Fantasy Baseball Discovers Early Fallers Amid the Start of Spring Training
It is in human nature to desire to succeed and absolutely to be disgusted by failure. Perhaps that is why we love playing fantasy baseball so much. We desire challenges not because of how hard they are, but because of how fulfilling it may be to reach our eventual goals. It is a dumbed-down way to challenge ourselves, refresh our brains, and have fun in the process. To do so well, we must know what is going on, and even during one week of spring training, certain players do trend downwards in value. This is them.
Joe Ryan (SP), Twins
Ryan has been a hot target on the trade deadline. However, he was scratched from his initial spring training start due to back tightness. Ryan has hushed this off as little to worry about, but we have seen time and time again how pitching injuries can progress. Let's keep an eye on it for now.
Corbin Carroll (OF), Diamondbacks
If this is your first notice of any MLB talk, be advised that Carroll broke his hamate bone. He will now be out, possibly up to, and beyond Opening Day. This timeline is yet to be hard-set in stone, but his season will have a slow start, if any.
Francisco Lindor (SS), Mets
Like Carroll, Lindor injured his hamate bone with a stress fracture. He had been marked to miss six weeks and has optimism towards an Opening Day return. However, Lindor being out does not help in any way. Fantasy managers must be cautious about a slow start, but luckily, this injury should not linger, as it is a bone injury rather than a muscle/soft-tissue injury.
Jordan Westburg (INF), Orioles
The Orioles hope for big things from Westburg in 2026. He comes off a 1.9 WAR season in 2025 and a 2.7 WAR season the year prior. Westburg is a deeper cut item with a very nice ceiling, featuring hardly any droughts in his play over his three MLB seasons.
Westburg is currently "unable to participate" in spring training, physically. This comes after feeling oblique tightness. If Westburg misses extended time, it will not be ideal.
Spring training is only a few games in for many clubs. There will be much to unwrap, and many of these issues may go on to (hopefully) matter very little.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.