This is it, people. We’re heading into the final draft weekend of the season, and stateside Opening Day is around the corner! In this edition of the Grapefruit League Report, we’ll look at the latest injuries and roster cuts making headlines, including their fantasy implications. Even as spring training winds down, there’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get to it. Good luck in your drafts!
Grapefruit League News and Notes
Baltimore Orioles
Jackson Holliday (SS), Kyle Bradish (SP), John Means (SP)
Jackson Holliday will begin the season in the minors. It’s a surprising move, since Holliday had a strong spring, slashing .311/.354/.600 with a couple of homers and steals across 48 plate appearances. It’s also a blow to fantasy managers who invested in Holliday, considering his current 155 ADP in NFBC OCs. Holliday *shouldn’t* be down for long, but he could be a tough stash in leagues with short benches.
According to Orioles’ General Manager Mike Elias, John Means and Kyle Bradish are expected to debut early in the first half of the season. While this is good news, there’s still no clear timetable, and a lot can change in the interim. However, Bradish is an IL stash for all league sizes, while Means is a stash in 15-teamers.
Boston Red Sox
Kenley Jansen (RP), Tanner Houck (SP), Garrett Whitlock (SP)
Kenley Jansen made his second Grapefruit League appearance on Thursday after sitting out most of the week with back tightness. Jansen threw a perfect inning, striking out two on 13 pitches. The veteran closer is optimistic he’ll be ready for Opening Day. Be sure to handcuff Jansen with Chris Martin and monitor both pitchers in the coming week, as Martin is recovering from groin tightness.
Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock will round out Boston’s Opening Day rotation. Both are solid late-round targets in 15-teamers.
Detroit Tigers
Reese Olson (SP), Casey Mize (SP)
Reese Olson and Casey Mize are locked into Detroit’s starting rotation after the Tigers optioned Matt Manning to Triple-A. Mize has been practically free all draft season, and his stock will see the biggest jump of the two pitchers. He’s a great late-round flier in deeper leagues.
Houston Astros
Justin Verlander (SP)
Justin Verlander will stick to throwing live batting practices this spring instead of pitching in a game. Verlander is slowly working his way back from shoulder soreness and will begin the season on the IL. There’s no timetable for Verlander’s return, but assuming things run smoothly, late April or early May is possible. Keep tabs.
Miami Marlins
Eury Perez (SP), Max Meyer (SP)
Eury Perez is dealing with elbow inflammation and will begin the season on the IL. There’s no structural damage, but expect Perez to be on the shelf for at least a month. With no clear timeline, Perez should get pushed down draft boards. But he’s still a worthy IL-stash until we know more details. Miami’s rotation still isn’t set in stone, and Perez’s absence could open the door for top prospect Max Meyer. Meyer is worth a dart throw in deeper leagues.
Minnesota Twins
Max Kepler (OF)
Max Kepler is dealing with minor pectoral tightness. While an MRI showed no structural issues, the Twins could take it easy with Kepler for the remainder of spring training. Assuming he’s good to go for Opening Day, Kepler is a strong 4th or 5th outfielder in 12- and 15-teamers.
New York Mets
J.D. Martinez (UT), Kodai Senga (SP)
J.D. Martinez finally found a home! He signed a one-year deal with the Mets and will be the team’s primary DH. Martinez could start the season in the minors until he’s fully ramped up. But once he’s ready to go, Martinez should slot into the middle of the Mets’ order. He’s a solid late-round grab in drafts.
Kodai Senga got the green light to begin baseball activities and should start throwing next week. It will reportedly take at least six weeks for Senga to ramp up, meaning we likely won’t see him until mid-May at the earliest. Monitor Senga’s progress over the next few weeks, and stash him on the IL if you can.
New York Yankees
DJ LeMahieu (1B/3B), Anthony Rizzo (1B)
DJ LeMahieu has been playing catch and doing light footwork since being sidelined with a bone bruise in his right foot. He’s optimistic he’ll be ready for Opening Day, but we’ll have to wait and see. If LeMahieu misses time, Oswaldo Cabrera will take over duties at the hot corner. Additionally, we could see Alex Verdugo at the top of the lineup against righties and Anthony Volpe leading off against lefties.
Anthony Rizzo is dealing with a tight lat and sat out of Friday’s Grapefruit League game. This sounds minor, but keep tabs on updates this weekend. Rizzo has been excellent this spring and is one of my favorite late-round targets.
Philadelphia Phillies
Bryce Harper (OF)
Bryce Harper has been out for a few days with back soreness but is expected to return to Grapefruit League action on Saturday. Hopefully, there’s nothing to see here. But keep tabs later in the week, with Opening Day fast approaching.
Pittsburgh Pirates
David Bednar (RP)
David Bednar made his spring debut after being sidelined with lat tightness for the past few weeks. Bednar looked good, and his velocity was in line with last year’s numbers. Fingers crossed, he’s on track for Opening Day. But Aroldis Chapman should still be drafted as a handcuff and could get some early save opportunities if the Pirates take a conservative approach with Bednar out of the gate.
St. Louis Cardinals
Sonny Gray (SP), Lars Nootbaar (OF)
Sonny Gray will open the season on the IL, but it shouldn’t be a lengthy stint. Gray was scheduled to pitch a minor-league game on Friday but was scratched due to heavy rain. That start will get moved to Saturday, and then Gray is expected to pitch two more times after that. Expect Gray back in the rotation by mid-April, and buy the dip in his draft cost if you’re drafting this weekend. Zack Thompson will fill in while Gray is out.
As expected, Lars Nootbaar will begin the season on the IL. He’s on the mend with two rib fractures, and it’s unclear when he’ll return. In the meantime, Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan, and Dylan Carlson should see playing time in left field.
Tampa Bay Rays
Shane Baz (SP), Jonathan Aranda (UT)
Shane Baz faced hitters last week and continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. Assuming there are no setbacks, we could see Baz by mid-May. He’s a decent IL stash but will likely be on a strict innings limit once he returns.
Jonathan Aranda landed on the IL with a fractured finger and could miss up to six weeks. With Aranda out, Amed Rosario could land everyday playing time, making him nice late-round option in 15-teamers. Rosario has a little bit of power and speed to go with a plus batting average (think 10/15/.270). However, we’re talking about the platoon-happy Rays, so who knows how they’ll mix and match their players. But Rosario is still worth speculating on.
Toronto Blue Jays
Kevin Gausman (SP), Jordan Romano (RP)
Kevin Gausman is scheduled to pitch in Toronto’s final Grapefruit League game on Monday. After that, the team will decide about his IL status. Although, if Gausman misses time, it likely won’t be for more than one start. Mitch White, Yariel Rodriguez, and Ricky Tiedemann are in the mix to replace Gausman if needed. It’s all a guessing game until the Gausman domino falls next week, but Tiedemann is the spec add for fantasy. In the meantime, grab Gausman at a discount in drafts this weekend.
Jordan Romano is penciled in to play catch on Saturday after being shut down with elbow soreness early last week. Be sure to keep tabs on his status this weekend. If Romano has any setbacks, the Blue Jays could turn to Erik Swanson, although Swanson is dealing with forearm tightness. Yimi Garcia is also in play for early saves. Until further clarification, Swanson and Garcia are worth stashing late in drafts.
Washington Nationals
Kyle Finnegan (RP), Hunter Harvey (RP)
Kyle Finnegan returned to action after back issues shelved him for the past week. Finnegan will open the season as the Nationals’ closer, with Hunter Harvey waiting in the wings. Harvey is a nice speculative pick for saves this draft season. Just keep in mind that he’s spent at least 30 days on the IL in each of the last four seasons.
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.