Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (tibia) is progressing well and will pitch in Sunday's Spring Training game, manager David Bell told the media. Although Lodolo will return to face opposing batters this weekend, he's still a few hurdles away from being fully ramped up. As a result, Bell said that Lodolo "probably isn't in the mix" to pitch in the first five regular-season games. Rather, the skipper mentioned April 9 versus the Milwaukee Brewers as a potential season debut for the former first-round pick. Lodolo managed to make just seven starts amidst injuries last year, posting a 5.79 FIP but maintaining a promising 12.32 K/9 and 2.62 BB/9. The upside is still quite apparent, so he's worth a late-round flier in fantasy baseball leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux hasn't been penciled in as the team's primary shortstop quite yet, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. While the club was adamant heading into Spring Training that Lux would be their starting shortstop, they have since become non-committal on the topic, largely due to Lux's throwing issues as he recovers from a torn ACL. Addressing the topic directly, manager Dave Roberts said, "I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know that it will be in the vein of whatever gives us the best chance to win." The Dodgers open their regular season schedule in less than two weeks, and as of now, it's unclear who will be patrolling shortstop. If Lux doesn't earn the job, look for veterans Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, and Enrique Hernandez to vie for the spot.

San Diego Padres right-handed reliever Steven Wilson is expected to go to the Chicago White Sox in the trade that sent starter Dylan Cease to the Padres on Wednesday, according to sources. In addition to Wilson, the Padres also sent pitching prospects Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte and outfielder Samuel Zavala. Wilson, 29, has posted a decent 3.48 ERA (4.33 FIP), a 1.11 WHIP, one save, 47 walks and 110 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched in San Diego the last two years. Given the sad state of the White Sox's bullpen as they rebuild, Wilson should immediately enter the closing mix in the Windy City alongside names like John Brebbia, Deivi Garcia and Jordan Leasure. It will give him a little more fantasy appeal for those desperate for saves in deeper leagues.

With Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams (back) expected to miss three months due to stress fractures in his back, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Curt Hogg writes that relievers Joel Payamps and Abner Uribe are among the most obvious early candidates to see save chances for the Brewers until Williams is able to return. There isn't anyone with significant closing experience in the bullpen for Milwaukee, but Payamps, Uribe, Hoby Milner, Elvis Peguero, Bryse Wilson and Trevor Megill are all among the key returners from a bullpen that was second in ERA in 2023. Payamps, 29, had a 2.55 ERA with three saves and 28 holds in 70 2/3 innings last year and should be considered a top speculatory closer for fantasy managers late in drafts. Uribe, 23, lights up the radar gun and can whiff batters with the best of them, but his elevated walk rate is a cause for concern.

According to sources, New York Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge (oblique, toe) is dealing with an oblique issue, and his toe is still bothering him from last year. However, he is still expected to be ready for Opening Day, but he has been managing some pain in spring training, which is why the Yankees are being extra cautious with his workload in camp. It's not what Yankees fans want to hear with ace Gerrit Cole (elbow) possibly needing Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old All-Star slugger missed almost two months in 2023 due to a torn ligament in his big right toe, and it's still an issue with Opening Day several weeks away. Judge is also dealing with abdominal soreness, but he attributes that and his oblique issue to all the extra swinging he did in the offseason. The five-time All-Star, former AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP in 2022 just become a lot more of an injury risk than he already was as a top-10 overall fantasy selection.