MLB News
AJ Smith-Shawver Could Open Season In Starting Rotation
The Atlanta Braves move to use right-handed pitching prospect AJ Smith-Shawver on Friday in the Grapefruit League against the Tampa Bay Rays suggests that the team could be lining him up to make his first start of the 2025 season on Monday, March 31, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano suggests. The 22-year-old could be in the lead for the No. 5 rotation spot as he competes with Ian Anderson, but the Braves may prefer to open the year with a six-man rotation given the fact that they open the year with seven straight games before their first off day. The former seventh-rounder has fanned 18 with just three walks in 12 spring innings over his four starts after he made only one start in the regular season in the majors in 2024. A matchup against L.A. early on wouldn't be ideal, and Smith-Shawver may just be holding a rotation spot in April until Spencer Strider (elbow) is ready to return.
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Drake Baldwin Officially Makes Opening Day Roster
Atlanta Braves catching prospect Drake Baldwin has officially made the team's Opening Day roster, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano. This was the full expectation once it was announced that primary backstop Sean Murphy (rib) was expected to miss at least the first couple weeks of the regular season due to injury. The 23-year-old Baldwin has the tools to be a starting fantasy catcher and he could end up sticking around at the major-league level all year, even when Murphy is ready to make his 2025 debut. He has held his own in spring training as well, hitting .303 (10-for-33) with two doubles, three RBI and four runs scored in 15 Grapefruit League games. The Braves' top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, also hit 18 homers in the minors in 2024. In two-catcher leagues, take a chance on Baldwin.
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Spencer Strider To Throw 45-50 Pitches On Sunday
Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) is looking to throw 45-50 pitches in his second Grapefruit League start on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Because Strider was able to get up three times in his spring debut on Monday, he could pitch into the fourth inning this weekend. The 26-year-old could leave spring training needing only two to three more tune-up outings before making his 2025 debut. Atlanta will be very cautious with their ace, but Strider's progress so far in camp has been a best-case scenario. Barring a setback as he continues to ramp up after having an internal-brace procedure in mid-April of 2024, Strider should be back no later than late-April. Because of his great progress this spring, Strider's ADP continues to rise, and he's now ranked as the No. 15 fantasy starting pitcher at RotoBaller.
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Yu Darvish Won't Be Ready For Opening Day
San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) will not be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season due to right-elbow inflammation, manager Mike Shildt confirmed on Friday. There is no timetable for Darvish's return. "We feel pretty comfortable that some rest and getting ramped back up will be the answer," Shildt said. Without a clear timeline for a potential return, we wouldn't blame fantasy managers for avoiding the 38-year-old Japanese veteran in upcoming drafts. He was also limited to only 16 starts in 2024 due to an elbow injury and a personal matter, so surgery on his elbow shouldn't be ruled out at this point. Darvish looked great down the stretch when he returned late last year, though, including two postseason appearances. Now that Darvish will officially open the year on the injured list, lefty Kyle Hart and right-hander Stephen Kolek are competing for the No. 5 rotation spot in SD.
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Julio Urias Suspended Until After The All-Star Break
Free-agent left-hander Julio Urias has been suspended until after the All-Star break for his second violation of the league's domestic-violence policy, MLB announced on Friday. Urias was suspended for 20 games in August of 2019 for his first domestic-violence violation, and now the 28-year-old southpaw will be forced to miss the whole first half of the 2025 season for an incident back in September of 2023. He can sign with a team after he serves his suspension, but that's probably unlikely to happen at this point. The Mexican hurler won a league-high 20 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 and had ERAs under 3.00 in both 2021 and 2022 before posting a 4.60 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 117 strikeouts and 24 walks in 117 1/3 innings over 21 starts in 2023. Urias did not pitch at all in 2024 and is obviously off the fantasy radar in 2025.
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Cody Bellinger To Be Primary No. 3 Hitter For Yankees
New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger will bat behind Aaron Judge and be the team's primary No. 3 hitter in 2025, sources tell the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Bellinger has been swinging a hot bat in Grapefruit League play, going 17-for-36 (.472) with two home runs, five doubles, five RBI and 11 runs scored in 14 games played. In his first year in the Bronx, the 29-year-old left-handed slugger will take over starting duties in center field for the Bombers, which allows the Yanks to move MVP Aaron Judge back to right field. The two-time All-Star and former National League MVP has been able to stay afloat for fantasy managers despite his low rate of quality contact, thanks mostly to him being able to limit the strikeouts. Belly had 47 homers in 2019 and then tanked (injuries didn't help). He's had just one 20-homer season since then. While he's RotoBaller's No. 25 outfielder in a strong lineup, there's still plenty of volatility with Bellinger.
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Thairo Estrada To Miss 4-8 Weeks With Broken Wrist
Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black said that second baseman Thairo Estrada (wrist) will miss four to eight weeks with a broken right wrist that he suffered when he was hit by Texas Rangers right-hander Kumar Rocker in Cactus League action on Thursday night. Estrada will get another X-ray in around four weeks. With the 29-year-old now out for the foreseeable future, the Rockies plan to use Kyle Farmer at the keystone to open the season. This is obviously a big blow for Estrada's fantasy value in NL-only leagues to begin the 2025 campaign. Farmer, 34, will see a notable boost in deep-mixed and NL-only formats with additional playing time, but don't expect a ton. He's a .250/.310/.391 career hitter in eight MLB seasons and batted just .214 (46-for-215) with five homers, 25 RBI and 49 strikeouts in 242 plate appearances with the Twins in 2024.
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Nico Hoerner Back In Spring Lineup On Friday
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) is starting at second base and is batting second in the team's Cactus League game on Friday against the San Diego Padres. Hoerner continues to recover from flexor-tendon surgery last October, which kept him from appearing in the season-opening, two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hoerner will be in the lineup on Friday, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready for the U.S. opener next Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. When fully healthy, the 27-year-old will resume duties as the team's regular second baseman in 2025 after the former first-rounder hit .273/.335/.373 with seven home runs, 48 RBI and 31 steals in 151 games in 2024 in his sixth big-league season. He's not flashy by any means and doesn't have much power, but he's consistent, puts the ball in play and has averaged 31 steals the last three years.
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Max Scherzer To Start Grapefruit League Game On Saturday
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) will start the team's Grapefruit League game on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. Scherzer asked to make the two-hour road trip to Fort Myers because he wanted to face major-league hitters. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has been dealing with a nagging right-thumb injury in spring training, but he looked good during a bullpen session on Thursday and is now ready to test his finger in game action and is looking to throw around 60-65 pitches against Minnesota. If Scherzer avoids a setback with his thumb, he should be ready for Opening Day next Thursday. While Scherzer was initially looking like a late-round value pitch as fantasy rotation depth, his thumb injury might have a lot of fantasy managers pumping the brakes.
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Starling Marte To Play Right Field On Friday
New York Mets outfielder/designated hitter Starling Marte (knee) is scheduled to play right field in a Grapefruit League game on Friday for the first time this spring, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Marte is expected to be the Opening Day DH against a left-handed pitcher, but his ability to play the outfield is still important to him. Marte got a late start to spring action due to a bone bruise in his right knee, but he's now been cleared to start playing some defense. The 36-year-old Dominican veteran has gone 3-for-14 with a double and six strikeouts in five Grapefruit League games entering Friday's action. Most of Marte's plate appearances in his 14th year in the big leagues in 2025 should come at DH. At this point in his career, there's little fantasy upside because of his injury risk and the fact that he's unlikely to run much.
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George Kirby Playing Catch
The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish reports that Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby (shoulder) played catch in camp on Friday. Kirby was diagnosed with right-shoulder inflammation on March 7, and this is the first time he's thrown a ball since then. It's progress, but the 27-year-old will still open the 2025 regular season on the injured list. However, barring a setback now that he's throwing again, he may not miss much time and could make his season debut by mid-April. While Kirby should still be rostered in all fantasy leagues despite the fact he won't be ready for the start of the season, the injury certainly makes him a little less attractive in fantasy drafts this weekend for a pitcher that has had a below-average strikeout rate in his three major-league seasons. Stash him as a No. 3/4 fantasy starter to begin the year.
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Jose Fermin Makes Opening Day Roster
St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jose Fermin has made the team's Opening Day roster, sources told The Athletic's Katie Woo. Fermin will serve in a backup utility role and as a contact bat off the bench. The 25-year-old beat out Jose Barrero for one of the final spots on the team's Opening Day roster. The Dominican infielder has hit .282 (11-for-39) with a homer, five doubles, nine RBI and two runs scored in 17 Grapefruit League games. He's likely to see most of his playing time at second base in St. Louis, especially if Nolan Gorman's struggles from last year continue. Fermin tore up Triple-A pitching in 2024, but he struggled offensively in 45 games at the big-league level, slashing just .155/.241/.197 with no homers, four RBI, two steals and seven runs scored in 79 plate appearances. At best, he's a deep bench stash in NL-only leagues for his speed.
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Nolan Gorman Out Sick On Friday
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (illness) is out of the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Friday due to an illness, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Hopefully, Gorman will be feeling good enough in a day or two to get his final spring at-bats in before starting the regular season next Thursday. Heading into Friday's games, the 24-year-old infielder is hitting just .196 (9-for-46) with a homer, three doubles, two RBI, and 12 strikeouts in 16 Grapefruit League contests. Still, Gorman is fully expected to be the Cardinals' primary second baseman in 2025, at least on the strong side of a platoon against right-handed pitching. It was a rough 2024 campaign for Gorman, as he hit just .203/.271/.400 with 19 home runs, 50 RBI, six stolen bases and a 37.6% strikeout rate in 107 games. He was optioned to the minors in August and never returned to the big leagues. He still has power, but he's merely a middle-infield option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.
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Clarke Schmidt Likely To Land On Injured List
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) could actually be healthy to start the 2025 regular season, but the New York Post's Greg Joyce writes that it still appears likely that Schmidt will begin the year on the injured list by Opening Day next Thursday. Schmidt threw two innings of live batting practice in camp on Thursday and didn't have any setbacks after he was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Monday due to right-shoulder fatigue. The 29-year-old is just not built up enough in terms of pitch count -- he threw only 32 pitches on Thursday -- in order to be part of the Opening Day starting rotation. The Yankees haven't made anything official yet, but the best bet is that Schmidt stays back in Florida to start the year to properly build up his pitch count to somewhere around the 70-80-pitch mark. As a result, both Carlos Carrasco and prospect Will Warren could open the year in the rotation.
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Paul Goldschmidt Plans To Return On Saturday
New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (back), who was previously expected to return to Grapefruit League action on Friday, said he now plans to return on Saturday. Goldschmidt's back is close to 100 percent, and he's not concerned about missing Opening Day next Thursday. As long as Goldy returns this weekend and doesn't have a setback with his back, fantasy managers with drafts early next week should feel comfortable taking him as a source of power as a corner infielder in mixed leagues. The 37-year-old former MVP is highly unlikely to return to the form he showed in St. Louis several seasons ago, but he could be in for a decent bounce-back campaign in the Bronx in 2025 if he can stay healthy. However, a back injury at the end of spring training and the fact that his strikeout and walk rates were both career-worst marks clearly show an aging slugger.
3 hours ago
Julio Rodriguez Returns From Illness On Friday
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez (illness) is starting in center field and batting second in Friday's split-squad Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds. Rodriguez is back in spring training action after taking a couple days off this week due to an illness. After a down year by his standards in 2024, the 24-year-old outfielder is currently hitting just .229 with three home runs in 13 Cactus League games in Arizona. The two-time All-Star, former American League Rookie of the Year and two-time Silver Slugger winner had a career-low .734 OPS in 2024 but still managed 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 143 games played in his third year in the league. However, he posted only 68 RBI after driving in over 100 runs in 2023. A bounce-back year in 2025 is entirely possible for J-Rod, who is still a top-10 fantasy outfielder.
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Romy Gonzalez Feeling "Fine" After Taking Swings
Per Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, Boston Red Sox second baseman Romy Gonzalez (oblique) took swings on Thursday and felt "fine" afterward. The 28-year-old left Monday's split-squad game against the Atlanta Braves with a tight oblique, but it's excellent news that he could swing a bat just a few days later. According to Gonzalez, he expects to play again in a few days. The former eighteenth-round pick is unlikely to be selected in fantasy drafts over the next week, though his underlying 2024 metrics point to some sleeper appeal. Gonzalez's average exit velocity of 92.3 MPH a season ago would rank in the top 20 batters if he qualified, and his hard-hit rate jumped nearly ten points from 2023 to a robust 51%. The utility bat was particularly effective against lefties last season, sporting a .302/.362/.517 triple-slash across 130 plate appearances.
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Kaleb Ort, Forrest Whitley Not Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
The Athletic's Matt Kawahara reports that Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown does not think pitchers Forrest Whitley (knee) and Kaleb Ort (oblique) will be ready to go for the start of the season. However, Brown did note that both relievers could return "inside the month of April." The oft-injured Whitley sustained a bruised knee during his last spring training appearance, and although it appears minor, he's still working through it. While his major-league experience is capped at three innings, the 27-year-old was excellent to close out the 2024 season for Triple-A Sugar Land. On the other hand, Ort picked up an oblique injury early in camp and is behind in his build-up. The 33-year-old was superb for the Stros a season ago with a 2.55 ERA in 24.2 innings, though he compiled a 6.26 ERA or higher over the prior two seasons. They'll boost Houston's bullpen when both are healthy, and it appears their stays on the IL won't be for long.
3 hours ago
Christian Walker To Be Ready For Opening Day
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) is on track to be ready for Opening Day. Walker has been sidelined since early March with left oblique soreness and has been relegated to hitting in the cages. However, he's set to get at-bats in minor-league games this weekend and will hang back to get some more while the team returns to Houston. It's good news for the veteran, as Houston will look for him to supplement some of the production lost by the departures of third baseman Alex Bregman (Red Sox) and outfielder Kyle Tucker (Cubs). The power-hitting righty saw his home run total drop a bit in 2024, though he played in 130 games instead of the 157+ he appeared in over the prior two seasons. He's often off the boards inside the top 75 in fantasy drafts.
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Mark Shapiro Optimistic On Extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports that Toronto Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro believes the team will reach an agreement with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on an extension. "We have such a clear alignment on the desired outcome," said Shapiro. "Vlad wants to play his whole career as a Toronto Blue Jay. We want him to end his career in a Blue Jays uniform...That's a pretty good place to start." When negotiations were last reported, Vladdy Jr. and the Jays were roughly $50 million apart, as the star slugger is looking for a contract similar to that of New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto. Guerrero Jr. hit a career-high .323 last season and has not played in fewer than 156 games since the start of 2021. Whether both parties will strike a deal remains to be seen. Regardless, the 26-year-old is RotoBaller's top option at first base and should be one of the more productive bats overall in 2025.
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AJ Smith-Shawver
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Braves
