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          Fantasy baseball buzz: What you need to know for Sunday

          Max Scherzer of the Toronto Blue Jays exited his first regular season start with injury. Cole Burston/Getty Images
          • ESPN Fantasy
          Mar 30, 2025, 11:16 AM ET

          Everything that happens in and around MLB has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy baseball perspective. From lineup changes to minor league call-ups to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy baseball.

          Our fantasy baseball buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around MLB.

          Key links: RP depth chart | Player Rater | Scoring leaders
          Draft Kit | Sunday lineup advice | Start a new league

          Mar 30: What you need to know for Sunday

          • Today is a rare Sunday without a full slate with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and New York Mets sitting this one out. Action begins at 1:35 p.m. ET with a pair of contests, culminating with the San Diego Padres hosting the Atlanta Braves in the first ESPN Sunday night affair of the season.

          • After 80 games, 98 homers have been clubbed this season, compared to 91 in 2024. Teams have swiped 69 bases so far, after pilfering 57 in the first 80 games last year. Clubs are averaging 4.2 runs per game in 2025 as opposed to 5.2 after 80 games last year. The difference is the current league average is .232, 34 points lower than the .256 mark posted at the same time last year.

          • Los Angeles Angels CF Jo Adell left yesterday's game in the fifth inning with an apparent hip injury. After the game, he described it as tightness and expressed little concern about severity. With the club releasing Mickey Moniak before opening day, Kyren Paris is the next man up if Adell misses time.

          • Texas Rangers 3B Josh Jung was scratched from Saturday's contest after experiencing neck spasms. Manager Bruce Bochy indicated that Jung would be out of the lineup for a few games, with Josh Smith the likely replacement.

          • Toronto Blue Jays SP Max Scherzer managed to throw only 45 pitches in his Toronto Blue Jays debut as he left after three innings with a lat issue. Scherzer dealt with a sore thumb most of spring training, and he stated that the lat injury and his thumb injury are related. Scherzer is likely headed for the IL, with Yariel Rodriguez likely to enter the rotation.

          • Hunter Goodman has drawn the first two starts behind the plate for the Colorado Rockies. It was assumed Goodman would serve as Jacob Stallings backup, but Goodman showed enough improvement defensively in the spring to earn the primary role. If Goodman maintains the starting job, he merits fantasy lineup consideration, especially when the Rockies are at home.

          Mar 29: What you need to know for Saturday

          • All 30 teams are in action for the first time this season, with the action commencing at 1:05 p.m. ET with the New York Yankees hosting the Milwaukee Brewers.

          • Any concerns that Los Angeles Dodgers OF Mookie Betts would be slow out of the gate after losing a lot of weight because of a mysterious illness were assuaged last night as Betts hit a pair of late homers, including the game-winning three-run walk off in the 10th inning as the Dodgers remain undefeated with an 8-5 win over the Detroit Tigers.

          • Tampa Bay Rays OF Josh Lowe left yesterday's game early with a right oblique issue. The severity will be determined, but the expectation is that Lowe will miss some time. He is one of the players in line to benefit from the short porch in George Steinbrenner Field. Since the Rays are at home for much of April, Lowe could miss a disproportionate number of favorable games.

          • For the second day in a row, a second baseman rounded the bases in a gimpy manner after hitting a home run. On opening day, it was Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Nick Gonzales, who landed on the IL with a non-displaced left ankle fracture. Adam Frazier is expected to handle the keystone in Gonzales' absence.

          • Last night, Tigers 2B Gleyber Torres grabbed his left side during his home run trot. He initially stayed in the game but was soon lifted. If Torres is forced to miss time, veteran Javier Baez could help fill in. -- Todd Zola

          Mar 28: What you need to know for Friday

          • The second day of the regular season features only nine games with several cold weather cities having kept the day open just in case yesterday's opener had been postponed. The action begins at 4:10 p.m. ET with the Tampa Bay Rays hosting the Colorado Rockies in the first game of 2025 for both clubs. It will be the first of 81 games the Rays will play at George Steinbrenner Field.

          • The remaining eight contests are all evening affairs, capped off with the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the Detroit Tigers and a stellar pitching matchup of Yoshinobu Yamamoto facing Jack Flaherty. It was only six months ago that Flaherty was pitching for the Dodgers, helping them to their eighth World Series championship.

          • Next year, can someone please remind me to bet on Tyler O'Neill hitting a home run on Opening Day? Yesterday, he did it for the sixth straight year, extending his own record.

          • The only injury of consequence on Opening Day was Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Nick Gonzales aggravating a lingering ankle injury. He was noticeably limping around the bases after hitting a sixth-inning home run. Gonzales is listed as day-to-day.

          • There were a couple of possible telling reliever usage patterns yesterday. In a tie game in Arlington, the Texas Rangers used Robert Garcia in the seventh and after he recorded two outs while walking a pair, Chris Martin got the club out of the jam before recording a clean eighth inning. Luke Jackson started the ninth with the score still tied 2-2 but yielded a three-run homer. On one hand, the order suggests that Jackson would have been the closer, but surrendering the homer could cause manager Bruce Bochy to reconsider those plans.

          • During the spring, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that LHP Tanner Scott would collect "the brunt" of save chances. The phrasing left open the possibility that Scott might pitch earlier, or else Roberts would have simply named him as the team's closer. Yesterday, Scott was summoned in the eighth inning to protect a 5-3 lead over the Tigers. Scott did give up a run but preserved the lead for Blake Treinen to seal the deal in the ninth. In ESPN points leagues, Scott still got some points for the hold, but the usage hints that "brunt" means "most, but not all."

          • Remember that you can always check out the Fantasy Baseball RP Depth Chart, where scenarios like the above will be tracked, along with a list of every club's current bullpen hierarchy -- specifically noting which relievers qualify as "tired" based on their recent usage. -- Todd Zola

          Mar. 27: Bibee out for opener

          Relax, Tanner Bibee managers. Relaaaaaax!

          I probably had the same initial reaction to hearing this news that you did, as I sport multiple shares of the Cleveland Guardians ace in my own fantasy leagues this season. Yes, the new $48 million man was scratched from his scheduled Thursday start -- but only due to an illness (gastroenteritis, to be specific), rather than any arm or shoulder issue.

          Reports are that Bibee was already feeling better on Thursday, and might slot back into the Guardians rotation as early as Saturday or Sunday. Ben Lively, who is not a recommended streaming option today, will start in Bibee's place. Again, breathe everyone! -- Tristan H. Cockcroft

          Mar. 27: What you need to know for Opening Day