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Kyle Wright SP | CHC
Royals' Kyle Wright: Beginning year on IL
Wright (shoulder/hamstring) was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday.
Wright is continuing his rehab from right shoulder surgery and also picked up a hamstring strain in camp, so he's not yet ready for game action. The club should have more news on a timetable for his return shortly considering he tossed a live batting practice session Thursday.
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Kyle Hart RP | SD
Padres' Kyle Hart: Wins final rotation spot
Hart will open the 2025 season as the fifth starter for the Padres, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Hart didn't perform well in his final start of the spring, surrendering six runs over 4.2 innings of work, but he did enough to win a rotation spot over Stephen Kolek. Kolek was optioned to Triple-A El Paso, meaning Randy Vasquez will take over the No. 4 spot and Hart will round out the rotation. He'll tentatively be scheduled to make his regular-season debut March 31 against the Guardians.
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Jake Woodford RP | CHC
Yankees' Jake Woodford: Scooped up by New York
Woodford signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Monday, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors reports.
Woodford exercised the opt-out clause of his minor-league contract and was released by the Rockies on Sunday, and it didn't take long for the right hander to find a new club. He's expected to begin the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and provide organizational depth to the starting rotation.
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Zach Thompson RP | ATL
Braves' Zach Thompson: Inks minors deal
Thompson signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Oct. 19.
Thompson spent the 2024 season rehabbing after he underwent surgery to address a partially torn flexor tendon He'll toe the rubber for Atlanta's final exhibition game of the spring Tuesday against the Cubs before presumably being reassigned to the minors. Thompson is likely to open the season in the rotation at Triple-A Gwinnett.
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Walker Buehler SP | SD
Red Sox's Walker Buehler: On track for Saturday start
Buehler (illness) tossed 85 pitches in five innings on the back fields Monday and is in line to start Saturday against the Rangers, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Buehler was forced to wait a day to get his usual work in due to an illness, but he completed his throwing without issue Monday. Assuming all goes well over the next few days, he's slotted in to make his 2025 debut Saturday against a dangerous Texas lineup.
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Landen Roupp SP | SF
Giants' Landen Roupp: Picked over Birdsong for rotation
Roupp will open the season as the Giants' fifth starter, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
He was locked in a heated battle with Hayden Birdsong, who will open the season in the Giants' bullpen. Roupp received the nod after allowing five runs with a 14:1 K:BB over 12 innings during Cactus League play. The 26-year-old made four starts and 19 relief appearances with the Giants last season, finishing with a 3.58 ERA and 47:26 K:BB over 50.1 innings. Roupp doesn't have Birdsong's upside, but he is an interesting arm in his own right and deserves consideration in deeper fantasy leagues.
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Hayden Birdsong P | SF
Giants' Hayden Birdsong: Starting season in bullpen
Birdsong will serve out of the Giants' bullpen for the start of the 2025 season after Landen Roupp was named as the fifth starter Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Birdsong and Roupp were the final two candidates for the Giants' fifth-starter spot after Kyle Harrison was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. Birdsong recorded a 0.75 ERA across 12 Cactus League innings this spring, but he'll begin the 2025 regular season in the bullpen, possibly in a long reliever role.
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Hayden Birdsong P | SF
Giants' Hayden Birdsong: OK after fingernail issue
Birdsong is expected to be fine after dealing with a cracked right middle fingernail during an appearance Sunday in an exhibition game versus Triple-A Sacramento, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Birdsong noted that it's something he battles with a lot and he expects to be fine after getting a fake fingernail put on the finger. The right-hander has made the Giants' Opening Day roster and is the team's presumed fifth starter, although the club has not yet confirmed what Birdsong's role will be.
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Reid Detmers SP | LAA
Angels' Reid Detmers: Beginning 2025 in bullpen
Angels manager Ron Washington said Monday that Detmers will open the 2025 season in the bullpen, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Detmers had been competing against Jack Kochanowicz for the final spot in the Angels' rotation. With Kochanowicz winning the job, Detmers will work out of the Halos' bullpen and could be used as a long reliever, per Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune. Detmers worked in relief in each of his last three spring outings and allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits and two walks while striking out 13 across 11.2 frames.
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Jack Kochanowicz SP | LAA
Angels' Jack Kochanowicz: Nabs final spot in rotation
Angels manager Ron Washington said Monday that Kochanowicz will open the season as the team's fifth starter, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.
He beat out Reid Detmers, who will begin the season in the bullpen. Kochanowicz earned the spot after holding a 2.92 ERA and 7:4 K:BB over 12.1 innings covering four Cactus League starts. The 6-foot-7 righty had just a 9.4 percent strikeout rate in 11 starts with the Angels last season, but the club will bet on the sinkerballer producing enough grounders to make up for his lack of bat-missing ability.