A decorated three-year starter, Stutsman (6’3/233) barnstormed the Big 12 as a sophomore in 2022, leading the conference with 125 tackles in addition to 10.5 TFLs, three sacks, and five PBUs. He went on to lead the Sooners in tackles three straight years while making First Team All-B12 and SEC in each of the last two seasons. The two-time AP All-American was a Butkus Award Finalist last year and unleashed a scorching 96th percentile 4.52s 40-yard dash at the Combine. Stutsman is a smart, downhill middle linebacker who is quick to diagnose plays and adept at slipping blocks. A virtuoso run stopper who accrued 55 stops with a superb 91st percentile run defense grade, but he lacks the ability to mirror receivers in coverage. Stutsman will be a solid early-down MLB but it remains to be seen if he can stay on the field in long-yardage situations.

García figures to miss the next three days. Amed Rosario will probably get at least a couple of starts in his place against the Braves.

Lipscomb was up briefly last month and went 2-for-4. The 25-year-old is being groomed as a utility player by the Nationals; he’s started at least four games at first, second, third and in left field while hitting .283/.362/.380 in Triple-A this season.

Hendrickson showed up in street clothes at the Bengals’ offseason practice Tuesday and spoke to reporters about his contract dispute with the team. Hendrickson, who has reportedly had “no communication” with the Bengals front office this offseason, said he would refuse to suit up under his current deal, which includes a $15.8 million base salary for 2025. He did not say whether he would sit out training camp or regular season games. Hendrickson reportedly wants upwards of $30 million as he enters his age-31 season. He could be traded in the coming weeks, though that could prove tricky for the Bengals considering they want a first-round pick in exchange for the excellent pass rusher. Pro Football Focus graded Hendrickson as the NFL’s fifth best pass rusher in 2024.

Skenes has pitched for Team USA in two other tournaments during his career and actually spent two years at the Air Force Academy. He is arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now and will partner with arguably the best hitter in baseball right now, Aaron Judge, to lead Team USA in what figures to be an extremely competitive WBC tournament in 2026.

Hagen Smith’s velocity fluctuated in his last outing, and the White Sox were cautious about him showing some signs of fatigue. They shortened his last outing and will skip his next start to help him manage his workload in his first full professional season. Everything is fine with Smith from a medical perspective, but this is a good reminder that Smith is an immense talent, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect a major impact this season as he adjusts to professional baseball.

Blackburn has already made four rehab starts, so he will need to be reinstated from the injured list after his start on Friday. As of now, there is no room in the Mets’ rotation, so the most likely outcome is that Blackburn would serve as a multi-inning reliever, which could bump Dedniel Nunez back to the minors.