Fantasy Baseball Today - Latest Spring Training Injuries to Pablo Lopez, Edwin Uceta & Others! (2/17 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)
Episode Date: February 17, 2026Pablo Lopez is going for imaging on his elbow, which is pretty scary! Who's next up for the Twins? Edwin Uceta is dealing with a cranky shoulder, which could open things up for Griffin Jax. Hurston Wa...ldrep has elbow soreness, which hurts an already thin Braves pitching staff. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/FantasyBaseballToday Download and Follow Fantasy Baseball Today on Spotify: https://sptfy.com/QiKv Follow our FBT team on Twitter: @FBTPod, @CPTowers @CBSScottWhite, @Roto_Frank Join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantasybaseballtoday Sign up for the FBT Newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/fantasy-baseball-today/ For more fantasy baseball coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Let's discuss the latest spring training injuries up next on Fantasy Baseball Today Express.
Welcome in to FBT Express on Tuesday, February 17th.
I am Frankstampil joined by Chris Towers and it's that time of year, Chris.
Every day we've got some injuries popping up in spring training.
And the biggest one of the day, Pablo Lopez will undergo an MRI after cutting his live BP short due to right elbow soreness.
last year, Lopez missed two months with a grade two Terrace major strain in his shoulder,
and then his season ended on the IL with a strained right forearm. So, oof, two injuries of the arm
last year, and now we're getting this news about the elbow. It feels pretty ominous.
Especially when it's like his first mound work of the spring, right? I mean, I'm sure his off
season featured him throwing off a mound, but his first competitive reps in the spring facing hitters
for the first time.
He can't even make it through the session.
He has to call it off.
They might just be operating out of an abundance of caution because it's the middle of
February and there's no reason to take any risks.
But Lopez is a guy, like you said, who missed a bunch of time last season.
He had three straight 180 inning seasons before that.
But earlier on his career, he missed a lot of time, had trouble staying healthy.
So, you know, I wonder if that's just starting to catch up to him a little bit.
he'll be 30 on opening day
I think at this point
if you're drafting between
when we're recording this and when we know for sure
the extent of the injury
I think Lopez is just a late round pick
unfortunately it's a real bummer
because I was hoping for a bounce back season from him
but that elbow barking already
is definitely something to be concerned about
especially for a Twins team that
does not have a ton else going for them
in the rotation.
Yeah, and his ADP, Pablo Lopez,
before this injury was
116 as the SP 35
off the board.
Looking at the twins rotation
outside of Lopez, you have Joe Ryan,
Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson,
Taj Bradley. In the minors,
I mean, you have some names that did
have some upside. Zebby Matthews,
McAbel, any of those
stand out if Pablo Lopez
missed his time? Yeah, I think they actually
have interesting triple A depth.
I really, I'm a big fan of Zebby Matthews.
You know, he's one of these guys who, if you go back like five years, he's probably
a very popular sleeper coming off the season.
He just had a note was a 556 ERA.
I know he has not been good at the major league level, but we're talking about a 25%
strikeout rate, only 7% walk rate.
18% K minus walk ratio is very, very good.
He just gives up a lot of hard.
contact. If he can fix that, I think Sevy Matthews does have a lot of upside. I would guess he
has the inside track if Pablo up has to miss time. All right. Next up, we have Edwin Usaeta who withdrew
from the World Baseball Classic due to a cranky shoulder. And obviously we have ourselves a bit of a
closer competition, closer committee here with Tampa Bay. It was supposed to include Useta and
Griffin Jacks, maybe Garrett Clevenger. There's still a lot of time before the season starts, Chris.
but if Edwin Houssaida misses any time,
I think that would be a big boost up here for Griffin Jax.
Yeah, I've been approaching it as if it's probably a split
between Griffin Jax and Edwin O'Sata.
My lean has been O'Sada, just because I think he's been with the team a little longer.
He was better last season in terms of the surface level numbers.
And Jax just has that multi-inning ability that I think gives him some flexibility.
But like, Ysena, not starting spring training off on time,
makes it possible at least that he'll have to miss the start of the season.
And anytime you're talking about the closer, you just want to get your foot in the door
because Griffin Jacks is absolutely good enough to take this job and run with it.
In 2024, he had a 203 ERA.
Last year, his peripherals were excellent, even though the ERA was 423.
He gets a ton of strikeouts.
Griffin Jacks has elite closer upside.
It's just the uncertainty about the role has kept his price down.
I think what they said of dealing with this injury,
even if it is a minor injury, I think Griffin Jacks has to get pushed into at least the top 200 in ADP and, you know, probably close to like the 150 range of your drafts where, yeah, there's some risk if you take him there.
But with Jacks, he's going to be a really good pitcher no matter what.
It's just a question of can he get 25 to 30 saves?
Can he get 15 to 20 saves?
I think 15 to 20 feels like a safe projection.
at this point. You give me 20 saves of Griffin Jacks. I'll take him over Dennis Santana,
you know, in that same range, that 150 to 160 range. Dennis Santana, a better bet, I guess,
for 30 saves, but probably not going to be as good as Griffin Jacks overall. So give me the
upside there. I think you got to push Griffin Jackson to like the mid rounds on draft day now.
All right. Let's take a quick break. We'll be back right after this.
Welcome back in, FBT Express going over the latest injuries in spring training.
and the hits keep on coming for the Atlanta Braves.
Harrison Waldrop is dealing with right elbow discomfort
and we'll visit specialist Dr. Keith Meister later this week.
The Braves are already down, Spencer Schwellenbach,
who has loose bodies in his elbow and outside of him.
I mean, their rotation is very thin right now.
They're depending on other guys coming back from injury,
Ronaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes.
Still feels like a good destination for someone like Lucas G.
but that hasn't happened yet.
This is a very, very thin
Braz rotation right now, Chris.
Yeah, they've got names.
I mean, you know, Chris Saylon, Spencer Strider
at the top, Rinaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes.
Bryce Elder has had moments of utility.
But man, when you start to get to the minor league depth
and it's Didier Fontez who made his debut last season
but did not look ready.
J.R. Richie, another prospect that they really like.
Then you've got names like Carlos Carrasco,
Martin Perez, who are non-rosster invitees to spring training.
This would have been a really good landing spot for Zach Gallen.
I understand why the Braves opted not to go that way because they would have had to give up a first-round pick in compensation for signing Zach Allen.
I don't think that would be the case for Lucas Geolito.
So Lucas Geolito would make so much sense.
I don't think he's great, but more than anything, the Braves just need bodies right now.
I mean, you look at the rotation.
You probably, like Chris Sale won the Cy Young two years ago in 177 innings.
I would guess that's close to the max.
I don't think you can count on Spencer Strider for 180 innings.
I don't think you can count on Renato Lopez or Grant Holmes for 100 innings,
given the injuries that they're coming off of.
Shoulder in Lopez's case for our elbow in Grant Holmes's case.
Bryce Elder, I don't think is very good.
This team needs help.
They've been hesitant to make big swings
When it comes to pitchers,
Alex Anthopoulos seems to have a
If you're not a difference maker,
you're not really worth anything
Kind of approach to building his rotation
But right now they kind of need guys
Who can just sop up innings for them
And Lucas Geolito
I think he's probably an average pitcher at best at this point
But he can go every fifth day and give him innings
And I think the Braves really need that right now
There's some upside in this rotation for sure
but attrition is the name of the game at pitcher.
They've already lost two guys before they've even started competing.
That's a really bad sign.
One of the names you brought up there that I think is kind of interesting is J.R. R. Ritchie.
I mean, he is a prospect of note and has already made 11 starts at AAA.
And it's coming off a really good minor league season last year.
He gets ground balls.
It's right around a strikeout per inning.
So if, you know, if they need some help there, I think J.R. Richie is a name to watch.
but I think, you know, they still could be out on the free agent market as well.
Last one I'll mention here, Tommy Edmund will open the season on the IL after having offseason ankle surgery.
So one of Hessung Kim, Alex Freeland, Miguel Rojas is going to fill in here.
But really just feels like the deepest of leagues.
I know only things like that where anyone who's even playing has to be on your radar.
But anything shallower than that, I don't think we have any interest there in the Dodgers replacement at second base.
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Thanks for listening to Fantasy Baseball Today Express,
and we will be back again later this week.
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