Cade Cavalli DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (elbow) is moving his minor-league rehab assignment to Double-A Harrisburg and will make his next start on Thursday. In his first rehab start while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Cavalli threw four shutout innings with one hit allowed, two walks and three strikeouts for Single-A Fredericksburg. The former first-rounder made his major-league debut back in 2022 with the Nationals but allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his lone start before missing most of the last two seasons due to right-elbow issues. Because of his extended layoff, the 26-year-old is likely going to spend all 30 days on his rehab assignment before the Nationals decide what to do with him. When he's ready to come off the 15-day injured list, there's a good chance Cavalli will be sent to Triple-A Rochester.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) will begin the regular season on the 15-day injured list. The right-hander continues to ramp up his activities while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Cavalli missed all of 2023 and only pitched in three games last season. Despite that, the Nationals still have high hopes for the former first-round pick. The hope is that Cavalli can contribute to the Nats roster at some point during the first half of the season. For now, Cavalli will ramp up in the minor leagues, so he'll be off the fantasy radar.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is scheduled to face live hitters on Thursday. This marks the first time that Cavalli has faced batters this spring. The 26-year-old continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery he had two seasons ago. The right-hander is likely to begin the season on the injured list while he continues to rehab his elbow. After that, Cavalli is likely to ramp up activities in the minors before possibly joining the Nats rotation.

Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is expected to open the season on the injured list. The 26-year-old has been slowly increasing his workload after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. Cavalli has not made his spring training debut and is expected to be on a strict workload limit during the start of the season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but should not expect him to carry much fantasy value early in the season, even when he is activated off the injured list. Last summer, Cavalli was able to log eight 1/3 innings in the minor leagues and held a 2.16 ERA with a 0.72 WHIP. He tallied an impressive 13 punchouts. When he is cleared to return to the big leagues, he may compete for a spot in the rotation during the second half of the campaign.

According to Andrew Golden of the Washington Post, Nationals right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is "healthy" entering spring training. However, manager Dave Martinez noted that the team will manage his workload and want him to be available for the entire season when he does return to the mound. Cavalli underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2023 campaign but was only limited to just five 2/3 innings in the minor leagues last season after dealing with dead-arm from his recovery process. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status throughout the spring but should expect him to be put on a strict innings limit. Given the extent of the time he has missed, he will likely open the season in the minor leagues as he continues to build up his workload. He last appeared in the majors during the 2022 season, where he made just one start. The 26-year-old could be worth a look in deeper NL-only formats when he returns to the majors but should not be targeted in any drafts given his uncertain timetable.