Fantasy Baseball

Covey latched on with the Braves last month as a non-roster invitee and will presumably head to Triple-A Gwinnett as extra organizational relief depth, unless he opts-out of his contract. The 33-year-old journeyman made 29 appearances between the Dodgers and Phillies back in 2023. He missed last season due to a shoulder injury.

Casas took Twins starter Joe Ryan deep in the opening frame for his first round-tripper of the spring. The 25-year-old former top prospect was derailed last season by a rib injury, which cost him nearly four months. The talent is undeniable and it’s not a stretch to forecast a leap into the 30-homer range, if he stays mostly healthy. The lingering durability concerns push him a bit lower into the top 10-12 range at first base from a fantasy standpoint in drafts this spring.

Anthony returned to Boston’s lineup for the first time in nearly two weeks after losing roughly 10 pounds due to illness. The 20-year-old outfielder is one of the top prospects in the entire fantasy landscape. He’ll most likely open the year back at Triple-A Worcester, but should arrive at Fenway Park by the All-Star break, if not sooner.

Matthews experienced a meteoric rise last year, racing through three minor-league levels to reach the big-leagues by mid-August. The 24-year-old righty’s control-oriented approach was exploited by major-league hitters during his nine-start cameo with the Twins, but he’s looked extremely sharp this spring, reeling off 9 1/3 scoreless frames with 12 strikeouts. He was sitting 96-97 mph during Wednesday evening’s relief outing and his stuff figures to play up in shorter bursts out of the bullpen. He’ll most likely make Minnesota’s season-opening roster as a long relief weapon.

The encouraging development from a fantasy standpoint here is that Ryan piled up five strikeouts during Wednesday’s Grapefruit League nightcap and has looked healthy this spring in his return from last August’s teres major strain in his right shoulder. The 28-year-old is a top-30 range starting pitcher from a fantasy perspective in drafts this spring.

Houck was tagged for three runs on four hits and a pair of walks before getting pulled from a disastrous opening after recording only one out. He looked much sharper in the second and third innings prior to being lifted after 57 pitches (30 strikes) in the ensuing frame. He struck out two, issued three walks and also hit one batter. He’s a borderline top-60 option for fantasy purposes this spring.

The Royals, and fantasy managers, can breath a sigh of relief. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that while a timetable for his return in unclear, Witt is expected to avoid a lengthy absence. The 24-year-old fantasy superstar underwent precautionary X-rays to rule out any fractures after being hit by a 96-mph fastball on the left forearm during Wednesday’s Cactus League contest against the Mariners. It’s possible he’ll undergo some additional testing, including an MRI or CT scan, to eliminate any additional structural concerns, but it sounds like he’s managed to avoid serious injury. It’s too early to speculate whether he’ll be ready in time for Opening Day. There should be some additional clarity on his status later this week, if not sooner.

García was back at DH on Wednesday following a brief absence due to a mild oblique strain. The 32-year-old slugging corner outfielder remains a borderline lock to eclipse 25 homers, but the double-digit steals might dry up as he approaches his mid-30’s. He’s a borderline top-30 outfielder from a fantasy standpoint in drafts this spring.

He struck out three and only issued one walk. Martinez lacks the strikeout upside to envision a leap into the top-50 range among starting pitchers for fantasy purposes, but he’s a decent back-end ratio stabilizer in deeper mixed leagues as borderline top-100 option.

Rodríguez connected on a hanging curveball from Royals starter Ross Stripling, tattooing a 412-foot grand slam to left-center field that left his bat at 107.6 mph. The 24-year-old fantasy stalwart has gone deep three times already this spring and appears to be making an effort to pull the ball more often. He’s one of the safest five-category contributors in the entire fantasy landscape, which is why he’ll go off the board in the late-first or early-second round of all drafts this spring.