Twenty-eight of the 30 MLB teams will start the 2025 season in three weeks. And, many teams will have to deal with holes caused by injuries. The Yankees are down several key pieces, while the Orioles are set to evaluate their future ace.
Brian Cashman provided several notable updates on Luis Gil, Giancarlo Stanton, and DJ LeMahieu.
Gil, the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year, is expected to be out for at least three months. Gil is dealing with a lat strain and was supposed to get a PRP injection today.
That injury likely re-opens the door for Marcus Stroman to work in the rotation once more. Stroman insisted earlier this spring he would work as a starter, not a reliever.
Giancarlo Stanton is expected to be back in camp this weekend after the slugger received platelet-rich injections for his elbows. As Stanton noted earlier in camp, he’s dealing with soreness in both elbows.
The team insisted that surgery is considered a “last resort.”
Infielder DJ LeMahieu, who only had 228 plate appearances last year, is dealing with a left calf strain. He’ll be out for the next weeks and will not be on the team’s Opening Day roster.
The Yankees’ replacement options include Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera. Cabrera started 62 games at third base last season for the Yanks.
As for the Yankees’ rival in Baltimore, Grayson Rodriguez is being evaluated for triceps soreness. Rodriguez threw 33 pitches on March 5 against the Twins but saw his velocity dip.
Rodriguez’s mean four-seam velocity was 93.2 MPH, down from his 2024 league average of 96.1 MPH.
It’s a notable loss for several reasons. One, Rodriguez dealt with shoulder inflammation and right teres discomfort, leading him to only throw 116.1 IP last season. He did not pitch in the AL Wild Card Round last October.
Two, Rodriguez is penciled as the Orioles’ tentative ace with Corbin Burnes gone. Should Rodriguez miss time, it could open the door for Cade Povich, who’s having a strong spring, to make the Baltimore rotation out of camp.
For fantasy baseball players, we did a condensed breakdown on him in our potential fantasy breakout pitcher list.