This is noteworthy because the Nationals are starting left-hander MacKenzie Gore. It was assumed that Kepler might sit against lefties, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, at least while Weston Wilson is on the IL. Given his strong home ballpark and good lineup around him, Kepler as an everyday player could provide sneaky fantasy value. The Phillies’ full lineup is: Trea Turner SS, Bryce Harper 1B, Alec Bohm 3B, Kyle Schwarber DH, J.T. Realmuto C, Max Kepler LF, Nick Castellanos RF, Bryson Stott 2B, and Brandon Marsh CF.

Kepler wanted to show the Twins what they’re missing after they made no effort to retain him in free agency. Both hits today were singles, but they were scalded, leaving his bat at 112.3 and 108.6 mph. Kepler has had an exceptional spring, hitting .382/.512/.706. We haven’t been projecting him as a mixed-league guy, but he might offer some early season value while healthy.

Kepler sat out a couple spring contests with back soreness following a scary-looking collision last Sunday with the left-field wall. The positive news here is that he doesn’t appear to be dealing with any serious injury-related concerns in the lead up to Opening Day.

Thomson didn’t express too much concern after Kepler was lifted from Sunday’s spring contest for precautionary reasons following a collision with the left-field wall. As fantasy managers are aware, back issues can be complicated matters, so it’s possible he’ll undergo some additional testing to determine the severity of the issue. There should be some clarity on his status at some point later this week. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.