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Hunter Gaddis RP | CLE
Guardians' Hunter Gaddis: Will start season in bullpen
Gaddis has been informed he's made the Opening Day roster for the Guardians, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Gaddis was roughed up for 15 runs in just 7.1 innings last year in two appearances -- good for an 18.41 ERA -- but he has pitched well in the Cactus League with a 2.77 ERA over 13 innings with a 17:3 K:BB and even 1.00 WHIP. He'll likely be a multi-inning option in low-leverage situations to begin 2023.
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Hunter Brown SP | HOU
Astros' Hunter Brown: Plays catch without issue Friday
Brown (back) played catch without issue Friday in Astros camp, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Astros manager Dusty Baker said after the flat-ground workout that Brown is "feeling a lot better" as he recovers from a bout of lower-back tightness. It sounds like the 24-year-old right-hander might be able to open the 2023 regular season as the No. 5 starter for Houston, but he does have some more hurdles to clear before camp breaks.
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Cal Quantrill RP | TEX
Guardians' Cal Quantrill: Dominant in Thursday's win
Quantrill threw 5.2 hitless innings in Thursday's Cactus League win over the Giants, allowing one walk and striking out five.
Quantrill set down 17 straight Giants to start the game, then walked the last batter he faced. This was a new level of dominance for the right-hander in what's been a challenging spring -- he has a 5.25 ERA and 10:3 K:BB across 12 innings over four starts. Despite the struggles, he's a lock for the Guardians' rotation to open the season, and Quantrill's ability to maintain a good ERA and absorb innings gives him some appeal in fantasy.
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Joey Wentz SP | ATL
Tigers' Joey Wentz: Will open season in rotation
Wentz will begin the 2023 season in the Tigers' starting rotation, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports.
That's because Michael Lorenzen (groin) is headed for a season-opening stint on the 15-day injured list. Wentz might only get a couple of turns in early April, but he can look to put a good foot forward after delivering a 3.03 ERA across his first 32.2 major-league innings (seven starts) in 2022. He may have streaming appeal in deeper fantasy formats if the matchups are favorable, and he's posted 19:6 K:BB through 14.2 innings this spring, albeit with four homers allowed.
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Michael Lorenzen RP | TOR
Tigers' Michael Lorenzen: Will begin season on IL
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Friday that Lorenzen (groin) will not be ready for the beginning of the season, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports.
Lorenzen was scratched from a Grapefruit League start this past Monday due to a mild left groin strain and is going to need a short IL stint before he hops into a starting role with Detroit. Joey Wentz will fill his spot in the meantime.
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Dean Kremer SP | MIN
Orioles' Dean Kremer: To open as No. 2 starter
Kremer is set to open the season as the No. 2 starter for the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Kyle Gibson will handle the Opening Day assignment Thursday at Boston, and then it'll be Kremer's turn to tangle with the Red Sox on April 1. The 27-year-old posted an impressive 3.23 ERA across 125.1 innings for Baltimore in 2022, though he tallied only 87 strikeouts along the way. Lacking in swing-and-miss stuff, Kremer's fantasy upside is limited.
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Garrett Whitlock RP | BOS
Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Making rehab start March 31
Whitlock (hip) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on March 31, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
It will be Worcester's Opening Day and could be the only rehab outing Whitlock requires before joining the Red Sox' rotation. The right-hander is healthy but has been brought along slowly in camp following offseason hip surgery.
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Carlos Rodon SP | NYY
Yankees' Carlos Rodon: Will be month away after live BP
Rodon (forearm) will be about a month away from joining the Yankees' rotation once he throws a live batting practice session, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Rodon threw a bullpen session Thursday and will toss 2-3 more before progressing to live batting practice. That would seem to leave him at least a week away from live BP, making a return before the end of April unlikely. It's a rough timetable for the time being, but Rodon does seem to be recovering well from his minor forearm strain.
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Michael Lorenzen RP | TOR
Tigers' Michael Lorenzen: Opening Day status in doubt
Lorenzen (groin) will progress his throwing and begin a running progression over the weekend, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Lorenzen was scratched from his scheduled start Monday against Toronto due to a mild left groin strain. No official update has come out regarding his Opening Day status, but considering the slow rate at which he is progressing, it's beginning to seem more and more unlikely that he'll be able to make his first start on time. Joey Wentz appears to be the next man up for Detroit in the rotation.
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Shane Bieber SP | TOR
Guardians' Shane Bieber: Set for Opening Day start
Bieber will start Opening Day against the Mariners on Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Bieber will officially be making his fourth straight Opening Day start for the Guardians. The right-hander has elevated himself to the upper echelon of starting pitchers in the league over the past few seasons, most recently producing a 2.88 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 198 strikeouts over 200 innings in 31 starts with Cleveland last year.