Slade Cecconi DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi (oblique) is set to be activated from the injured list in order to start on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds in what will be his Guardians debut, according to MLB.com's Tim Stebbins. This will also be Cecconi's first start of 2025 after he suffered a strained left oblique back in spring training. The 25-year-old former 33rd overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks will for the time being take Ben Lively's (forearm) spot in the starting rotation, but he'll be a shaky fantasy streamer this weekend against a very capable Reds lineup in a hitter-friendly ballpark in Cincy. Cecconi had a 4.85 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and two walks in 13 innings over his three rehab starts for Triple-A Columbus. His 18.7% strikeout rate in two MLB seasons leaves plenty to be desired. Cecconi had a 6.66 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 20 outings (13 starts) for Arizona in 2024.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi (oblique) threw 68 pitches (48 strikes) in his third minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Sunday and gave up two runs on six hits while striking out three and walking none in 5 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old has given up seven runs on 12 hits while walking two and striking out 10 in 13 innings in his three rehab outings. Cecconi is recovering from a left-oblique strain that landed him on the 15-day injured list back on March 27 for the start of the 2025 season. He's expected to return this month, but he's not guaranteed to have a rotation spot waiting for him in Cleveland, which means he could return to Columbus to serve as big-league rotation depth. The former first-rounder has posted a bloated 6.06 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 84 K's and 21 walks in 104 innings in his first two big-league seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Cleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi (oblique) threw a bullpen session on Sunday. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt noted that the 25-year-old "looked really good." This is an excellent sign for Cecconi as he has yet to make his 2025 season debut. Cecconi is working his way back from a left oblique strain he suffered in March. Last summer, the Miami product logged 77 innings to the tune of a 6.66 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP. He appeared in 20 games and was given the starting nod in 13 of them. Under the hood, Cecconi generated a modest 4.52 xERA with a .256 xBA, which placed him in the 24th and 25th percentile, respectively. Fantasy managers should expect Cecconi to embark on a rehab assignment if he continues to progress well. When cleared to return, he will likely make his season debut out of the bullpen.