Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter (elbow) is progressing well and could pitch in extended spring games in the coming weeks. Painter has been sidelined for nearly the past two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July of 2023. Painter has not been pitching during spring training but did participate in the Arizona Fall League. In the AFL, the former 13th overall pick posted a 2.30 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP across 15 2/3 innings. He tallied 18 punchouts and only served up four walks. Earlier in the offseason, the Phillies said they would closely monitor Painter's workload during the start of the season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression in the minor leagues, as he could push to make his MLB debut sometime in the second half. In 2022, he spent time with Single-A, High-A, and Double-A and held a cumulative 1.56 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 155 punchouts across 103 2/3 innings.

New York Yankees infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes is emerging as a favorite to make the Opening Day roster. According to Chris Kirschner, Reyes appears to be higher on the current depth chart than infielder Oswald Peraza. During spring training, Reyes has posted a strong .326/.434/.488 slash line with one double and two long balls. He has swiped two bags and held a strong 9:9 BB:K. Last summer, he appeared in 22 contests in the MLB, split between time with the Red Sox and Mets. Across this short stint, Reyes has held a .183/.234/.217 slash line with two doubles. Across 234 career MLB contests, Reyes has posted a modest .248/.309/.349 line with eight round-trippers and 13 swiped bags. Fantasy managers in deeper AL-only formats should monitor his progression as he could carve out a role on the MLB roster.

Athletics outfield prospect Colby Thomas (knee) returned to Cactus League action this weekend. Last week, Thomas suffered a knee injury after being hit by a line drive. However, after sitting out for a few days, Thomas was cleared to return. The Mercer product was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster but was previously assigned to minor-league camp. Through 16 games this spring, Thomas has posted a .182/.379/.364 slash line with a 5:6 BB:K and one stolen base. The former third-round selection is considered the No. 7-ranked prospect in the system on MLB.com. Last season, Thomas began the campaign at Double-A and eventually made his Triple-A debut. At the top level of the minor leagues, Thomas posted an impressive .272/.344/.559 slash line across 73 contests. If he continues this production at Triple-A, he should push for a relatively early 2025 MLB debut.

Athletics first base prospect Nick Kurtz (hand) went deep in his return to action on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. Kurtz exited a spring training contest last week after being hit by a pitch. However, when he returned on Sunday, he launched a solo shot. The Wake Forest product was selected as the fourth overall pick in last year's MLB Draft. Kurtz is considered one of the top prospects in the Athletics' system. After being drafted last season, Kurtz began his professional career at Single-A. Across seven games, Kurtz posted a .400/.571/.960 line with two doubles and four round-trippers. He then moved up to Double-A, where he held a .308/.400/.385 line across five contests. Fantasy managers should expect Kurtz to open the season with Double-A Midland and could push for a late-season MLB debut if he continues to produce at this rate.

Nationals left-hander DJ Herz (elbow) will begin the season on the 15-day injured list with a UCL sprain. Herz was optioned to Triple-A Rochester last Friday after dealing with a "dead arm" this spring. He showed a high ceiling with a 10.7 K/9 in 88 2/3 innings with the Nats last year with a 4.16 ERA and 3.71 FIP. This spring, though, his velocity was down, and he managed just four strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings while walking nine and giving up nine runs. Hopefully, this injury explains his issues, and when he recovers, he'll be back to full strength. That could be a while, though, since he'll have to be shut down and then ramp back up. He still has long-term potential, but going on the IL moves any potential impact to later in the season.