MLB News
Kevin Pillar Makes Opening Day Roster
Texas Rangers outfielder Kevin Pillar will make the Opening Day roster. Shawn McFarland of the Dallas News reported that Pillar will likely be deployed as the designated hitter or in center field against left-handed pitching. Pillar inked a minor-league deal with the Rangers during the offseason. Last season, the 36-year-old spent time in the majors (100 games) split between the White Sox and Angels. Across this stint, he posted a .229/.291/.377 slash line with 16 doubles and eight long balls. While he posted a modest .173/.250/.292 line against right-handed pitching, Pillar performed quite well against southpaws, posting a strong .310/.352/.500 slash line. Fantasy managers in deeper AL-only formats should consider targeting Pillar when he faces southpaws, as he could carry value as a streaming option.
1 hour ago
Jordan Montgomery Will Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery (elbow) is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. During camp, Montgomery logged just three innings of work and allowed five earned runs and held a 3:2 BB:K. During the early part of the offseason, Montgomery was dealing with a strain in his left index finger. However, with this new injury, fantasy managers should expect Montgomery to remain sidelined for the entire 2025 campaign and potentially most of the 2026 season as well. Last offseason, the Diamondbacks signed the southpaw after he won a World Series with the Texas Rangers. However, his debut season in the desert was underwhelming as he posted a high 6.23 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP across 117 innings of work. Montgomery was set to be deployed out of the bullpen in 2025. However, with him now sitting out, this could potentially open up a larger role for Ryne Nelson, who also fell short of his rotation bid.
1 hour ago
Angels Release Mickey Moniak
The Los Angeles Angels have released outfielder Mickey Moniak. The 26-year-old posted an underwhelming .179/.224/.346 slash line with one double and two home runs across 21 contests during spring training. Last season, Moniak logged a career-high 124 contests with the Angels and posted a .219/.266/.380 slash line with 17 doubles and 14 home runs. He swiped eight bags. However, he generated a poor .283 xwOBA, which placed him in the 13th percentile among qualified hitters. Moniak also drew walks at a low 5.0 percent rate and struck out at a hefty 27.3 percent rate. The 26-year-old was originally drafted with the first overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft but has yet to take the next step in the major leagues. With Moniak off the roster, fantasy managers should expect Jo Adell to be the everyday center fielder in Los Angeles.
1 hour ago
Kumar Rocker Opening Season In Rotation
Texas Rangers starting pitching prospect Kumar Rocker has earned a role in the starting rotation. Rocker was competing for a spot during camp. During spring training, the Vanderbilt product tossed nine innings and held a 13.00 ERA with a 2.33 WHIP. However, over his final start, Rocker turned the corner as he tallied eight punchouts across four 2/3 innings of two-run ball. Fellow top prospect Jack Leiter also earned a spot in the rotation with Cody Bradford (elbow) and Jon Gray (wrist) sidelined. Rocker made his brief MLB debut last summer and held a 3.86 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP across 11 2/3 innings. In the minor leagues, Rocker posted a strong 1.96 ERA and a stellar 0.79 WHIP across 36 2/3 cumulative innings across Double and Triple-A. Given his prospect pedigree and success in the upper levels of the minor leagues, Rocker is worth adding in all 12-team formats as a high-upside starting pitcher.
1 hour ago
Jack Leiter Earns Starting Role
Texas Rangers starting pitching prospect Jack Leiter has earned a spot in the starting rotation. The former No. 2 overall selection made his MLB debut last summer and will look to take the next step in his development. During his first 35 2/3 innings in the majors, the Vanderbilt product posted a high 8.83 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP. He tallied 31 punchouts and allowed walks at a high 9.8 percent rate. During spring training, Leiter tossed 20 2/3 innings to the tune of a 3.48 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. He tallied 21 punchouts and served up 10 free passes. While he has struggled to command his pitches, the right-hander has flashed elite strikeout upside. Last season, Leiter tallied an impressive 110 punchouts across just 77 innings of work at the Triple-A level. He is worth taking a flyer on in deeper formats due to his elite swing-and-miss potential.
1 hour ago
Dane Dunning Outrighted To Triple-A
Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Round Rock. The Rangers placed Dunning on waivers earlier this week and will begin his 2025 campaign at the top level of the minor leagues. Dunning was competing for a spot in the starting rotation but ultimately fell short. During spring training, the 30-year-old struggled as he served up a high 8.18 ERA with a 1.91 WHIP across 11 innings of work. He held a 4:14 BB:K and allowed four long balls. Last season, Dunning appeared in 26 games (15 starts) and logged 95 innings to the tune of a 5.31 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP. He tallied 91 punchouts and allowed walks at a high 9.5 percent rate. In addition, Dunning also generated a high 45.8 percent hard-hit rate. With Dunning starting the season in Triple-A, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter will have a spot in the rotation.
1 hour ago
Evan Carter Optioned To Triple-A
Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter did not make the Opening Day roster and is being optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. Carter made his MLB debut during the 2023 campaign and played a critical role during their World Series run. Across his first 23 games in the majors, Carter posted a strong .306/.413/.645 slash line with four doubles and five home runs. During the postseason, he continued to produce as he held a strong .300/.417/.500 line. However, in 2024, Carter dealt with a lingering back injury, which eventually cut his season short after just 45 contests. During spring training, Carter struggled as he posted an underwhelming .154/.214/.205 slash line. Fantasy managers should expect Carter to compete for an early return to the big leagues, especially if he finds his footing at the top level of the minor leagues. In Texas, Leody Taveras will likely see most of the opportunities in center field to start the season.
1 hour ago
Drew Waters, Joey Wiemer Optioned To Minor-League Camp
The Kansas City Royals optioned outfielders Drew Waters and Joey Wiemer and infielder Nick Loftin to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday, the team announced. The team also announced that infielders Harold Castro and Tyler Tolbert, right-hander Taylor Clarke and catcher Brian O'Keefe have been assigned to minor-league camp. With Waters and Wiemer going down, it means that Dairon Blanco and Mark Canha will be the team's backup outfielders to start the 2025 regular season. Waters really struggled this spring, going 6-for-32 (.188) with three doubles, two triples, four RBI, two steals and 18 strikeouts in 19 Cactus League games. Wiemer is being sent down despite a hot spring showing that saw him post an .838 OPS with two home runs, two doubles, nine RBI and three stolen bases in 21 contests.
2 hours ago
Cavan Biggio Expected To Make Opening Day Roster
Kansas City Royals utility man Cavan Biggio is expected to break camp with the team, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Biggio is starting at first base for Tuesday's exhibition game against the Texas Rangers and should then be selected to the 40-man roster to round out the team's bench. The 29-year-old could be an option to see some playing time at first base in KC if Vinnie Pasquantino (hamstring) opens the year on the injured list. Otherwise, he'll be a bench option for the Royals in his first year with the team. Biggio played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves last year and hit a combined .197/.314/.303 with a .617 OPS, five home runs and 19 RBI in 78 games played. At best, he's a bench stash in deep AL-only leagues, but he just hasn't lived up to the hype as a former top prospect of the Blue Jays.
2 hours ago
White Sox Release Dan Altavilla
The Chicago White Sox announced on Tuesday that they have released right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla. He will hit the open market despite pitching to a 2.79 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 9 2/3 relief innings in the Cactus League this spring. The 32-year-old veteran will now look to latch on with another organization for the start of the 2025 season, most likely on a minor-league deal. Altavilla spent the 2024 campaign with the Kansas City Royals but only managed to make five major-league appearances (one start) while allowing six earned runs, walking three and striking out five in 3 2/3 frames. The former fifth-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2014 out of Mercyhurst University has a career 4.36 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 134:63 K:BB and one save in 119 2/3 innings over seven years with three different teams.
2 hours ago
Randy Dobnak To Be On Opening Day Roster
Minnesota Twins right-handed reliever Randy Dobnak will take the open spot in the team's bullpen and will be on the Opening Day roster for Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the road, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale. Dobnak was initially sent to the minors in camp, but injuries to Brock Stewart (hamstring) and Michael Tonkin (shoulder) have opened up a spot for the 30-year-old veteran in the big-league bullpen to open the year. In his fourth year with the Twins in 2024, Dobnak held a 5.59 ERA (4.61 FIP) and 1.65 WHIP with seven strikeouts and five walks in only 9 2/3 relief innings at the big-league level. A finger injury that required surgery derailed his career, and he didn't pitch in the majors at all in 2022 or 2023. Dobnak will need to improve his control if he wants to stick around once Stewart and Tonkin come off the injured list.
2 hours ago
Javier Baez An Option In Center Field
With injuries to Detroit Tigers outfielders Austin Meadows (arm), Matt Vierling (shoulder) and Wenceel Perez (back), the team's plans at center field remain a question mark heading into Opening Day on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Detroit recently signed veteran Manuel Margot, but manager A.J. Hinch indicated the tam plans to use him mostly in a corner-outfield spot. Riley Greene, Ryan Kreidler and Javier Baez are all options to see time in center field to begin the season. Baez started a spring training game in center on Saturday, but he has appeared in the outfield in the majors just four times in his 11-year career. The 32-year-old Puerto Rican infielder has tanked offensively since joining the Tigers in 2022, culminating in a poor .184/.221/.294 slash line with a .516 OPS, six homers, 37 RBI and eight steals in 80 games last year. Fantasy managers can continue to avoid Baez in mixed leagues.
2 hours ago
Austin Wells Will Hit Leadoff On Thursday
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday that catcher Austin Wells will hit leadoff on Opening Day on Thursday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Freddy Peralta. Wells has been hitting leadoff against right-handers in Grapefruit League play this spring and has been swinging a hot bat, going 16-for-43 (.372) with six home runs, two doubles, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored in 15 spring games. The 25-year-old former first-rounder (28th overall) in 2020 out of the University of Arizona will surely be hitting lower in the batting order against lefties, but opening the year as the team's leadoff hitter is surely a boost to his fantasy value in 2025. In his first full season in the Bronx in 2024, Wells slashed .229/.322/.395 with a .718 OPS, 13 homers and 55 RBI in 115 games. Fantasy managers should consider him a low-end No. 1 starting catcher.
2 hours ago
Corey Seager Still Out On Tuesday
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (calf) is out of the team's exhibition contest on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals for the second straight day after he was held out on Monday due to a minor calf injury. Manager Bruce Bochy said on Monday that he's not worried, but this does raise some concern about Seager's status for Opening Day on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox. Josh Smith is starting at shortstop and batting seventh against KC on Tuesday. Seager, a 30-year-old former first-rounder, has always had injury concerns, dating back to his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has played over 150 games with the Rangers once in his three seasons with the team, but it hasn't kept him from reaching the 30-homer mark in each of the last three years. The five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time World Series MVP is still a top-10 fantasy shortstop.
3 hours ago
Josh Jung Returns To Tuesday's Lineup Against Royals
As expected, Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (neck) is back at third base and is batting fifth in Tuesday's exhibition contest against the Kansas City Royals. As a precautionary measure, Jung was pulled early from Monday's game against the Royals due to neck stiffness, but the fact that he's back in action a day later means he will be fine for Opening Day on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox. The 27-year-old former eighth overall pick in 2019 out of Texas Tech is a big injury risk for fantasy managers, but he has plenty of power upside in a good lineup after he hit 23 homers and drove in 70 in just 122 games in his first full major-league season in 2023. Jung struggled at the plate in Cactus League action, going 10-for-49 (.204) with a homer, two doubles, an RBI and 16 strikeouts in 20 games played.
3 hours ago
Robbie Ray Finishes Strong Spring
San Franciso Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray pitched five strong innings on Tuesday to pick up a win in the Giants' 6-4 victory over the Tigers. Ray has only been available for eight starts over the last two seasons but showed good potential in his seven starts last season, going 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 4.96 FIP but posting an impressive 12.6 K/9. The 2021 AL Cy Young winner has also looked sharp this spring, allowing just four earned runs in five starts for a 1.86 ERA. He racked up 23 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings, highlighted by an eight-strikeout performance against the Rangers. Ray has shown he can be good enough when healthy to be a mixed-league option coming into the season. He'll face the Reds on the road in a less-than-ideal matchup next week, but he's definitely someone to watch early in the season.
4 hours ago
Luke Jackson Earns The Save On Tuesday
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Luke Jackson closed out the team's 6-3 victory over the Royals on Tuesday night, earning a save with a perfect ninth inning. Chris Martin pitched the eighth inning in what could be a preview of how the Rangers will line up their bullpen to start the season. Both pitchers were very effective, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts each. Jackson allowed just two hits and one walk in six scoreless innings this spring, picking up nine strikeouts and making a strong case to be the team's closer to start the season.
4 hours ago
Graham Pauley Will Start At 3B On Tuesday
Miami Marlins third baseman Graham Pauley was optioned to Triple-A last week, but he'll start for the Marlins in Tuesday's spring training game against the Yankees. Pauley's outlook to start the year has changed with news that Connor Norby (oblique) will miss four weeks with an oblique strain. The Marlins acquired the 24-year-old left-handed hitter from the Padres as part of the Tanner Scott trade last July. In 113 minor-league games in 2024, Pauley hit .229 with 14 home runs and seven stolen bases to go with a .331 wOBA. He had a strong spring with a .269 batting average, two stolen bases, and a .309 wOBA. The team hasn't announced a roster move to coincide with Norby's expected trip to the injured list, but Pauley could be part of the solution at the hot corner to start the season, along with Eric Wagaman and Jonah Bride, who were already expected to make the roster.
4 hours ago
Connor Norby Will Miss About Four Weeks
Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby (oblique) was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left-oblique strain, according to manager Clayton McCullough, and will miss about four weeks. Norby hit a triple on Saturday and hurt himself on the swing, although an awkward slide into third base could have made the issue worse. Last season, Norby hit .236 with nine home runs and a .316 wOBA after arriving in Miami from the Orioles via trade. The 24-year-old was one of the Marlins' most promising bats coming into the year, but now the start of his season will be delayed until at least late April. Jonah Bride and Eric Wagaman could each get playing time at 3B while Norby recovers, and calling up prospect Graham Pauley could also be a solution after he was optioned last week.
4 hours ago
DJ Herz Placed On The Injured List
Nationals left-hander DJ Herz (elbow) will begin the season on the 15-day injured list with a UCL sprain. Herz was optioned to Triple-A Rochester last Friday after dealing with a "dead arm" this spring. He showed a high ceiling with a 10.7 K/9 in 88 2/3 innings with the Nats last year with a 4.16 ERA and 3.71 FIP. This spring, though, his velocity was down, and he managed just four strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings while walking nine and giving up nine runs. Hopefully, this injury explains his issues, and when he recovers, he'll be back to full strength. That could be a while, though, since he'll have to be shut down and then ramp back up. He still has long-term potential, but going on the IL moves any potential impact to later in the season.
4 hours ago
Kevin Pillar
• CF
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Rangers
