DetroitTigers shortstop Javier Baez is penciled in as the center fielder for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves. The Tigers will need a center fielder in the absence of Parker Meadows, who is expected to be out at least until May, but Baez does not seem like the answer with less than five innings of outfield experience on his MLB resume. Wenceel Perez was expected to fill in for the injured Meadows, but Perez is not in the lineup on Saturday. Trey Sweeney is expected to be the Tigers' shortstop this season, with Baez potentially filling in at third base and shortstop when needed, but playing some outfield hints at an all-around utility role. Currently only eligible at SS on Yahoo, the potential addition of 3B and evenOF could add some fantasy appeal, however, the 32-year-old bottomed out with a .224 wOBA and 43 wRC+ last season, so the appealwould be limited to deep AL-only leagues.

New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (back) will return to the lineup on Saturday for the team's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. The veteran was pulled from a game on March 17 due to back soreness but the team was hopeful he'd return this weekend. The 37-year-old will lead off for the Yankees on Saturday, a role he could see regularly this season when the team faces left-handed pitching according to manager Aaron Boone. The Phillies will deploy left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo on Saturday. The 7x All-Star owns a career .323/.423/.586 slash line against LHP, compared to a .279/.368/.488 against RHP. The former MVP has seen a dwindling batting average and power numbers the last couple of seasons with a corresponding increase in strikeout and chase rate but has been solid this spring, slashing .313/.389/.688 with three home runs. He's still a viable fantasy option as long as he's healthy and is expected to be ready for Opening Day at this point, although the days of being an elite producer are likely over.

The Baltimore Orioles agreed to terms on a one-year major-league deal with free-agent right-hander Kyle Gibson on Friday and placed right-hander Kyle Bradish (elbow) on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move to make room for Gibson on the 40-man roster. Gibson's deal is for $5.25 million and will give Baltimore some more starting depth entering the 2025 season with Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells and Bradish all opening the year on the injured list with elbow issues. The 37-year-old veteran could get some decent run in the team's rotation eventually, which could make him worth pursuing in AL-only formats. Gibson spent the 2023 season in Baltimore before going 8-8 with a 4.24 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 151 K's and 68 walks in 30 starts for the Cardinals in 2024. There's not much upside, but Gibson could have some streaming appeal in DFS back in Baltimore.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (forearm) admitted that he received a pain-killing injection in the flexor tendon of his right forearm late last season -- he ended the year on the injured list -- and the injury delayed his offseason program. Gray said the injury hasn't been an issue during spring training, but the delay in his throwing program could explain his diminished velocity in Grapefruit League games. The 35-year-old veteran has really struggled in spring games, allowing 18 earned runs on 21 hits (seven homers) while walking six and striking out 14 in 11 1/3 innings over four starts. Gray's velocity was down nearly two mph in his Grapefruit League start against the Houston Astros, which should be a cause for concern for the Cards and fantasy managers alike. If his velocity doesn't rebound, it's unlikely he'll have a strikeout rate north of 30% like he had in 2024. It's something to keep a close eye on.

San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) will not be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season due to right-elbow inflammation, manager Mike Shildt confirmed on Friday. There is no timetable for Darvish's return. "We feel pretty comfortable that some rest and getting ramped back up will be the answer," Shildt said. Without a clear timeline for a potential return, we wouldn't blame fantasy managers for avoiding the 38-year-old Japanese veteran in upcoming drafts. He was also limited to only 16 starts in 2024 due to an elbow injury and a personal matter, so surgery on his elbow shouldn't be ruled out at this point. Darvish looked great down the stretch when he returned late last year, though, including two postseason appearances. Now that Darvish will officially open the year on the injured list, lefty Kyle Hart and right-hander Stephen Kolek are competing for the No. 5 rotation spot in SD.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) will start the team's Grapefruit League game on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. Scherzer asked to make the two-hour road trip to Fort Myers because he wanted to face major-league hitters. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has been dealing with a nagging right-thumb injury in spring training, but he looked good during a bullpen session on Thursday and is now ready to test his finger in game action and is looking to throw around 60-65 pitches against Minnesota. If Scherzer avoids a setback with his thumb, he should be ready for Opening Day next Thursday. While Scherzer was initially looking like a late-round value pitch as fantasy rotation depth, his thumb injury might have a lot of fantasy managers pumping the brakes.

New York Mets outfielder/designated hitter Starling Marte (knee) is scheduled to play right field in a Grapefruit League game on Friday for the first time this spring, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Marte is expected to be the Opening Day DH against a left-handed pitcher, but his ability to play the outfield is still important to him. Marte got a late start to spring action due to a bone bruise in his right knee, but he's now been cleared to start playing some defense. The 36-year-old Dominican veteran has gone 3-for-14 with a double and six strikeouts in five Grapefruit League games entering Friday's action. Most of Marte's plate appearances in his 14th year in the big leagues in 2025 should come at DH. At this point in his career, there's little fantasy upside because of his injury risk and the fact that he's unlikely to run much.

New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (back), who was previously expected to return to Grapefruit League action on Friday, said he now plans to return on Saturday. Goldschmidt's back is close to 100 percent, and he's not concerned about missing Opening Day next Thursday. As long as Goldy returns this weekend and doesn't have a setback with his back, fantasy managers with drafts early next week should feel comfortable taking him as a source of power as a corner infielder in mixed leagues. The 37-year-old former MVP is highly unlikely to return to the form he showed in St. Louis several seasons ago, but he could be in for a decent bounce-back campaign in the Bronx in 2025 if he can stay healthy. However, a back injury at the end of spring training and the fact that his strikeout and walk rates were both career-worst marks clearly show an aging slugger.

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) is on track to be ready for Opening Day. Walker has been sidelined since early March with left oblique soreness and has been relegated to hitting in the cages. However, he's set to get at-bats in minor-league games this weekend and will hang back to get some more while the team returns to Houston. It's good news for the veteran, as Houston will look for him to supplement some of the production lost by the departures of third baseman Alex Bregman (Red Sox) and outfielder Kyle Tucker (Cubs). The power-hitting righty saw his home run total drop a bit in 2024, though he played in 130 games instead of the 157+ he appeared in over the prior two seasons. He's often off the boards inside the top 75 in fantasy drafts.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) threw a bullpen session in camp on Thursday and said afterwards that the plan is for him to pitch in a game on Saturday, assuming his thumb recovers normally. Manager John Schneider said they would ideally like Scherzer to throw 65 to 70 pitches this weekend. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer continues to be bothered by a right-thumb injury this spring, but he's pushing through it and could be ready for the start of his first season in Toronto if he makes it through his outing this Saturday without any issues. While the eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner had been somewhat of a value pick as rotation depth for much of the spring, his thumb injury reminds us that there's still plenty of injury risk surrounding the aging pitcher. Scherzer is just inside RotoBaller's top-100 rankings for starting pitchers.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Friday is the target for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (back) to return to a Grapefruit League game against the Detroit Tigers. He will go through baseball activities in camp on Thursday. Goldy has been dealing with a tight back this week, but it's not believed to be anything serious, and as long as he doesn't have a setback this weekend in his return to game action, he should be ready to roll next Thursday for Opening Day. After two straight seasons of a decline offensively, fantasy managers that have already rolled the dice on the 37-year-old former MVP have to be pleased by him going 10-for-32 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 13 Grapefruit League games to this point. Goldy may no longer be an elite fantasy first baseman, but if he stays healthy in 2025, he could easily bounce back in the Bronx.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Tyler Matzek (oblique) is scheduled to take the mound for a bullpen session on Thursday. Matzek has been dealing with an oblique strain since early in camp. He has resumed his throwing program, but could see begin the regular season on the injured list. The southpaw is likely going to need to throw a few bullpen sessions before he's ready for game action again. The 34-year-old was awful in 11 appearances with the Braves last season and didn't pitch at all in 2023. It remains to be seen how much Matzek still has left in the tank.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Wednesday that first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) is on track to play in Grapefruit League games this weekend. Walker is cutting it close to be ready for Opening Day next Thursday, but as long as he doesn't suffer a setback with his oblique when he resumes playing in games, he should be ready. The 33-year-old dealt with a sore left oblique in early March and has been held out of spring games since as a precaution. The good news is that Walker has been hitting in the cages, but he has also only had 10 plate appearances in spring training to this point. Fantasy managers shouldn't rule out Walker getting out to a slow start in 2025 in his first year with the Astros after signing a three-year, $60 million deal in December. The right-handed power hitter has been a consistent power hitter when healthy the last eight years with the D-backs, though.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve will play "most of his games" in left field in 2025, manager Joe Espada said on Wednesday. The skipper left the door open for things to change due to injuries and good performances in the minor leagues, but Espada made it clear that Altuve will open the year as the team's primary left fielder. While nothing had really been official until now, this was the expectation all along for the 34-year-old veteran after he has spent all his time playing left field in spring training. As a result, Mauricio Dubon figures to see most of the starts at second base for Houston to begin the season. While Father Time will eventually catch up to Altuve, the nine-time All-Star, former MVP, seven-time Silver Slugger winner, three-time batting champ and two-time World Series champ deserves the benefit of the doubt as a high-end fantasy second baseman that is adding value with outfield eligibility.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar (wrist) is scheduled to return to the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Thursday against the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies and play in the remainder of the spring games, according to The Athletic's David O'Brien. A bone bruise in his left wrist has kept Profar out of spring training games since March 8, but he's ready to return now and should be ready to go for Opening Day next Thursday, barring a setback this weekend. The 32-year-old has gone 2-for-12 with two doubles in six games so far this spring. While he should be ready, it will be interesting to see if his lack of spring action will hurt him early on at the plate in his first year in Atlanta after a breakout 2024 campaign with the San Diego Padres. Profar doesn't have elite speed or power, but he makes a lot of contact and has great plate discipline. He's just inside RotoBaller's top-40 outfield rankings.

MassLive's Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam write that Boston Red Sox right-handed reliever Liam Hendriks appears to be behind left-hander Aroldis Chapman for closing duties to begin the 2025 regular season, even though he has seemingly corrected some of the command issues he had early in camp. Second-year right-hander Justin Slaten will also be an option for the BoSox in late-inning, high-leverage situations. As things stand right now, Chapman and Slaten are ahead of Hendriks, who has allowed six earned runs on 12 hits (two homers) while walking none and striking out four in five appearances in the Grapefruit League. The 36-year-old Australian is a three-time All-Star and has 116 career MLB saves over 13 seasons, though, so he's still going to be a key member of Boston's bullpen in 2025. He just isn't much of a target for save speculators right now.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (rib, ankle) is not in the lineup for Game 2 of the Tokyo, Japan series against the Chicago Cubs. Freeman was a late scratch on Tuesday due to rib discomfort and will miss his second straight game. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Freeman feels much better than he did on Tuesday, but the Dodgers are being cautious with their star first baseman early on. The 35-year-old had rib discomfort on Tuesday in the same spot he tore rib cartilage during the postseason. Freeman remains day-to-day, but the Dodgers are optimistic he will return to the lineup on March 27 against the Detroit Tigers. Kike Hernandez will handle first base duties and is batting sixth in Wednesday's contest versus the Cubs.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (toe) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday, per the Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. The 37-year-old veteran was placed on the 15-day IL Monday as he recovers from toe surgery, which was expected to need a lengthier timeline. Kershaw's skills when on the mound are still relevant for fantasy, but the back of his career has been plagued with injuries, and he managed just 30 innings pitched in 2024. The Dodgers have one of baseball's deepest rosters, so they do not need to rush Kershaw back. At this point in his career, the former fantasy ace can likely be left in the player pool of shallower drafts and could be a potential IL stash in very deep leagues.

The Texas Rangers have signed starting pitcher Patrick Corbin to a one-year deal on Tuesday. The veteran southpaw was brought in with Jon Gray (wrist) and Cody Bradford (elbow) likely both beginning the season on the injured list. The plan is for Corbin to join the organization in Arizona for the final few days of camp. At this point, Corbin isn't much more than an innings-eater pitcher, which is something the Rangers could use right now. The left-hander posted a 5.62 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, and 139/54 K/BB ratio across 32 starts with the Washington Nationals last season. Corbin hasn't been a viable fantasy option in years and that's unlikely to change in Arlington.

The Atlanta Braves have signed relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. The future Hall-of-Famer is back with the Braves after spending the first five seasons of his career with the organization. Since then, Kimbrel has bounced around quite a bit, but currently sits fifth all-time in saves. He's coming off a rough year with the Baltimore Orioles last season. He registered a 5.33 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, with 23 saves in 57 appearances with the O's in 2024. Kimbrel figures to pitch in a high-leverage spot behind Raisel Iglesias in Atlanta. He should see the occasional save chances, but probably won't offer reliable fantasy value while Iglesias is healthy.