The New York Rangers were reportedly closer to acquiring JJ Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres than many people may actually realize.
There were rumblings that the Rangers had an interest in Peterka, but those rumors ultimately quieted down in the hours leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline.
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, not only did the Rangers talk to Buffalo's brass about the potential of acquiring Peterka, but they had a massive offer on the table.
“I know that the Rangers were one of two or three teams to put a bonafide, legitimate offer on the table [for Peterka]. I think [they] offered up a roster player and a 1st-round pick ... I don't know who the roster player was,” Seravalli said.
The Rangers made a few minor trades, but did not pull the trigger on a deal for Peterka.
It’s unclear why a trade fell through and how close the two teams were to agreeing on this potential blockbuster deal.
Peterka remains on the Sabres for now with the trade deadline already past.
The 23-year-old forward has recorded 19 goals, 32 assists and 51 points this season while averaging 18:14 minutes this season.
Clay Holmes, who has excelled as his stuff has played up during spring training while making a transition from reliever to starter, was named the Mets' Opening Day starting pitcher.
"He earned it," manager Carlos Mendoza said on Friday. "We like what we're seeing. I know it's a small sample size here, but it's really encouraging. He really put himself in a really good position. Showed up here early in camp. He was ahead of everyone.
"But again, I think it's more how he's looked so far making that transition, and we're comfortable with him going on Opening Day."
Added Mendoza: "I know he's worked really hard. Proud of him."
Mendoza noted that Kodai Senga, whose preparation for the season has been methodical following a year that was mostly lost due to multiple injuries, is expected to pitch one of the first five games of the season.
Senga is starting the Mets' spring training game on Friday at 6:10 p.m. on SNY, and is expected to pitch about four innings.
Joining Holmes and Senga in the rotation will be David Peterson, and two pitchers from the depth group of Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn, and Tylor Megill.
Unlike Canning and Blackburn, Megill can be sent to the minors without the Mets running the risk of losing him.
The Mets' rotation is undermanned at the moment, with Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) dealing with injuries.
The Mets open the season on March 27 against the Astros in Houston as they begin a three-game series. After a day off on March 30, they begin a three-game set with the Marlins in Miami on March 31. Following an off day on April 3, the Mets' home opener at Citi Field will take place on April 4 against the Blue Jays.
The Phillies’ top minor-leaguers won their Spring Breakout game against the Pirates on a day that began with their No. 1 prospect reaching his next checkpoint.
Andrew Painter threw his first live batting practice session of the spring on Friday morning, facing Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott.
“Small sample size today but biggest takeaway was how the changeup’s pretty good,” Painter said. “It’s something I’ve been working on. I threw a couple to Marsh and he said it looked pretty good. Felt like I could land most things for a strike.”
To this point in camp, Painter had been throwing side sessions or bullpen sessions at less than 100% intensity. He wasn’t going all-out during Friday’s live BP, either.
“Still easing in, first one,” he said. “Two years ago, the first one felt really good and that led into some problems. I’ll take it easy here, a few more, just kinda build off every one.”
Two years ago, Painter entered camp as the perceived frontrunner in the Phillies’ No. 5 starter’s battle. He was being built up to begin the season because even at 19, the front office felt he had a body and skillset to pitch in the major leagues. An early highlight that spring was Kyle Schwarber homering off Painter during live BP a few days into full-squad workouts and playfully letting him hear about it.
Painter started a game against the Twins early that spring and showcased an upper-90s fastball but was quickly shelved by elbow soreness that eventually required Tommy John surgery. Painter missed all of 2024 recovering but felt good enough toward the end of the year to participate in the Arizona Fall League, where he excelled. The Phillies’ plan with him in 2025 is to bring him back up to speed slowly, saving the bulk of his innings for the second half when those innings could come in the majors.
Painter will throw a side session on Tuesday and will have a couple more live BPs before the Phillies break camp. When the season begins, he’ll stay back in Florida to keep working before eventually pitching in minor-league games.
Phils win Spring Breakout
The Phillies’ top prospects beat the Pirates’ top prospects, 5-3, at BayCare Ballpark. The Phils scored twice in the third inning and took the lead for good on a solo home run in the seventh by second baseman Carson DeMartini.
DeMartini was involved in a scare earlier in the afternoon when he was hit by a pitch on the wrist from left-hander Anthony Solometo. DeMartini stayed in the game and scored in the inning as infielders Devin Saltiban and Aroon Escobar hit back-to-back doubles at the bottom of the order off of Solometo, a Bishop Eustace product from Voorhees, NJ. The Phils’ bats were glad to see Bubba Chandler, a Pirates top prospect, exit the game after pumping consistent 99 mph fastballs the first two innings.
Phillies director of player development Luke Murton was in the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast booth with Tom McCarthy and Cole Hamels as the bottom of the third unfolded and expressed how intrigued the Phillies are by Saltiban’s power and the development Escobar is showing. Both are 20 years old.
The top of the order included players who have already appeared in big-league spring training games for the Phillies: Justin Crawford, Aidan Miller, Gabriel Rincones Jr., Otto Kemp. Hitting second was left fielder Dante Nori, the Phillies’ first-round pick last summer.
Crawford showed his speed in that two-run third by legging out a chopper to a drawn-in third baseman. He later tripled. Miller and Nori went hitless.
Moises Chace, acquired from Baltimore last summer for Gregory Soto, started and struck out two in a scoreless first inning. Conditioning and velo have been focal points for him in camp. His fastball was 91-92 mph on Friday compared to the mid-high-90s last season.
Jean Cabrera, who like Chace is on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, followed with two scoreless innings, working around two hit batsmen.
TOKYO — It’s only two games to start the Major League Baseball season — the World Series-champion Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome.
For the record, the MLB regular season consists of almost 2,500 games.
But it’s much more for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was born in Japan. And for Shohei Ohtani and the four other Japanese players competing at home for the Dodgers and Cubs.
Then there’s MLB, which opens its regular season for the second straight year in the Asian market. A year ago it was Seoul, South Korea, where the Dodgers and San Diego Padres split two games. It was also where the betting scandal broke around Ohtani’s interpreter.
“It’s hard to tell if this is the golden age for Japanese players in the United States,” Ohtani said, speaking through an interpreter, as both teams trained at the Tokyo Dome.
“I know there’s been a lot of Japanese players that came before me,” Ohtani added. “But having five (Japanese players) is a big deal. It’s truly a big deal.”
Asked what he was most looking forward to, Ohtani replied: “Eating good food, getting over the jetlag, and just being able to enjoy playing the game.”
Roberts back in Japan
It’s a homecoming for Roberts, who was born on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa to a Japanese mother and an American father. He’s expecting relatives to attend from Okinawa, where last year he was honored by officials there.
“For me it’s personal because I get to represent my mom’s side of the family,” Roberts said. “I have a lot of relatives and family that can watch this baseball game — watch a Dodgers game at night instead of having to watch us in the morning.”
The time difference between Japan and the American east coast is 13 hours, and Japan is 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles.
Japan is Dodgers country, swept away by Ohtani, the World Series title, and pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. They are expected to be the Dodgers starters against the Cubs.
“I think our mission was accomplished painting the country of Japan in Dodgers blue,” Roberts said.
Yamamoto and Ohtani talked about the joy of being home, as did Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki, the likely DH. Imanaga is expected to start against Yamamoto in the first game.
“I hope my teammates are really enjoying Japan right now,” Ohtani said. “But also I hope the fans get to see my teammates enjoying Japan.”
Ohtani says pitching on track
Ohtani was reminded that he has not thrown a bullpen session in several weeks as he hopes to return to pitching after missing out last season following elbow surgery.
“I want to prioritize the hitting aspect as we’re getting into the season, to give a little breather mentally and physically to the pitching side of thing,” he said. “This is according to plan and I’m pleased with how things have been going.”
Sasaki with something to prove
For Sasaki, it’s different. The 23-year-old signed with the Dodgers two months ago and needs to prove himself, though many feel he’s a can’t-miss prospect.
“I literally was in Japan until a couple of months ago,” he said through an interpreter. “For me it’s more about being able to pitch in a different uniform on a different team and make sure I do perform at my best.”
Sasaki met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in his office and gave him an autographed Dodgers cap. He was accompanied by Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
“I’m truly happy that the Dodgers are opening the season in Japan,” Japanese media reported Ishiba as saying.
Cubs party with Imanaga and Suzuki
Cubs manager Craig Counsell talked about a party thrown by Imanaga and Suzuki to welcome the other Cubs to Japan. For most it’s the first visit.
What impressed Counsell was a large tuna that was carved up in a ceremony at the party. Sashimi and sushi for all.
“We had tuna cut open,” Counsell said. “Some of the players participated in that, which was scary for a second with players with knives in their hands. But other than that it was great.”
Counsell said the trip to Japan was about “kizuna,” which is the Japanese word for bonding. He’s obviously been schooled by his Japanese players.
“That started for our team last night with the great party and being able to be together,” Counsell said.
TOKYO — The spotlight will be on slugger Shohei Ohtani when the superstar returns to Japan and leads the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs in the first two games of the Major League Baseball season at the Tokyo Dome.
He won’t be the only one playing in front of his home country.
Four other Japanese players — LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, along with Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga — will be on the field in a display of how deep the talent pool is in the country.
The outsized attention on Ohtani is understandable: He’s coming off one of the best seasons in MLB history and won his third MVP award after becoming the first player to hit at least 50 homers and steal at least 50 bases in the same season.
Ohtani had offseason surgery on his left shoulder following the World Series but is expected to start at designated hitter for the Dodgers in Japan after hitting .353 with two doubles and a homer in spring training.
The other four Japanese players are all accomplished in their own right. Here’s a look at each player as the opener approaches on March 18.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers, RHP
Yamamoto came to the Dodgers before last season, signing a 12-year, $325 million deal that was somewhat overshadowed by Ohtani’s monster 10-year, $700 million deal.
When healthy, Yamamoto was very good in his first big league season, finishing with a 7-2 record, a 3.00 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 90 innings. He was also solid in the postseason with a 2-0 record and a 3.86 ERA.
Yamamoto missed about three months last season with a shoulder injury. The 26-year-old has been healthy so far this spring and will be the starting pitcher for the season opener.
He played seven seasons for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan before coming to the U.S., where he had a 70-29 record along with a miniscule 1.82 ERA.
Seiya Suzuki, Cubs, OF/DH
The 30-year-old Suzuki has been an important part of the Cubs lineup for the past three seasons. He just finished his best season in the big leagues, batting .283 with 21 homers, 73 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and 27 doubles.
Suzuki has played most of his games in right field for the Cubs, but is just an average fielder. Manager Craig Counsell says Suzuki might be utilized more as a designated hitter this season after the addition of All-Star Kyle Tucker, who the team acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros.
He played nine seasons for the Hiroshima Carp before signing with the Cubs, batting .309 with 189 career homers.
Roki Sasaki, Dodgers, RHP
Sasaki is the youngest of the Japanese players in Tokyo for the series at 23 years old.
This is the lanky 6-foot-2 right-hander’s first season in the U.S. after playing four seasons for the Chiba Lotte Mariners, where he had an overpowering fastball that could touch 100 mph. He’s dealt with injuries over the past few years, which has limited his time on the mound.
Even so, Sasaki was electric in his spring training debut, striking out five over three scoreless innings. His fastball was clocked in the high 90s and he has a devastating splitter that coaxes plenty of swing-and-miss.
Sasaki signed a minor league contract that had a signing bonus of $6.5 million, though he’s expected to be on the big league roster. Because he’s under 25 and did not have six years of service time in Japan, Sasaki was considered an international amateur by MLB’s rules and was limited to a minor league deal with a limited signing bonus.
Shota Imanaga, Cubs, LHP
The 31-year-old Imanaga made an immediate impact last season with the Cubs, making the National League All-Star team and finishing with a 15-3 record and 2.91 ERA. He’s expected to be the team’s ace in 2025 and will pitch against Yamamoto in the first game in Tokyo.
Imanaga doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, with the pitch usually sitting in the low 90s, but the left-hander has a quality splitter and mixes his pitches well. Before coming to the U.S., he pitched eight seasons for the Yokohoma BayStars and was 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA.
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The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani enters the field at the Tokyo Dome for a workout on Friday ahead of next week's Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
They screamed.
They screamed and made that noise that crowds make when thousands of people scream at the same time, that sound that is heard when the home team takes a lead late in a playoff game.
Imagine if Ohtani had actually taken batting practice Friday like most of the other Dodgers hitters. Imagine the reaction of the 10,507 fans who packed the lower-bowl seats behind home plate and the two foul lines at the Tokyo Dome.
The crowd’s response to Ohtani, however, reestablished a longstanding truth about the Dodgers: In Japan’s view, there is Ohtani and then there is everyone else.
The Dodgers are the Rolling Stones and Ohtani is Mick Jagger.
“If not for Ohtani, I don’t think all of Japan would be in a frenzy like this,” said Taka Hattori, a 51-year-old fan who wore a custom-made No. 17 jersey with “SHOTIME” embroidered across the back.
Fans cramped into a nearby 30,000-square-foot hall that was transformed into a temporary souvenir store. Hundreds showed up the previous day at Haneda Airport to catch a glimpse of the Dodgers, who arrived for the Tokyo Series, their season-opening, two-game set against the Chicago Cubs that starts on Tuesday.
More than 1,000 media credentials were issued for the games, which are sold out. The asking price on the secondary market for the least-expensive tickets are in the neighborhood of $1,500.
Hattori paid 18,000 yen, or about $120, to join the Dodgers’ fan club, which entered him into a lottery for Japan Series tickets.
Hattori settled for the workout on Friday, as he was able to purchase tickets from a friend at their face value of 2,000 yen, or about $13.
“I personally really like Ichiro [Suzuki],” Hattori said. “I was able to watch Ichiro play here on opening day. But it wasn’t like this.”
Hattori described Ohtani as being “from another universe.”
“Of course, Ohtani is a representative of Japan,” Hattori said. “But it doesn’t matter any more whether he’s Japanese, American or Korean. I feel he’s reached the level at which he is not a representative of any particular country but is rather a representative of baseball.”
Runa Misaki traveled from her hometown of Osaka to watch the workout with her friend Yuko Hanashima.
Fans try on Dodgers caps at a souvenir store at the Tokyo Dome on Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
They said they were drawn to Ohtani as much by his personality as his performances.
“I think he really likes baseball,” Hanashima said. “I think he likes baseball more than anyone. I think that’s why children like him so much.”
Misaki said she would return to Tokyo on Sunday for an exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers. Tickets for that game, as well as for a game on Saturday against the Yomiuri Giants, are being sold on the secondary market for more than $600.
“I would like them to open here every season,” Misaki said.
Ohtani’s popularity here is such that other Dodgers have also become famous by association.
Fans waved en masse at manager Dave Roberts, who waved back. They shouted the names of Teoscar Hernández and Miguel Rojas. They shrieked with delight when Freeman acknowledged them with an affectionate wave of the glove.
They also watched batting practice with the same focus with which they would watch a game. Binoculars and mobile phone cameras were pointed at the batter’s box. Some fans observed the action while clutching sleeping babies. The conclusion of every round of batting practice was followed by applause.
Mind you, this was for a workout. The first official game was still four days away.
Fans intently watch the Dodgers work out at the Tokyo Dome on Friday. More than 10,000 people filled the lower bowl of the stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For much of the last two years, the Dodgers have felt like Major League Baseball’s Team of Japan.
They signed Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. They struck advertising deal after advertising deal with some of the country’s biggest companies. All of their games are now shown on Japanese television. Team officials have stated their mission to “paint Japan blue” and become the nation’s most popular MLB team.
But this week, over their first 24 hours in Tokyo for a season-opening trip, they got to actually feel what being Japan’s team is like.
On Thursday hundreds of people decked out in Dodgers gear flocked to the arrival hall at Tokyo Haneda Airport, hoping to catch a glimpse of the team as it exited its flight from Phoenix. (Unfortunately for them, partitions had been erected that kept players and staff shielded from view.)
On Friday thousands roamed the streets around the Tokyo Dome ahead of the team’s first official workout — with Dodgers hats, jerseys and T-shirts again dominating the scene.
Nothing, however, compared to what the players witnessed once they got inside: 10,507 fans, in a nearly universal sea of white and blue, packed into the lower bowl of the historic ballpark.
All to watch a mundane, routine, run-of-the-mill workout.
“This is crazy, amazing,” manager Dave Roberts said, his eyes wide as he walked out of the dugout and surveyed the sprawling scene.
“It’s been overwhelming,” added shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was loudly applauded after a rudimentary round of batting of practice. “To say the least.”
Fans wave at Shohei Ohtani as he leaves the field following a workout with the Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome on Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers knew their popularity in Japan had skyrocketed. It was evident last year in the increased Japanese media attention around the team. The spike of foreign fans at games. The videos splashed across social media of Japanese supporters celebrating the World Series title as their own.
“We know that every morning, in the middle of the morning, the Dodger games are broadcast here in Japan,” Roberts said. “We can tell by the Japanese enthusiasm at games, whether it be at Dodger Stadium or on the road.”
But, Roberts noted Friday, in an afternoon news conference before hundreds of reporters at the Tokyo Dome Hotel, “this is our first opportunity to come to the country of Japan, the city of Tokyo, and actually see Japanese people come support us in their home country.”
And even for him — someone of Japanese heritage, who still has family in Japan and who spent time in the country this offseason — it didn’t take long to be unexpectedly impressed.
While out in the Tokyo neighborhood of Shibuya after the Dodgers got into town, Roberts said he instantly was struck by sight of the team’s brand on city streets.
“I saw a lot of Dodger hats,” he said.
With the Dodgers scheduled to play a Saturday exhibition against the Tokyo Dome’s normal tenant, the Yomuiri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, Roberts wondered whether there might actually be more Dodgers gear in the crowd.
“There’s going to be a lot of representation,” he said.
Almost all such attention has been generated by the acquisitions of Sasaki, Yamamoto and, most of all, Ohtani over the last two offseasons. Ohtani didn’t spend much time on the field Friday, appearing for a little more than 10 minutes and doing no more than stretches and baserunning drills. But his mere appearance triggered a roar inside the domed stadium. And when he exited the field, photographers scrambled to capture his every step.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani enters the field at the Tokyo Dome for a team workout Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“When Sho came running out of the dugout,” infielder Max Muncy said, “that was a pretty cool moment for all of us to witness.”
Fans right behind the dugout called out almost every player by name — right down to minor-league reliever Jack Dreyer, who has yet to make his MLB debut. In addition to the applause that accompanied each and every round of batting practice, the crowd cheered for strong throws from outfielders, pitchers making catches in foul territory and every deep drive hit to or over the tall outfield wall.
“I don’t normally try to hit home runs in batting practice,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “But I felt like I had to today.”
Muncy described the day as a boost of energy for the team, which will play another exhibition against a Japanese opponent Sunday before beginning its season with two games against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“It was good for us to have that,” Muncy said. “The long flight, everyone’s still feeling tired from that. So I think that kind of gave everyone a little bit of a boost, just to have fun with it.”
The other thing it provided the Dodgers: perspective — on their popularity in Japan, ascendant place on the world stage and ever-growing prevalence even 5,000 miles from home.
“It’s all over the world,” Rojas said. “I think the Dodgers are trying to get right there with the biggest organizations in the world. I’m talking about Real Madrid, Barcelona, all the teams that are worldwide. And I think the Dodgers are really close to that.”
Dodgers players stand in the dugout while "God Bless America" plays during the seventh-inning stretch of Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 26. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Poring over fantasy baseball player rankings can be jarring for diehard fans of a specific team who don't pay much attention to the other 29 clubs.
That might be especially true for the legions of devoted, deliriously satiated Dodgers followers this year.
Dodgers fans might be tempted to simply pick as many Boys in Blue as they can. But a team of all or even mostly Dodgers would be hard-pressed to win a fantasy league, which usually consists of 10 to 12 teams. Players from all 30 MLB teams are available in "mixed" leagues, the most common format, meaning that even a slap-dash fantasy team should have more talent than the best team of living, breathing humans.
Scott Pianowski, a Yahoo fantasy analyst since 2008 and member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Hall of Fame, brought up another reason not to load up on Dodgers: Their best players might be rested frequently, the baseball equivalent of load management. Players need to be in the lineup to accumulate fantasy points.
"I've never seen a team so assured of a playoff spot than the 2025 Dodgers," he said. "They want their healthiest team ready for October. They might decide they used their regulars too much last year. They might back off on workloads, and not just with pitchers.
"My advice: Draft a Dodger, don't draft five Dodgers."
Fantasy gurus assign a number to where a player is projected to be taken, calling it his Average Draft Position. Regardless of whether league scoring uses old-fashioned rotisserie categories or head-to-head points, the ADP of the two most desirable Dodgers establish that it would be nearly impossible to draft both.
Mookie Betts is a consensus top-10 pick because he qualifies as a shortstop as well as an outfielder (a player is eligible at a position he played in 20 or more games the previous season). In his fifth Dodgers season, Betts played 65 games at shortstop and 43 in the outfield. He also played 18 at second base, nearly becoming eligible at a third position.
Most drafts use a snake format in which the order of picks reverses each round. Whoever gets the top pick — say Ohtani — in a 10-team league wouldn't pick again until the Nos. 20 and 21 picks. Betts would be long gone and Dodgers first baseman and World Series hero Freddie Freeman — whose ADP is 19 with Yahoo and 22 with ESPN — also might be taken.
So let's say you had the No. 1 pick and landed Ohtani, missed out on Betts and took Freeman with the 20th pick to end the second round. Now you have the first pick of the third round and quickly realize that no other Dodger makes sense this early.
Among position players, outfielder Teoscar Hernández is projected as a sixth-round pick and catcher Will Smith a 10th-rounder by numerous fantasy prognosticators. Tommy Edman is draftable late because of his versatility. Same with Max Muncy because of his power. But that's it unless — like Pianowski — you consider new Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto a sleeper whose home run production dipped during two years in the San Francisco Giants' cavernous AT&T Park, but last season he hit 17 homers on the road.
Want to mix in an Angel? How about Mike Trout? It wasn't so long ago that he was the no-brainer first overall selection in thousands of fantasy drafts. But after several injury-riddled seasons, the future Hall of Famer checks in as the 41st-best outfielder by ESPN. His Yahoo ADP is 93, an indication he'll be available in the ninth round.
Yet the top Dodgers pitcher in the projections is Snell, whom ESPN ranks as only the 12th-best MLB starter with an ADP of 44. Next are Yamamoto with an ADP of 51 and Glasnow at 91. Sasaki is projected as a 10th-rounder. Kershaw, May, Tony Gonsolin and Bobby Miller? All are either recently recovered or still recovering from an injury. It's buyer beware.
Dodgers relievers are modestly valued as well because it's unclear who will accumulate the bulk of the saves. Newcomer Tanner Scott has an ADP of 166, despite notching 22 saves and a 1.75 earned-run average last season with two teams. Kirby Yates has an ADP of 193, despite posting 33 saves and a 1.17 ERA with the Texas Rangers.
Decorated Dodgers bullpen pieces Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia? Your choice in the final rounds. Or you could grab former Dodger and new Angels closer Kenley Jansen, whose Yahoo ADP is 236 even though his ninth-inning role is a given.
The usage of pitchers has evolved in recent years, impacting fantasy values. Starters pitcher fewer innings, no longer accumulating wins and strikeouts in abundance. More than one reliever will be trusted in save situations, depending on matchups. Catastrophic injuries to pitchers are commonplace.
"The Dodgers probably will use a six-man rotation, so the sneaky value might be their relievers," Pianowski said. "Non-closing relievers are much more valuable. More wins are distributed to the bullpen. If I'm an owner in a deep mixed league, I would draft any of those Dodgers relievers."
Crunching these numbers unearths one irrefutable truth about drafting a fantasy team: Don't be a homer. See more than Blue.
Angling for a starting pitcher in the second round? The ADP's of Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Zack Wheeler merit a pick that high. Otherwise, the numbers point to grabbing another hitter.
Everybody wants to identify sleepers late in the draft. Some leagues even allow drafting minor league players. If that's the case, revisit your Dodgers devotion by taking Dalton Rushing. Then smile.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will start the season on the injured list because of soreness in his throwing elbow.
Bradford had an MRI this week that came back clean, but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters on Thursday the club will shut him down for 10 days to see how he responds. Bradford was scratched from a scheduled start on Wednesday.
Bradford is the second Texas starter to get hurt this week after Tyler Mahle was scratched from a start with forearm soreness. The right-hander expected to start throwing again in a few days.
The 27-year-old Bradford went 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA in 13 starts last season after appearing eight times the year before. He also pitched in five playoff games during the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run.
Tension, drama, nerves, this Europa League second leg tie wasn't for the faint hearted.
At the end of the second half, it looked like there was only going to be one winner as Fenerbache headed into extra time on top. But Rangers dug deep and they found a renewed energy for much of extra time.
The nerves during the spot kicks were something else but Rangers and Jack Butland were equal to the pressurised task.
Rangers did make life hard for themselves though, given their lead from the first leg, and how they played for the majority of the first half of this one, they allowed Fenerbahce back into this tie and the visitors' confidence only grew.
Their goal just before half-time gave them a huge boost, there's no question about that. It had the opposite effect on Rangers.
The visitors came out for the second 45 firing on all cylinders, piling on the pressure. Rangers, on the other hand, lost their confidence and their dominance. For the majority of the first half they played with energy and intent, their failure to score from decent positions though was an issue, and it almost came back to haunt them.
When Fenerbahce grabbed their second goal of the night, it was deserved, they were the better side and left Rangers' Europa League hopes hanging by a thread.
The equaliser set up a tense watch for the Rangers fans, the Turkish side were oozing confidence, Rangers were sloppy when they did see the ball.
In extra time, Rangers offered more. Vaclav Cerny forced a brilliant save, and suddenly there was some hope.
When it went to penalties you fancied Rangers, and Jack Butland more than played his part to cap a brilliant night for the Ibrox side.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is missing the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery but the procedure also includes an internal brace.
Now, while there is a UCL procedure that uses an internal brace instead of the traditional Tommy John surgery, a Yankees spokesman told The Athletic's Brendan Kuty that Cole had full UCL reconstruction surgery in addition to the internal brace.
In this case, the internal brace is being used to fortify the elbow and the typical recovery timeframe stands.
The recovery time for Tommy Johns is typically 14-18 months. If Cole had the internal brace procedure and not the traditional UCL surgery, it would have shortened his recovery to around 12 months.
So, as of now, Cole's return could be held off until a few months into the 2026 season.
If Cole were to miss the start of the 2026 season, the ace and Yankees are accustomed to that as well. Cole misseed roughly the first three months of the 2024 season with inflammation in his right elbow but returned to pitch with a 3.41 ERA across 95 innings over 17 starts when he returned in June. However, the Yankees will have to find a way to navigate this year without their ace and Luis Gil for a stretch as the reigning AL Rookie of the Year deals with an oblique strain.
Without Cole and Gil, the Yankees' starting rotation will include Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman, with the No. 5 spot on the starting staff likely coming down to Will Warren, Allan Winans, or Carlos Carrasco.
Although it came in a losing effort, Diaz was sharp making his third spring training outing. After the Mets closer gave up a leadoff double, he retired the next three batters on a fly out, swinging strikeout and another fly out -- he threw 18 pitches (12 strikes).
"Better," Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said of Diaz's outing. "From the first pitch, there was conviction. It’s spring training. The first couple of outings, you felt like after a couple of guys got on, that was when he was letting the ball go. Today, we saw it from the first pitch. Even though he gave up that double, he had to work today, make pitches and there was much more conviction behind it."
Diaz's first outing came back on March 6 against the Astros, where he allowed two runs on two hits and one walk, recording just one out. The All-Star closer was unfazed by his performance, calling it just "part of the game."
His next time out (March 9 against the Nationals), Diaz struck out three batters but walked two in his inning of work. It took him 27 pitches to retire the side.
Thursday was a different story. Diaz was efficient and attacked the zone. However, his fastball saw a dip in velocity. The 30-year-old's fastball averaged 95 mph and topped out around 96 mph. His final heater was clocked at 92 mph.
Mendoza was asked about Diaz's velocity and whether he was concerned.
"Nah, it’ll come up," he said. "I’m not worried about that."
If all is right with Diaz, the Mets should have a formidable backend of the bullpen with A.J. Minter making his impressive spring debut on Wednesday. The left-hander, who signed a two-year deal, pitched a perfect inning on just 10 pitches.
Minter had a delayed start to camp after recovering from offseason hip surgery.
Dedniel Núñez, who was impressive out of the Mets' bullpen last season, got through a two inning live BP session earlier this week "ok," per Mendoza. The skipper added that Núñez's next step will be making his spring debut on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Mets' next game is hosting the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets All-Star infielder Jeff McNeil will open the season on the injured list because of a strained right oblique.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that the 2022 big league batting champion has a low grade strain. McNeil won’t participate in baseball activities for a week to 10 days and likely will be sidelined for three to four weeks.
“It’s low-grade, he felt it after playing a couple of days ago,” Mendoza said. “He came in sore, we gave him 24 hours and yesterday same thing so we decided to have imaging and it shows that strain.”
The 32-year-old McNeil hit .238 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs last year. His right wrist was broken on Sept. 6 when hit by a pitch from Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson, and McNeil returned for the NL Championship Series.
McNeil played the majority of the season at second base, but also spent time in both corner outfield positions.
New York has had a series of injuries during spring training.
Catcher Francisco Alvarez broke his left hand during batting practice on Saturday and is expected to be out six to eight weeks. Left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique), right-hander Frankie Montas (lat) and infielder Nick Madrigal (fractured shoulder) also will miss the start of the season. Madrigal could be out all year.
