Minnesota Twins 3B Royce Lewis enters the 2025 season with career totals of 33 home runs and 104 RBI over 152 games and 605 PA. Those numbers would make for a fine fantasy season. The problem is, those numbers represent the first three big-league seasons for Lewis, who has had great trouble staying healthy. We saw more of the same on Sunday, as Lewis strained his left hamstring running to first base. He will now miss the start of the regular season.
Lewis, 25, the No. 1 selection in the 2017 amateur draft, made it to Opening Day in 2024, but not much further, when he suffered a right quadriceps strain in the first game and didn’t play again for the Twins for more than two months. We hope this absence will be shorter, but fantasy managers should be at the point of great skepticism. Yes, Lewis boasts relevant power and potential, but durability is a skill. Teammate OF Byron Buxton last batted 400 times in a season back in 2017. Unfortunately, Lewis is taking a similar path.
While managers in ESPN standard points formats were mostly fading Lewis until the latter rounds, those in roto/categories formats were not. Lewis is a borderline top-100 pick in NFBC formats, right near Los Angeles Angels OF Mike Trout, who has also become better known for his inability to stay on the field. At this point, with his April in jeopardy, Lewis should probably go undrafted in ESPN points formats. Still, see if you can stash him for later sometime after your draft. The intriguing Lewis should hit when he plays, but it can be frustrating to rely on the promise of health and production.
Interestingly, SS Carlos Correa is the lone Twins hitter rostered in more than 50% of ESPN standard formats, and Correa isn’t exactly following a Cal Ripken path of durability himself. Correa played in only 86 games last season, batting .310 with 14 homers. 3B Jose Miranda figures to fill in for Lewis in the interim, although SS/2B/3B/OF Willi Castro and SS/3B Brooks Lee can play anywhere in the infield. Platoon 2B Edouard Julien may also see some increased playing tim. Separately, those in deep formats should watch OF Matt Wallner, for he may lead off versus right-handed pitching, and underrated C Ryan Jeffers, who slugged 21 home runs.
Tokyo Series notes: The MLB regular season gets under way early Tuesday (yes, this Tuesday) in Japan, as the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in a two-game set taking place one full week before games count domestically. One of the top fantasy options will not be participating. SS/OF Mookie Betts has been ill for a week and has lost 15 pounds, so the organization is preaching caution. Fantasy managers in daily formats looking for every edge can add SS Miguel Rojas for the short series. Rojas, 36, boasts little in-season value, but the slick fielder hit .283 last season with five of his eight home runs versus left-handed pitching. The Cubs are scheduled to start left-handers Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele.
Angels in the infield: Here’s a surprise! New Angels 3B Yoan Moncada (thumb), who played in only 12 MLB games last season for the Chicago White Sox and last batted 450 times in a season back in 2021, may need an IL stint. Moncada, a late-round pick (at best) in standard leagues, was once a coveted fantasy option. He hit .315 with 25 home runs in 2019 (when everyone hit well). Moncada has struggled since. Let someone else dream on the potential.
The Angels have assembled quite the veteran infield of disappointment to fill in for injured 3B Anthony Rendon and SS Zach Neto (although Neto may return in April), with SS Tim Anderson, SS/2B Kevin Newman, 1B/3B J.D. Davis and SS Scott Kingery all pining to play. This injury may also open opportunity for 2B prospect Christian Moore, with 3B/2B Luis Rengifo bumping to third base. There is little clarity for the Angels.
Marlins in the outfield: Miami Marlins OF Jesus Sanchez (side) will start the season on the IL, removing a popular fantasy sleeper from most standard drafts who provided 18 HR and 16 SB in 2024. Sanchez makes for a reasonable stash option, since he is proven and may not miss much time. There is opportunity in Miami, with Griffin Conine, Kyle Stowers, Derek Hill and Dane Myers among those vying for regular roles. Keep an eye on Conine, the son of Marlins luminary Jeff Conine, as he slugged 128 home runs across six minor league seasons and may hit in the middle of the lineup.
Pirates bullpen: Pittsburgh Pirates RHP David Bednar is being drafted among the first 20 relief pitchers off the board in ESPN leagues as if he is the team’s closer. Perhaps that is indeed the case, but manager Derek Shelton is not committing to this yet. Bednar, 30, posted a frustrating 5.77 ERA last season, losing eight games and blowing seven saves. His spring ERA is 14.40 in five messy innings. Potential fantasy investors may want to look elsewhere, or for deeper formats, secure RHP Dennis Santana, just in case.
Atlanta stars update: Atlanta Braves RHP Spencer Strider (elbow) is scheduled to make his spring debut on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. Strider, on the mend from an internal brace procedure performed 11 months ago, may not miss much of the regular season. The organization hopes Strider can pitch in a regular season game sometime in April. Strider is not among the first 40 starting pitchers being taken in ESPN standard drafts, which may be a mistake if he is in line for more than 25 starts. As for OF Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee), he may not play until mid-May, meaning his top 30 ADP may be too aggressive.
Texas rotation update: All eyes are on Texas Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom, as the organization looks to closely monitor his workload, and fantasy managers are watching. After all, deGrom boasts a career 2.52 ERA and an 0.99 WHIP, though he hasn’t reached 100 innings in any of the past five seasons. Remember, he started only three games in 2024. This isn’t stopping deGrom, who has thrown two scoreless innings in spring games, from going among the first 100 picks in standard leagues. The Rangers have rotation openings with RHP Jon Gray (broken wrist) and LHP Cody Bradford (elbow) heading to the IL, not that it impacts deGrom much. Young Vanderbilt RHPs Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter should both make the Opening Day rotation.
