February 20, 2026
Chicago White Sox right-handed pitcher
Jonathan Cannon is in contention for one of the final roles in the starting rotation. Cannon made his MLB debut back in 2024 for the White Sox and logged 124 1/3 innings to the tune of a 4.49 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP. During this stint, Cannon showed minimal strikeout upside, tallying just 91. In 2025, the Georgia product took a further step back, posting a much higher 5.82 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP across 103 2/3 innings. He struck out just 86 hitters at a low 18.5% rate and held a modest 8.2% walk rate, a slight increase from the 7.7% walk rate he posted as a rookie. However, given Chicago's current lack of pitching depth, Cannon could still play a prominent role despite his rough 2025 season. Given his lack of strikeout potential, Cannon should only be viewed as a desperation streaming option in 15+ team leagues if he were to earn a spot.
--Andy SmithSource: Scott Merkin
February 20, 2026
According to Gary Phillips of The New York Daily News, Yankees starting pitcher
Gerrit Cole (elbow) is set to face live hitters on Friday. Cole has been throwing bullpen sessions during the early stages of camp and is now set to take the next step in his recovery. The Yankee ace has been on the shelf since undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace last March. However, seeing him already face live hitters suggests he may not miss much of the 2026 season. Earlier in camp, reports indicated that Cole could return as early as May, and given this update, he remains on track to do so. In 2024, Cole logged 99 innings with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. The previous season, Cole took home the AL Cy Young as he logged 209 innings to the tune of an elite 2.63 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP. While Cole remains sidelined early on, managers should expect prospects
Elmer Rodriguez and
Carlos Lagrange to compete for a role on the MLB roster.
--Andy SmithSource: Gary Phillips
February 20, 2026
According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect
Elmer Rodriguez is set to start their spring training opener against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday afternoon. Rodriguez has had an impressive start to camp and could be making a strong case to begin the season in the major leagues, with
Gerrit Cole and
Carlos Rodon both on the shelf. Last summer, the No. 97-ranked prospect on MLB.com began the season with High-A but was able to reach Triple-A later in the second half. At High-A, Rodriguez logged 83 2/3 innings with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. At Double-A, Rodriguez continued to find success, tossing 61 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.64 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 74:20 K:BB. However, over his lone five innings at Triple-A, Rodriguez allowed four runs. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should keep a close eye on his status in camp, as he could carry some short-term value if he breaks camp with the MLB roster.
--Andy SmithSource: Chris Kirschner
February 20, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed pitching prospect
Hunter Barco appears to be on the outside of the team's initial five-man starting rotation. The southpaw is expected to be in the mix for the final rotation spot but appears to be trending toward opening the season as a reliever or back at Triple-A. With
Paul Skenes,
Bubba Chandler,
Mitch Keller, and
Braxton Ashcraft locked into the top-4 spots, Barco will have to compete for the No. 5 job alongside
Jose Urquidy. While Urquidy spent all of the 2024 season and the majority of 2025 on the shelf working his way back from Tommy John, he has much more MLB experience than that young left-hander. From 2020 through 2022, Urquidy held a 3.71 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP across 301 innings. While Barco could make a strong case in camp, given his lack of experience, the Pirates may turn to the veteran. However, if Urquidy stumbles out of the gate, Barco would emerge as a sneaky stash candidate in deeper formats. Last summer, Barco logged just three innings with the Pirates but did not allow a run while posting a 3:0 K:BB.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
February 20, 2026
Washington Nationals right-handed pitching prospect
Jarlin Susana is a name to watch during spring training. Susana is currently viewed as the team's No. 4 prospect and the overall No. 87 prospect on MLB.com. Susana spent most of his 2025 season with Double-A before being shut down with a lat injury. He began the campaign with High-A and logged nine innings to the tune of a 3.00 ERA with a 16:2 K:BB before his promotion. At Double-A, Susana flashed immense strikeout upside, tallying 79 over a 47 1/3-inning stint. He posted a slightly higher 3.61 ERA with a modest 1.39 WHIP. Before the injury, Susana racked up at least nine punchouts in three of his last four outings and even hit the double-digit mark in two. While the Nationals will likely monitor his workload given his late-season injury, Susana figures to compete for an early promotion to Triple-A, which will open the door for a second-half MLB debut.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
February 20, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect
Arjun Nimmala added 15 pounds ahead of the start of camp, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. The young infielder reportedly lost significant weight over the 2025 MiLB season, which contributed to his power slump in the second half. Last summer, Nimmala held a promising .840 OPS in the first half with a .266/.356/.484 slash line. However, in the second half, the former 20th overall pick from the 2023 MLB Draft posted a much lower .179/.267/.271 line with a .538 OPS. Given that the 20-year-old spent the entire 2025 season with High-A, a strong showing in spring training could earn him a promotion to Double-A to begin the regular season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his development as he remains on track for a 2027 MLB debut.
--Andy SmithSource: Mitch Bannon
February 20, 2026
New York Mets infield prospect
Jacob Reimer focused on his defensive skills at third base during the offseason, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic. Reimer has spent time at several positions in the infield throughout his minor league career, but emphasized the hot corner heading into 2026 spring training. Reimer joined the Mets in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Yucaipa HS. Last summer, he spent 61 games at High-A before spending another 61 games with Double-A. Through 122 total games, Reimer held a strong .282/.379/.491 line with an .870 OPS. He hit 17 home runs and swiped 15 bags. Additionally, the young infielder noted that he also emphasized improving his bat speed to increase his power output during the winter. Fantasy managers should expect Reimer to contend for an early ticket to Triple-A this spring.
--Andy SmithSource: Tim Britton
February 20, 2026
New York Mets first base/outfield prospect
Ryan Clifford has continued to improve as a defender in the outfield. Clifford has spent most of his time in the minor leagues as a first baseman but has been shifted to the outfield to provide more versatility ahead of his eventual MLB debut. Last summer, Clifford spent most of his time with Double-A before earning a look at Triple-A in the second half. Across 139 total games, the 22-year-old logged 70 of the starts at first base and 53 coming in the outfield. He held a cumulative .237/.356/.470 line with a .526 OPS, 23 doubles, and 29 round-trippers. While Clifford is nearing his MLB debut, managers should expect him to begin the season at Triple-A to further improve his skills in the outfield. However, given New York's current lack of outfield depth, especially in right field, Clifford could be in contention to join the MLB roster much sooner than expected.
--Andy SmithSource: Tim Britton
February 19, 2026
Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever
Lucas Erceg (shoulder) has been throwing off the mound in camp, according to Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. Erceg should be fully healthy for Opening Day in late March after he was shut down in mid-September last year due to a right-shoulder impingement. The Royals' setup man finished his first full year in KC in 2025 with an 8-4 record, career-best 2.64 ERA (3.49 FIP), 1.17 WHIP, two saves, 22 holds, 48 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 61 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The 30-year-old had a career-high 14 saves with the Athletics and Royals in 2024, and he saw a huge dip in strikeout rate from 28.5% to a career-low 19.3% last year. Injuries -- he also dealt with back and foot issues -- may have been the reason for his drop in K rate and velocity. With better health in 2026, Erceg could bounce back in the strikeout department while being a valuable contributor in holds leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Kansas City Star - Jaylon T. Thompson
February 19, 2026
Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said that first baseman
Justin Foscue will get some reps in the outfield this spring, according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. Foscue is trying to increase his versatility defensively to try to win a bench/utility role with the Rangers out of spring training. The 26-year-old former 14th overall pick out of Mississippi State University in 2020 made his major-league debut with the Rangers in 2024, but he only played in 15 games and went 2-for-42 (.048) with two walks and 18 strikeouts. Foscue appeared in just four games with the Rangers last year and had one hit in nine plate appearances. In his five minor-league seasons, he has slashed .272/.376/.491 with an .867 OPS, 79 home runs, 320 RBI, and 29 steals in 445 games. Foscue has been unable to make the transition to the majors, and his ceiling could be as a bench player in Texas.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Shawn McFarland
February 19, 2026
MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports that Cincinnati Reds right-hander
Julian Aguiar (elbow) is among the group of arms competing for the fifth and final starting rotation spot in spring training to begin the 2026 season. Aguiar is competing with
Chase Burns,
Rhett Lowder, and
Brandon Williamson. The 24-year-old former 12th-round pick in 2021 out of Cypress College is the team's No. 16 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but he missed all of last year after having Tommy John surgery in October of 2024. Aguiar is a full-go in camp this spring, but the fact that he missed all of last year due to injury likely means he'll be opening the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Louisville. In his big-league debut with the Reds in 2024, Aguiar struggled to a 6.25 ERA with 19 punchouts and 12 walks in 31 2/3 innings over seven starts. Fantasy managers can ignore him in single-year leagues for now.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
February 19, 2026
The Pittsburgh Pirates appear "willing to afford" infielder
Jared Triolo the opportunity to win the starting third base job in 2026 now that
Ke'Bryan Hayes and
Isiah Kiner-Falefa are out of town, according to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Triolo's glove is elite, and he won the National League Gold Glove as a utility player in 2024. Third base is the most natural of the half-dozen positions Triolo has played in the minors and majors, but it remains to be seen if he can hit enough to win the job. The 28-year-old had a .227/.311/.356 slash line with seven homers and 24 RBI in 107 games in 2025, which included a demotion to the minors in July when he was hitting just .158. He hit .315 with an .889 OPS in August, though, and finished strong at the plate. Triolo has a career 87 wRC+ in just over 1,000 career plate appearances, so from a fantasy perspective, he'll really only be worth a roster spot in NL-only leagues if he wins the starting third base job.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Kevin Gorman
February 19, 2026
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed free-agent right-handed reliever
Yency Almonte to a minor-league deal on Thursday, a source told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Almonte, who pitched for the Dodgers from 2022 to 2023, was sent to the Chicago Cubs in the trade that also included first baseman
Michael Busch. He had a 3.45 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, one save, and a 20:8 K:BB in 15 2/3 relief innings in Chicago in 2024, but didn't pitch at all in the big leagues last year due to shoulder injuries. The 31-year-old veteran had a nice 1.86 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and 10 walks in 19 1/3 relief innings in the minors in 2025 with High-A South Bend and Double-A Knoxville. Almonte, originally drafted in the 17th round in 2012 by the Los Angeles Angels, has a career 4.44 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, three saves, and a 22.5% strikeout rate in seven major-league seasons. He'll operate as relief depth for the Blue if he sticks around in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
February 19, 2026
Miami Marlins right-hander
Janson Junk (ankle) was diagnosed with a Grade 1 mild ankle sprain, which is "probably the best-case scenario," he told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The Marlins were not concerned enough after Junk had X-rays to make him go for an MRI exam. "I'm not concerned that this is gonna be a multi-week thing," Junk said. Even without tweaking his ankle during a spring training drill on Tuesday, the 30-year-old was a long shot to win a spot in the team's Opening Day starting rotation. The former 22nd-round selection by the New York Yankees in 2017 out of Seattle University threw a career-high 110 innings in Miami last year, going 6-4 with a 4.17 ERA (3.14 FIP) and 1.14 WHIP with 77 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 21 outings (16 starts). It will be hard for Junk to repeat his miniscule 2.9% walk rate, and he'll most likely be a long-relief arm for the Marlins, limiting his fantasy upside.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
February 19, 2026
When asked about infielder
Jordan Westburg (elbow, oblique), Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias only confirmed his oblique injury on 105.7 The Fan on Thursday, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Elias said he will have something to share "very, very soon" when asked about reports of Westburg dealing with an elbow injury in addition to an oblique ailment. The Baltimore Banner's Andy Kostka reported on Thursday that Westburg recently underwent imaging on his elbow, which is why he's still not doing baseball activities in camp. The O's have not given a timetable on Westburg, and it's beginning to look like he won't be ready for Opening Day in late March. Westburg's combination of contact skills and power makes him an intriguing infield depth option in fantasy leagues, but injuries continue to be an issue.
Coby Mayo could become the everyday starter at third if Westburg is out for an extended period of time. Stay tuned.
--Keith HernandezSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
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