Boston Red Sox right-hander Richard Fitts is virtually a lock to be the team's No. 4 starter to begin the 2025 season with Bryan Bello (shoulder), Kutter Crawford (knee) and Lucas Giolito (hamstring) all set to open the year on the injured list, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam. Quinn Priester and Cooper Criswell are the primary candidates competing for the fifth and final rotation spot, although Sean Newcomb and Michael Fulmer also haven't been ruled out. Newcomb and Fulmer don't have opt-out clauses in their minor-league deals, which makes them more likely to start at Triple-A Worcester. The 25-year-old Fitts has definitely earned it by posting just a 0.84 ERA with 13 strikeouts and four walks in 10 2/3 Grapefruit League innings. Fitts didn't show much strikeout stuff in his four-start stint for Boston, but he also had a 1.74 ERA. He's worth a flier in AL-only leagues.

MassLive's Christ Cotillo and Sean McAdam write that Boston Red Sox veteran left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman appears to have become the in-house favorite to close out games in the ninth inning to begin the 2025 regular season. The quality of Chapman's stuff has stood out, despite the fact that veteran right-hander Liam Hendriks has corrected some of the command issues that plagued him early in spring training. Chapman isn't immune from command issues, either, but he's pitched much better than Hendriks this spring and is also a seven-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion that has 335 career saves over 15 MLB seasons. This news will be favorable for Chapman's ADP in fantasy drafts before Opening Day next Thursday, but don't forget that he walked 39 hitters in 61 2/3 innings a year ago in Pittsburgh. Chapman will still be a shaky fantasy closer with a likely short leash if he struggles.

Despite a report on Monday suggesting that Boston Red Sox infielder David Hamilton might be the front-runner to win the starting job at second base, MassLive's Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam write that prospect Kristian Campbell remains squarely in the mix to win the job and appears to be the favorite (in the mind of team decision-makers) despite struggling at the plate so far in spring training. In addition to Hamilton and Campbell, Vaughn Grissom is also competing at the keystone. Campbell, who is ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in MLB by Baseball America, helped his case by making several diving grabs on defense in Monday's Grapefruit League win over the Orioles while also going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. While Campbell has the much higher fantasy ceiling than Hamilton, he could probably benefit from more minor-league seasoning after going 6-for-36 (.167) at the plate with a .286 OBP in 15 spring games.

The Atlanta Braves have signed relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel to a minor-league deal on Tuesday. The future Hall-of-Famer is back with the Braves after spending the first five seasons of his career with the organization. Since then, Kimbrel has bounced around quite a bit, but currently sits fifth all-time in saves. He's coming off a rough year with the Baltimore Orioles last season. He registered a 5.33 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, with 23 saves in 57 appearances with the O's in 2024. Kimbrel figures to pitch in a high-leverage spot behind Raisel Iglesias in Atlanta. He should see the occasional save chances, but probably won't offer reliable fantasy value while Iglesias is healthy.

Houston Astros corner infielder Zach Dezenzo (head) was forced to exit early during Tuesday's spring training contest against the Washington Nationals. Dezenzo was hit in the head by a ground ball, but was able to leave the field under his own power. It's worth noting that the 24-year-old appeared to be dealing with a jaw issue while exiting the field. The expectation is that the Astros will have Dezenzo undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue. Dezenzo was poised to take on a bigger role in Houston this season, so hopefully it's only a minor issue.