Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (elbow) threw on flat grass from about 60 feet on Monday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. He was throwing to a catcher standing up and "threw with a pretty decent amount of zip". The 35-year-old is recovering from Tommy John surgery and hopes to make his season debut at the end of July. Hendriks has recently been a top fantasy contributor, and while he has a ways to go to return and the Red Sox currently have a strong closer in Kenley Jansen, Hendriks could find himself in the fantasy mix during the second half of the season.

Free-agent reliever Matt Barnes' market is heating up, as the Washington Nationals are one club that is linked to him. The right-hander underwent offseason surgery on his hip but threw for interested clubs in late January and appears ready to join a big-league spring training camp soon. It was a tough 2023 season for the 33-year-old who dealt with both injuries and inconsistency as he posted a 5.48 ERA across 24 outings. However, he also posted a 4.15 FIP and 4.35 SIERA, suggesting he was better than his surface ERA might suggest. Once a staple in the Red Sox bullpen, Barnes owns a career 4.13 ERA across 453 appearances while boasting an impressive 29.4% K%, although that figure has hovered around just 20% in each of the last two seasons.

Chicago White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said that reliever Corey Knebel (shoulder), who didn't pitch at all last year while working his way back from right-shoulder surgery, is a bit behind the team's other relievers in camp. Knebel will need to throw a few more bullpen sessions before he's cleared to pitch in a Cactus League game. The 32-year-old hard-throwing relief pitcher had surgery in August of 2022 and is still working his way back. When healthy, he could become a high-leverage option for what is one of the weakest bullpens in baseball. Knebel was an All-Star in 2017 with the Milwaukee Brewers and has 72 career saves in eight major-league seasons, but he's thrown only 83 2/3 innings since the shortened 2020 season and is a pretty big health risk.

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (elbow) said Tuesday that he hopes to debut for his new team by the trade deadline. The 35-year-old veteran overcame non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last year but then underwent Tommy John surgery in August. Hendriks said, "That's my goal. That's 12 months-ish. ... Throwing has been going well." It remains to be seen if Hendriks can hit that timeline, but he should offer fantasy impact when he does return. He was one of baseball's top closers with the White Sox from 2021 through 2022, earning a combined 75 saves. Kenley Jansen is the team's current closer, although he has been mentioned in trade rumors this off-season.

Free-agent reliever Liam Hendriks (elbow) agreed to a two-year, $10 million guaranteed deal on Monday with the Boston Red Sox, pending a physical. The deal includes additional performance bonuses and an option for the 2026 season. The 35-year-old veteran overcame non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last year but then ended up needing Tommy John surgery last August, which means that he won't be available for the back end of Boston's bullpen until sometime later this summer. The three-time All-Star has 116 career saves in 13 major-league seasons, but he only pitched five innings for the Chicago White Sox in 2023, and it's fair to wonder how much he has left in the tank at this stage of his career. Hendriks can be avoided in single-year fantasy leagues.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez can fill pretty much any pitching role, but he signed a two-year, $26 million deal with the Reds in December with the aim to be a starter. Right now, the team has 10 pitchers competing for five rotation spots, so there's no guarantee Martinez will open the year in the rotation. If he's not starting, he'll be expected to protect leads in a late-inning, high-leverage role out of the bullpen. The 33-year-old served as a swingman for the Padres the last two years, going 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA in a team-high 63 outings (110 1/3 innings) in 2023. Martinez had a 2.32 ERA over 42 2/3 innings in nine starts, and he was excellent at inducing weak contact. Because his role is unclear, it makes him difficult to recommend in fantasy drafts, but we can't argue against how effective he's been in recent seasons.

Los Angeles Angels left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz (elbow), who is in spring training on a minor-league deal, said he's "full-go" in his effort to return to the majors for the first time since 2021. Pomeranz had elbow surgery in August of 2021 and has dealt with several setbacks since. "Pushing from bullpens to game speed is where I had real trouble," Pomeranz said. "I kept getting reinjured and reinjured. It's pretty frustrating trying to figure out what's going on I feel good right now, probably the same point I would have in any spring training coming in." Anything the Angels manage to get out of the 35-year-old veteran southpaw in 2024 would be gravy. Although he had a 1.75 ERA in 2021 before his injury, Pomeranz shouldn't be drafted in any fantasy leagues this spring.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday as he recovers from left-elbow UCL surgery. In a corresponding move, the Giants signed right-hander Austin Warren to an undisclosed one-year major-league deal. Ray underwent Tommy John surgery in May of last year after making only three starts for the Seattle Mariners and won't be able to pitch in 2024 until the second half of the season after the Giants acquired the former Cy Young winner in an offseason trade with Seattle. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw is an elite strikeout artist when healthy and took the next step in 2021 with the Blue Jays when he won the American League Cy Young by finally limiting his walks. Ray has already been cleared to throw three times a week but won't be an option for fantasy managers until the second half in 2024.

Free-agent reliever Liam Hendriks (elbow) has multiple offers and has set a deadline of Thursday to sign with a team, according to sources. If he doesn't sign now, he would keep rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his own and throw for teams in late July before signing for the stretch run. The Chicago White Sox declined the 35-year-old Aussie's team option for the 2024 season in November, making him a free agent. Hendriks missed the start of last year while recovering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and will now miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season due to his elbow surgery. He was limited to only five appearances in Chicago last year despite an inspiring comeback and allowed three earned runs. Hendriks won't be on the fantasy radar this year.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) has been cleared to throw three times a week and is on schedule in his recovery from Tommy John surgery that he had in May of last year. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw and former American League Cy Young winner in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays only made one start for the Seattle Mariners last year before going under the knife. As a result, he's not expected to make his debut with the Giants in 2024 until sometime after the All-Star break this summer. When he does return, it might take him a bit to get his bearings to close out his first year in San Francisco, so fantasy managers should temper expectations. In 2022 with the M's, Ray was decent, posting a 3.71 ERA with 212 K's and 67 walks in 189 innings. When healthy, he's one of the better left-handed strikeout artists.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that left-hander Josh Hader would be the team's closer in 2024, with right-hander Ryan Pressly serving in a late-inning setup role. "Hader will pitch the ninth inning if both guys are available," Espada said. It's no surprise that Hader will be Houston's closer after they signed him to a five-year, $95 million deal in free agency this winter, but it's now official. The 29-year-old hard-throwing left-hander is one of the most dominant late-inning relievers in the game and is now joining a strong Astros club that should give him plenty of save opportunities. Pressly will still likely pick up an occasional save or two, but his fantasy value is going to take a big hit with a permanent move to a setup role in front of Hader. With the San Diego Padres last year, Hader had a 1.28 ERA, 85 strikeouts and 33 saves in 56 1/3 innings.

Free-agent catcher Curt Casali agreed to a minor-league deal with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, according to sources. Casali's deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training. The 35-year-old veteran backstop will join Miami after hitting a meager .175/.290/.200 with no home runs, six RBI and eight runs scored in 40 games played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 as their backup. He could have more opportunity with the Fish this year, although he'll enter camp behind both Nick Fortes and Christian Bethancourt. Casali is well off the fantasy radar as a career .220/.314/.380 hitter with 47 long balls and 154 RBI in 502 games across 10 big-league seasons with the Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners.

Free-agent left-hander Drew Pomeranz (elbow) signed a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training on Tuesday with the Los Angeles Angels. Pomeranz hasn't pitched in a big-league game since 2021 due to arm injuries, and he was forced to shut down his minor-league rehab assignment late last year due to more elbow pain. The 34-year-old southpaw reliever will be hoping to win a roster spot out of spring training this year with the Angels if he can stay on the field. In 27 relief appearances for the San Diego Padres back in 2021, Pomeranz had a strong 1.75 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 10 walks and 30 strikeouts. He has 11 years of major-league experience but has only recorded nine saves and should be ignored in all fantasy leagues for now.

Los Angeles Angels pitchers Jose Suarez and Jose Cisnero are both being delayed to spring training, Suarez due to a family matter and Cisnero due to a visa issue. Suarez, a 26-year-old left-hander, had a disastrous year in 2023 in his fifth year in Anaheim, posting an 8.29 ERA and 1.96 WHIP with 20 walks and 28 strikeouts in just 33 2/3 innings over 11 appearances over seven starts. Cisnero, a 34-year-old right-hander, had a 5.31 ERA and 1.48 WHIP with two saves, 25 walks and a career-high 70 strikeouts in 59 1/3 relief innings in his fifth year with the Detroit Tigers last year. The Angels signed the Dominican reliever to a one-year, $1.75 million contract this month to give them more bullpen depth in 2024.

The Chicago White Sox agreed to minor-league deals with right-handers Dominic Leone and Corey Knebel on Tuesday that include non-roster invites to spring training. The White Sox now have 68 players in camp, including 28 non-roster invitees. Leone and Knebel will provide much-needed depth for Chicago's bullpen this year. Leone, 32, pitched for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners in 2023 and had an uninspiring 4.67 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, one save, 28 walks and 54 K's in 54 relief innings. Knebel, 32, tore his right-shoulder capsule in August of 2022 and hasn't pitched with a team since. He was an All-Star in 2017 with Milwaukee and has 72 career saves in eight big-league campaigns. Before his injury in 2022 with the Phillies, Knebel had a 3.43 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 12 saves, 28 walks and 41 strikeouts in 44 2/3 relief frames. Both pitchers will be battling for bullpen roles this spring.

Free-agent outfielder Jurickson Profar and the San Diego Padres agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal on Monday. He can earn an extra $1.5 million in incentives in 2024 based on plate appearances. Profar was with the Padres from 2020 to 2022 before joining the Colorado Rockies as a free agent for the start of last year. The 30-year-old switch-hitter batted just .236 (98-for-415) with eight home runs and 39 RBI in 111 games for the Rockies in 2023 before going 13-for-44 (.295) with a homer and seven RBI in 14 games to close out the season with San Diego. He'll now return to the Friars, who were in desperate need of outfield help after trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees in the offseason. As things stand now, Profar should have the leg up on a starting spot in left field to open the 2024 season, but his bat lacks any real upside for fantasy managers.

Free-agent left-hander Lucas Luetge announced on Saturday that he has signed an undisclosed deal to join the Boston Red Sox for the 2024 campaign. The 36-year-old southpaw had a rough 7.24 ERA (4.86 FIP) and 1.76 WHIP with seven walks and 14 strikeouts in just 13 2/3 relief innings for the Atlanta Braves last year. As a result, the Braves outrighted him to Triple-A Gwinnett after he went unclaimed following being designated for assignment. In 22 relief appearances for Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi, Luetge had a 3.51 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with nine walks and 29 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings pitched. He'll represent relief depth as a lefty for Boston entering the 2024 season and he has a career 3.60 ERA (3.55 FIP), a 1.37 WHIP, five saves and 226 strikeouts in 232 1/3 innings over seven major-league seasons with the Braves, Mariners and Yankees.

Veteran relief pitcher Matt Barnes threw for a group of MLB scouts last week, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. A hip injury cost Barnes the second half of his 2023 season, holding him to just 24 appearances with the Miami Marlins. He maintained a 4.15 FIP, 8.44 K/9, and 4.22 BB/9 while inducing a 49.3 GB%. Prior to last season, Barnes had been a staple of the Red Sox' bullpen. He recorded 24 saves back in 2021. The 33-year-old righty will presumably have to settle for a minor league deal but could compete for a roster spot during Spring Training.

Veteran relief pitcher Heath Hembree has signed a minor-league contract with the Seattle Mariners. The 35-year-old righty had worked just 23 1/3 innings at the major league level over the last two seasons, compiling a poor 6.94 ERA and 1.886 WHIP in the process. He was with the Tampa Bay Rays last season, appearing in just one game. He will likely just serve as organizational depth in Seattle.

Free-agent relief pitcher Jose Cisnero signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran reliever put up a poor 5.31 ERA, 1.483 WHIP, and 70:25 K/BB over 59 1/3 innings last season as a member of the Detroit Tigers. While the ERA and WHIP leave a lot to be desired, he still put up solid strikeout numbers. He should work in middle relief for the Angels this season and could have some deep fantasy value in leagues that count holds.