Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (back) made his Cactus League debut on Friday against the Los Angles Angels and said he felt great afterwards. Estevez gave up an unearned run and two hits while throwing 12 of his 19 pitches for strikes in an inning of work. "I feel great," Estvez said. "Everything is going well with my body, and I'm in a good spot. The 32-year-old veteran was delayed getting into games after experiencing mild back tightness in the early portion of camp. After signing a two-year, $22.2 million deal with KC in the offseason, Estevez figures to be their primary choice for saves, although Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey could also be involved. As long as his back doesn't flare up on him Estevez is expected to be ready for Opening Day on March 27. Fantasy managers should consider him a No. 2 closer option heading into his first year with the Royals.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper established himself as one of the league's best defensive first baseman in 2024 in his first full season playing the position. But in the offseason, he offered to return to the outfield if the Phillies were to acquire a big bat (such as Pete Alonso) to play first base. It came after Harper said in February of last year that he never wanted to move back to the outfield. The 32-year-old two-time MVP says he's still open to moving back to right field if the Phillies were to acquire a first baseman at the trade deadline this summer. "The main goal is to win the World Series." Alonso re-signed with the Mets, but perhaps the Phillies look to trade for Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is in the final year of his deal. Offensively, Harper returned to the 30-homer mark in 2024 and will come off the board in the early rounds of drafts as one of the best first baseman available.

Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Matt Strahm (shoulder) will be re-evaluated on Saturday. Manager Rob Thompson noted that he is feeling better. Strahm has been dealing with an impingement in his left shoulder and could be in danger of missing Opening Day. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team will likely provide clarity on his status after his evaluation on Saturday. Last season, the southpaw was one of the most reliable arms in the Philadelphia bullpen as he held a strong 1.87 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP across 62 2/3 innings. He tallied 79 punchouts and had elite control, serving up walks at a 4.6 percent rate. He tallied three saves and 18 holds. If Strahm were to miss time, fantasy managers should expect Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado to be deployed primarily as the setup options.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (illness) was unable to play on Wednesday due to an illness. The 33-year-old has not been in the lineup since Sunday. Fantasy managers should monitor his status as the Phillies may continue to keep him sidelined for the time being. When healthy, he is expected to be their everyday right fielder. Last season, the 33-year-old held a .254/.311/.431 slash line with 30 doubles and 23 home runs. He tallied 86 RBI with 80 runs. He generated an elite .271 xBA with a 39.0 percent launch angle sweet spot rate, which suggests he should see some positive regression during the 2025 campaign. During the 2023 campaign, he held a .272/.311/.476 line. Fantasy managers should view Castellanos as a reliable No.3/No.4 outfielder who should provide a high floor of counting stats batting in a potent Philadelphia lineup.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (back) threw a live batting practice session in camp on Tuesday, and manager Matt Quatraro said it went "really well." As a result, Estevez is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut on Friday against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels. The 32-year-old veteran has been battling lower-back tightness in spring training but appears to have put it past him as he tries to get ready for Opening Day in his first year with the Royals. He is running out of time to ramp up with only two weeks until the start of the 2025 regular season, but as long as Estevez doesn't have a setback with his back as he gets into games, he should be able to avoid starting the year on the injured list. Because of his (82 career saves in eight MLB seasons) and his strong year in 2024, he should be the favorite to close for the Royals, although Lucas Erceg could have something to say about that.