MLB Player News

It’s a tough break for Felipe as he’ll lose his spot on Oakland’s 40-man roster while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 26-year-old righty underwent the season-ending procedure earlier this week and won’t return until the 2025 campaign.

Báez has not played third base since 2019, so this is a noteworthy move just two weeks out from the regular season. The veteran is hitting .250/.368/.563 in 19 plate appearances this spring with a 4/3 K/BB ratio. He has played himself into consideration for a starting job again since Trey Sweeney is also hitting just .250 this spring with a 7/3 K/BB ratio. The Tigers may be looking for a way to get both of them on the field, which could be bad news for Jace Jung, who had seemed like the favorite to start at third base with Matt Vierling (rotator cuff) out.

Pérez was supposed to return to game action on Wednesday, but now it seems like Saturday could be the earliest we will see him back out on the field. He has not played since March 2nd, which means he’s missed at least 11 games with lower back tightness. With Parker Meadows also sidelined by a nerve issue in his right arm, it looks like the Tigers might have to play Kerry Carpenter and Zach McKinstry in the outfield to start the season and use Spencer Torkelson as their regular designated hitter.

The fact that Giolito has not been shut down from throwing is a great sign. He is awaiting further word from the training staff on his next step, but that will probably be a max-effort bullpen session to ensure that his hamstring responds well. There is still time for him to get back into spring training games, but considering he was making his first start on Tuesday when he got hurt, it might be more likely that Giolito spend the first few weeks of the season on the IL until he can ramp up to at least five innings of work.

Nimmo had missed 13 the last 13 days after getting a gel injection in his knee. With two weeks to go until opening day, things are looking promising for Nimmo to start the season in the outfield and hit in the middle of the Mets lineup. We’ll have to see how his knee responds in the next few days to confirm that.

With Opening Day just two weeks away, that means McNeil will start the season on the IL. It’s a tough blow for the veteran who was hoping to rebound from a down 2024 season. This could open up an opportunity for Luisangel Acuna or Brett Baty to see starts at second base at the beginning of the season; although, Baty has rarely played any second base this spring so it seems unlikely he’d play there in a regular season game.

Covey latched on with the Braves last month as a non-roster invitee and will presumably head to Triple-A Gwinnett as extra organizational relief depth, unless he opts-out of his contract. The 33-year-old journeyman made 29 appearances between the Dodgers and Phillies back in 2023. He missed last season due to a shoulder injury.

Casas took Twins starter Joe Ryan deep in the opening frame for his first round-tripper of the spring. The 25-year-old former top prospect was derailed last season by a rib injury, which cost him nearly four months. The talent is undeniable and it’s not a stretch to forecast a leap into the 30-homer range, if he stays mostly healthy. The lingering durability concerns push him a bit lower into the top 10-12 range at first base from a fantasy standpoint in drafts this spring.

Anthony returned to Boston’s lineup for the first time in nearly two weeks after losing roughly 10 pounds due to illness. The 20-year-old outfielder is one of the top prospects in the entire fantasy landscape. He’ll most likely open the year back at Triple-A Worcester, but should arrive at Fenway Park by the All-Star break, if not sooner.

Matthews experienced a meteoric rise last year, racing through three minor-league levels to reach the big-leagues by mid-August. The 24-year-old righty’s control-oriented approach was exploited by major-league hitters during his nine-start cameo with the Twins, but he’s looked extremely sharp this spring, reeling off 9 1/3 scoreless frames with 12 strikeouts. He was sitting 96-97 mph during Wednesday evening’s relief outing and his stuff figures to play up in shorter bursts out of the bullpen. He’ll most likely make Minnesota’s season-opening roster as a long relief weapon.

The encouraging development from a fantasy standpoint here is that Ryan piled up five strikeouts during Wednesday’s Grapefruit League nightcap and has looked healthy this spring in his return from last August’s teres major strain in his right shoulder. The 28-year-old is a top-30 range starting pitcher from a fantasy perspective in drafts this spring.