Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (oblique) took swings off a tee in the batting cage on Saturday morning and said he felt great, according to MLive's Evan Woodbery. There's no timeline for Torres to return from the injured list, but he said, "I'm getting close. I really feel way better." When he initially injured his oblique, Torres was hoping to avoid an IL stint. Although the 28-year-old is eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday, it's unlikely that will happen. Still, it's good news that he's feeling better, which means he could return to Detroit's starting lineup sooner than later. In his first two games with the Tigers before getting hurt, he went 3-for-7 with a solo homer, two runs scored, and a walk. Until Torres is able to return, Detroit figures to continue using Colt Keith at the keystone, opening up regular playing time for Spencer Torkelson at first base.

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After the Los Angeles Dodgers lost their first game of the season on Friday night, catcher Will Smith will get the day off on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Austin Barnes will do the catching for rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki and will hit ninth versus Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. Smith, one of the best hitting catchers in the best lineup in baseball, has gotten off to a great start at the plate in 2025, going 9-for-22 with a home run, a double, five RBI, five runs scored, nine walks and seven strikeouts in his first nine games. When active, the two-time All-Star backstop should be in all starting fantasy lineups. Barnes is a light-hitting backstop that should be avoided for DFS purposes, especially against Nola, who he is hitless against in just two career at-bats.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow) looked great on Friday in his second minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett, holding Triple-A Charlotte hitless on 74 pitches over 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight. Strider averaged 96 mph with his four-seam fastball and topped out at 97.7 mph. He struck out 10 of the 16 batters he faced in spring training and had six punchouts in three innings in his first rehab start for Gwinnett. Although he's a little less than a year removed from an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow, Strider could be back in Atlanta's starting rotation very soon. From 2022-23, the 26-year-old had 483 strikeouts with a 3.36 ERA in 318 2/3 innings pitched. His impending return to the big leagues will give the Braves a much-needed boost with 2024 All-Star Reynaldo Lopez needing arthroscopic right-shoulder surgery on Tuesday.

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New York Yankees right-hander Clark Schmidt (shoulder) is making his first minor-league rehab start on Saturday for Double-A Somerset, according to the team. Schmidt dealt with a minor right-shoulder injury near the end of spring training, and rather than having him push through it to start the year in the rotation, the Yankees played it safe and had him start the year on the injured list. The 29-year-old has gotten up to 46 pitches during simulated games to this point, but now he'll stretch himself out even further as he returns to game action on the farm. Fantasy managers stashing Schmidt in deeper leagues should expect him to make at least a couple of rehab starts before he rejoins New York's starting rotation. Despite missing three months with a lat strain in 2024, Schmidt had a strong year and posted a career-best 2.85 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 93 K's and 30 walks in 16 starts.

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Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. is taking a seat for Saturday's contest at Nationals Park with Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound. Amed Rosario will start at the keystone and hit second against E-Rod. Rosario is hitting just .125 in eight career at-bats against Rodriguez, but the Nats want to get Garcia off his feet against another left-hander. The 24-year-old does have a home run and three RBI in his first six games of the season, but he has just three hits in his first 21 plate appearances with four strikeouts as well. The 29-year-old Rosario is in a prime lineup spot to be a DFS sleeper, and he's also recorded three hits (one homer) in his first eight at-bats of the 2025 campaign as a backup infielder for Washington.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela is on the bench to start Saturday's contest against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park. Jarren Duran will slide to center field and bat leadoff, second baseman Kristian Campbell is starting in left field and batting seventh, and David Hamilton will start at second base and bat eighth against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante. Rafaela has been hitting at the bottom of Boston's batting order early on in 2025 and has started out slow offensively, going 3-for-26 with three RBI, two runs scored, two walks and four strikeouts in his first eight games played. The 24-year-old was needed on the infield a lot in his rookie year in 2024 due to an injury to Trevor Story, but hopefully he can get settled in offensively eventually now that he'll be staying in center field on a full-time basis this year.

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Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz and outfielder Jacob Young are both resting on Saturday against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. Riley Adams will do the catching for left-hander Mitchell Parker and will bat ninth, while Alex Call will start in right field and bat sixth against D-backs left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. Dylan Crews is sliding from right field to center. Ruiz entered Friday's lost to Arizona riding a six-game hitting streak to begin the year but had it snapped when he went 0-for-4 . The 26-year-old Venezuelan has gone 8-for-25 in the early going with two homers, five RBI and four runs scored. Young, meanwhile, has struggled with just one hit in 15 at-bats in his first six games of the year. Adams is hitless in just one career at-bat against E-Rod, while Call has never faced him in his career.

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Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez reminded everyone on Friday night in the Los Angeles Angels' home opener why he finished just one homer and one steal short of just the second-ever 40-40-40 season in 2024. In Cleveland's 8-6 win at Angel Stadium, Ramirez went 3-for-4 with three home runs, four RBI, three runs scored, a walk and a strikeout to raise his early-season average to .381 and his OPS to an absurd 1.488. It was the seven-time All-Star's 26th multi-homer performance but just the second time in his career he's homered thrice in one contest. The 32-year-old Dominican switch-hitter might not be very big (5-foot-8, 190 pounds), but he packs a punch and is one of the best all-around players in baseball. He heads into the second game of the series in Anaheim on Sunday with four homers, two doubles, six RBI and four runs scored in his first six games of the 2025 season.

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Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman picked up the save in Saturday's 13-9 win over the Cardinals. Cooper Criswell came on for the Sox in the ninth with a 13-6 lead, but allowed three hits and three runs to score before exiting the game with two runners on. Chapman walked the first batter to load the bases, but coaxed a game-ending double play from Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera to secure the win and record the save. It was the lefty's second save of the season, now with no runs allowed in three appearances to go along with a 2:2 BB:K. The veteran racked up 14 saves last season for the Pirates, and as Boston's primary closer, he should surpass that total with ease so long as he keeps performingwell.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout belted a first-inning solo home run off of Cleveland's starter Gavin Williams, while also walking once and scoring twice in the 8-6 loss to the Guardians. While his batting averageof .160 doesn't look like much, that makes three consecutivegames with an extra-base hit (1 2B, 2 HR) and at least one run scored, as well as four straightwith an RBI. A .317 xBA suggests things should be going better for the 33-year-old slugger, so perhaps he is starting to heat up. The 3x AL MVP has never faced Saturday's starter Tanner Bibee before, but has a 121 batterversus pitcher matchup rating according to RotoBaller'sBvP tool, so he could be a solid DFS play. Fantasymanagers in season-long leagues will, of course, continueto fire up the 11x All-Star.

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Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 8-6 loss to the Guardians. The home run came off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and was his third of the season, now hitting .250 with six RBI and three runs scored in five games, but with an ugly 38.1 percent K% (1:8 BB:K). The 25-year-old is coming off a 20-home run campaign, but the batting average and counting stats leave much to be desired, however, he still finished as a top-10 catcher last season. If he draws the start on Saturday, the 6-foot-3 backstop will go up against Cleveland's Tanner Bibee, who he is 1-for-9 off of lifetime with a double, a walk, and three strikeouts, so there are likely better DFS plays.

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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Tyler Mahle tossed five innings of shutout ball in Friday's 5-2 victory over the Rays, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out five batters on the way to earning his first win of the season. The righty bounced back well after he was unable to get through two innings the last time out, which included walking four batters. The 30-year-old missed most of 2023 and 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but posted a 4.40 ERA (3.87 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, and a 16.5 percent K-BB% during his last full season in 2022. He'll look to keep the momentum going in his next turn through the rotation when he squares off with the Cubs in Chicago.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander lasted just two and one-third innings in Friday's 10-9 victory over the Mariners in extra innings. The veteran allowed three earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two. The 9x All-Star threw 65 pitches in the limited time he was on the mound before being pulled. The righty has combined for less than eight innings over his first two starts, owning a 6.14 ERA and a gaudy 1.91 WHIP along with a 3:7 BB:K. With diminishing strikeout rates for four consecutive seasons and correspondingincreases in ERA and WHIP, the 3x Cy Young winner has become a dicey fantasy play. He'll face off withthe Reds at home in his next turn through the rotation.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitching prospect Chase Burns tossed four shutout innings in his professional debut on Friday evening with High-A Dayton. Burns struck out six batters and allowed just one free pass and one hit. The Reds drafted Burns with the second overall pick in last year's MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. Bruns was credited for his elite fastball in college, which typically sat just under 100 mph. Burns held a strong 10-7 record with a 2.70 ERA and struck out an impressive 191 batters in just 100 frames during his final collegiate campaign. Burns logged just one inning in spring training and struck out three batters and allowed just one free pass. The 22-year-old is a name to keep a close eye on as he will likely move through the Cincinnati system quite quickly. If he continues to produce well at High-A, he may reach Double-A sooner than expected.

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Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoan Moncada (thumb) exited Friday's matchup with the Guardians after reaggravating a thumb injury. It is the same problem the 29-year-old dealt with during spring training that kept him out of action for a couple of weeks. It's not clear if the injury will require an IL stint this time around in order to make sure the deep bone bruise healsproperly, but fantasymanagers who were using Moncada should have a backup plan in place in the event the switch-hitter misses any time. Luis Rengifo (hamstring) also exited the contest with an injury, so it was veteran Kevin Newman who replaced Moncada at third. Unfortunately, missing time has become common during Moncada's career, with 2022 being the last time he played in over 100 games(104). Once considered one of the league's top prospects, injuries have kept him from livingup to that billing. Check back later for news as to whether or not an IL stint will be required.

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Miami Marlins starting pitching prospect Thomas White struck out seven batters across four innings in the regular season opener for High-A Beloit. White allowed just one hit and three walks with no runs. On MLB Pipeline, White is considered to be the top prospect in the Miami system and the No. 41-best in the sport. Last season, White split time between Low-A and High-A. Across 34 innings of work at Low-A, White held a 3.18 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP. He struck out 44 batters and served up 17 free passes. He then earned the call to High-A, where he took a significant step forward. During his first taste with the Beloit Sky Carp, the 20-year-old posted a 2.61 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP across 62 innings of work. While he is still several seasons away from his MLB debut, he is emerging as one of the top arms in the minor leagues and could be one of the most valuable prospects in dynasty fantasy baseball by the conclusion of the summer.

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Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes went 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks, and a stolen base during the High-A season opener on Friday evening. The No. 2 prospect in the Seattle system wasted little time making an impact. He went deep in the second frame and then proceeded to swipe second base in the sixth inning after he hit a leadoff single. Last summer, Montes split time between Low-A and High-A. In 65 games at Low-A, Montes posted a .309/.411/.527 slash line with 13 doubles and 13 long balls. In his first 51 games with High-A Everett, the 20-year-old posted a .269/.378/.429 slash line with eight doubles, eight round-trippers, and four stolen bases. Even though Montes is still several seasons away from his MLB debut, he is a rising star in dynasty formats and could find himself near the top of prospect boards at the end of the summer.

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Colorado Rockies infield prospect Kyle Karros went 3-for-5 with two home runs during his Double-A debut on Friday. Karros wasted little time as he launched a solo shot in the opening frame in his first Double-A at-bat. Later in the ninth inning, Karros would hit his second-tripper in walk-off fashion. The UCLA product spent the entire 2024 campaign with High-A Spokane and has already looked quite comfortable against tougher competition. In 123 games with High-A, Karros posted a strong .311/.390/.485 slash line with 33 doubles and 15 home runs. He held a 54:123 BB:K and swiped 12 bags. The 22-year-old joined the Colorado system in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He is a name to continue to monitor as he could receive a taste of Triple-A later in the summer if he continues to develop at this rate.

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Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Samuel Basallo (hamstring) was removed from Friday's Triple-A contest due to left hamstring discomfort. Fantasy managers should monitor his status as he dealt with a lingering elbow injury during camp. His elbow injury has prevented him from seeing time behind the dish during the opening week of the Triple-A regular season and kept him in a strict designated hitter role. With this hamstring injury, Basallo may have to miss a period of time. Through his first seven games of the Triple-A regular season, Basallo posted a .250/.318/.550 slash line with five total hits and two round-trippers. Last season, the 20-year-old spent time with both Double-A and Triple-A. Across 126 games split between both levels, the top catching prospect posted a .276/.339/.447 line. If he continues to produce with Norfolk, he should be in the mix for a second-half MLB debut.

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San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames went 3-for-7 at the plate with three RBI during their victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday afternoon. Adames would bring in his first run on an RBI double in the fifth inning, which scored LaMonte Wade Jr. Later in the 11th inning, Adames would deliver the winning hit as he knocked a two-run single to right field, which scored Luis Matos and Tyler Fitzgerald. This was a nice outing for Adames as he held a modest .130/.192/.174 slash line with just one extra-base hit across his first six games in the Bay. Last season, the 29-year-old enjoyed a career year in Milwaukee, posting a .251/.331/.462 slash line with 33 doubles, 32 long balls, and an impressive 112 RBI, which was the second-highest total in the NL. Adames will look to stay hot on Saturday, facing Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller.

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