MLB Player News

Montgomery is off the shelf and will start Tuesday’s game against the Royals. The 6-foot-6 southpaw has not had much success in 2024 with a 6.44 ERA and 1.68 WHIP over 65 2/3 innings, and he’s a risky option against the Kansas City lineup in his first start back after missing time with knee inflammation.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters Lowe, who has been plagued by oblique issues the past two seasons with the Rays, is being given a few additional days off from Cactus League action out of an abundance of caution due to side discomfort. The fact that these have been recurring problems for Lowe in the past makes it a situation fantasy managers should be monitoring closely in the run up to next month’s season opener. There should be some additional clarity on his status if he’s unable to return to spring contests in the near future.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Saturday that there are no immediate plans for Bieber to progress to throwing off a mound. The 30-year-old starter appears poised to open the regular season on the injured list and remains without a definitive timetable to make his season debut. It’s challenging to take Bieber with anything more than a speculative late-round selection in fantasy drafts this spring given the massive concerns regarding his workload.

Schneider added that Yesavage could be limited to three or four innings per-start at the outset of the regular season as part of a deliberate ramp-up process. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect accumulated 139 2/3 innings last year in his professional debut across five levels, including the postseason, after topping out at just 93 1/3 in his final collegiate campaign. The Blue Jays are clearly prioritizing his late-season availability, which means fantasy managers should expect some abbreviated April outings. It seems highly unlikely he’ll eclipse the 150-inning mark, which relatively few starters are anyways these days.

Hader remains without a definitive timetable to return as Houston’s closer, which opens the door for elite high-leverage specialist Bryan Abreu to open the season in the ninth-inning role. The 31-year-old southpaw has been working his way back from biceps inflammation that cropped up earlier this month and should progress to throwing a bullpen session in the near future. He’s a virtual lock to open the year on the injured list, which has caused his fantasy stock to crater in re-draft formats.

It doesn’t sound like the Astros are overly concerned after Meyers was scratched from Friday’s Grapefruit League contest with back spasms. The 29-year-old center fielder should be up and running again early next week.

Heyman adds that a deal isn’t done yet. It sounds like there is interest from both parties since Marte makes sense for Kansas City as a right-handed complement to slugging corner outfielder Jac Caglianone and center fielder Kyle Isbel. We’ll have updates on the developing situation as they unfold. The 37-year-old veteran spent the last four seasons with the Mets and hit .270/.335/.410 with nine homers and seven steals in 98 games this past season in a part-time role.

It’s a relief for fantasy managers after Basallo was removed from Thursday’s spring contest following a home-plate collision. The 21-year-old top prospect has been diagnosed with right side abdominal discomfort but doesn’t appear to be dealing with an oblique-related issue. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring the situation but early indications are that he managed to avoid serious injury.

Robert has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League contest this spring after coming over from the White Sox in a three-player swap last month. The 28-year-old will open the regular season as New York’s starting center fielder following back-to-back injury-marred campaigns. The health question marks aren’t going away, but Robert projects as a reasonable 20-homer, 30-steal threat for fantasy purposes, even in a truncated campaign.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker told reporters Jung will be shut down from baseball activities for the next 10 days before he’s potentially cleared to return. The 28-year-old third baseman should have enough time to recover and still be ready in time for Opening Day. His fantasy appeal is strictly limited to AL-only formats given his health issues in recent years.

“It doesn’t look great,” Cora added ominously. It sounds like surgery is a potential outcome for Rodgers, who is evaluating his options after undergoing both an MRI and CT scan earlier this week. The 29-year-old suffered the shoulder injury earlier this week and is likely facing an extended absence, even if he avoids going under the knife. He’s undergone labrum surgery on both shoulders previously in his career. He was in Red Sox camp as a non-roster invitee battling for a bench role.