The 2025 season is officially underway following the conclusion of the Tokyo Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers jumped out to a quick 2-0 record with an impressive sweep over the Chicago Cubs.
In Game 1, the Dodgers were led by a dominant pitching performance from starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A few clean innings from the bullpen helped shut it down and saw offseason acquisition Tanner Scott earn his first save in Dodger Blue. In Game 2, Roki Sasaki lasted just three innings after issuing five walks. But the Dodgers rallied around three home runs from Shohei Ohtani, Tommy Edman, and Enrique Hernandez to snatch another win.
Now, baseball will take a week break before the traditional opening day takes place on March 27. Before then, we have a lot more to unpack ahead of the season.
Some teams are battling injuries while others have more talent than they know what to do with. Let's take a deeper dive into some of the rumors and storylines around the league.
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MLB Rumors: Red Sox have to start Kristian Campbell at second base in 2025
One of the biggest storylines of the offseason has revolved around the Boston Red Sox and their infield. The signing of Alex Bregman threw third base into some Rafael Devers-related chaos, and that's before we even get to the fact that Boston has two top infield prospects banging down the door in Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer. The team has had to do some shuffling in camp, but it seems like the dust is settling — and it appears as though Campbell has the inside track to a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive recently predicted that Campbell would start at second base to open the season, and it's not hard to understand why.
"The Red Sox ... remain intrigued with Campbell’s talent and potential, making him a strong candidate to break camp with the team, Cotillo wrote. "Vaughn Grissom seems slated for Triple-A Worcester. Boston’s willingness to shake things up by keeping Alex Bregman at third base and moving Rafael Devers to designated hitter was always about keeping second base open for Campbell. That has not been changed over the course of a few exhibition games."
Masataka Yoshida's recent injury has turned this into a very obvious move. Rafael Devers will slide to the DH, Alex Bregman will play third base, and Campbell will get the first shot at second base to begin the season. It makes too much sense to not roll with.
MLB Rumors: Phillies spring success paints offseason in a whole new light
Most around baseball looked at the Philadelphia Phillies' offseason and suggested they didn't do enough. The team added Jesus Luzardo to the starting rotation, but the rest of their moves didn't seem to move the needle.
Fans had been hoping for a trade involving Alec Bohm, maybe replacing him with St. Louis Cardinals infielder Nolan Arenado. Instead, Dave Dombrowski largely sat tight, adding journeyman Max Kepler to the outfield mix and taking a bullpen flier on former Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano. Frustration was high as the team entered spring training.
Flash forward a few weeks, though, and all is well. Bohm has destroyed the ball this spring, and relievers Jose Alvarado and Jordan Romano have been dominant as they look to fill the hole left by the departures of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez. Even Kepler has stepped up and looked solid.
Granted, small-sample caveats apply. But the Phillies have a very talented roster and a solid farm system to trade from if they see fit. Dombrowski seems to know what he's doing with his team, and it wouldn't surprise to see Philly be right there at the end for the NL pennant once again.
MLB Rumors: Pirates' Jared Jones seeking second opinion on elbow injury
Not all teams around the league can be as fortunate with talent and performance as the Red Sox and Phillies. For the Pittsburgh Pirates, they're in a completely different boat. While the Pirates have one of the best players in the entire league in Paul Skenes, ownership has been stubbornly reluctant to build around him. And now one of Skenes' primary running mates, pitcher Jared Jones, has gone down with an injury.
Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors recently reported that Jones would miss his next start with elbow discomfort, and he and the team are seeking a second opinion after having initial imaging done.
"Jones first experienced discomfort during his most recent bullpen session earlier this week," Adams wrote. "The team has already had imaging performed and is seeking a second opinion before proceeding with a firm diagnosis and recovery timetable, per director of sports medicine Todd Tomcyzk."
Elbow injuries are very sensitive for pitchers. The ultimate pitching injury is considered to be the torn UCL that results in Tommy John surgery, but even any smaller elbow injury could turn into this nightmare situation if not taken care of properly. Either there was either something concerning found in the imaging or Jones and the Pirates are simply doing their due diligence by getting a second opinion.
Let's hope it's the latter.