Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker has been off to a slow start with his new team, but was able to do some damage on Thursday. Walker helped his team get on the scoreboard with a solo shot off right-hander Joe Ryan in the second inning. His day wouldn't end there as he would also single later in the game as Walker reached base three times during this contest. The veteran slugger is still hitting under .200 through the first seven games. However, his two-hit performance did help as the Astros were able to come back and win this ballgame. Fantasy managers will just need to be a little more patient with Walker.

As expected, Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) is at first base and is batting cleanup in his debut with the team on Opening Day on Thursday against the visiting New York Mets and right-hander Clay Holmes at Daikin Park in Houston. The Astros shut Walker down in spring training on March 2 with left-oblique soreness, and he didn't make another appearance in Grapefruit League action. However, Walker was able to get at-bats in a minor-league setting last weekend and was deemed ready to go for Opening Day. The 33-year-old right-handed power hitter went 4-for-8 with three doubles in the four Grapefruit League contests he appeared in, and he should be a stable power bat for fantasy managers in the middle of Houston's lineup in his first year with the team in 2025 as long as he stays healthy. Walker has faced Holmes just twice in his career and has a solo homer against him.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) took seven at-bats in a minor-league game on Tuesday and will travel back to Houston in the evening. He is still expected to be in the Opening Day lineup on Thursday against the New York Mets, according to manager Joe Espada. An oblique injury suffered in spring training limited Walker to only four Grapefruit League games, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get off to a slow start at the plate in his first year in Houston. The 33-year-old veteran right-handed slugger is by no means an elite fantasy first baseman, but he's been among the most consistent power threats at the position the last three years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, producing two 30-homer campaigns while driving in 281 runs the last three seasons. His new home in Houston should help him continue that run as long as he stays healthy.

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) is on track to be ready for Opening Day. Walker has been sidelined since early March with left oblique soreness and has been relegated to hitting in the cages. However, he's set to get at-bats in minor-league games this weekend and will hang back to get some more while the team returns to Houston. It's good news for the veteran, as Houston will look for him to supplement some of the production lost by the departures of third baseman Alex Bregman (Red Sox) and outfielder Kyle Tucker (Cubs). The power-hitting righty saw his home run total drop a bit in 2024, though he played in 130 games instead of the 157+ he appeared in over the prior two seasons. He's often off the boards inside the top 75 in fantasy drafts.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Wednesday that first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) is on track to play in Grapefruit League games this weekend. Walker is cutting it close to be ready for Opening Day next Thursday, but as long as he doesn't suffer a setback with his oblique when he resumes playing in games, he should be ready. The 33-year-old dealt with a sore left oblique in early March and has been held out of spring games since as a precaution. The good news is that Walker has been hitting in the cages, but he has also only had 10 plate appearances in spring training to this point. Fantasy managers shouldn't rule out Walker getting out to a slow start in 2025 in his first year with the Astros after signing a three-year, $60 million deal in December. The right-handed power hitter has been a consistent power hitter when healthy the last eight years with the D-backs, though.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) is expected to return to spring training games this week and should be "fine" for Opening Day. Earlier in camp, Walker suffered an oblique injury but appears to be nearing a return. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but given this report, he should be a full-go by Opening Day. In the offseason, the Astros signed Walker to a three-year $60 million contract. Last season, Walker held a .251/.335/.468 slash line with 26 doubles and 26 home runs across 130 contests. He tallied 72 runs and added 84 RBI. He generated an impressive .351 xwOBA with a 13.3 percent barrel rate. Fantasy managers should view Walker as a solid low-end No.1 first baseman as his power should translate well to the short left field in Daikin Park.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) was hitting in the batting cage. The first baseman also fielded ground balls and ran. This is a great sign as this is the first time the 33-year-old swung a bat since suffering this injury. Walker underwent an MRI on his oblique but did not suffer a strain. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but it appears he will likely not be in danger of missing Opening Day. Earlier in the offseason, Walker signed a three-year deal with the Astros worth $60 million. Last season, Walker held a .251/.335/.468 slash line with 26 home runs in Arizona. He generated an elite .351 xwOBA, 13.3 percent barrel rate, and 48.0 percent hard-hit rate, which were all well above the average marks. When healthy, fantasy managers should expect Walker to serve as the everyday first baseman in Houston. He should be viewed as a solid No. 1 first baseman in all formats given his high-upside power.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) has yet to resume swinging a bat at camp but will take infield on Tuesday. Walker suffered a minor left-oblique injury and is being eased back into baseball activities. The 33-year-old veteran is running out of time to get back up to speed with Opening Day two weeks away, but there is still time. At worst, Walker will open the 2025 regular season on the injured list but miss the minimal amount of time. In that even, the left-handed-hitting Jon Singleton would take over at first base. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too concerned about Walker unless he has a setback as he ramps up to try to get back into Grapefruit League games before the end of spring training. Walker isn't a household fantasy name but isn't a bad consolation prize as a low-end No. 1 first baseman after having hit 30-plus homers in two of the last three seasons.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) will not swing a bat for a few days. However, he was seen running and stretching with the team earlier on Sunday. Walker underwent an MRI on his oblique after being scratched from Wednesday's lineup. However, he did not suffer a strain and the diagnosis provided "relatively good news." Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but he is currently on track to not miss any time during the regular season. Earlier in the offseason, the Astros signed Walker to a three-year $60 million contract. The 33-year-old has spent the majority of his MLB career in Arizona after playing his first two seasons in Baltimore. Last summer, Walker posted a .251/.335/.468 slash line with 26 doubles and 26 home runs. When healthy, he should bat in the heart of the Houston lineup which should provide him with elite RBI opportunities.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker's (oblique) MRI exam didn't show a "strain or anything that we are concerned about," manager Joe Espada said. The Astros are calling Walker's injury left-oblique soreness. He is returning to the team in camp on Friday and will be eased back into baseball activities. It's good news for the team's new first baseman, but the 33-year-old isn't out of the woods yet with three weeks until Opening Day. The good news is that if Walker doesn't have any setbacks with his oblique as he ramps back up, he still has a chance to be ready for the start of the regular season. If he's not ready to go, the left-handed-hitting Jon Singleton would see most of the playing time at the cold corner to begin the year. Assuming Walker's oblique injury doesn't linger and affect his early-season production, he's not a bad fallback target at the first base position in fantasy drafts. Walker has 30-plus homers in two of the last three seasons.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) said his left-oblique injury isn't as serious as the one that kept him out for a month last season. He said he is sore on Thursday but not worse than Wednesday, which is a good sign. Walker had an ultrasound and is waiting for the inflammation to subside before getting further imaging. It's not much of an update and doesn't really give us much of an indication if the 33-year-old will be ready by Opening Day after he was scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Walker missed five weeks in the second half of the season. Even if this oblique injury isn't as serious, it doesn't mean he won't start the 2025 season on the injured list. Until we know more, it will certainly give fantasy managers pause in taking Walker as a top-10 fantasy first baseman in upcoming drafts.

Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (oblique) was scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the St. Louis Cardinals with left-oblique soreness, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Jon Singleton will start in Walker's place at first base. Until we know more, we'll consider Walker to be day-to-day, but oblique injuries can linger and be tricky to recover from, so the 33-year-old veteran's availability for Opening Day later this month could be in question. Check back later for an update on the severity of his oblique injury. If Walker were to miss the start of the 2025 regular season in his first year in Houston, Singleton would become the team's regular first baseman, as he was for much of 2024. Ranked as RotoBaller's No. 7 fantasy first baseman, Walker has underrated power with 95 homers in the last three seasons.

Free-agent first baseman Christian Walker agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Houston Astros on Friday. It's yet another sign that the Astros won't be re-signing All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman this winter. The Astros acquired infielder Isaac Paredes from the Chicago Cubs in the trade that sent outfielder Kyle Tucker to Chicago, so Paredes should replace Bregman at the hot corner. Walker will end up taking over first-base duties from Jon Singletary, who had struggled against left-handed pitching. Walker, who is entering his age-34 season, is a three-time Gold Glover and also has been a stable source of power production for fantasy managers, averaging just under 32 home runs in each of the last three seasons. Only Pete Alonso and Matt Olson have more homers at the first-base position than Walker since the start of 2022. Walker should see a slight fantasy boost with the move to Houston.

According to Peter Gammons of the MLB Network, the Seattle Mariners would "love" to acquire free-agent first baseman Christian Walker. However, Gammons noted that the first baseman is currently out of their price range, but trading starting pitcher Luis Castillo could open enough space on the books for the infielder. Castillo's name has been circling around trade discussions all offseason, and it could make sense given Seattle's depth at that position. Last summer, Walker held a solid .251/.335/.468 slash line with 26 home runs. Under the hood, the 33-year-old generated a .351 xwOBA, a 13.3% barrel rate, and a 48.0% hard-hit rate. Walker would provide some nice, consistent power to the Seattle lineup. The Yankees have also been a team that has expressed interest in the 33-year-old.

With the New York Yankees failing to re-sign superstar outfielder Juan Soto, they have renewed contract negotiations with free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, according to sources. In addition to Walker, the Yankees are multi-tasking on pitchers and hitters as they look to make a big splash to try and replace some of Soto's production. If the 2025 season began today, Ben Rice would be New York's starting first baseman. But if the Yankees sign Walker, it could allow them to dangle Rice in a trade for a pitcher such as Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet. Walker turns 34 in March and is likely to receive no less than a three-year deal. The Yankees would prefer if he were left-handed, but he's been a consistent power threat over the last few seasons and has won the last three National League Gold Gloves at first base. A move to the Bronx would give Walker even more fantasy upside.

The Detroit Tigers have kicked the tires on free-agent first baseman Christian Walker this offseason as they search for a right-handed bat. However, the Tigers may not be willing to get aggressive enough for Walker if big-market teams get involved in the bidding. Walker is considered more of a long shot for Detroit because he'll come with draft-pick compensation after he declined the Arizona Diamondbacks' one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer. If Detroit cannot find a right-handed bat on the cheap in free agency, they could turn to the trade market for someone like Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, Marlins corner infielder Jake Burger, Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz or Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. As things currently stand, the Tigers have Matt Vierling and ... [More]

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal suggests that free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, who is from the eastern part of Pennsylvania, could be an ideal fit for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team looking for upgrades on offense. However, many other teams will be interested in Walker this offseason, including both New York teams if they lose out on superstar free-agent outfielder Juan Soto. The Pirates expect outfielder Bryan Reynolds to play some first base in 2025, but ideally, the Bucs are looking to add a first baseman and a corner outfielder this offseason. The 33-year-old Walker turned down the Arizona Diamondbacks' $21.50 million qualifying offer, so if Pittsburgh signs him, they'll give up draft compensation. Walker has been a model of power consistency in recent seasons, although an oblique injury hampered him down the stretch in 2024. A move to Pittsburgh wouldn't be ideal for fantasy, but he'll still be a decent target at the position once the elite names come off the board.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi likes free-agent first baseman Christian Walker as a fit for the New York Yankees this offseason, whether or not they end up re-signing superstar outfielder Juan Soto. The Arizona Diamondbacks extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to Walker, so if the Yankees or any other team scoop him up, the D-backs will receive draft-pick compensation. Walker represents a nice fallback option for teams looking to add a first-base power bat this offseason that don't want to pony up to pay free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso. The 33-year-old doesn't have the type of power upside that Alonso has, but Walker is an elite, Gold Glove-caliber defender at the cold corner and has 30-plus homers in two of the last three seasons. A move to the Bronx and the Yankees' stacked lineup would certainly give Walker more fantasy upside in 2025 and beyond.

The Arizona Diamondbacks extended a qualifying offer to first baseman Christian Walker this past week and he has two weeks to decide on whether or not to accept it. Should he not, it is reported that there are at least six teams that will "aggressively pursue" the would-be free agent, although most major league clubs would be interested in his services. The Yankees and Mets appear to be the most likely landing spots if he doesn't return to Arizona, as the Yankees will likely need to replace Anthony Rizzo and the Mets will likely need to replace Pete Alonso. With Walker entering the 2025 season at age 34, he's not expected to cost as much as Alonso would, but can bring some good pop with his bat and just earned his third consecutive Gold Glove award.

The Arizona Diamondbacks extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to free-agent first baseman Christian Walker on Monday, according to sources. If Walker chooses to reject the offer and signs with another team on the open market, the Diamondbacks would receive draft-pick compensation. Not only is the 33-year-old veteran one of the better first-base bats in baseball, but he also just won a third straight National League Gold Glove at the position. The former fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles out of South Carolina, Walker hit .251/.335/.468 with an .803 OPS, 26 home runs, 84 RBI, two steals and 72 runs scored in 552 plate appearances over 130 games in his eighth year in the desert. It was a slight drop in production from the previous two years, but he did miss some time late in the year due to injury. He has 25-plus homers in each of the last three campaigns.