Injuries are an unfortunate part of Spring Training, but there¡¯s no time for teams to dwell on who¡¯s missing. The focus now is on finding out who¡¯s ready to step in.
Often, that means relying on less experienced players to fill the void.
Here are 12 unproven players who could find themselves thrust into larger roles than expected after their teams lost key contributors to spring injuries.
Drake Baldwin, C, Braves
Baldwin (MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 62 overall prospect) put himself in consideration for a Major League opportunity with a strong showing in the Minors last season, during which he posted a .298/.407/.484 slash with 12 homers, 52 walks and only 54 strikeouts over 334 plate appearances for Triple-A Gwinnett. The youngster¡¯s progress likely influenced Atlanta¡¯s decision to decline veteran backstop Travis d'Arnaud¡¯s 2025 club option at season¡¯s end. Baldwin was expected to vie for the backup catcher job behind starter Sean Murphy this spring, but Murphy suffered a cracked left rib when he was hit by a pitch on Feb. 28, elevating Baldwin to the top of the depth chart.
Brett Baty, INF, Mets
A former highly touted prospect who ranked 21st on MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 100 prospects list entering 2023, Baty has yet to find his footing at the Major League level, posting a .215/.282/.325 slash and a 70 OPS+ over 169 games. However, Jeff McNeil¡¯s right oblique strain has reopened the door for the 25-year-old Baty to potentially log regular playing time -- at second base, a position he's never played in the Majors -- early this season. It's an opportunity he didn't seem likely to get after the Mets re-signed Pete Alonso in February, locking in Mark Vientos as their starting third baseman.
Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester, SP, Red Sox
With new additions Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler in the fold and Lucas Giolito returning from the right elbow procedure that sidelined him for all of 2024, the Red Sox were initially considering opening ¡¯25 with a six-man rotation. However, injuries to Giolito (left hamstring strain), Kutter Crawford (patellar tendon discomfort in his right knee) and Brayan Bello (right shoulder inflammation) have thinned the ranks considerably, putting the Red Sox in a tough spot as they have to rely on the inexperienced Fitts and Priester to start.
Acquired from the Yankees in the Alex Verdugo trade prior to 2024, Fitts made his MLB debut last year and notched a sparkling 1.74 ERA over four starts for the Red Sox, albeit with an alarmingly low 10.6% strikeout rate and 15.2% whiff rate. Priester has also had trouble avoiding contact over parts of two seasons in the Majors, recording a 15.2% strikeout rate and 22.7% whiff rate.
Emerson Hancock, SP, Mariners
Selected sixth overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, Hancock was once considered the best of the Mariners¡¯ collection of pitching prospects. But while Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo have all developed into rotation mainstays for Seattle, Hancock has yet to establish himself as a viable Major League hurler, recording a 4.71 ERA with a 5.42 FIP over 15 big league starts. Now 25, Hancock will have another chance to make his mark after Kirby was shut down with right shoulder inflammation in early March.
Brooks Lee, INF, Twins
This June will mark eight years since the Twins selected Royce Lewis first overall in the 2017 MLB Draft, yet the third baseman still hasn¡¯t played the equivalent of one full season in the Majors. His development has been stalled by a laundry list of injuries, the latest of which -- a left hamstring strain suffered on March 16 -- will force him to miss Opening Day. With Lewis sidelined once again, the Twins are considering a number of options to fill their hot-corner void. That includes Lee, who had a rocky debut over 185 plate appearances for Minnesota last season (.585 OPS) but offers plenty of upside, having earned the No. 18 spot on MLB Pipeline¡¯s list of the Top 100 prospects in baseball prior to 2024.
Cade Povich, SP, Orioles
Although Povich struggled over his first 11 starts (6.58 ERA) as a rookie in 2024, he ended the year on a high note, pitching to a 2.60 ERA with 32 strikeouts and eight walks in 27 2/3 innings after the calendar flipped to September. That performance earned the left-hander a spot on Baltimore¡¯s roster for the AL Wild Card Series against the Royals and positioned him to be a depth starter for the O¡¯s in 2025. The team will be calling on Povich much sooner than expected after Grayson Rodriguez went down with discomfort near the back of his right elbow. The injury has temporarily shelved a pitcher who was slated to play a key role for the team as its potential ace after Corbin Burnes left as a free agent. The expectations for Povich aren¡¯t nearly as high, but the 24-year-old could give the Orioles¡¯ rotation a much needed boost if he pitches like he did at the end of last season.
Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, SP, Rangers
Leiter and Rocker once shared a rotation at Vanderbilt, and they could be poised to do so again with the Rangers in 2025, after the club lost Cody Bradford (left elbow soreness) and Jon Gray (right wrist fracture) to injuries this spring. With Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle also building back up after both missed most of 2023 and '24 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Leiter and Rocker could have plenty of opportunities to contribute this season.
This is something Texas surely envisioned when it took Leiter second overall in the 2021 MLB Draft and Rocker third overall the following year, though neither hurler has taken a conventional route to get to this point. Leiter owns a lifetime 4.81 ERA in the Minors and had an 8.83 ERA over 35 2/3 innings for the Rangers last season. Rocker, meanwhile, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and has made only 19 combined appearances in the Majors and Minors, including three starts for Texas in 2024.
Tylor Megill, SP, Mets
Injuries and inconsistency have prevented Megill from becoming a permanent fixture in the Mets¡¯ rotation during his four years in the Majors, a span in which he has posted a 4.56 ERA in 74 games (67 starts). However, with Frankie Montas (right lat strain) possibly out until June and Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) also expected to miss Opening Day, Megill has another opportunity to prove himself as a starter. He¡¯ll look to build on a strong finish to the 2024 campaign, having recorded a 2.32 ERA with 36 K¡¯s over 31 innings in his final six starts.
Ben Rice, DH, Yankees
Even with the additions of Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, the Yankees were always going to be hard-pressed to replace the production they lost when Juan Soto left the Bronx for the rival Mets in free agency. The challenge has gotten even steeper amid Giancarlo Stanton¡¯s battle with severe tendon injuries in both elbows. Facing a power void, New York could look to Rice to take Stanton¡¯s place as its regular designated hitter, at least against right-handed pitching. While Rice had a lowly .171/.264/.349 slash over 178 plate appearances as a rookie in 2024, he showed a strong grasp of the strike zone with a 20.6% chase rate and an 11.2% walk rate. He also flashed notable pop, recording a 15.6% barrel rate.
Will Warren, SP, Yankees
Stanton isn¡¯t the only Yankees star on the mend. The team¡¯s rotation also has taken multiple hits, with Luis Gil (right lat strain) and Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) both suffering major injuries this spring. While New York had veteran Marcus Stroman at the ready when Gil went down, Cole¡¯s replacement was less clear. Warren, though, has emerged as the frontrunner for the job. The 25-year-old wasn¡¯t on anyone¡¯s radar at the start of Spring Training, after he was hit hard (10.32 ERA) over 22 2/3 innings during his 2024 debut season. However, he has raised his profile with an impressive performance in Grapefruit League action, posting a 2.87 ERA with 16 K¡¯s and three walks over 15 2/3 innings.