of the bullpen.
1 hour ago
Johan Oviedo Throws Bullpen On Thursday
According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo (elbow) completed a bullpen session on Thursday. The 26-year-old missed the entire 2024 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. He underwent the operation in December of 2023 and has been viewed as a "full-go" for spring training. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress during camp as he could contend to make the Opening Day rotation. During the 2023 season, Oviedo posted a 4.31 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP across 177 2/3 innings. He held a poor 20.2 percent strikeout rate but was able to generate an above-average 44.6 percent ground-ball rate. If Oviedo can complete his recovery process during spring training, he will contend for a spot in the rotation alongside Bailey Falter and top prospect Bubba Chandler. However, given his low strikeout upside, he is best left for deeper NL-only formats.
1 hour ago
Henry Davis Takes Batting Practice On Thursday
According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates catcher Henry Davis (hand) was seen taking live batting practice on Thursday. The 25-year-old finished the 2024 season on the injured list with left hand inflation. However, seeing him take live BP just two days into camp is a great sign and suggests he should be a full-go for spring training. After posting a modest .213/.302/.351 line during his rookie campaign in 2023, Davis took another step back in 2024 as he posted a lower .144/.242/.212 slash line across 37 games. He tallied just four doubles and one home run. While he showed a strong eye at the plate with a 10.7 percent walk rate, he generated a weak .156 xBA. Given his struggles in the MLB, Davis will likely be competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster during spring training alongside Endy Rodriguez.
1 hour ago
Reds Place Julian Aguiar On 60-Day Injured List
To make room on the 40-man roster for newly-acquired right-handed reliever Scott Barlow, the Cincinnati Reds placed right-hander Julian Aguiar (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday. The move to put Aguiar on the 60-day IL was only a matter of time after he had Tommy John surgery in October of last year. The 23-year-old reliever will miss the entire 2025 season as a result. The former 12th-round selection in the 2021 MLB draft out of Cypress College made his major-league debut with Cincinnati in 2024 and made seven starts, going 2-1 with a 6.25 ERA (6.86 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and 12 free passes issued in 31 2/3 innings pitched. Aguiar will continue to rehab in 2025 and hope to come to spring training in 2026 without any restrictions.
4 hours ago
Graham Ashcraft Throws To Live Hitters
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (elbow) was seen throwing a live batting practice session at spring training on Thursday. A right-elbow strain prevented Ashcraft from pitching in the second half of the 2024 season for the Reds, but he appears to be recovered from that injury and a full-go in camp. The 27-year-old is going to have to pitch much better than he has the last three seasons in Cincinnati if he wants to earn a rotation spot on Opening Day, especially after the Reds acquired Brady Singer from the Royals this offseason. Ashcraft started the year with a 5.05 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in his first 12 starts, so the Reds sent him to the minors. He's produced an unattractive 4.91 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with a well below-average 16.6% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate in his three seasons in Cincy with no evidence of a turnaround coming.
4 hours ago
Dedniel Nunez Healthy At Spring Training
New York Mets right-handed reliever Dedniel Nunez (forearm), who missed all of the second half in 2024 with a strained right flexor tendon, was hitting 96 mph during a team-supervised live batting practice session in the Dominican Republic this winter. According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the Mets consider Nunez a healthy player at the start of spring training this week. The 28-year-old reliever is still a bit of a health risk entering the 2025 campaign, but he looked pretty darn good for the Mets in his MLB debut last year with a 2.31 ERA (2.22 FIP), a 0.91 WHIP, his first career save, nine holds, 48 strikeouts and only eight walks in 35 relief innings in the first half. If he can stay healthy in 2025, Nunez figures to be in line to see plenty of high-leverage work in the late innings for New York as a top setup man for closer Edwin Diaz.
5 hours ago
Jordan Montgomery Dealing With Finger Strain
Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Jordan Montgomery (finger) underwent imaging for a left index-finger strain, but he said the plan is for him to throw again in a couple of days. "It seems like it's fairly mild. He doesn't seem overly concerned by it... We'll manage as we go," executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen said. It was revealed that Montgomery dropped 20-25 pounds in the offseason after a very disappointing first year in Arizona in 2024, but the 32-year-old southpaw will be slightly behind at the start of camp due to his finger injury. It shouldn't keep him from being ready for Opening Day in late March, but it's just something else that will turn fantasy managers off to Montgomery as he looks for a bounce-back campaign. With low strikeout totals in his career and a drop in velocity last year, fantasy managers should be avoiding him in mixed leagues this spring.
5 hours ago
River Ryan Lands On 60-Day Injured List
The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-hander River Ryan (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday to make room on the 40-man roster for left-hander Clayton Kershaw (knee, toe), who is also expected to open the 2025 regular season on the 60-day IL. The move with Ryan was fully expected this spring after he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last August. The 26-year-old hurler made his big-league debut last season with L.A. but made only four starts, allowing just four runs (three earned) on 15 hits (one homer) while striking out 18 and walking nine in 20 1/3 innings pitched. The converted infielder was impressive in his small stint with the Blue, but he won't be an option for their starting rotation again until the 2026 season.
5 hours ago
Clayton Kershaw Expects To Open Season On 60-Day Injured List
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw (knee, toe) said he expects to open the 2025 regular season on the 60-day injured list, but his timetable will likely line up for him to be ready to roll once the 60 days are up. Kershaw recently re-signed with the Blue on a one-year, $7.5 million deal that will likely be his final season before retirement. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer had surgeries on both his knee and toe in the offseason and remains in recovery with spring training kicking off this week. He's been throwing on flat ground, but it remains to be seen when he'll throw off a mound, and the Dodgers have no reason to rush him along. The three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP had a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with 24 K's and nine walks in his seven starts in 2024 and is no longer a must-roster player in fantasy leagues due to the injuries that have mounted in recent years.
5 hours ago
Andre Pallante Wins Arbitration Case Against Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante won his salary arbitration hearing against the team on Thursday, according to a source, and will earn $2.1 million this year. The Cardinals filed at $1.925 million when figures where exchanged. The 26-year-old struck out a career-high 94 hitters in just 121 1/3 innings over 29 appearances (20 starts) for the Red Birds in his third year in the big leagues, but thanks to a strong ground-ball rate and the ability to induce weak contact, he posted a decent 3.78 ERA (3.71 FIP) and 1.30 WHIP in 2024. A new sinker that he added going into last year surprisingly made him more effective as a starter for the Cardinals than as a reliever. Pallante should be locked into a starting rotation spot in St. Louis to begin the 2025 season, but he's outside of the top-100 fantasy starting pitchers because of his below-average strikeout rate (18.5%).
5 hours ago
Nolan Arenado Likely To Stay With Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said on Thursday that third baseman Nolan Arenado is likely to remain with the team after the organization tried to trade him all offseason. "(Nolan Arenado) is likely going to be a part of our club at this point," Mozeliak said. The Cards had a deal in place with the Houston Astros in December, but Arenado, who has a full no-trade clause, turned it down. The Boston Red Sox were another suitor for the 33-year-old, but after signing Alex Bregman on Wednesday night, they are out of the picture. At least to open up the 2025 season, Arenado will be at third for St. Louis, with Nolan Gorman staying at second and Brendan Donovan primarily playing the outfield. The eight-time All-Star has seen his power decline in the last two seasons in St. Louis, and he's no longer a top-15 fantasy third baseman based on RotoBaller's 2025 rankings.
5 hours ago
Jonathan Loaisiga Targeting End Of May
New York Yankees right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga (elbow) said he is targeting an end of May/beginning of June return this year, according to the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips. Loaisiga hasn't been able to escape elbow issues the last two years and tore his right UCL early last year. However, the 30-year-old veteran didn't need a full Tommy John procedure and could return to the Yankees at the tail end of the first half of the season, barring any setbacks in his recovery. The Nicaraguan hurler has only appeared in 20 games out of the bullpen the last two years for the Yankees because of his injuries, although he could play a key middle-relief role in the Bronx in the second half in 2025 if he's healthy. Loaisiga has pitched in high-leverage spots for the Yankees in the past, although his lack of strikeout upside doesn't make him all that attractive in deep fantasy leagues.
6 hours ago
Marcus Stroman Hasn't Reported To Camp
New York Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman has yet to report to spring training. Stroman technically doesn't have to report to camp until Feb. 22, but his absence is noteworthy with the rest of the team's pitchers and catchers having reported. The 33-year-old could be making a statement after the Yankees moved him to the bullpen late last year and then signed lefty Max Fried to an eight-year deal in the offseason. As things stand now, Stroman will likely be on the outside looking in for a rotation spot if New York rolls with a five-man rotation to start the 2025 season. In his first year in the Bronx, Stroman went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA (4.62 FIP), 1.47 WHIP and 113:60 K:BB in 154 2/3 innings over 30 outings (29 starts). His strikeout rate fell to a career-worst 16.7% and also saw his velocity dip. A rebound at his age is unlikely, especially if he's relegated to a long-relief role.
6 hours ago
Rangers Could Use Cody Bradford In Relief Role
Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said it's hard to envision a scenario where a healthy left-hander Cody Bradford doesn't have a role on the team in 2025. Bradford is preparing as a starter in spring training, but Bochy said the Rangers could also give him a role out of the bullpen, where he's pitched well. Texas is leaving their options open with the 26-year-old southpaw after he went 6-3 with a solid 3.54 ERA (3.59 FIP) and 1.01 WHIP with 70 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 76 1/3 innings over 14 appearances (13 starts) in his second big-league season in 2024. The former sixth-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft out of Baylor University could have been even better last year if not for suffering a stress fracture in his rib cage. Bradford relies on pinpoint control and inducing weak contact, which makes him less attractive in fantasy, but that could change if he's move to the bullpen and sees save chances.
6 hours ago
Jon Gray Throws First Bullpen Session On Thursday
Texas Rangers right-hander Jon Gray (foot) threw his first bullpen session of spring training on Thursday. A neuroma in Gray's foot caused him to finish last year on the injured list, but by all accounts, he had a normal offseason and should be a full-go for spring training. The 33-year-old veteran appeared in 23 games (19 starts) in 2024 in his third year in Texas, going 5-6 with a 4.47 ERA (3.70 FIP), 1.31 WHIP, 86 strikeouts and 28 walks in 102 2/3 innings pitched. The Rangers lost both relief pitchers Kirby Yates, David Robertson and Jose Leclerc to free agency in the offseason, and they've mentioned Gray as a potential closing option in 2025, which would drastically affect his fantasy value. Even if Gray sticks as a starter, he should be ranked outside the top-100 fantasy starting pitchers after his strikeout rate dropped below 20% for the first time in his career.
6 hours ago
Robbie Ray Throws Bullpen On Thursday
San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (hamstring) was seen throwing a bullpen session at camp on Thursday. Ray recovered from Tommy John surgery last year and returned to make seven starts in his first year with the Giants, going 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 43 strikeouts and 15 walks in 30 2/3 frames. However, the 33-year-old veteran southpaw ended the year on the injured list after straining his hamstring on Aug. 27. By all accounts, he's fully healthy for spring training and is fully expected to be locked into a starting rotation spot for San Fran in 2025. Ray's 4.70 ERA upon his return last year was not impressive, but his stuff was. The former American League Cy Young winner is injury-prone and can get wild at times, but he proved last year that he still has plenty of swing-and-miss stuff. At a low cost on draft day, Ray is absolutely worth rostering as fantasy starting pitching depth.
7 hours ago
Porter Hodge
• RP
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Cubs
