Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Daniel Espino (shoulder) has increased his throwing distance to 120 feet. However, the team noted that Espino would not be able to return to game action until late in the 2025 season if he continues to progress at this rate. The 24-year-old underwent two shoulder operations over the past two years and still has a long recovery process ahead. Espino has not appeared in a minor league contest since the 2022 campaign. During that campaign, he logged 18 1/3 innings at Double-A and held a strong 2.45 ERA with a stellar 0.71 WHIP. He tallied 35 punchouts and only served up four free passes. In 2021, Espino logged 91 2/3 innings with Single and High-A and posted a 3.73 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and 152 punchouts. When he is cleared, he will likely return to Double-A Akron.

Colorado Rockies pitching prospect Chase Dollander is a strong candidate to make the Opening Day roster. Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post expects the budding ace to earn a spot in the starting rotation out of camp. The former ninth selection in the 2023 MLB Draft was invited to spring training after enjoying a stellar professional debut in 2024. Last summer, the Tennessee product logged 118 innings with High and Double-A. At Double-A, the right-hander held a strong 2.25 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP across 48 innings of work. He tallied 58 punchouts and served up 19 free passes. Dollander has logged two innings during spring training and tallied three punchouts with just two hits and one run. Even though he has not pitched at the Triple-A level, he is drawing significant interest from the Rockies. If he continues this production in camp, he should have a good opportunity to break the Opening Day roster. If he does, this would likely shift Antonio Senzatela to a long relief role.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop prospect Chandler Simpson has already begun to showcase his speed in the Grapefruit League. Through four games, the young infielder has swiped two bags and tallied four hits. Through 110 games in the minor leagues last season, Simpson swiped an incredible 104 bases. He opened the season at High-A, where he logged 32 games. He held a strong .364/.431/.372 line with 47 hits and 31 stolen bases. He was only caught stealing five times. The Georgia Tech product was then promoted to Double-A Montgomery, where he posted a .351/.401/.407 line across 78 contests. Simpson swiped 73 bags but was caught stealing 12 times. He also showed an elite eye at the plate with a 23:27 BB:K ratio. If Simpson continues this strong play in camp, he could make a strong case to open the season at the Triple-A level.

Cleveland Guardians second base prospect Travis Bazzana has gone 1-for-3 with a three-run shot across his brief taste of spring training action. Bazzana has also drawn three walks and only struck out twice. Bazzana went deep on Tuesday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Guardians selected Bazzana with the first overall selection in last year's draft out of Oregon State. During his final season in college, the 22-year-old posted a .407/.568/.911 line with 28 home runs, 66 RBI, and a 76:23 BB:K ratio. His 28 long balls were a significant increase from the six and 11 he hit during the previous two seasons of his college career. He was then given a brief taste of the High-A level last summer and posted a .238/.369/.396 line with three home runs and five stolen bases across 27 games. While Bazzana may face an uphill battle to break the Opening Day roster, he should have a strong chance to debut at some point during the 2025 season.

Washington Nationals outfield prospect Robert Hassell III has been swinging a hot bat to start spring training. Through four games, Hassell has gone 5-for-11 at the plate with two doubles and a home run. He has tallied five RBI, scored three runs, and swiped a bag. He has only struck out twice. Hassell was initially drafted by the San Diego Padres with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft but was shipped to Washington in the Juan Soto trade during the 2022 campaign. The 23-year-old has spent most of the past two seasons at the Double-A level, where he posted a .238/.328/.334 line across 193 contests. However, last summer, the outfielder was promoted to the Triple-A level, where he tallied just eight hits and two home runs across 17 games. He will likely begin the 2025 season at Triple-A and could push for a late-season debut.