MLB Player News

A late-season cameo is looking pretty unlikely here. Whisenhunt, who missed time in July and August with an undisclosed injury, has a 5.94 ERA in four starts since joining Sacramento. He’s also not someone who needs to be added to the 40-man this winter, so the Giants have some extra incentive not to promote him.

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.

Holliday has already resumed throwing after having his stitches removed earlier this week. The 22-year-old former top prospect underwent surgery earlier this month to remove the hamate bone from his right wrist. He’s targeting a return to Baltimore’s lineup at some point in mid-to-late April. It’ll be some combination of Jeremiah Jackson and newly-acquired Blaze Alexander filling in at the keystone during his absence.

McGonigle hasn’t generated the stratospheric hype from fantasy managers as Pirates phenom Konnor Griffin since the start of spring training. Yet, he possesses one of the most advanced hit tools of any prospect in recent memory with the ability to consistently generate upper-echelon exit velocities. The 21-year-old top prospect recorded a pair of 108-mph exit velocities during Friday’s game against the Phillies and continues to make a strong impression. Simply put, his bat is too potent to remain in the minors for much longer, even if he doesn’t break camp on Detroit’s season-opening roster.

It appears to be a precautionary decision by the Marlins to have Stowers undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue with roughly one month left until Opening Day. The power-hitting 28-year-old put together a breakout campaign in his full-season Miami debut last year, slashing 288/.386/.544 with 25 homers in 117 games. There should be an additional update on his status at some point this weekend.

Simpson went 1-for-2 on Friday in his spring debut against the Blue Jays following a brief absence at the outset of Grapefruit League action due to left hamstring tightness. It’s an ongoing situation that fantasy managers should keep a close eye on, especially since hamstring issues can be recurring issues if not managed properly. The 25-year-old speedster stole 44 bases in 109 games last year as a rookie and will be one of the most coveted steals threats in fantasy drafts this spring.

Thomson’s updated ramp-up timeline puts Wheeler in line to potentially make his season debut on April 9, barring any setbacks. The 35-year-old former fantasy ace completed his first bullpen session since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery earlier this week and is scheduled to throw another one later this weekend. Fantasy managers should anticipate the Phillies approaching his build-up with an abundance of caution. However, it sounds like he’ll be ready to rejoin Philadelphia’s rotation from a pitch count and stamina standpoint at some point in early-to-mid April. The big question is how his stuff responds once he progresses to facing hitters in game situations coming off a major surgical procedure. He’s been going off the board 146th overall, on average, in early NFBC drafts since February 1.

After spending the offseason at the epicenter of trade discussions, Paredes remains with the Astros with Opening Day rapidly approaching. The 27-year-old infielder’s path to everyday at-bats remains challenging with Carlos Correa taking over at the hot corner and Christian Walker locked in at first base. He was on his way to the best season of his career during his Astros debut last season before suffering a hamstring tear that cost him most of the final two-plus months. His pull-centered offensive approach makes him a perfect fit for Daikin Park but he’ll need to expand his defensive versatility to have any shot at playing regularly this season.