Mason Fluharty

20 mars 2026

Might get squeezed from bullpen

Fluharty is a candidate to begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Analyse

The 24-year-old southpaw has looked good this spring, posting a 1.59 ERA and 8:0 K:BB over 5.2 innings, but Fluharty could be caught in a numbers game. With Eric Lauer now needed in the rotation due to injuries to Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (forearm) and Jose Berrios (elbow), someone like Lazaro Estrada could claim a spot as the long reliever, while Rule 5 pick Angel Bastardo has also made a strong case for a bullpen job. Fluharty has minor-league options remaining, but so does Braydon Fisher, and the latter is a right-hander, perhaps making him a little more likely to be the reliever squeezed off the Opening Day roster. As a rookie in 2025, Fluharty posted a 4.44 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 56:24 K:BB over 52.2 innings with five wins, one save and five holds in 55 appearances.