Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel worked to improve his bat speed during the offseason. Last season, the former 11th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft placed in the second percentile in bat speed (65.2 mph). He generated a weak 25.4 percent hard-hit rate and a 3.5 percent barrel rate which placed him in the fourth and ninth percentiles respectively. Across a career-high 147 contests last season, Schanuel held a .250/.343/.362 line with 13 home runs and 10 stolen bases. However, despite the modest power outputs, the Florida Atlantic showed a strong eye at the plate as he drew walks at an 11.2 percent rate and only struck out at a 17.0 percent rate. Fantasy managers should expect Schanuel to operate as the starting first baseman in Los Angeles and could be worth a look in deeper formats if he shows power improvement during spring training.

MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports that Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell (oblique) and first baseman Nolan Schanuel (leg) are both scheduled to play in the team's Cactus League opener on Saturday against the division-rival Seattle Mariners. Adell is fully recovered from the left-oblique strain that caused him to end last season on the injured list. The 25-year-old will be fully ready for Opening Day and will be competing with Mickey Moniak for regular playing time in center field this year in Anaheim with Mike Trout (knee) moving to right field regularly. Adell isn't going to help anyone in the batting average department, but his mix of power and speed is worth taking a chance on for outfield depth in fantasy. Schanuel dealt with a bruised right leg to end last season but is also fully healthy and ready to go. The 23-year-old lefty lacks the power to be considered a realistic option in shallow mixed fantasy leagues.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (leg) and outfielder Jordyn Adams (knee) are both out of the lineup on Thursday for the series finale against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Schanuel fouled a ball of his right lower leg in Wednesday's loss to the White Sox and will miss at least one day of action as a result. The 22-year-old is considered day-to-day for now and will be hoping to play at some point in the final weekend series of the year against the division-rival Texas Rangers. Adams, meanwhile, has been out for a whole week with soreness in his right knee. At this point with just three games remaining, we may not see the 24-year-old again in 2024. Brandon Drury is at first base and batting cleanup, while Gustavo Camero is in right field and is batting seventh for the Halos on Thursday against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel fouled a ball off of his right shin during the first inning of Wednesday's road contest versus the White Sox. The 22-year-old would later strike out in the at-bat but would be done for the night after that. Brandon Drury entered the game for Schanuel and for now, he is being considered day-to-day with what is being called a lower leg contusion. Schanuel had been hitting well in September, with a hitless game on Tuesday ending a 13-game hit streak. If this is the former first-round draft pick's final game of 2024, he finishes with a .251-13-54-62-10 line in 606 plate appearances.

As expected, Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) has returned to the starting lineup on Tuesday at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers and left-hander Brant Hurter, and he is playing first base and batting third for the Halos. Schanuel was held out of the final two games of the series over the weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a minor back injury. The 22-year-old second-year player will return to the lineup for the start of a series in Motown. The former 11th overall pick out of Florida Atlantic has gotten on base this year at a decent clip (.348), but otherwise has left a lot to be desired for fantasy managers. Schanuel has also hit just .228 (23-for-101) with only three of his 12 home runs on the year against left-handed pitchers, so we would recommend looking for better upside plays at the position in DFS on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) is expected to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Schanuel will hit the bench for the second straight game in Sunday's series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Center due to back stiffness, but it's not going to keep the 22-year-old out for much longer. Rookie Niko Kavadas will play first base on Sunday and hit eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. As the Halos starting first baseman in 2024, Schanuel has provided mediocre production at the plate, batting .253/.348/.375 with a .723 OPS, 12 home runs, 41 RBI, four steals and 54 runs scored in 120 games in his first full MLB season. Kavadas has just one hit (a homer) in his first 24 plate appearances with three walks and 13 strikeouts in his first seven games this year for the Halos.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) has been dealing with a back injury and was kept out of the lineup in Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Angels manager Ron Washington said he would give him Saturday and Sunday off, then play on Tuesday in Detroit. Schanuel has been one of the few bright spots in the Angels lineup this season and has put together a very nice 2024 campaign. In 120 games (427 at-bats), he is slashing .253/.348/.375 with 12 HR, 41 RBI, 54 runs, and four stolen bases.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (calf) is back at first base and is batting second for the Halos for Monday's series opener against the hosting division-rival Seattle Mariners and right-hander Bryce Miller. Schanuel left Saturday's game early against the Oakland Athletics with left-calf tightness and didn't make the start in Sunday's series finale, but he ended up pinch-hitting and going 2-for-2 with an RBI. The 22-year-old former first-rounder in 2023 is now back in the lineup and will face Miller, who he has yet to face in his young career. Schanuel is a low-upside option at the first base position in fantasy in a weak Angels lineup. The left-handed hitter is batting a mediocre .245 (79-for-322) in his first full major-league season with only nine long balls, 34 RBI, four stolen bases and 33 runs scored in 91 games played.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel showed off his power in a 13-3 loss to the Oakland A's on Friday. Schanuel went 2-for-3 with a solo homer off Oakland starter JP Sears in the sixth inning, a blast that cut the A's lead to 6-3. The 22-year-old first baseman has been swinging a hot bat of late, hitting .318 over his past seven games. Overall, Schanuel is batting .242 with nine homers, 33 runs, 33 RBI, and four steals across 318 at-bats this season.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel went 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI in Tuesday's loss versus the Oakland Athletics. Schanuel hit his eighth double on the season and has now hit safely in seven consecutive straight games with three straight multi-hit performances. Schanuel has mainly been leading off for the Angels, but other then his current hot streak, he hasn't put together much counting stats to be worthy of rostering in most formats. On the season, he is now hitting .239 with eight homers, 30 RBI and eight stolen bases. As it stands, he is worth is riding while his bat stays hot, but managers should temper long-term expectations.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel was productive atop the batting order in Thursday night's 5-0 win at Angel Stadium versus the visiting Detroit Tigers, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and his second stolen base of the season. Schanuel is now riding a three-game hitting streak heading into the second game of the series on Friday night. The 22-year-old left-handed-hitting first baseman has hit .237 (18-for-76) in the month of June in 21 games with three home runs, two doubles, eight RBI, 11 walks, 16 strikeouts and both of his stolen bases on the year. Mainly out of necessity, he made the jump all the way to the big leagues in 2023 after being drafted 11th overall last June out of Florida Atlantic. Schanuel offers modest power (eight home runs) and limited counting stats while batting only .228 (59-for-259) on the season.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (thumb) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres. This is good news after Schanuel missed the last three games due to soreness in his thumb. Schanuel will bat leadoff and cover first base versus right-hander Matt Waldron on Monday. His return will send outfielder Kevin Pillar to the bench for this game. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.

Los Angeles Angels Nolan Schanuel (thumb) is sitting out for the second consecutive game with a thumb injury. Schanuel was a late scratch on Friday evening and will take another seat on Saturday. As a result, 29-year-old Willie Calhoun will start at first base and bat cleanup. Schanuel should be considered day-to-day for the time being. Willie Calhoun enters Saturday with a solid .277/.289/.415 line with one long ball and six RBI through 25 games this season. He is worth considering in DFS as a value play, as he will face Bryce Miller, who has surrendered at least two earned runs and five hits in each of his past five starts and carries a 3.48 ERA. Calhoun should also have solid RBI opportunities this evening, batting behind Luis Rengifo and Taylor Ward.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (thumb) was scratched from Friday's starting lineup on the road against the division-rival Seattle Mariners with left-thumb soreness. In his place, Willie Calhoun got the start at first base and was hitting cleanup against Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo, with Matt Thaiss serving as the DH and batting seventh. Until we know more, fantasy managers should consider Schanuel to be day-to-day and check back to see if he's in there on Saturday. The 11th overall pick last year made a quick rise to the majors in 2023, although he hasn't been much of a fantasy option in mixed leagues at first base with limited power on a bad team in Anaheim. If Schanuel's thumb injury ends up sending him to the injured list, both Calhoun and Luis Guillorme would be options for the Halos at first base.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (hamstring) and first baseman Nolan Schanuel are both out of the lineup on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Drury should be considered day-to-day for now after leaving Monday night's win with a hamstring injury. If the 31-year-old, who has gone just 11-for-54 (.204) in the early going with one homer, ends up going on the injured list, Luis Rengifo would benefit from everyday playing time at the keystone. Rengifo is at second and batting seventh on Tuesday, while Miguel Sano is at first base and hitting cleanup against Rays right-hander Aaron Civale. Schanuel returned from a testicular contusion on Monday but is getting another day off on Tuesday. Schanuel is struggling in his first full big-league season with just four hits (one homer) in his first 42 at-bats in 2024.UPDATE: Drury said he'll be available off the bench on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (groin) suffered a testicular contusion during Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox and will not play in Sunday's series finale. Schanuel fouled a ball off himself in the third inning and was removed from Saturday's game during the fourth frame. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before exiting. The 22-year-old is not expected to be placed on the injured list and is considered day-to-day. Miguel Sano replaced Schanuel in Saturday's contest. Sano should see an uptick in at-bats with Schanuel sidelined, but he is hitting 207 (6-for-29) with an RBI over 10 games in 2024. Fantasy managers searching for a first base or corner infield option can look to add Sano in deep-league formats.

Los Angeles Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo (hamstring) will serve as the designated hitter in the team's Cactus League game on Saturday against the Oakland Athletics. Meanwhile, first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) could also return to the lineup. Rengifo will return to spring action after leaving Tuesday's contest with a left-hamstring injury. Schanuel was scratched from Monday's Cactus League game due to back tightness. Both Rengifo and Schanuel should be ready for Opening Day next Thursday. Rengifo is expected to be the team's regular season baseman, while the 22-year-old Schanuel is projected to be the Angels' primary first baseman after impressing in his first MLB call-up after being taken 12th overall in last year's draft. Rengifo and Schanuel don't have a ton of fantasy upside in mixed leagues.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) is not playing on Tuesday and remains day to day. He is reportedly feeling better and could return to the club's lineup on Wednesday versus the Giants. The 22-year-old was scratched on Monday after feeling something in his back while stretching for a bull but was told by trainers the issue isn't serious. "There's a possibility tomorrow he'd probably be back in the lineup. A possibility. Don't hold me to that fact if you don't see him in there," Angels skipper Ron Washington said. Schanuel is hitting .244 with one homer, one steal, and four RBI across 45 plate appearances so far in Cactus League action after debuting with a .275 average with one homer and a healthy 15.2% BB% across 132 plate appearances with the Angels in 2023, reaching the majors just a couple of months after being drafted 11th overall in June.

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington said first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) felt something while stretching for a ball, but trainers told him it was "nothing serious." Schanuel was scratched from Monday's Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers as a precaution. The 22-year-old left-handed hitter will probably be sidelined a day or two, but he should return to spring action this weekend and be ready for Opening Day on March 28. Schanuel was fast-tracked to the majors last year after the Halos took him 11th overall out of Florida Atlanta. While he doesn't project for much long-term power at the first base position, Schanuel has enough plate discipline and contact skills to be relevant in AL-only leagues as the Angels' primary first baseman. He hit .275 (30-for-109) with a homer and six RBI in his first 29 major-league games last year.

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (back) was scratched from Monday's Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers because of back tightness. Schanuel is being considered day-to-day, so it doesn't appear to be a very serious injury, but the young 22-year-old could be held out of action for a few more days this week. Last year's 11th overall pick made a quick rise to the big leagues and impressed in 29 games with the Halos, going 30-for-109 (.275) with a homer and six RBI in 132 trips to the plate. The left-handed-hitting first baseman will get every chance to see regular at-bats at first base for the Halos in his first full MLB season in 2024, and he has the plate discipline and contact skills to be a useful asset in AL-only leagues. However, his usefulness in mixed fantasy leagues is questionable with a limited power profile.