That sound you hear is fantasy owners of Seattle Mariners’ top prospect Taijuan Walker breathing a sigh of relief. Walker, who would have Michael Wacha-type hype under normal circumstances, has been battling shoulder inflammation since late February. Many fantasy owners have been scared to invest in the talented young arm.

MLB.com’s Greg Johns passed along the positive news via Twitter today that Walker “felt great” after a 40-pitch bullpen session that included 10 curveballs.

Bonus: Closers, sleepers of the NL East

Walker is still behind on conditioning, but should be ready to join the Mariners’ rotation by late April. This isn’t a big deal for fantasy purposes, as Walker would have been on an innings limit this season anyway. We’d rather him finish the season strong than start on time and get shut down in August because of an innings limit.

I feel Walker can make a major impact in fantasy leagues and should be drafted in all formats. A Jose Fernandez-like rookie season is unlikely to happen again, but you can expect Walker to be a significant contributor in all leagues. You won’t find a respectable publication that doesn’t rank Walker among the Top 3 pitching prospects in baseball.

Questions? Hit me on Twitter @briansflood