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That Howell is just coming back from a shoulder injury makes this a risky deal for the Rays. However, all indications were that the problem was minor, and Howell, who was rushed to the majors a year after being made the 31st overall selection in the 2004 draft, projects as a solid No. 4 starter in the majors. He might be ready to contribute by the All-Star break. Right now, he’s still regaining arm strength. Fantasy leaguers should be able to ignore him until 2007.

The 25-year-old superstar gave the Royals a 4-2 advantage as he crushed a Jeffrey Springs slider for a 346-foot (103.4 mph EV) three-run shot in the second inning. Witt also singled and walked in the contest, reaching base safely in all three of his plate appearances. He’s locked in as a top three pick in fantasy drafts this spring and there’s certainly an argument to be made that he deserves consideration for being the top overall selection.

The 33-year-old closer came on to pitch in the fourth inning of this one with the Royals leading 5-3. He allowed a leadoff single to Joey Meneses and after retiring Henry Bolte on a pop up, Estévez coughed up the lead by allowing a two-run blast to Jacob Wilson. He then rallied to retire the final two hitters that he faced. Estévez has battled diminished velocity this spring and that was on full display on Friday, with his slider averaging 81.1 mph (-6.2 mph) and his changeup checking in at 85.7 mph (-2.2 mph). He did not throw a fastball in his 16 offerings. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor this as the spring progresses as it’s difficult to have any level of confidence in him at the moment.

Falter also issued one walk while striking out three in the ballgame. All of the damage done against him came in the opening inning as Max Muncy delivered a two-out, two-run double. His three punchouts on the afternoon came via Carlos Cortes, Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom. Falter got four whiffs on 44 pitches in the game, registering a solid CSW of 30 percent. As long as he doesn’t completely implode this spring, he’s slated to open the regular season as the Royals’ fifth starter, though he’s unlikely to have much value from a fantasy perspective.

Muncy got the A’s on the board first in this one, smacking a two-run double off of Bailey Falter in the top half of the first inning. He gave them another lead in the fifth as he walloped a 1-1 fastball from Hector Neris for a 432-foot (109.8 mph EV) solo shot that made it a 6-5 ballgame. Muncy is competing for the team’s starting gig at third base this spring and he’s letting his bat do the talking for him in the early going.

Wilson did his damage off of Royals’ closer Carlos Estevez in the fourth inning, clobbering a 429-foot (105.8 mph EV) two-run shot that evened the score at five runs apiece. That would be his lone hit in three at-bats on the afternoon. The 23-year-old shortstop is a lock to hit for a strong batting average but if he continues to flash this type of power potential he could wind up being an impact contributor for fantasy purposes.

Springs also issued a pair of walks in the ballgame and didn’t record a single strikeout. The 33-year-old southpaw navigated a scoreless first inning before the wheels fell off for him in the second. There he allowed a single and a pair of walks to load the bases before giving up an RBI ground out to Josh Rojas and a three-run blast to Bobby Witt Jr. The most troublesome aspect of his start is that Springs threw just 17 of his 39 pitches for strikes. He still has plenty of time to get right before the regular season starts, but this was a very discouraging outing.

Domínguez’s homer off Marco Raya in the first left his bat at 110.9 mph, which would have tied for his fourth-highest mark in a regular season game. He’s 5-for-12 with three extra-base hits this spring, but it sure seems like the Yankees haven’t left any room for him or Spencer Jones, who hit his third homer today, on the major league roster.

Gil’s mound performance was fine, but his showing today will be remembered for the head taps. He challenged a clear ball in the first inning, which cost the Yankees their second and final challenge for the day after a batter had already had a strike confirmed in the top of the inning. Nevertheless, Gil again tried challenging a pitch in the second, only to be informed that he couldn’t do so.

Lagrange twice hit 102 mph on the gun today and averaged 100.1 mph with his fastball. He’s going to be a whole lot to handle in Triple-A this year (maybe back to Double-A to start the year), but he does have some work to do in the control department before he’ll be ready to help the Yankees.

None of the Twins’ bullpen candidates has had a good of a season in the last two years as Sands did in 2024, when he finished with an 85/12 K/BB in 71 1/3 innings. Last year, though, his strikeout rate dropped from 29% to 21%, and he wound up with a 4.50 ERA in 72 innings. He doesn’t seem like a very good bet at this point, but in a pen as weak as Minnesota’s, he has to be watched.