MLB Player News

Machado is done playing ball after hitting .221/.345/.301 for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate last season. The 33-year-old saw time in parts of four seasons with the Tigers from 2015-18, hitting .225/.285/.295 in 505 plate appearances. He went on to spend two years as a solid regular in Korea before returning to the U.S. in 2022 and appearing in five games with the Giants then. Those turned out to be his final games in the majors.

López pitched just five innings in 2025 before having shoulder surgery, so it’s nice to see that his velocity is pretty close to his career norms this early into spring training. With Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both undergoing elbow surgery, López now has a clear path to a spot in the starting rotation. Even if he’s not a great bet to remain healthy for the entire season, he’s going late enough in drafts that it’s worth taking a shot on a pitcher who had a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 148/42 K/BB ratio in 2024.

Conley spent last season with the Nationals, pitching to a 5.01 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 107/43 K/BB ratio in 118 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old has not yet made his MLB debut and should operate just as organizational depth.

Almonte was with the Dodgers before, but was part of the trade that also sent Michael Busch to the Cubs. Almonte pitched just 19 1/3 innings in the minor leagues last year as he worked his way back from shoulder surgery. He allowed four runs on 14 hits while striking out 17 and walking 10. The 31-year-old has not appeared in an MLB game since 2024.

Kwan is a Gold Glove winner in left field, but moving to center field could help the Guardians put their best offense on the field. That would open up left field for George Valera with Chase DeLauter playing right field. All three bat left-handed, so the alignment would obviously change versus left-handed pitchers, but this feels like a likely outcome if Kwan looks good enough in center field.

The 30-year-old views that as “probably the best-case scenario.” There is no need to undergo an MRI, and Junk is “not concerned this is gonna be a mult-week thing.” That’s good news, but with Braxton Garrett healthy and Chris Paddack now in town, Junk should be off your fantasy radar.

The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen speculates that this is “perhaps a response to Meadows’ tendency to whiff on elevated fastballs.” Meadows’ new hand position is a cue to force him to raise his hands to get his bat on an ideal plane, and his “swing overall looks shorter and tighter.” The 26-year-old was limited to just 58 games last year due to multiple injuries, but he’s a strong defender in center field and has the raw tools to be an impactful fantasy player if he’s healthy enough to be on the field. This new stance could help him unlock that upside.

After Trey Sweeney disappointed last year, and Javier Baez was moved to the outfield, the Tigers seem likely to start Zach McKinstry at shortstop this season. With McKinstry’s history as a super utility player, there is certainly a chance that McGongile could force his way into that job. The 21-year-old hit .305/.408/.583 with 19 homers and 10 steals in 88 games across three minor league levels last season. Things are far from settled here, but this looks like a situation to monitor.

There was some doubt because Shane McClanahan (nerve issue) is expected to be healthy to start the season and had been an Opening Day starter in the past. Still, Rasmussen was the team’s best pitcher last year, registering a 2.76 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 127/37 K/BB ratio in 150 innings. The 30-year-old has a 2.70 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 333/86 K/BB ratio in 389 2/3 career innings as a starter. He figures to be a potential top-30 starting pitcher in fantasy baseball this year.

Realmuto mentioned that Painer was about 98 or 99 mph in the bullpen and that the ball came out of his hand easy, without any effort. Perhaps more importantly, Realmuto mentions that the version of Painter he saw this week has far better command than he showed last year as he worked back from Tommy John surgery. “I think a lot of guys coming back from that injury don’t have the feel of the baseball to be able to command it like they normally do. Painter is one of those rare instances where he has such quality stuff, but he also commands the baseball really well...last year, he was just leaving some balls in the middle of the plate or getting behind in some counts... When he’s right, he’s kind of like [Zack] Wheeler where his stuff is so elite, but he’s still able to throw the ball on the edges.” Painter has an inside track to win the fifth starter spot in Philadelphia and is a nice target in fantasy drafts.

Albernaz didn’t directly address what was wrong with Westburg or how long he might be out. He added that Westburg is talking to the Orioles’ medical staff and seeing outside doctors as the team tries to “make sure that we’re doing our due diligence and make sure Jordan is in the best chance to play this year.” All of that sounds far more ominous than we’d like, and while we hope for Westburg’s good health, we can’t recommend drafting him in fantasy leagues.