MLB Player News

Castro represents the lone position player shipped out to minor league camp in the latest batch of Phillies cuts. There are a handful of notable relief options sent packing here with Vespi, McMillion, Zuniga, Cuas and Kuhnel all likely to get chances in Philadelphia as middle relief depth. Aoyagi pitched well in three spring appearances after signing a minor-league contract with the Phillies. He’ll open the year back at Triple-A Lehigh Valley as extra depth.

Garabito was optioned to the minors last week, but apparently the Rangers have decided to reverse course. The 29-year-old righty compiled a respectable 4.78 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 22/12 K/BB ratio across 26 1/3 innings of work last year at the highest level. He’ll operate in middle relief situations for Texas.

Mears was extremely sick last week and will need some extra time to ramp back up before making his season debut. It doesn’t sound like he’ll require a lengthy absence, but the Brewers are going to have to carry another middle reliever on their season-opening roster.

The temporomandibular joint involves the ligaments and muscles that connect the base of the skull to the lower jaw, which is where Dezenzo was struck by a ground ball while attempting a diving play at first base during Tuesday’s game against the Nationals. Astros manager Joe Espada said afterwards that Dezenzo has been cleared for a concussion and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday to determine how long he’ll wind up sidelined. It’s a tough break for the 24-year-old first baseman who has been playing extremely well this spring.

Mountcastle projects as one of the primary beneficiaries of the Orioles making hitter-friendly alterations to the left-field wall at Camden Yards. We’re not forecasting a massive power spike, but a return to the 20-homer mark seems much more attainable than it did during Baltimore’s dreaded “Walltimore” era.

Bichette has put together a phenomenal spring so far, batting .366 (15-for-41) with four homers and one steal. The 27-year-old shortstop feels like an obvious bounce-back candidate for fantasy purposes following last year’s injury-marred campaign, especially since he’s slated to hit free agency at the end of the year. The stolen bases probably aren’t coming back, but he could easily hit somewhere in the .280 range with 20-plus homers.

It feels strange to imply that Cower might be underrated from a fantasy standpoint after finishing second last year in AL Rookie of the Year balloting. The 24-year-old outfielder has been tearing the cover off the ball this spring and it doesn’t feel unrealistic to forecast him for 20-plus homers along with double-digit stolen bases, especially with Baltimore making hitter-friendly chances in left field. He feels like an excellent value as a borderline top-40 outfielder in most fantasy drafts.

Povich laid any doubts to rest in his likely penultimate spring outing, scattering three walks over five hitless frames against a fully-loaded Toronto lineup featuring their complete assortment of big leaguers. He’s a strong bet to break camp in Baltimore’s starting rotation, especially after this latest performance. The 24-year-old lefty figures to go undrafted in most leagues, but he’s worth keeping on fantasy manager’s radar screens as a potential early-season steaming option.

Williams struck out six and didn’t hand out a free pass. The 32-year-old veteran figures to take the ball for Washington’s second regular-season contest next Saturday against the Phillies, but that’s not official yet. His fantasy appeal is strictly limited to deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats.

Arrighetti took over following a scoreless opening frame from Lance McCullers Jr. and was a bit all over the place. He piled up four strikeouts, but also walked four batters and uncorked a wild pitch. The 25-year-old righty has punched out 15 over 12 1/3 innings of work this spring, but it’s fair to wonder if control issues put a lid on his realistic fantasy ceiling. He’s a borderline top-50 starting pitcher for fantasy purposes entering the regular season.

McCullers toed the rubber for the first time in a big-league setting since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. He touched 93 mph with his four-seam fastball and needed just 13 pitches to navigate a scoreless frame. The 31-year-old righty is far from a sure bet to stay remotely healthy after dealing with elbow issues for the last two years, but he’s on track to potentially return to Houston’s rotation at some point in late April or early May.