An MRI revealed that Leiter has a mild flexor strain, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

It seems like Leiter avoided the worst-case scenario, but he's still expected to miss a good chunk of time. The Phillies plan to shut him down for 2-to-3 weeks, meaning that the earliest he can return to action is late April. This essentially guarantees a trip to the DL to start the season, which opens the fifth starter competition back up for Ben Lively, Zach Eflin and non-roster invitee Drew Hutchison.

Leiter returned to Philadelphia to undergo testing for forearm tightness, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's not a good sign for Leiter, who was likely to open the season as the Phillies' long reliever with a shot to move into the rotation later in the year. "Forearm tightness" is one of the initial diagnoses which sometimes turns into Tommy John surgery, though there have been no indications yet from the team that the issue is potentially that serious.

Leiter no longer appears to be in contention for the fifth spot in the Phillies rotation after the team signed Jake Arrieta to a three-year, $75 million contract Sunday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Leiter had been competing with Zach Eflin, Ben Lively, Jake Thompson and non-roster invitee Drew Hutchison for the No. 5 role, but the Phillies now appear set to proceed with a rotation of Aaron Nola, Arrieta, Vince Velasquez, Nick Pivetta and Jerad Eickhoff to open the season. It's a disappointing development for the right-hander, who appeared to have an edge on his competition for the final rotation spot after supplying a 1.93 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 13 strikeouts over his first 9.1 innings of the spring. Unless one of the Phillies' projected rotation members suffers an injury prior to Opening Day, Leiter looks poised to compete with Thompson for a long-relief role over the rest of spring training.

Leiter pitched three innings Monday, striking out two and allowing no runs and no hits in the Grapefruit League win over Minnesota.

EDGE Analysis

Leiter entered the spring in a competition for the final spot in the Phillies' starting rotation and he now possesses a 0.00 ERA, 0.43 WHIP and nine strikeouts through seven innings of spring ball. Leiter worked as both a starter and reliever last season after being called up from Triple-A Lehigh, and he produced a very good 8.34 strikeout per nine innings rate, showing an advanced ability to fan batters. Even if he does win a starting spot, however, there are better back-end fantasy options to be found.

Leiter will compete for the Phillies' final rotation spot during spring training, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Assuming the Phillies don't bring in another starter to fill out their rotation, Leiter will compete with the likes of Ben Lively, Jake Thompson and Zach Eflin for the remaining rotation spot. The soon-to-be 27-year-old is coming off a rookie campaign during which he started 11 games for Philadelphia and appeared in another 16 out of the bullpen, finishing the year with a 4.96 ERA across 90.2 innings. His xFIP (4.19) suggests he was a bit unlucky to end the year with such a poor ERA. If he's able to lock down a rotation spot out of camp, Leiter could prove to be a solid, albeit low-ceiling back-end starter.

Leiter allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over 4.1 innings Wednesday but was able to escape with a no-decision in a 7-5 win over the Nationals. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

He was on the hook for a loss after getting chased from the game in a three-run fifth inning, but the Phillies responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame to re-take the lead. Leiter finishes the year with a 4.96 ERA in the majors, and he'll head into next spring looking to prove he deserves a regular spot in the Phillies rotation rather than returning to a swing man role.

Leiter was charged with three runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Thursday. He struck out three, issued one walk and hit a batter.

EDGE Analysis

A solo homer off the bat of Curtis Granderson was the only real blemish against Leiter, who left the game in line for the win before the bullpen coughed up the lead. This was his third career quality start. He's missed bats at a decent clip since stepping into the rotation, but Leiter has had some issues with the long ball and he has a tough matchup (vs WAS) in his lone start of the season's final week.

Leiter (3-6) allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out nine across six innings to take the loss Friday against the Athletics.

EDGE Analysis

Leiter gave up a two-run homer in each of the first two innings while receiving no offensive support, as he dropped his sixth decision of the year. He's allowed 16 earned runs over his last three starts, which raised his ERA over a full run, and fantasy managers are taking on risk if using him while he tries to work through his current slump. He'll make his next start Thursday against the Dodgers.

Leiter (3-5) allowed four runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight across six innings to earn the victory Saturday against the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

Leiter had a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning before letting the Nationals pull within a single run before the bullpen took over to protect the victory. His ERA his gone up almost a full run over his last three starts, and with a 4.84 ERA, he's become a risky fantasy option. He'll make his next start Friday against the Athletics.

Leiter (2-5) took the loss after allowing nine runs - eight earned - on nine hits while striking out two batters over 3.1 innings Monday against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

It was a rare blowup from Leiter, who hadn't allowed more than four runs in any of his six starts prior to Monday's shellacking. The poor outing raised his ERA from 3.88 to 4.74, but he still owns a serviceable 1.30 WHIP and 7.8 K/9. He'll look to bounce back in his next scheduled start, which is projected for Saturday against a tough Nationals team.