Opening Day is around the corner, and starting lineups and rotations are beginning to take shape. However, that doesn’t mean the news is slowing down. If anything, it’s piling up! But no need to sweat it. The Grapefruit League Report breaks down all the latest news coming out of Florida — and what it means for fantasy baseball. As we head into one of the final weekends to draft, let’s take a look at some of the week’s top news and notes.
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Grapefruit League News and Notes
Atlanta Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF), Adam Duvall (OF), Reynaldo Lopez (RP)
Ronald Acuna Jr. was back in Grapefruit League action on Thursday. There’s not a lot to see here other than Acuna is making progress by getting back into the swing of things, literally and figuratively.
Lefty-masher Adam Duvall reunited with the Braves, signing a one-year $3 million contract. The move puts a dent in Jarred Kelenic‘s value as Kelenic downshifts from an everyday role to a strong-side platoon bat.
Reynaldo Lopez will see time as both a starter and a reliever this season. Lopez has been competing with Bryce Elder for Atlanta’s fifth rotation spot, but he hasn’t cracked 100 innings since 2019, so his varied role likely stems from that. This could signal that Elder has the leg up on the job out of the gate, despite having a meh spring. Neither are especially appealing options outside of 15-teamers and NL-only formats.
Boston Red Sox
Lucas Giolito (SP), Ceddanne Rafaela (OF)
Lucas Giolito opted for an internal brace procedure instead of Tommy John surgery for his partially torn UCL. Time will tell what that means for his recovery, but either way, Giolito will miss the 2024 season entirely.
Ceddanne Rafaela will likely see most of his playing time in center field this season, but he could also log time at second base with Vaughn Grissom out to start the season. Rafaela brings some pop and speed to the fantasy table, along with a solid batting average (think 10/15/.250). Not too shabby for a late-round draft pick.
Houston Astros
Jose Urquidy (SP)
Jose Urquidy took himself out of a minor-league game on Friday after experiencing elbow discomfort. With Opening Day around the corner, this isn’t what you want to hear. Stay tuned for updates.
Miami Marlins
Edward Cabrera (SP), Eury Perez (SP), Braxton Garrett (SP)
Edward Cabrera has already resumed throwing after being diagnosed with a shoulder impingement earlier in the week. The progress is good to see, but Cabrera will still likely miss Opening Day. Ryan Weathers will take over Cabrera’s spot in the rotation until he returns.
Fingernail issues strike again with Eury Perez, as the Marlins will shut him down for three to four days. Perez was pulled from Wednesday’s start after the fake nail he was wearing to protect his broken fingernail began to lift up during the outing. Even if Perez is ready to go for Opening Day, this issue could pop up early in the season until his fingernail is fully healed.
Braxton Garrett is expected to throw a live batting practice on Sunday. He’ll begin the season on the IL after developing shoulder soreness this spring. Assuming there are no setbacks, Garrett may only miss a couple of starts. A.J. Puk will take Garrett’s spot in the rotation and has been cruising this spring.
Minnesota Twins
Anthony DeSclafani (SP)
Anthony DeSclafani continues to make progress after experiencing soreness in his elbow earlier this month. He’s thrown a couple of bullpen sessions without issue and is expected to pitch a minor league game in the next few days. His availability for Opening Day is still unclear, but Louie Varland is waiting in the wings if DeSclafani isn’t ready to go. Varland is the upside play for fantasy and is a solid late-round pick in 12-team leagues.
New York Mets
Kodai Senga (SP)
Kodai Senga‘s throwing program continues to be pushed back. The Mets moved his original start date of March 15 to March 22, and now it could be delayed a little longer. Senga hasn’t experienced any setbacks, and the team likely wants to be cautious with their frontline starter. The best-case scenario is an early May return, but I’d take the over on that.
New York Yankees
Gerrit Cole (SP), Aaron Judge (OF)
Gerrit Cole will be out 10-12 weeks with an elbow injury. Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed that Cole’s elbow has no UCL damage and will require rest to heal instead of Tommy John surgery. It’s good news, but 2-3 months is still a solid chunk of time to miss — and that’s assuming all goes smoothly. In the meantime, the Yankees have been linked to Michael Lorenzen as a replacement option, while Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are still free agents. Internal candidates include Luis Gil, Will Warren, Clayton Beeter, and Luke Weaver, with Gil being the most exciting option. We’re all in wait-and-see mode.
Aaron Judge is day-to-day with an abdominal muscle injury. While he hit the batting cages on Friday with no issue, Judge will likely not see Grapefruit League action until sometime next week. Abdominal injuries tend to linger, and the Yankees are likely playing it safe with their superstar. Keep tabs.
Pittsburgh Pirates
David Bednar (RP)
David Bednar is making progress as he works his way back from right lat tightness. He threw from 120 feet earlier in the week and completed a bullpen session on Friday. Grapefruit League action could be around the corner if all continues to go smoothly.
St. Louis Cardinals
Tommy Edman (2B/SS/OF), Victor Scott II (OF)
Tommy Edman will begin the season on the IL. The news isn’t surprising, as Edman’s recovery from offseason wrist surgery has been on the slower side. There’s still no timetable for his return, opening up playing time for Dylan Carlson in center field. Fantasy managers would prefer speedy prospect Victor Scott II to fill in for Edman, but President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak threw cold water on that idea.
Tampa Bay Rays
Taj Bradley (SP)
Taj Bradley will miss the start of the season after being shut down for a couple of weeks with a right pectroal strain. There’s a handful of possible replacement options between Chris Devenski, Tyler Alexander, Naoyuki Uwasawa, and Jacob Waguespack. Also, Jake Odorizzi recently signed a minor-league contract with the Rays, although we last saw him in 2022 due to shoulder issues of his own. No one jumps out here fantasy-wise, and the Rays could just mix and match these guys until Bradley or Shane Baz returns.
Toronto Blue Jays
Kevin Gausman (SP), Danny Jansen (C)
Kevin Gausman is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. Gausman developed shoulder fatigue this spring, and the Blue Jays aren’t going to rush him into action. He’s scheduled to throw one bullpen session on Friday and then build up from there. Assuming there are no setbacks, Gausman could only miss a couple of starts. But monitor his progress next week. Bowden Francis is all but guaranteed a spot in the Opening Day rotation, with Mitch White, Chad Dallas, and Paolo Espino in the running for the fifth spot.
Danny Jansen fractured his wrist after being hit by a pitch and will likely start the season on the IL. Jansen is one of the better power-hitting catchers when on the field, posting a .245 ISO or better in the last three seasons. However, Jansen can’t shake the injury bug, and only eclipsed 100 games once in his six-year career. Jansen’s now-sidelined start to 2024 doesn’t bode well, especially since wrist injuries aren’t ideal for power hitters. The news boosts Alejandro Kirk‘s value, who will get the bulk of playing time behind the dish.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
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