Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) will begin the regular season on the 15-day injured list. The right-hander continues to ramp up his activities while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Cavalli missed all of 2023 and only pitched in three games last season. Despite that, the Nationals still have high hopes for the former first-round pick. The hope is that Cavalli can contribute to the Nats roster at some point during the first half of the season. For now, Cavalli will ramp up in the minor leagues, so he'll be off the fantasy radar.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is scheduled to face live hitters on Thursday. This marks the first time that Cavalli has faced batters this spring. The 26-year-old continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery he had two seasons ago. The right-hander is likely to begin the season on the injured list while he continues to rehab his elbow. After that, Cavalli is likely to ramp up activities in the minors before possibly joining the Nats rotation.

Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is expected to open the season on the injured list. The 26-year-old has been slowly increasing his workload after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. Cavalli has not made his spring training debut and is expected to be on a strict workload limit during the start of the season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but should not expect him to carry much fantasy value early in the season, even when he is activated off the injured list. Last summer, Cavalli was able to log eight 1/3 innings in the minor leagues and held a 2.16 ERA with a 0.72 WHIP. He tallied an impressive 13 punchouts. When he is cleared to return to the big leagues, he may compete for a spot in the rotation during the second half of the campaign.

According to Andrew Golden of the Washington Post, Nationals right-handed pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is "healthy" entering spring training. However, manager Dave Martinez noted that the team will manage his workload and want him to be available for the entire season when he does return to the mound. Cavalli underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2023 campaign but was only limited to just five 2/3 innings in the minor leagues last season after dealing with dead-arm from his recovery process. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status throughout the spring but should expect him to be put on a strict innings limit. Given the extent of the time he has missed, he will likely open the season in the minor leagues as he continues to build up his workload. He last appeared in the majors during the 2022 season, where he made just one start. The 26-year-old could be worth a look in deeper NL-only formats when he returns to the majors but should not be targeted in any drafts given his uncertain timetable.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that right-handed pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) will finish his throwing program, but he's not going to pitch in a game before the end of the regular season. After missing all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery, Cavalli opened this year on the injured list and then suffered a setback with his arm in the minors while rehabbing. The 26-year-old ended up only making three starts in the Florida Complex League and at High-A Wilmington. The team's No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has lost some prospect steam after back-to-back lost seasons due to injury. Cavalli will spend the offseason trying to get his right arm healthy, and if he can stay healthy in 2025, he could end up being a post-hype sleeper prospect to keep an eye on. He made his big-league debut late in 2022 and allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his only start before getting hurt.

Washington Nationals right-handed pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) has resumed throwing as he ramps up his rehab process from Tommy John surgery. Cavalli has not made a minor-league rehab start since June 21 because he experienced "dead arm" and then came down with the flu. The team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, had Tommy John surgery on March 22 of 2023. "We just wanted to build him up. He pushed himself. He got really sick and now we're just getting him back," manager Dave Martinez said last Friday. The 25-year-old former 22nd overall pick in 2020 out of Oklahoma allowed just two earned runs on one hit with five walks and 13 strikeouts in three rehab starts earlier this year, but the Nats don't really have any incentive to push him back to the big leagues to close out the 2024 season with a postseason spot not on the line.

Washington Nationals pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow, illness) is dealing with the flu and will be held back a few days as a result. Cavalli is in the midst of recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in 2023 and started a rehab assignment with High-A Wilmington last Friday, throwing three scoreless innings while striking out three. The 25-year-old has come down with the flu, though, so his next rehab start will most likely be pushed back a bit. The former 22nd overall pick in 2020 out of Oklahoma allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his big-league debut in 2022 before being shut down with an injury. Cavalli, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should make his return to the big leagues in the second half of this season, at which point he'll be worth rostering in mixed leagues with the ability to hit triple digits as a starter.

Washington Nationals pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) began his rehab assignment on Monday in the Florida Complex League and performed well. The right-hander threw in a competitive game for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023 and tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. He also allowed one hit, one walk and recorded five strikeouts. Cavalli threw 44 pitches in the contest and will continue to build his arm up. The 25-year-old is scheduled for another start in five days, and it is likely that he will continue to build up through the minor leagues before any talk of a big-league promotion at the moment. Cavalli was once the top prospect for the Nationals and still remains one of their better pitching prospects, but fantasy managers in all formats will want to monitor his recovery before making a move, as he is unlikely to make much of an impact in fantasy circles this season.

The Washington Nationals have officially sent right-handed pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) on a minor-league rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Nationals, according to the team's transaction log. Cavalli is trying to return after having Tommy John surgery, and his first rehab start in the Rookie League will be his first game action since the 2022 season. Given the nature of the 25-year-old's rehab and his long layoff, he's likely to spend all 30 days on his rehab assignment before the Nationals decide what to do with him. The team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his first big-league start in 2022 but hasn't been back to the big leagues since because of his elbow injury. Cavalli should return to the majors at some point in 2024, but fantasy managers in redraft leagues may want to temper expectations.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League. Cavalli has been recovering from Tommy John surgery that was performed in March 2023 and has been progressing after throwing multiple bullpen sessions over the past few weeks. Once Cavalli makes his first start, then that will start his 30-day rehab block.Only dynasty managers should be concerned with Cavalli's status as he works to return to the big leagues.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) threw another bullpen session on Thursday at the team's training facility in West Palm Beach. This was his longest session (45 pitches) since recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Nationals have not changed the original timeline for Cavalli to return in late June or July, but Manager Dave Martinez said that he "threw the ball well again" and that Cavalli is "well on his way." This is an excellent sign for fantasy managers in deeper leagues who may have the 25-year-old stashed on their injured reserve. Cavalli could become worth rostering in standard leagues if he performs well after he returns later in the summer.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) threw a 60-pitch bullpen session at the team's spring complex in West Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, and his velocity reached 96 mph. Cavalli is recovering from last year's Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to be available for the Nats until sometime later this summer, but it's encouraging to hear he's progressing in his throwing program. The 25-year-old former first-round pick is Washington's No. 5 prospect for 2024, per MLB Pipeline, and figures to eventually pick up starts on a rebuilding club and carry some mixed-league fantasy relevance at some point during the second half of the season, but his time may not come until the late stages of the campaign. Dynasty managers should be keeping a closer eye on his status than those in redraft settings.

The Washington Nationals announced on Tuesday that they placed right-hander Cade Cavalli (elbow) on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. In corresponding moves, the team selected the contract of right-hander Derek Law and moved infielder Trey Lipscomb to minor-league camp. Cavalli had elbow reconstruction in March of last year and is hoping to rejoin Washington's starting rotation in June of this year. The 25-year-old former first-rounder is the club's No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline and possesses an electric upper-90s fastball, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues will want to temper expectations for him when he returns from Tommy John this summer. For a pitcher that has displayed only average command so far, that could be an issue for him in the second half in 2024.

Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (elbow), who is 11 months removed from Tommy John surgery, threw his first bullpen session on Monday and had another one on Thursday. He will continue to throw off a mound three times a week until he's cleared to face live hitters. Cavalli continues to target a full return to the majors around June, which would be 14 months after he had elbow surgery. The 25-year-old is making good progress but isn't expected to pitch in any Grapefruit League games in spring training. He was a first-round pick in 2020 out of Oklahoma and was expected to be a part of the team's starting rotation in 2022 before blowing his elbow out in spring training that year. There's plenty of upside with Cavalli, but fantasy managers will want to temper expectations for him in 2024 in his first year back from Tommy John surgery.

Washington Nationals rookie right-hander Cade Cavalli (elbow) will be 12 full months removed from Tommy John surgery by mid-March, but the team intends to bring him along at a slower pace and he's not expected to face hitters or pitch in spring training games. The 25-year-old was ticketed for the 2023 Opening Day starting rotation and was expected to make 25-plus starts in his first extended year in the big leagues, but he felt his elbow pop on March 14 and didn't pitch all year. The target for Cavalli's return to the rotation is in June, which would put him on course to go on a minor-league rehab assignment in May to build up his innings. If everything goes well, he should be able to pitch through season's end and not be subject to a late-season shutdown in 2024. Cavalli is the club's top pitching prospect, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for him this year.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) has a Grade 3 sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament and will require Tommy John surgery, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. It will keep Cavalli out for all of the 2023 season, and he might not be ready for the start of next season either. The 24-year-old right-hander was expected to open the year at the back end of the starting rotation, so it's another tough break for the young prospect. Cavalli suffered a shoulder injury in his MLB debut in 2022 and didn't pitch again for the Nats the rest of the year. Obviously, fantasy managers in single-year leagues can cross him off their draft cheat sheets in 2023. With Cavalli out, Chad Kuhl has the best shot to land a spot in the rotation in his place.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) "felt something behind his throwing elbow" in his Grapefruit League start on Tuesday and is scheduled to have an MRI exam on Wednesday. Cavalli injured his right shoulder in his MLB debut last year and missed the rest of the season, so hopefully this new injury isn't as serious. The 24-year-old right-hander was in the running to open the 2023 regular season in the Nationals' starting rotation, but this injury is likely to put him on the injured list to kick things off. Cavalli has big stuff on the mound but will need to show better command and control of his pitches before he becomes attractive in all mixed leagues.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (arm) was removed from his Cactus League start on Tuesday against the New York Mets after appearing to be in discomfort while shaking his right arm after throwing a pitch. It's unclear what the exact nature of the injury is, so fantasy managers will want to check back for an update. Depending on what his injury is, there's a good chance that the 24-year-old right-hander will no longer be in the running for an Opening Day rotation spot. Cavalli suffered a significant shoulder injury in his first big-league start last August, so another arm injury is concerning. He has big stuff on the mound, but his control and command have been behind.

Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (shoulder), the team's No. 4 prospect, will be part of the starting rotation next year, according to manager Dave Martinez. The 24-year-old went 6-4 with a 3.71 ERA at Triple-A Rochester in 2022 and made his major-league debut in August before ending the year with shoulder inflammation after his first start for the Nats. The former first-rounder in 2020 led the minors in strikeouts in 2021. Cavalli allowed seven hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Reds in his big-league debut, but he has premium stuff with a high-90s fastball and a power curveball. His ability to miss bats is something that the Nats' rotation desperately needs.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (shoulder) has resumed throwing and will play catch from 60 feet on Friday. The 24-year-old has been shut down for the season after only making one start for the Nationals. However, it sounds like the right-hander is making solid progress. He reportedly doesn't feel any pain in his shoulder, which is great news. It doesn't sound like he'll throw off a mound until later this offseason, but should be ready for the beginning of next season.