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Rotoworld

  • CWS Starting Pitcher #33
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    Drew Thorpe (elbow) received a cortisone injection last week.
    The latest development qualifies as a slight setback in Thorpe’s recovery from surgery last September to have a bone spur removed from his right elbow. “I’m hoping that kind of clears it up and we are good to go from here,” the former top pitching prospect told reporters last week at SoxFest Live before adding that he isn’t dealing with any structural issues in his surgically repaired elbow. The 24-year-old righty, who is aiming to resume throwing in early February, struggled to keep the ball in the yard last year in his first taste of the majors, coughing up eight round-trippers in just 44 1/3 innings over nine starts. His changeup is one of the nastiest in the sport and he projects to be a key component of Chicago’s rotation mix moving forward after coming over last year from the Padres in the Dylan Cease trade.
  • HOU Second Baseman #27
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    Jose Altuve will play left field during Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener.
    The Astros are proceeding full-steam ahead with the Altuve in left field experiment, which will enable them to move Yordan Alvarez to a full-time DH role. The 34-year-old veteran has played second base exclusively since 2011, but figures to be able to make the transition pretty seamlessly. Barring an unexpected reversal, it’ll likely be some combination of Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Dubón, Shay Whitcomb and possibly even top prospect Brice Matthews battling it out this spring for the starting second base role.
  • LAD Starting Pitcher #79
    Nick Frasso (shoulder, hip) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday.
    Frasso appears to be fully healthy entering spring training after missing last year following shoulder and hip surgeries. The 26-year-old righty has minor-league options remaining and figures to require some additional time at Triple-A Oklahoma City to get back up to speed following the lengthy layoff, but he could factor into the Dodgers’ pitching mix at some point in the next few months.
  • NYY Right Fielder #27
    Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Wednesday that he’s not sure when Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) will resume baseball activities.
    Not great. There hasn’t been a ton of clarity regarding an official diagnosis from the Yankees besides Stanton telling reporters that he’s dealing with a high degree of pain in both of his elbows. The 35-year-old has been plagued by physical issues throughout his career, but the fact that he hasn’t been able to swing a bat in nearly a month isn’t encouraging, especially with Opening Day on the horizon. There should be a clearer timeline from the Yankees at some point soon, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Stanton required a season-opening trip to the injured list.
  • CHC Starting Pitcher #35
    Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Justin Steele is in line to start Game 2 of the Tokyo Series on March 19 against the Dodgers.
    Steele will follow Opening Day starter Shota Imanaga and will have the distinction of facing off against Roki Sasaki when the pitching phenom makes his highly-anticipated major-league debut in the Tokyo Dome. The 29-year-old lefty made only 24 starts last year due to injury, but should be a borderline top 40 range starting pitcher in fantasy drafts this spring.
  • NYM Shortstop #12
    Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that he’s leaning towards Francisco Lindor batting leadoff with Juan Soto hitting second.
    Nothing has been finalized at this early stage of spring training, but Mendoza’s latest musing re-affirms the widely-held belief that Lindor will remain in the leadoff spot, which he did 109 times last season. Soto’s on-base and power skills make the most sense in the second spot, which should provide middle-of-the-order run producers Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos with plenty of RBI opportunities with a pair of NL MVP candidates setting the table.
  • NYM Relief Pitcher #71
    Mets signed RHP Connor Overton to a minor league contract.
    Overton didn’t pitch in the big leagues last year after posting a respectable 4.85 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 38/23 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings (18 appearances, 10 starts) from 2021-2023 between the Reds, Pirates and Blue Jays. The 31-year-old righty has some starting experience and has also pitched in relief, so he brings some added versatility to the Mets’ organizational depth at Triple-A Syracuse.
  • NYM Starting Pitcher #77
    Matt Allan (elbow) is expected to open the 2025 season with a minor-league affiliate.
    Allan was widely considered one of — if not the — best pitching prospects in the New York system, but he hasn’t been able to pitch since 2019 because of injury issues, including Tommy John surgery. The 23-year-old certainly has upside, and it wouldn’t be crazy — if maybe not probable — if he gave the Mets some innings at some point in 2025. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues can ignore Allan, but he’s a sneaky add for dynasty formats.
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #33
    White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters that Drew Thorpe (elbow) felt good after his bullpen session Tuesday.
    Thorpe threw a 20-pitch bullpen, and while he wasn’t close to full throttle — he was throwing 84-85 mph with his fastball — the important thing is he’s back on the mound and feeling well. The 24-year-old is behind the other White Sox starters, but has plenty of time to be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign.
  • BOS Third Baseman #11
    Rafael Devers is still doing separate workouts in both the infield and cage as he works to rebuild his shoulder strength.
    Much has been made of Devers having no interest in being the designated hitter after the team signed Alex Bregman, but as Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic points out, it’s been lost in the shuffle that Devers was dealing with shoulder issues during the 2024 campaign. McCaffrey notes that the team expects Devers to be ready for full-time work soon, but it’s something to keep an eye on going forward. Devers will be locked in as an excellent fantasy third baseman regardless for 2025, but adding another position like first base obviously wouldn’t hurt his value at all.
  • NYY Center Fielder #80
    Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reports that Everson Pereira (elbow) will be limited to designated hitter until the middle of march.
    Pereira underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2024 and missed the rest of that season. The 23-year-old is not long removed from being considered a potential fantasy option, and Boone did say that Pereira is a name that could see time with the Yankees by the end of the year. While there is upside in his bat, fantasy managers shouldn’t use a draft pick on Pereira even with the ability to potentially stash him on an injured list.