March 21, 2026
Detroit Tigers second baseman
Gleyber Torres (back) has been scratched from the team's lineup for its Saturday matchup against the New York Yankees due to lower-back tightness, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. While the team could just be playing it safe, it's not a great sign that Torres is dealing with an ailment this close to Opening Day. The 29-year-old logged 628 plate appearances with the Tigers in 2025, hitting .256/.358/.387 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 79 runs scored, and four stolen bases. However, Torres' production dropped off in the second half of the year, as he logged a .659 OPS in the second half while playing through an injury that required sports hernia surgery after Detroit was eliminated from the postseason. Even if Torres can avoid missing time with this back issue, his performance could be something for fantasy managers to closely monitor early in 2026. Should Torres require a stint on the Injured List,
Javier Baez and
Zach McKinstry could be the favorites to cover second base, and top infield prospect
Kevin McGonigle could be assured of an Opening Day roster spot.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
March 21, 2026
The Arizona Diamondbacks signed right-handed reliever
Paul Sewald to a low-cost, one-year deal this past winter. The 35-year-old posted middling results across 19 2/3 innings split between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers in 2025, pitching to a 4.58 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 20 strikeouts. However, Sewald has a history with the Diamondbacks, recording 29 saves across 62 appearances with the team in 2023 and 2024. With top Arizona relievers
Justin Martinez (elbow) and
A.J. Puk (elbow) both set to open 2026 on the Injured List, Sewald may be the favorite to begin the season as the team's primary closer. While Diamondbacks right-handers
Ryan Thompson and
Kevin Ginkel have also been mentioned as options to work the ninth inning, neither has as much closer experience as Sewald. If Sewald can pitch well enough to hold on to the job, he could be a sleeper saves candidate that is currently undervalued in fantasy drafts.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 21, 2026
Baltimore Orioles outfielder
Heston Kjerstad (hamstring) is dealing with a right-hamstring strain, manager Craig Albernaz told Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. Kjerstad injured his hamstring on Thursday and will receive imaging in Baltimore on Sunday. With outfield prospect
Dylan Beavers (quadriceps) also dealing with an injury, Baltimore's deep group of outfielders is quickly thinning out ahead of Opening Day next week. Even if the 27-year-old Kjerstad's hamstring injury isn't serious, he may be forced to open the 2026 campaign on the injured list. He hit just .195 (8-for-41) with two home runs, four RBI, four runs scored, one walk, and 11 strikeouts in 13 Grapefruit League games and might not have made the team's Opening Day roster, even if he was healthy. The former second overall pick in 2020 out of Arkansas has been a first-round bust so far, hitting .218/.284/.365 with 10 homers, 36 RBI, and an 88:18 K:BB in 106 games over his three seasons in Baltimore. Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues may be starting to lose patience.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Baltimore Sun - Jacob Calvin Meyer
March 21, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Lars Nootbaar (heel) has started his running progression this weekend as the team prepares to leave their spring training headquarters in Florida in preparation for the start of the regular season next week. Nootbaar will officially open the season on the injured list, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 28-year-old had offseason surgery on deformities in both of his heels, and there's no timetable for when he'll be ready to make his 2026 season debut. His injury has opened the door for
Nathan Church to win a spot on the Opening Day roster in St. Louis' outfield. Nootbaar, an eighth-round pick in 2018 out of USC, has teased fantasy managers with his potential, but he just has never been able to put together a full season and continues to suffer setback after injury setback. In a career-high 135 games in 2025, he disappointed with a .234/.325/.361 slash line, a career-low .686 OPS, 13 homers, 48 RBI, 68 runs, and four steals. Fantasy managers in 12-team leagues should take their chances on someone else as a bench stash.
--Keith HernandezSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
March 21, 2026
Atlanta Braves right-handed pitching prospect
Didier Fuentes has made the team's Opening Day roster at 20 years old and will be part of their bullpen, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Fuentes earned the spot by throwing nine shutout innings with no hits allowed, no walks, and 17 strikeouts in three outings in the Grapefruit League. The Colombian hurler will open in Atlanta's bullpen, but don't be surprised if he eventually makes starts for the Braves in 2026, given all the injuries to the likes of
Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow),
Hurston Waldrep (elbow),
AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow), and
Joey Wentz (knee). Per MLB Pipeline, Fuentes is the team's No. 3 prospect. He struggled in his big-league debut in 2025, allowing 20 earned runs on 23 hits (six homers) while walking six and striking out 12 in 13 innings over four starts. Fuentes has a high-90s fastball with deception, giving him plenty of swing-and-miss potential. His secondary pitches are a work in progress. Fuentes is an arm to keep an eye on in mixed leagues going into the 2026 season.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
March 21, 2026
Baltimore Orioles outfield prospect
Dylan Beavers (quadriceps) has had some tightness in his right quadriceps muscle, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. The issue has caused soreness in his knee. Beavers is feeling better on Saturday and hopes to be ready for Opening Day next week. It's the first time he has experienced this, so he's not 100% sure he'll be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season. As a precaution, the Orioles scratched the 24-year-old from the Grapefruit League lineup on Friday. If anything, the O's will exercise caution with their young outfielder, so don't be surprised if he starts on the injured list or in the minors. The former 33rd overall pick in 2022 out of Cal Berkeley made his major-league debut in 2025 and went 25-for-110 (.227) with four home runs, 14 RBI, and 16 runs scored in 137 plate appearances. Beavers has clear 20-20 potential at the next level as a regular, but the Orioles have a crowded outfield picture, and Beavers will most likely be in some sort of platoon initially.
--Keith HernandezSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
March 21, 2026
New York Mets veteran left-hander
Sean Manaea has not been included on the team's Opening Day starting rotation, according to Anthony DiComo. The Mets will roll with
Freddy Peralta,
David Peterson,
Nolan McLean,
Clay Holmes, and
Kodai Senga as their starting five to kick things off in 2026. Manaea will piggyback off one of the starters the first time through the rotation. The 34-year-old southpaw has displayed diminished velocity this spring, although Manaea has downplayed it. In his three Grapefruit League starts, Manaea has allowed four earned runs on seven hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out nine in 9 2/3 innings of work. He had a late-career resurgence in 2024 in his first year in New York with a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 184:63 K:BB in 32 starts, but injuries and inconsistency returned last year, when he went 2-4 with a career-worst 5.64 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 75:12 K:BB in only 60 2/3 frames. Without a rotation spot to begin the year, Manaea becomes more of a high-risk, low-reward late-round flier for rotation depth in fantasy drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Anthony DiComo
March 21, 2026
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora officially announced on Saturday that infielder
Marcelo Mayer will break camp as the team's starting second baseman, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. This was the expectation all along after Boston recently named
Caleb Durbin as the starting third baseman. Mayer, 23, beat out
Nick Sogard for starting duties at the keystone to open the 2026 season. The former fourth overall pick in 2021 is currently hitting .214 (6-for-28) with a homer, two RBI, four runs scored, eight walks, and eight strikeouts in 11 Grapefruit League games this spring. Mayer made his MLB debut in 2025 and appeared in 44 games, slashing .228/.272/.402 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBI, and 20 runs scored in 136 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter gets a boost as a late-round upside stash in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues with the news for his middling power and speed at a middle-infield position. As Mayer begins his first full major-league season, his ideal fantasy value comes as a developing dynasty/keeper middle-infield asset.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Ian Browne
March 21, 2026
The Pittsburgh Pirates have discussed a possible long-term contract extension with shortstop prospect
Konnor Griffin, a source told Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. Griffin is MLB Pipeline's consensus top prospect in baseball, and even though he hasn't had his 20th birthday yet, he could be the team's Opening Day starting shortstop next week. Talk has been around a deal for as long as nine years and more than $100 million, according to Mayo's source. If Griffin starts on Opening Day, he'd be the first teenager to make his MLB debut on Opening Day since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1989. Griffin is hitting just .206 (7-for-34) in 13 Grapefruit League games, but he has an .859 OPS with four homers and nine RBI, and he has impressed his teammates with his raw power and maturity. He made it look easy at three minor-league levels in 2025, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers and 65 steals. It was just the fifth 20-60 season in minor-league history. Griffin might just be one of those generational talents that don't come around too often. Even if he doesn't start the year in the majors, Griffin is going to produce for fantasy managers in all formats in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Jonathan Mayo
March 21, 2026
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Andrew Kittredge (shoulder inflammation) said that he'll open the season on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Norfolk, according to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. He'll land on the 15-day injured list, but he expects a minimum stay and should be activated as soon as he's eligible. Kittredge noted that he'll be in Baltimore for Opening Day before reporting to Norfolk. An injury-related absence of any sort is not ideal, but fans and fantasy managers should be encouraged that Kittredge's ailment isn't too serious. He'll be back in action very soon, looking to build on a 2025 campaign in which he posted a 3.06 FIP with 10.9 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9. He projects as a high-leverage setup option in Baltimore this year, pitching late in the game before the O's turn to
Ryan Helsley.
--Andersen PickardSource: Andy Kostka
March 21, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman
Gavin Lux (shoulder) is absent from Saturday's Grapefruit League contest against the Minnesota Twins. Manager Kevin Cash said that Lux's right shoulder is "cranky," but the team is monitoring his status and expects him to return to the lineup on Sunday. The 28-year-old has put together a disappointing spring, slashing just .222/.222/.278 with a 38.9% walk rate and 18 wRC+ across six games. Lux projects as the Rays' starting second baseman on Opening Day, mostly because he posted a respectable 102 wRC+ in the majors with the Reds last year. At this point, it doesn't sound like the shoulder discomfort will sideline Lux beyond the weekend, so we should expect to see him in the lineup when the Rays kick off the regular season against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
--Andersen PickardSource: Ryan Bass
March 21, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (knee) has resumed light throwing and hitting, according to the team's injury and transaction tracker on MLB.com. Suzuki is working his way back from a PCL sprain that he suffered during the World Baseball Classic. The Cubs have directed Suzuki to begin these light baseball activities to determine whether he should be placed on the injured list. At this point, it seems probable that he'll miss Opening Day, even if he ends up avoiding an IL stint. That's tough news for the Cubs, who were expecting to pencil him into the No. 4 spot in their lineup as the everyday right fielder. Once he returns to action, the 31-year-old will look to build on a 2025 campaign in which he delivered a career-high 32 home runs and 103 RBI. Despite the injury blip, Suzuki still ranks as the #27 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: MLB.com
March 21, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder
Justin Crawford has been informed that he made the Opening Day roster, according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com. Crawford is regarded as one of the premier prospects in the Phillies' farm system, and his promotion to the majors comes after he spent the entire 2025 season in Triple-A. In the minors last year, he slashed a whopping .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs, 46 stolen bases, an 11.5% walk rate, an 18.0% strikeout rate, and 135 wRC+. His stats came back down to earth against MLB-caliber pitching this spring, but he still posted a respectable .277/.320/.383 slash line in spring training. Crawford represents the long-term future of the Phillies' outfield, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him start in center field on Opening Day.
--Andersen PickardSource: Kiley McDaniel
March 21, 2026
New York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (back) is in the starting lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League contest against the Washington Nationals, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez exited early on Thursday, and he was kept out of the lineup entirely on Friday. While Mets fans and fantasy managers initially held their breath given Alvarez's injury history, it turns out that the catcher was just dealing with back tightness, and the team wasn't too worried about his status going forward. Indeed, he's already back in action after missing less than two days. Alvarez will look to pick up where he left off last year, when he slashed .256/.339/.447 with 11 home runs and 124 wRC+. He projects as the Mets' everyday catcher, batting ninth.
--Andersen PickardSource: Anthony DiComo
March 21, 2026
Boston Red Sox second baseman
Kristian Campbell has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Campbell will require some additional development in the minors before the Boston front office is comfortable recalling him to the majors. The young infielder made his MLB debut last spring after making the Opening Day roster. He got off to a hot start but then quickly settled down, posting a .223/.319/.345 slash line with a 27.4% strikeout rate and 86 wRC+ across 67 games. He spent the rest of the 2025 season in Triple-A, not only working on his swing at the plate, but also improving his defensive versatility by getting reps at first base and in left field. Campbell produced a quiet spring this year (.645 OPS and 67 wRC+), so he didn't do enough to earn an Opening Day roster spot. Instead, he'll head back to Worcester while fellow infielder
Marcelo Mayer slots in as the Red Sox' primary second baseman.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chris Cotillo
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