The Lunatic Fringe took a major hit to their rotation Thursday as it was announced that Kyle Bradish (2D/$5) is dealing with UCL tear and will start the 2024 Season on the IL. Bradish was one of the breakout stars of 2023, helping lead the Fringe to a Wild Card spot. The right-hander posted a dominant 2.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, finishing with 484.0 points which ranked 9th among all pitchers.
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After receiving a PRP injection, Bradish will attempt to pitch through the tear but that historically has been a difficult thing to successfully accomplish.
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Bradish was expected to serve as the ace of the staff alongside Jordan Montgomery (2/$20) and activations Grayon Rodriguez (1R/$1) and Josiah Gray (1R/$1) who were added to the Active Roster for the 2023 Playoffs. With Bradish out and Montgomery remaining unsigned, the group has gone from one of the best units in the RDBL being a potential question mark for GM Tony Guglielmi.
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The Fringe could have an internal option to backfill Bradish in right-hander Clarke Schmidt (Minors) if they do choose to go in another direction. After securing a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day rotation last spring, Schmidt looked poised for an age-27 breakout. He did in some ways rise to the occasion, logging the highest innings total of any Yankees pitcher not named Gerrit Cole, but his ERA (4.64) and WHIP (1.35) were only mediocre and he made it past the sixth inning just three times in 32 starts. He carries a 263.0 point projection with a 4.19 ERA by CBS.
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Around the RDBL
Free Agent left-hander John Means is expected to be about a month behind the rest of Orioles starters as the team has delayed his Spring Training work after an elbow flare up prior to last year’s ALDS. Means came back from Tommy John surgery late in 2023 and showed some positive signs of returning to form with a 2.66 ERA in four starts.
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Jokers young star Gunnar Henderson’s (2R/$3) Grapefruit League debut will be delayed after he was diagnosed with a strained oblique, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. As things stand right now, the Orioles do not believe Henderson's availability for Opening Day is in jeopardy. That assumes he progresses from here on out without issue, of course. The reigning American League Rookie of the Year posted an .814 OPS with 28 home runs and 10 stolen bases over 150 contests for Baltimore last season.
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One of the biggest names to watch this Spring is Burlingame Blue Ducks right-hander Alek Manoah who threw off a mound Thursday and appears to have lost significant weight during the offseason, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. The right-hander was downright awful for most of 2023 and ended the season dealing with shoulder issues that required injections to reduce soreness and inflammation. Manoah seems to have taken his offseason program very seriously though, and he worked off a mound for the first time this spring without any apparent issues. Manoah holds a 3R/$5 option for the Ducks, his final season under control.
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Thursday that the team is leaning toward playing Cloverdale Clovers outfielder Jarred Kelenic (3R/$5) every day in left field rather than platooning him, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. This isn't terribly surprising to hear since Atlanta doesn't have an obvious platoon partner for Kelenic right now, but it's nonetheless encouraging for his fantasy prospects. The 24-year-old actually had a better OPS against lefties (.774) than he did versus righties (.738) in 2023, although in his career he has just a .566 OPS and 29.9 percent strikeout rate against southpaws. Atlanta feels that giving Kelenic regular work versus lefties will be the best way for him to improve. Kelenic is currently a favorite to return to the Clovers as he enters his final season for control.
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Expected Reserve Draft 1st Rounder Samuel Basallo won't be ready to catch in games until around late April after being diagnosed with a right elbow stress fracture, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. The top prospect is able to catch still but not allowed to throw. If Basallo gets into any Grapefruit League action this spring, it will be as a designated hitter. The 19-year-old is likely to be assigned to Double-A Bowie once healthy following a breakout 2023 season which saw him slash .313/.402/.551 with 20 home runs across three levels. Basallo shouldn’t be on the board for long after being ranked as a Top-30 prospect across every publication this Winter.
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Wednesday that Mt. Diablo Devils right-hander J.P. France (2FA/$5) is dealing with shoulder inflammation, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. While it's less than ideal that France is nursing an injury in the early stages of spring training, Brown didn't express much concern, noting that the right-hander hasn't been shut down from throwing and is still able to play catch. France is likely to gradually stretch out his throwing distance before advancing to mound work in the weeks to come, but the shoulder injury is still likely to delay his Grapefruit League debut. So long as France is fully stretched out by the end of camp, he could still head into Opening Day with a spot in Houston's rotation while remaining in the mix for a spot on the Devils Keeper Roster.