MLB

Toronto Blue Jays Photo Day

Alan Roden is starting in right field for the Blue Jays and batting ninth against the Orioles on Thursday.

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.

Cincinnati Reds Photo Day

Gavin Lux is starting in left field and batting cleanup for the Reds against the Giants on Thursday.

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.

Moniak_Mickey.jpg

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports the Rockies are signing Mickey Moniak to a one-year, 1ドル.25 million contract.

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_Xavier.jpg

Xavier Edwards said Wednesday in an interview with MLB Network that he’s aiming to steal 60-plus bases this season.

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.

Yu Darvish Padres.jpg

Yu Darvish (elbow) played catch on Wednesday at Petco Park.

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.

Raleigh_Cal.jpg

Mariners signed C Cal Raleigh to a six-year, 105ドル million contract extension with a vesting player option for 2031.

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.

Toussaint_Touki.jpg

Angels signed RHP Touki Toussaint to a minor league contract.

Toussaint was a highly-regarded pitching prospect roughly a decade ago, but never quite blossomed into an impact contributor at the highest level. The 28-year-old righty has bounced around the last few seasons. He made 11 relief appearances last year for the White Sox. He’ll head to Triple-A Salt Lake as extra organizational relief depth.

Jones_Jared.jpg

Jared Jones has been diagnosed with a UCL sprain in his right elbow.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk confirmed Wednesday that Jones has received multiple opinions confirming a UCL sprain in his right elbow. Tomczyk added that imaging didn’t reveal any ligament damage and Jones will not require surgery. The dynamic 23-year-old righty is headed for the rest and rehabilitation route, which includes being shut down from throwing for the next six weeks. He’ll require several weeks to build up his arm strength and stamina once he resumes throwing in early May, which means fantasy managers shouldn’t expect to see him back in the big leagues until sometime in June, barring any setbacks.

New York Mets Photo Day

Luisangel Acuña has made the Mets’ season-opening roster.

It was pretty much a lock at this stage of the spring, but it’s nice to have official confirmation. Acuña’s fantasy appeal has taken a slight hit with former top prospect Brett Baty tearing the cover off the ball in Grapefruit League action to wrestle the starting second base job away. The 23-year-old speedster will open the year in a versatile multi-position role.

Montas_Frankie.jpg

Frankie Montas (lat) is a week or two away from starting a throwing program.

Montas underwent an MRI this week that showed really encouraging healing in his right lat, according to Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. The 32-year-old was diagnosed with a high-grade lat strain back in mid-February and shut down from throwing for 6-8 weeks. He’ll need some time to ramp up his throwing program, but it’s possible he’ll be ready to make his season debut at some point prior to June.