Nico Hoerner DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner turned in a productive outing in a 10-2 win over the Athletics on Wednesday. Hoerner went 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, a walk, and two steals to help propel Chicago to the win. The veteran infielder is off to a fast start in 2025, picking up eight hits, three RBI, and three steals through his first 24 at-bats. Hoerner doesn't hit for much power but he has shown to be an excellent source of stolen bases in fantasy with 97 steals since the start of the 2022 season. He will look to stay hot moving forward.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs continue to be cautious with Hoerner who missed the opening two games in Tokyo while recovering from flexor tendon surgery. He went 0-for-4 on Friday, so the Cubs will give Hoerner a breather here. Jon Berti will cover second base and bat ninth versus right-hander Brandon Pfaadt on Saturday. Berti has good speed, but probably won't see enough playing time to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic notes that Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Hoerner has been recovering from surgery for his flexor tendon since last October, holding him to only two Cactus League appearances this spring. The 27-year-old played in his first outings over the weekend, going 1-for-6 with a single. He's hit just 26 home runs over the prior three seasons combined but has been an excellent source of batting average and steals when healthy. Additionally, he's struck out 12.1% of the time or less since 2022. The former first-round pick hit 35 doubles in 2024 -- the highest mark of his six-year career.