MLB Player News

A former eighth-round draft pick by the Mets in 2021, Vasil didn’t have a good enough spring training for the Rays to justify keeping him after they selected him in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. The White Sox decided to take him, though. Chicago moved Prelander Berroa to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

The move is retroactive to March 24th, but Burr has not yet begun throwing. It’s unclear when he will return to the Blue Jays bullpen.

In non-medical terms, that means Swanson is dealing with nerve irritation in his elbow. He has already begun throwing, and the move is retroactive to March 24th, so he could return in less than two weeks if he continues to recover well.

It will be Wagner getting the first shot at the designated hitter role against right-handed pitching. The 26-year-old slashed .305/.337/.451 in 86 MLB plate appearances last year with two home runs. He doesn’t hit for a ton of power, but he does make a lot of contact, so he should sport a high batting average with a chance to drive in a few runs if George Springer and Alejandro Kirk can get on base ahead of him. We expected Davis Schneider to replace Wagner in the lineup when a left-handed starter is on the mound.

Well, OK. We knew Giménez would be starting at second base, but it’s a bit of a surprise to see a hitter with a .715 career OPS batting cleanup. Perhaps the Blue Jays are more comfortable with Giménez stealing bases when the middle of the order isn’t batting behind him. That’s the glass half full way of looking at it. This new spot in the lineup will help with his RBI totals, but should hurt his overall runs scored.

The 25-year-old rookie made the team with a strong spring training and now seems to be a regular starter against right-handed pitching. He will hit ninth, which will limit his counting stats upside, but Roden slashed .293/.391/.475 in 125 minor league games last year with 16 home runs and 14 steals, so there is some immediate deep league viability here. The rest of the Blue Jays lineup is: Bo Bichette SS, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B, Anthony Santander LF, Andres Giménez 2B, Alejandro Kirk C, George Springer CF, Will Wagner DH, Ernie Clement 3B, Alan Roden RF.

With Spencer Steer (shoulder) still unable to throw and Will Benson sent to Triple-A, it looks like Lux will get the first shot to be the regular left fielder against right-handed pitching and his spot in the middle of the order could make for solid RBI value. That means Jeimer Candelario will also get to be in the starting lineup at third base, with Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first. The Reds full Opening Day lineup is: TJ Friedl CF, Matt McLain 2B, Elly De La Cruz SS, Gavin Lux LF, Jeimer Candelario 3B, Spencer Steer DH, Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B, Jake Fraley RF, and Jose Trevino C.

Colorado’s front office continues to outperform our wildest expectations with yet another truly confounding roster decision. It’s an ominous development for fantasy managers hoping to see top prospects Jordan Beck and Zac Veen in prominent roles this season since Moniak’s presence only adds to the outfield logjam. It’s an interesting landing spot for Moniak to potentially revive his career, but he’s coming off a three-year stretch with the Angels where he posted a lackluster .709 OPS. The 26-year-old former first-overall pick from the 2016 MLB Draft was released earlier this week by Los Angeles, but didn’t take long to find a new home. He stands to benefit from Coors Field’s hitter-friendly environment, but we’re not anticipating any sort of significant fantasy impact based on his recent track record.

Edwards piled up 31 thefts last year in just 71 contests, which is even more impressive considering he wasn’t an everyday player until early July. The 25-year-old speedster possesses the blend of base-running savvy and on-base skills required to potentially lead the majors in stolen bases this season as Miami’s leadoff hitter. He won’t chip in more than a handful of home runs, but his contact skills and green light on the basepaths make it easy to forecast Edwards as one of the most impactful fantasy contributors at the shortstop position.

It’s an encouraging sign that Darvish has resumed throwing after being shut down last week with right elbow inflammation. The 38-year-old veteran doesn’t have a clear return timetable yet, but he should progress to throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters in the near future, which would put him on track to return at some point before the end of May, if not sooner.

The long-term extension, which was agreed to earlier this week, is now official. Raleigh has blossomed into one of the premier all-around backstops in the game, leading all catchers in home runs in each of the past three seasons, and will be staying put in Seattle through at least 2030. The 28-year-old received the AL’s Platinum Glove Award as the best defensive player in the league, while also slugging a career-high 34 homer runs and tallying 100 RBI for the first time in his career. He’s a top five catcher for fantasy purposes entering the 2025 season and one of the safest power sources in the fantasy landscape.