WASHINGTON — Inside an empty stadium, the most popular ballplayer on Earth got to work.

Shohei Ohtani strolled out to the outfield grass at Nationals Park on an abnormally brisk April afternoon. In his wake strode a small army of Los Angeles Dodgers coaches and staff. Ohtani, who two days prior had gone 3-for-4 with a home run and a triple, picked up a ball and began to throw.

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It being two hours before first pitch of Wednesday’s game, the yard had yet to open to the public, and so the stands were almost completely vacant. As Ohtani threw, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts conducted his daily media session, capturing the attention of the club’s rather large media contingent. The only people watching Ohtani, besides the throng of Dodgers pitchers waiting to stretch, were a few Nats Park ushers, a handful of well-placed media members and a security guard or two. When Ohtani sailed one clanging into the seats, an opportunistic usher slid the prized ball into his pocket.

Eventually, Ohtani and his Dodgers shadow, the lot of them bundled in winter wear, moved to the visiting bullpen. There, the Japanese supernova conducted a brief bullpen session, throwing about 15 pitches off the mound to a squatting catcher. He threw fastballs and splitters but no breaking balls. He smiled with glee after unleashing a quality offering and grimaced with frustration when he missed a spot.

Not knowing the context, the entire scene might’ve looked rather routine for a professional baseball player. But very, very little about Shohei Ohtani is ever routine.

Over the past decade, Ohtani grew into a singular force because of his two-way skill set. Nobody else in the entire sport both hits and pitches, let alone at the elite level Ohtani can. But since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023, the three-time MVP has not toed a big-league rubber. In the time since then, he has switched teams, endured a gambling scandal that sent his former interpreter to prison, won an NL MVP award and captured his first World Series crown. His fame, already sky-high, has multiplied exponentially.

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Yet his path back to the two-way lifestyle has been anything but simple. As of Thursday, one year, six months and 21 days have elapsed since he went under the knife on Sept. 19, 2023. Considering where the Dodgers dynamo is in his recovery process, there’s still quite a ways to go.

“I’m still at the stage in which I have limits on the types of pitches I can throw and limits on speed,” Ohtani told media, including Yahoo Sports, through interpreter Will Ireton this week.

Ohtani still hasn’t thrown breaking balls off a mound. He hasn’t thrown all his pitches with 100 percent effort. His next major milestone will be throwing live batting practice to hitters, something he almost accomplished before his throwing program was paused during last year’s playoff run. At this point, the best-case scenario could see Ohtani back in the Dodgers rotation about six weeks from now, but neither player nor team has offered anything resembling a definitive timeline.

The general expectation around DodgerLand right now is that an Ohtani pitching comeback before the end of June looks unlikely. A return around the All-Star break in mid-July would put Ohtani’s total rehab time at about 22 months, significantly longer than the typical Tommy John recovery. Compare that to fellow Dodger Tony Gonsolin, who underwent Tommy John just 19 days before Ohtani. Gonsolin, currently on the IL due to a back problem, made his first minor-league rehab start on Sept. 10, one year and nine days after surgery.

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That said, it’s worth noting: At no point in the process have Dodgers brass used the word “setback” to describe the trajectory of Ohtani’s recovery.

Why so long? Ohtani has, at nearly every moment in his illustrious career, blown past expectations and reshaped the game to his will. What about this particular process has resulted in the opposite?

An important piece of context: This is Ohtani’s second elbow surgery, after he had Tommy John at the end of the 2018 season. Teams often craft a more conservative return timeline for players who have already undergone the operation. Jacob deGrom, for instance, needed about 15 months of recuperation and rehab before his comeback from a second Tommy John last season. Still, the 20-22-month timeline feels a bit extreme.

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A different injury, the one Ohtani suffered during the playoffs, might be playing a role. During Game 2 of the World Series, the Dodgers leadoff man hurt his left shoulder while sliding into second base on a steal attempt. He played through the issue for the remainder of the Fall Classic but underwent surgery to repair the shoulder in November. That operation would’ve necessitated a rehab process, one that almost certainly forced Ohtani to pause or otherwise reorient his throwing program, further extending his pitching timeline.

The rigors of being an every-day hitter are also, unquestionably, a factor. No other pitcher in league history has attempted a second elbow surgery comeback while simultaneously serving as an MVP-level bat in the lineup for every game. By continuing to hit, Ohtani simply can’t focus 100 percent of his energy on his pitching rehab. He has, as was the case last season, found pockets of time to throw before games. And whenever he returns, Ohtani will play both sides, as he has done for stretches in his career. But given his unique situation, it’s understandable that he and the Dodgers would play things safe.

The Dodgers, more specifically their roster and their vision, are the last major dynamic at play here. Thanks to deep pockets and a superb player development system, the defending champs boast a Mariana-deep collection of starting pitchers. Even with Blake Snell on the shelf, Los Angeles has Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Dustin May in the rotation. Depth options such as Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, Nick Frasso and Bobby Miller aren’t awe-inspiring, but they provide a valuable layer of cushion. Add the will-return-at-some-point-this-year trio of Gonsolin, Clayton Kershaw and Emmet Sheehan, and you can understand why the Dodgers aren’t rushing Ohtani back.

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The Dodgers’ offense is formidable enough to overcome subpar starting performances, as was the case Wednesday against Washington. A year ago, this team won 95 games, the NL West and the World Series despite a rotating carousel of starting pitchers. They’re set up even better this go-around. And because the Dodgers are a near-lock to make the playoffs, timing Ohtani’s return with those most meaningful games makes a whole lot of sense.

The only possible concern with L.A.’s Ohtani strategy is if the player himself grows frustrated with the methodical approach. That does not, in any way, appear to be the case right now. Roberts, when describing the team’s level of collaboration with its star, used the word “lockstep” this week.

Ohtani, through Ireton, reflected that sentiment: “The Dodgers are consulting with the doctors just to make sure that, since this is my second operation, it’s really important to be conservative and be thoughtful.”

And so, the impatient public, the millions and millions of Ohtani fans around the world, will just have to wait a little longer.

Let’s open up this week’s Waiver Wire with the oldest guy in the league.

2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge lead Top 300 rest of season ranks

Hunter Greene is on the rise and Rockies call-up Zac Veen enters the Top 300.

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Justin Verlander (SP Giants) – Rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues

Stay the course. Verlander wasn’t very good in his second start of the season against the Mariners, but he was far better last time out versus the Reds, even if he gave up five earned runs along the way. All five of those came in one inning in which the Reds had two hard-hit balls, one a grounder and one a popup. Verlander didn’t even allow a hit over the rest of the outing, and he struck out nine batters while averaging 95.2 mph with his fastball.

Verlander’s velocity is one big reason to be optimistic about his performance in his age-42 campaign. He’s averaging 94.8 mph on the heater right now, putting him right in between the 95.1 mph he was at in 2022, when he won AL Cy Young honors, and 2023, when he was still strong in posting a 3.22 ERA. Last year, he was down to 93.5 mph and largely ineffective in the 17 starts he was able to make while dealing with injuries.

Maybe Verlander’s body will betray him again at some point, but everything besides his ERA is looking good right now. His strikeout rate stands at 26%. His groundball rate is up, too, since he’s throwing about three times as many sliders as curves. He’ll give up homers from time to time, but it helps that his home park suppresses them. That his next two starts are in Philadelphia and Anaheim isn’t ideal — and benching him should be in play for at least the first of those outings — but there ought to be some value for the long haul here.

Pavin Smith (1B D-backs) – Rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues

After starting off in the minors for a second straight season, Smith, who received his most extensive playing time as a 25-year-old rookie in 2021, clawed his way back into Arizona’s plans last summer, particularly in hitting .290/..384/.677 in 73 plate appearances in September. The Diamondbacks penciled him in as Joe Pederson’s replacement in the DH role against right-handers this season, and he’s kept right on hitting, coming in at .400/.486/.667 in 35 plate appearances. He has five barrels, though just one homer, and 11 of his 18 balls in play have been hit hard.

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Smith’s fantasy ceiling remains capped by his platoon role, one that will be difficult for him to escape after the D-backs re-signed Randal Grichuk in the offseason. The team could weaken the outfield defense by moving Corbin Carroll to center and playing Grichuk in right against lefties, but it’d probably take quite a sustained run from Smith to get them to consider it. Perhaps an injury will eventually open things up a bit.

For now, though, Smith will sit on average once or twice per week. He’s probably good enough to eke out some mixed-league value anyway, especially since he’s mostly hitting third in a quality lineup. His strikeout rate is up, but that’s a worthy trade for as much hard contact as he’s making.

Zebby Matthews (SP Twins) – Rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues

Some were left shaking their heads when the Twins opted to promote David Festa with Pablo López hurt, but it might have just been a stopgap measure. Based on spring performance and the events of the first two weeks of the Triple-A season, Zebby Matthews had earned the opportunity to be the first addition to the Twins rotation. There’s a good chance that’s still going to happen next week.

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Matthews, an eighth-round pick of Western Carolina in 2022, struggled some last year in his first taste of the majors, mostly because of the home run ball. He gave up 11 of those in amassing a 6.69 ERA in 37 2/3 innings over nine starts. He did have a fine 43/11 K/BB along the way, though. He wound up pitching 9 1/3 scoreless innings with a 12/1 K/BB this spring, and he’s opened up with a 1.80 ERA and a 13/1 K/BB in 10 innings for the Saints. In his minor league career, he’s struck out 29 percent and walked just three percent of the batters he’s faced.

While they’re not overly similar pitchers, Matthews could wind up very much like Bailey Ober for fantasy purposes. He’ll always give up homers, leaving him with unexceptional ERAs, but his slider will lead to a fine strikeout rate and the lack of walks will make him a big asset in terms of WHIP. He should offer some mixed-league value this season.

Waiver Wire Quick Hits

– I wasn’t going to do a full writeup of Nick Kurtz after James Schiano highlighted him Tuesday, but it would be nice to have him stashed. The 2024 first-round pick is already running out of things to prove after just 23 games in the minors, and the A’s aren’t getting much production out of left field. If they’re willing to put Brent Rooker out there most of the time, Kurtz could give the lineup a big lift while alternating with Tyler Soderstom between first base and DH.

– It’s hard to bet on Lance McCullers Jr. staying healthy at this point, but he’s two starts deep into a rehab assignment in his latest attempt to return from elbow problems and he could join the Astros rotation around the end of the month. He’s almost always been effective when he’s been able to pitch (3.48 ERA, 27% strikeout rate in 719 career innings). Maybe that will no longer be the case at age 31, but he’s rostered in only two percent of leagues and he’s (hopefully) quite a bit closer to returning than most of the IL starting pitchers.

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Lawrence was decent enough last season (QB12 in fantasy) but failed to back up his promising 2022 when he finished as QB7. His TD pass rate decreased, his INT rate increased and he had no more than 15 fantasy points in half of his 16 games. Lawrence dealt with numerous injuries despite missing just once game, and he tied for the league lead with seven lost fumbles. But Lawrence’s accuracy was consistent with the year before, and he actually improved his downfield passing. He threw deep on 11.9 percent of his attempts (fifth) as his average target depth increased to a career-high 8.2 yards, and on attempts of 20-plus yards his 55.7 percent on-target rate ranked seventh. Lawrence was hurt by a below-average 21.4 TD percentage in the red zone. Positive regression in that area would buy him some extra TDs this year. WR Brian Thomas, the 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft, should also help in the red zone. At 6-3, 209, the former basketball star has a wide catch radius and can also get behind defenses with 4.33 speed — blazing for this size. The Jaguars also brought in free-agent acquisition Gabe Davis, giving the strong-armed Lawrence two significant vertical threats. Calvin Ridley left in free agency and Zay Jones was released, but WR Christian Kirk, TE Evan Engram and RB Travis Etienne all return, providing Lawrence with perhaps his best supporting cast yet. The 24-year-old also adds some rushing stats, averaging 321 yards and 3.7 TDs per year. If Lawrence is to become a fantasy stalwart, this is the season.

Freed from the shackles of Urban Meyer, Lawrence looked more like the QB the Jaguars thought they were drafting No. 1 overall in 2021. With Doug Pederson at the helm, Lawrence improved significantly across the board in 2022. His on-target rate jumped five percentage points to 73.8 as his completion rate increased from 59.6 to 66.3 percent. He more than doubled his TD passes while more than halving his interceptions. And he helped turn a three-win team in 2021 into a playoff winner when he led a 27-point comeback victory in the wild-card round. After a QB7 finish last season, Lawrence could break into the top 5 of fantasy quarterbacks with another step forward. While his YPA increased by a full yard last season, it was still only 7.0, 18th in the league, giving him room to improve. He completed 34.4 percent of his attempts of 20-plus yards, 20th, and his 10.5 YPA on such throws ranked 28th. Calvin Ridley, who returns from a year-long suspension, should help with that and forms a strong WR trio with Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. TE Evan Engram is coming off a 73-catch season, and RB Travis Etienne is coming off a 1,400-yard year. Offensive line is a trouble spot, though, with RT Jawaan Taylor lost in free agency and first-round rookie Anton Harrison possibly starting immediately at LT with Cam Robinson facing a suspension. If the O-Line can keep him upright, Lawrence has the talent, weapons, mobility and coach to become a fantasy stalwart.

It’s hard to know what to make of Lawrence after the disaster in Jacksonville last season. The
first overall pick looked like a massive bust, throwing five more interceptions (17) than TD
passes (12). His on-target percentage was 31st, with only fellow rookie Zach Wilson lower. His
6.0 YPA ranked last, below even Wilson. Lawrence at least tried to throw downfield, his 7.9-yard
average target depth ranking 15th — not that it went well. On attempts of 20-plus yards,
Lawrence was 30th in YPA (8.6), 29th in completion percentage (29.9) and last in on-target
percentage (37.3). Of course, all of that awfulness is mitigated in part by the circus that was
Urban Meyer. Not only that, but Lawrence lost arguably his top target, DJ Chark, to a season-
ending injury Week 4. This year can be treated as a do-over for Lawrence under new coach
Doug Pederson, who should at least give the young QB a chance to succeed. Chark is gone to
Detroit, though, with Jacksonville instead signing Christian Kirk to a big-money deal. The
Jaguars also signed Zay Jones to go with 32-year-old Marvin Jones and disappointing 2020
second-round pick Laviska Shenault, and they added speed at TE with Evan Engram. There are
more guys to throw to than last year, but the team still lacks a speed receiver to get downfield.
That’s not good for any QB, and especially one like Lawrence who struggled so badly a year
ago.

The NFL has waited for Lawrence since he led Clemson to the national championship in 2018 as a true freshman. To hear scouts, coaches, GMs, media and the hype train tell it, Lawrence can’t miss. The top pick in this year’s draft seemingly has few flaws. At 6-6, he has prototypical size for a quarterback, and while he didn’t run the 40 at his pro day, he’s a dual-threat athlete who is elusive on the move. He has the arm strength, touch and accuracy to make throws at each level and “throws receivers open” with excellent ball placement on short and intermediate passes. Lawrence is noted for being mechanically sound, and his vision, poise under pressure and leadership are near universally praised. About the only criticisms — mild criticisms — are that his accuracy is very good but not elite and his delivery can get long. Will Lawrence live up to the immense hype? From a fantasy perspective, it’s easily worth the risk to find out. He’ll start from Day 1 in Urban Meyer’s new regime in Jacksonville, which all but guarantees 550 attempts. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will call plays, and while he doesn’t necessarily scream innovator, the Jags have plenty of talent around Lawrence in running back James Robinson and wideouts DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault and Marvin Jones, who played with Bevell in Detroit. Plus, the Jags used their second pick of the first round on Lawrence’s Clemson teammate Travis Etienne. Lawrence is similarly mobile as the quarterbacks Meyer’s collegiate teams always relied on, which should offer a base of rushing stats. If the hype proves accurate, Lawrence will outperform his late-round ADP, and if he pops, like, say, Justin Herbert (QB9 last season), he could be a top-5 fantasy QB.

In this week’s Closer Report, Jordan Romano is taking a step back from high-leverage work. In Seattle, Andrés Muñoz has the makings of an elite closer as he joins the top tier with a dominant start to the season. Emmanuel Clase picks up his first start amid some early-season struggles. And Randy Rodríguez is becoming a name to watch and this week’s top middle reliever on the rise.

2025 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge lead Top 300 rest of season ranks

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Hunter Greene is on the rise and Rockies call-up Zac Veen enters the Top 300.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings

Tier 1: At the Top

Mason Miller – Athletics
Josh Hader – Houston Astros
Andrés Muñoz – Seattle Mariners

Miller recorded back-to-back saves in Colorado, tossing a pair of scoreless innings for his second and third saves of the season. The 26-year-old right-hander has been outstanding, striking out eight batters with just one walk and two hits allowed over four innings of work.

Since giving up a run on Opening Day, Hader has allowed one baserunner through six innings. He worked a pair of two-inning outings, collecting seven strikeouts while picking up a win on Sunday against the Twins.

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Joining the top tier is Muñoz. The 26-year-old right-hander is pitching as well as anyone in the early going. He made three scoreless appearances this week, picking up his fourth save, and is up to nine strikeouts over six frames.

Tier 2: The Elite

Devin Williams – New York Yankees
Emmanuel Clase – Cleveland Guardians
Robert Suarez – San Diego Padres
Ryan Helsley – St. Louis Cardinals
Edwin Díaz – New York Mets
Raisel Iglesias – Atlanta Braves

Williams hasn’t been at his best early on. He returned from the paternity list on Friday and tossed a scoreless inning before taking the loss in extra innings against the Pirates on Sunday. He then struggled in an appearance Wednesday, giving up three runs and recording two outs against the Tigers before Mark Leiter Jr. entered for the final out to record the save.

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Clase joins Williams as they come down a tier. The 27-year-old right-hander surrendered two runs in a non-save situation on Friday before recovering with two strikeouts in a scoreless innings against the White Sox on Tuesday for the win. He then gave up a run Wednesday but held on to convert his first save of the season. Clase has now given up four runs over six innings and is looking far from his dominant self.

It seems there’s nothing to Suarez’s second-half struggles from last season. The 34-year-old right-hander has been lights out, working six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. He’s yet to allow a hit while walking just two batters. Suarez locked down three saves in four days this week and leads baseball with six.

Helsley was charged with a blown save on Sunday against the Red Sox as he struggled with control, giving up two runs and walking four batters. The 30-year-old right-hander has been otherwise excellent, striking out nine batters over five frames.

Díaz struck out the side to fall in line for the win against the Blue Jays on Saturday before working a scoreless inning Sunday for his second save. The 31-year-old right-hander got the ninth inning down by two against the Marlins on Wednesday and surrendered three runs in the non-save situation. He had tossed four scoreless innings with six strikeouts before Wednesday’s trouble. In Atlanta, Iglesias got on the board with his first save of the season, working around a walk in a scoreless inning against the Phillies on Tuesday. He then took the loss Wednesday after giving up a solo homer before striking out the side.

Tier 3: The Solid Options

Jeff Hoffman – Toronto Blue Jays
Ryan Walker – San Francisco Giants
Jhoan Duran – Minnesota Twins
Tanner Scott – Los Angeles Dodgers
Félix Bautista – Baltimore Orioles

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Hoffman entered Saturday’s game against the Mets in a tie with runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the ninth. He tossed one pitch as the Mets walked it off on a sacrifice fly. The 32-year-old right-hander then worked a scoreless frame with one strikeout in a non-save situation against the Red Sox on Monday and fell in line for a win with two innings of work on Wednesday.

Walker recorded a save against the Mariners on Saturday, then pitched a clean inning against the Reds on Wednesday with the game tied in the ninth. He’s converted three saves with five strikeouts and one run allowed over six innings.

Rocco Baldelli’s shenanigans in the ninth inning never stop. Presumed closer Duran has now worked the eighth inning in three of his five appearances. He recorded a hold on Sunday against the Astros, pitching a clean inning against the 8-9-1 batters in the order. Griffin Jax got the save chance in the ninth and blew the lead. Duran is still the likeliest to get the majority of save chances in Minnesota, but recent usage tells us not to expect a 30-save season for the 27-year-old right-hander. If not for the Twins scoring one more run in the ninth on Wednesday, he’d have gotten the save. Instead, he pitched a scoreless inning with a four-run lead.

There’s a similar situation in Los Angeles. Scott picked up his third save Saturday against the Phillies, then pitched the seventh inning against the top of the Nationals’ lineup on Wednesday. Blake Treinen got the ninth and converted his second save.

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The Orioles bullpen is still searching for their first save. Bautista made one appearance this week, tossing a clean inning against the Diamondbacks on Monday. The 29-year-old right-hander has allowed two runs with a 3/3 K/BB ratio over three innings. A slower start could be expected coming off Tommy John surgery.

Tier 4: Only Here for the Saves

Pete Fairbanks – Tampa Bay Rays
Trevor Megill – Milwaukee Brewers
Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Angels
Aroldis Chapman – Boston Red Sox
Justin Martinez/A.J. Puk – Arizona Diamondbacks
Jose Alvarado/Orion Kerkering – Philadelphia Phillies
Kyle Finnegan – Washington Nationals
Carlos Estévez – Kansas City Royals
Luke Jackson – Texas Rangers
Ryan Pressly – Chicago Cubs

Fairbanks took the loss on Tuesday, giving up a run with the game tied in the top of the ninth against the Angels. The 31-year-old right-hander bounced back on Wednesday with a scoreless inning to record his second save. He’s looked great as he’s collected seven strikeouts while generating the swing-and-miss that was missing last season. In Milwaukee, Megill is also flashing encouraging stuff in a limited sample. He picked up his first save on Friday and has struck out six batters over 3 1/3 scoreless innings of work.

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Jansen has locked things down with the Angels. He struck out two to record his third save of the season against the Rays on Tuesday. The 37-year-old right-hander has fired five scoreless frames with six strikeouts in the early going. Meanwhile, Chapman worked a pair of scoreless outings to convert his second save and pick up a win in Boston.

It’s Martinez’s week in Arizona. After Puk recorded two saves last week, Martinez was called on to close things out against the Nationals and Orioles for his first two saves of the season.

Jordan Romano will officially take a step back from high-leverage work with seven runs allowed over four innings so far. Alvarado picked up his second save on Sunday against the Dodgers. He’ll likely be joined by Kerkering in a matchup-based committee. However, Alvarado has shown the best skills in the bullpen, striking out ten batters over five innings, and figures to get most ninth-inning opportunities as things stand.

Finnegan had a busy week on the mound, converting saves on three straight days including a five-out save against the Dodgers on Monday. The 33-year-old right-hander has allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings with a 5/4 K/BB ratio.

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In Kansas City, Estévez picked up saves on back-to-back days, giving him three on the season. Meanwhile, Lucas Erceg continues to be thrown into high-leverage situations. He’s been solid behind Estévez, pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings in the early going.

Jackson further solidified his role as the Rangers’ closer with two more saves this week. He’s already up to five saves on the year and has not allowed a run over his last six appearances since giving up three on Opening Day.

Pressly continues to just get by. The 36-year-old right-hander picked up a save against the Padres on Friday before taking the loss Sunday. He’s struck out just two batters with six walks and 11 hits allowed over seven frames. Despite giving up a run in each of his last two outings, Porter Hodge has been the better pitcher and should be ready to take over the ninth-inning role at some point if Pressly’s skills don’t see an improvement.

Tier 5: Bottom of the Barrel

Dennis Santana – Pittsburgh Pirates
Seth Halvorsen – Colorado Rockies
Beau Brieske/Tommy Kahnle/Tyler Holton – Detroit Tigers
Emilio Pagan/Tony Santillan – Cincinnati Reds
Anthony Bender – Miami Marlins
Mike Clevinger/Fraser Ellard/Jordan Leasure – Chicago White Sox

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Santana has yet to see a save chance since the Pirates optioned David Bednar. He pitched the eighth inning against the Yankees on Sunday with Ryan Borucki getting the ninth against a left-handed heavy part of the lineup. Still, all signs point to Santana being the closer in Pittsburgh. He pitched the ninth and tenth innings with the game tied against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Halvorsen had been enjoying a solid early start to the season until a six-run blowup against the Brewers on Wednesday as he got work in during a non-save situation. It’s just the risk you run when rostering a Rockies pitcher.

Brant Hurter now leads the Tigers in saves with two after his second three-inning save on Tuesday against the Yankees. But Kahnle was used in a traditional closer spot. With Detroit up by four runs on Monday against New York, he struck out two in a clean inning.

Hunter Greene ran out of gas one out short of a complete game against the Giants on Monday. With two runners on and two outs, Santillan was summoned to record the final out for the save. Pagan then got the ninth inning on Tuesday in a more traditional save chance. Santillan should continue to see usage in the most high-leverage situations.

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The Marlins didn’t see a save chance this week. Bender pitched a scoreless ninth inning with a four-run lead against the Braves on Saturday, then recorded a hold Wednesday pitching the seventh and eighth against the Mets. Lake Bachar pitched the ninth with a five-run lead after Miami scored three runs in the top of the inning. He appears to have jumped Calvin Faucher in the bullpen hierarchy. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been anything to gain from rostering a White Sox reliever as all of Clevinger, Ellard, and Leasure either blew a save or took a loss this week.

Relievers On The Rise/Stash Candidates

There appears to be a middle reliever on the rise in San Francisco. Randy Rodríguez has been incredible for the Giants in the early going, emerging as an excellent high-leverage option that seems to gain manager Bob Melvin’s trust with every outing. The 25-year-old right-hander has pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings with ten strikeouts and zero walks. Rodriguez had underwhelming results in 2024, producing a 4.30 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts across 52 1/3 innings. However, his 3.19 xERA and 3.34 FIP suggested he pitched better than the surface stats indicate. This season, he’s shown improved control while narrowing his pitch mix to a fastball that can touch 100 paired with a wipeout slider that is generating plenty of swing-and-miss. While Camilo Doval has operated as the next-in-line to close, his struggles with consistency could open the door for Rodríguez to make his way into setup duties if he continues on this track. And there’s future closer stuff in that arm.

Though they don’t have the same eclectic high-velocity stuff as Rodríguez, Justin Sterner and Bryan King are two more relievers on the rise with their respective teams. Sterner was claimed by the Athletics off waivers from the Rays in November. The move is paying off early as Sterner has pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts and is already working his way into late-inning work behind Mason Miller. Meanwhile, King is off to a good start with the Astros. The 28-year-old left-hander has struck out nine batters over 5 2/3 scoreless frames. He recorded a 2.39 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts over 26 1/3 innings for Houston in 2024.

The New York Yankees moved swiftly this offseason to retool their roster and compensate for the loss of Juan Soto in free agency.

They hope to make another run to the World Series in 2025, but this time, they will hope to come out on top.

Despite all the wheeling and dealing the front office has done this winter, Giancarlo Stanton is still slated to be a major part of this lineup, though injury concerns are already popping up and making fans worried about his ability to be the same guy who dominated throughout last October.

MLB’s Bryan Hoch shared on X that Stanton said he is dealing with a “very high” level of pain in both of his elbows and has not swung a bat for 3-4 weeks while also stating that he is unsure if he’ll be ready for Opening Day.

Giancarlo Stanton said he is dealing with a “very high” level of pain in both elbows. He has not swung a bat for 3-4 weeks, and is unsure if he can be ready for Opening Day.

The Yankees need Stanton to be ready for the playoffs more than they need him for Opening Day, but Stanton is now 35 years old with a long injury history on his resume, which makes a situation like this even more concerning.

There hasn’t been any follow-up about what specifically is wrong with Stanton’s elbows or any potential timeline for when he might be ready to play, but Yankees fans are sure to find out more about this in the coming days and weeks.

It’s an alarming report to read just days into Spring Training, as one can only wonder what even caused this type of pain in both elbows.

Hopefully, Stanton gets some answers and can get back to swinging a bat as soon as possible ahead of a long, healthy, productive season.