Tyler Mahle DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Tyler Mahle tossed five innings of shutout ball in Friday's 5-2 victory over the Rays, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out five batters on the way to earning his first win of the season. The righty bounced back well after he was unable to get through two innings the last time out, which included walking four batters. The 30-year-old missed most of 2023 and 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but posted a 4.40 ERA (3.87 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, and a 16.5 percent K-BB% during his last full season in 2022. He'll look to keep the momentum going in his next turn through the rotation when he squares off with the Cubs in Chicago.

Texas Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle (forearm) pitched in a minor-league game in camp on Thursday against Double-A Northwest Arkansas and allowed three runs in four innings while allowing six hits, walking none and striking out five. He threw 42 of his 55 pitches for strikes and tossed an extra 10 pitches in the bullpen after being scratched from his Cactus League start earlier this week with right-forearm tightness. The 30-year-old's MRI results didn't show any structural damage in his arm, though, and Mahle should be able to get back into a spring training game soon. It's great news for a pitcher who only made three starts in 2024 in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2023. He also missed time late last year with a shoulder injury. Because his innings will be limited in 2025, Mahle is really only worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues.

Texas Rangers right-hander Tyler Mahle's (forearm) MRI exam came back clean after he was scratched from his Cactus League outing on Tuesday as a precaution. Mahle feels fine on Wednesday and will pitch sometime in the next few days, according to MLB.com's Kennedi Landry. The 30-year-old dodged a bullet after having Tommy John surgery in May of 2023. Mahle didn't make his 2024 debut until early August and made only three starts for the Rangers before being shut down with right-shoulder soreness. Although his latest injury scare this spring isn't serious, it's hard to trust Mahle moving forward given all of his recent arm injuries. When healthy, he will be a part of Texas' starting rotation, but his workload will be managed, lowering his fantasy ceiling. Fantasy managers in 12-team leagues can ignore Mahle on draft day.UPDATE: Mahle is scheduled to pitch on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants.