Philadelphia Phillies DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Matt Strahm (shoulder) is dealing with soreness in his shoulder. He has not taken the mound since Wednesday and his velocity was slightly down. The southpaw went for testing, the results came back clean. Manager Rob Thompson noted that there is "nothing wrong" and the team will give him a few days off. Last season, the 33-year-old was one of the top pieces in the Philadelphia bullpen. He tallied 18 holds and three saves operating as both an option in the eighth and ninth innings. Across 62 2/3 innings, the 33-year-old posted a 1.87 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP with 79 punchouts. Strahm generated a stellar 2.43 xERA (99th percentile) and a .188 xBA (96th percentile). When healthy, he will return to a high-leverage role, likely operating as the setup man for Jordan Romano.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (back) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session in camp on Tuesday and then will hopefully be able to make his Cactus League debut next Friday, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Estevez has slowly been ramping up in spring training due to lower-back tightness, but if he doesn't suffer any setbacks from here on out, the 32-year-old veteran could be ready for Opening Day in late March. At the very least, Estevez should be competing for saves with the Royals in his first year in KC with right-hander Lucas Erceg. The Dominican pitcher was solid in 2024 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 26 saves, 50 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 55 innings with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies. Estevez is more of a No. 2 closer in fantasy because of the fact he's not a lock for full-time closing duties, but he does have 82 career saves in eight big-league seasons.

The Philadelphia Phillies optioned right-handed pitcher Max Lazar to Triple-A on Saturday. Lazar was competing for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen but will begin his season at the Triple-A level instead. Last season, the 25-year-old made his MLB debut and held a 4.61 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. He tallied punchouts at a low 16.7 percent but showed elite command as he held a 3.7 percent walk rate. He also generated a strong 4.7 percent barrel rate. With Triple-A Lehigh Valley last summer, Lazar posted a strong 2.45 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP. He also showed strong command at this level, as he allowed just 10 walks across 33 innings of work. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should continue to monitor his status at Triple-A as he will likely return to the majors when the Phillies need additional depth in their bullpen.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (back) threw his "best" bullpen session on Wednesday and is set to complete his next session on Saturday. Estevez has been battling lower-back tightness since late-February. However, it appears the 32-year-old has been progressing well and may avoid missing time during the regular season. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status as he looks to ramp-up his workload. Earlier in the offseason, the Royals signed Estevez to a two-year $32 million contract. Given his salary, Estevez is expected to compete for a high-leverage role in the bullpen alongside Lucas Erceg. Last season, Estevez logged 55 innings to the tune of a 2.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He tallied 50 punchouts but with a 3.19 xERA, which suggests he may face minor regression when he returns to the bump. If healthy, Estevez will compete for save opportunities with Erceg.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez's average sinker velocity last year was at 94.5 mph, but he sat at 96 to 99 mph with the pitch in his first start this spring thanks to added weight on his 6-foot-5 frame, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Sanchez was an All-Star in 2024 and posted a 3.32 ERA in 181 2/3 innings, and Passan thinks the 28-year-old southpaw could just be getting started as one of the best lefties in the game. The Phillies' starting rotation is downright scary with Sanchez joining a group that includes Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo. Sanchez was a fantasy sleeper heading into last season, and although more people know about him now, he's still undervalued. He had a below-average strikeout rate (20.3%), but he made up for it with a 5.8% walk rate and elite 57.4% ground-ball rate. Sanchez is absolutely worth taking as your No. 4 fantasy starting pitcher.