MLB News
Kyle Stowers Makes Opening Day Roster
Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers has made the team's Opening Day roster, reports Isaac Azout. Whether he has won the starting left-field job is yet to be known, but he should at least see some playing time as part of a platoon. He hasn't exactly shown out during Spring Training, batting just .162 with a 34.7% strikeout rate. After being traded to the Marlins at the trade deadline in 2024, he slashed .186/.282/.295 with two home runs in 50 games. He did show some positive signs in 2024, like a 51.3% hard-hit rate, but he clearly has some work to do before he becomes a relevant player for fantasy.
4 hours ago
Alec Marsh, Kyle Wright, and James McArthur Placed On 15-Day IL
Kansas City Royals pitchers Alec Marsh (shoulder), Kyle Wright (shoulder/hamstring), and James McArthur (elbow) were all officially placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday. None of these come as a surprise, with all three of them battling injuries this spring. Marsh is dealing with the most minor injury of the three, with a delay in his build-up due to tightness in his shoulder. Wright has progressed to throwing bullpens but is recovering from both an offseason shoulder surgery and a hamstring strain. McArthur is likely to miss the most time, as he is still recovering from an offseason elbow surgery and hasn't begun throwing yet.
4 hours ago
Ryan Gusto Earns Opening Day Roster Spot In Bullpen
Houston Astros pitching prospect Ryan Gusto has made the team's Opening Day roster according to manager Joe Espada. The 6-foot-4 hurler spent all of 2024 at Triple-A, posting a 3.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and a 14.1 percent K-BB% over 148 1/3 innings of work. The righty showed well enough this spring too, allowing one earned run on three hits and seven walks while striking out eight in seven-and-two-thirds innings. The former 11th-round draft pick has worked as both a starter and a reliever but is slated to begin the 2025 campaign as a reliever for the Astros. Whenever the 26-year-old pitches, it will be his major league debut, but he need not be rostered in most fantasy leagues other than deep AL-only leagues.
4 hours ago
Luke Jackson In The Mix For Saves
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Luke Jackson could be in the mix for saves in 2025. Manager Bruce Bochy said things will be "pretty close" to how he used the bullpen in Monday's 6-3 win over the Royals, where Robert Garcia pitched the 7th, Chris Martin pitched the 8th, and Jackson picked up the save in the 9th. This news comes as a surprise, with the job being primarily considered as a two-way competition between Garcia and Martin up until this point. Bochy did clarify that the roles aren't defined, so it's still likely that all three see save chances at some point. Jackson split 2024 between the Giants and Braves, where he posted a 5.09 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 59 strikeouts and 26 walks in 53 innings. It's unlikely he will become a dominant reliever in 2025, but this bullpen situation is definitely one to monitor.
4 hours ago
Isaac Paredes To Bat Second And Yordan Alvarez To Bat Third
Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes is set to bat in the two-hole entering the season, with outfielder Yordan Alvarez batting third, according to manager Joe Espada. Paredes will be looking to take advantage of the Crawford Boxes in short left field of Daikin Park and perform like the player he was in 2023 when he slashed .250/.352/.488 with 31 home runs for the Rays. He should see plenty of pitches to hit while batting in front of Alvarez, who has proven himself to be one of the best hitters in the league. He is coming off of a 2024 season where he slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 home runs, 86 RBI, and 88 runs in 147 games.
4 hours ago
Cam Smith Hits Two-Run Triple In Monday's Exhibition Contest
Houston Astros outfield prospect Cam Smith started in right field for the Astros' exhibition game on Monday against their Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, and went 1-for-3 with a two-run triple and a run scored. It was the 22-year-old's first game at Houston's home field now that the team has wrapped up Grapefruit League play, and he continued his push for an Opening Day roster spot. The 2024 first-round draft pick was fired up after the triple and manager Joe Espada was quoted as saying, "We love that, the guys really enjoy the energy and the passion. We need some of that." If the youngster can secure a spot, which seems very likely at this point, he'd be worthy of consideration for a bench spot in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.
4 hours ago
Josh Jung Leaves Game With Neck Stiffness
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung left Monday's game after two at-bats due to neck stiffness. He wanted to stay in the game according to manager Bruce Bochy, so the injury isn't expected to be serious. Jung will be looking to take a step forward in 2025 after slashing .264/.298/.421 with seven home runs, 16 RBI, and 19 runs in 46 games in a 2024 season that was derailed by a broken wrist. He showed immense power potential in 2023 when he launched 23 homers in 122 games while posting a .482 xSLG and 47.4% hard-hit rate. Still only 27 years old, he makes for a solid upside play late in fantasy drafts.
4 hours ago
Mickey Gasper Earns Opening Day Roster Spot
Minnesota Twins second base prospect Mickey Gasper was informed that he made the club's Opening Day roster. Gasper made a good impression in Grapefruit League play, going 12-for-39 (.308) with two home runs, a stolen base, and an 8:5 BB:K. Not only that, the 29-year-old is versatile, manning first base, second base, and catcher this spring for the Twins, plus he's a switch-hitter. The 2018 MLB draft pick finally made his long-awaited MLB debut last season for Boston, although he was unable to muster a hit in his 18 at-bats, so hopefully he can get that out of the way early this year. He owns a career .275/.392/.449 slash line in the minors, with a .174 ISO, .383 wOBA, and 136 wRC+. A career walk rate of 13.9 percent should translate and a 15.8 percent career strikeout rate is promising as well, however, it remains to be seen if a utility role will provide him with enough at-bats to make him fantasy-relevant, especially with super-utility player Willi Castro also still with the team.
5 hours ago
Kyle Hart Earns No. 5 Rotation Spot For Padres
San Diego Padres left-hander Kyle Hart will open the year as the team's No. 5 starting pitcher, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. Hart opened spring training with the Friars competing with right-handers Randy Vasquez and Stephen Kolek for the fifth rotation spot, but an extra spot opened up with Yu Darvish (elbow) opening the year on the injured list. Kolek was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Monday. The 32-year-old southpaw is making his return to the big leagues for the first time since 2020, when he made three starts for the Red Sox. He had a 2.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 28.8% strikeout rate an 6.0% walk rate in the Korean league in 2024 but will now be facing much better competition. Hart will have to pitch much better than he did in two spring starts (eight earned runs allowed in 7 2/3 innings) to stick around at the back end of SD's starting rotation. He's a stash candidate in NL-only formats for now.
5 hours ago
Randy Vasquez To Begin Season In Padres Starting Rotation
San Diego Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez will open the 2025 season as the team's No. 4 starter. Vasquez opened spring training this year in a competition with right-hander Stephen Kolek and left-hander Kyle Hart for the fifth rotation spot, but now that Yu Darvish (elbow) will open the year on the injured list, both Vasquez and Hart will begin in the rotation. Kolek was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Monday. The 26-year-old Dominican had a 3.38 ERA with one walk and seven strikeouts in eight innings over three Cactus League outings (two starts) this spring. Acquired as part of the Juan Soto trade last winter, Vasquez went back and forth between El Paso and the big leagues but ended up making 20 starts and posting a 4.87 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 62 K's and 29 walks in 98 innings. He should have a clearer path to stick in the rotation in 2025 with Joe Musgrove (elbow) expected to miss the entire year, but his lack of strikeout stuff limits his upside to NL-only leagues.
5 hours ago
Marcelo Mayer To Begin The Season At Triple-A Worcester
Boston Red Sox shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer will begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Worcester despite a strong spring showing. The former first-round draft pick slashed .333/.455/.528 with a home run and an 8:11 BB:K in 44 plate appearances. The left-handed slugger was cruising at Double-A last season, recording a .307/.370/.480 slash line with eight home runs and 13 stolen bases in 77 games before a back injury at the end of July would wipe out the remainder of the year. The 6-foot-3 infielder will need to wait a little longer before he makes his MLB debut. Veteran Trevor Story blocks his path at shortstop, but with Story's injury history, an opening could appear at any moment, plus Mayer had been working at third base and even second base this spring which could give him alternative paths to the majors. If Mayer starts off hot he could be one of the higher-priority prospect stashes for fantasy and has the tools to make an impact as soon as he's given the opportunity.
5 hours ago
Luis Campusano Optioned To Triple-A
The San Diego Padres optioned catcher Luis Campusano to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday. In addition to Campusano, the Padres also sent outfielder Oscar Gonzalez and infielders Tyler Wade and Mason McCoy to the minors as they trim their roster down ahead of Opening Day this Thursday against the visiting Atlanta Braves. Campusano, a former second-rounder in 2017, opened as last year's starting catcher but then got injured and never recovered, while Kyle Higashioka proceeded to have a career year. Higashioka is now in Texas, but Campusano hit just .214 (6-for-28) with a homer and four RBI in 14 Cactus League games and will begin the year as the club's third catcher in the minor leagues behind Elias Diaz and veteran Martin Maldonado. There's still pop in his bat, but the inability to make more consistent contact has hurt him. For now, he's off the fantasy radar in all leagues.
6 hours ago
Chase Meidroth To Begin Season At Triple-A Charlotte
Chicago White Sox infield prospect Chase Meidroth will not make the Opening Day roster and will begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Charlotte. The former fourth-round draft pick was in camp as a non-roster invitee but was only able to muster six hits in 39 at-bats (.154), although he did display a patient approach with a 9:10 BB:K. The right-handed hitter slashed .293/.437/.400 last season in 122 games at Triple-A, belting seven home runs and stealing 13 bases along the way. The most impressive thing, however, was his exemplary 18.8 percent walk rate compared to just a 12.7 percent strikeout rate. With another showing like that, there's a good chance we'll see the 23-year-old in Chicago sometime later this season, although he doesn't fit the profile of a must-stash for fantasy. With Colson Montgomery optioned as well, it looks like Jacob Amaya is the front-runner for starting shortstop, although Brooks Baldwin, Nick Maton, and Tristan Gray remain in the mix.
6 hours ago
Brandon Lockridge Expected To Platoon With Jason Heyward
San Diego Padres outfielder Brandon Lockridge has been told he will make the Opening Day roster, and he's expected to platoon in left field with Jason Heyward to begin the season, according to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. Lockridge, who bats right-handed, will be on the short side of the platoon with Heyward, primarily entering the starting lineup when the Friars face a left-handed starting pitcher. The 28-year-old earned a spot on the Opening Day roster by hitting .364 with seven stolen bases and two RBI in 20 Cactus League games this spring. He made his big-league debut in 2024 with SD but appeared in just 12 games, going 2-for-12 with a homer, RBI and two stolen bases. Lockridge's main draw is his speed -- he stole 50 bags in the majors and minors with the Padres and Yankees in 2024 -- but because his playing time will be limited, he's mainly an asset for his speed in NL-only fantasy leagues.
6 hours ago
Dedniel Nunez Optioned To Triple-A
New York Mets right-hander Dedniel Nunez (forearm), who was one of the team's best relievers in 2024, was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. Nunez missed the entire second half of last year with a pronator strain in his right forearm, and as a result, he didn't make his Grapefruit League debut until mid-March as a precaution. The 28-year-old simply ran out of time to get the work in needed to be included on the Opening Day roster, but he'll be eligible to join the big-league bullpen on April 11. Nunez struck out 48 batters in 35 innings with a 2.31 ERA and nine holds in his major-league debut last year. If his forearm injury is truly behind him in 2025, Nunez will return to a high-leverage relief role at the back end of the Mets' bullpen and could be first in line for save chances if Edwin Diaz misses time with an injury.
6 hours ago
J.J. Wetherholt Assigned To Double-A Springfield
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect J.J. Wetherholt has been assigned to Double-A Springfield to begin the 2025 season. The 22-year-old earned a non-roster invite to spring camp and while there were some things he did well, it wasn't enough to make the big league club. The left-handed hitter went just 2-for-20 (.100) but did hit one home run, stole three bases, and walked more than he struck out (6:5 BB:K). The 2024 first-round draft pick spent all 29 games he played last season at Single-A, slashing .295/.405/.400 with a 16:15 BB:K. With a strong season, he'll no doubt ascend to Triple-A and a 2025 MLB debut is certainly a possibility. Possessing a keen eye at the plate and a solid power-speed profile, he could make an impact as soon as he gets the call so fantasy managers will want to keep tabs on his progression.
6 hours ago
Thomas Harrington Won't Make Opening Day Roster
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on Monday that right-handed pitching prospect Thomas Harrington will not be on the team's Opening Day roster. Harrington was an option to open the year as the team's fifth starter with Jared Jones (elbow) injured, but that job will go to right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski early on. Harrington, the Pirates' No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Indianapolis with Bubba Chandler, the club's top prospect. Going into his final spring outing on Monday, the 23-year-old Harrington had a 2.70 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with five K's and three walks in three Grapefruit League appearances. When Harrington does eventually make his big-league debut (likely this year), he'll be overshadowed by the likes of Paul Skenes and Chandler, but he has excellent command and good stuff and could quickly become relevant in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.
6 hours ago
Carmen Mlodzinski To Open As No. 5 Starter
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski will open the year as the team's fifth starter. Even with Jared Jones (elbow) starting the year on the injured list, neither Thomas Harrington nor Bubba Chandler will open the 2025 season in Pittsburgh's starting rotation, but we'll see how long Mlodzinski can hold them off. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much from the 26-year-old Mlodzinski, who didn't have a single traditional start for the Bucs in his 40 appearances a season ago. He went 5-5 with a 3.38 ERA (3.36 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and 19 walks in 50 2/3 innings pitched. Mlodzinski was a reliable reliever for Pittsburgh last year after opening the season with an elbow injury, but he's displayed a modest strikeout rate and probably isn't anything more than a short-term option for the back of the team's starting rotation.
7 hours ago
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Makes Opening Day Roster
Minnesota Twins outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. has been informed that he has made the team's Opening Day roster. Keirsey beats out former first-rounder Austin Martin for the team's last outfield spot to open the regular season. The 27-year-old former fourth-rounder in 2018 out of the University of Utah made his MLB debut in 2024 but went only 2-for-13 with a homer and RBI in six games for Minnesota. He hit .275 with a home run and three stolen bases in Grapefruit League action and can play all three outfield spots. However, barring injuries, Keirsey isn't going to see much playing time for the Twins and can be ignored in all mixed fantasy leagues in 2025. Like Martin, speed is Keirsey's best asset, but playing time will be difficult to come by, and he doesn't feature much power.
7 hours ago
Austin Martin Optioned To Triple-A
Minnesota Twins outfielder Austin Martin was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Betsy Helfand. Martin lost out on the final outfield spot on the Opening Day roster to DaShawn Keirsey after hitting .275 (11-for-40) with two doubles, five RBI, three stolen bases and seven runs scored in 16 Grapefruit League games. Because of his defensive versatility, the 26-year-old can also fill in at second base, he's likely to return to the big leagues at some point in 2025 as utility depth for the Twins. However, the former first-rounder (fifth overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020 out of Vanderbilt hasn't lived up to the hype offensively after appearing in 93 games in his rookie season in 2024, hitting .253 (59-for-233) with only one homer, 16 RBI and seven stolen bases. There's some speed potential here, but Martin's lack of power and a clear defensive home makes him avoidable in most fantasy leagues.
7 hours ago
Kyle Stowers
• LF
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Marlins
