February 20, 2026
MASN Sports' Brendan Mortensen writes that Baltimore Orioles infielder
Blaze Alexander is likely to be the team's starter at second base on Opening Day, with
Jackson Holliday (hand) starting the year on the injured list after having surgery to remove the hamate bone from his hand. Mortensen mentions
Jeremiah Jackson and
Weston Wilson as other options at the keystone until Holliday returns. Once Holliday comes off the injured list, Alexander will be an option for at-bats at third base, with
Jordan Westburg (elbow) out through April due to a partially torn UCL in his right elbow. The O's acquired the 26-year-old from the Diamondbacks in a trade this offseason after he hit .230/.323/.383 with seven home runs and four steals in 74 games last season. Alexander will mostly be in a utility role in his new digs, but with more playing time coming early in the year, his fantasy stock in AL-only leagues is on the rise.
--Keith HernandezSource: MASN Sports - Brendan Mortensen
February 20, 2026
The Detroit Tigers have paused shortstop
Trey Sweeney's (shoulder) throwing activities in camp due to a right-shoulder strain, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Sweeney's injury doesn't mean he won't be ready in time for Opening Day in late March, but it definitely hurts his chances of winning a big-league roster spot out of camp. The 25-year-old has struggled to hit at the big-league level since debuting with the Tigers in 2024, slashing .202/.261/.313 with a .573 OPS, 10 home runs, 49 RBI, and a 124:33 K:BB in 445 plate appearances. He's probably fourth in the pecking order at shortstop this spring, behind prospect
Kevin McGonigle,
Javier Baez, and
Zach McKinstry. Sweeney doesn't have enough power at the plate to be a realistic fantasy option, and he looked overmatched offensively in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
February 20, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Jared Jones (elbow) is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Friday in camp and will face designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna and outfielder
Oneil Cruz, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It's a significant development since it will be the first time that Jones will face hitters since having surgery on his right elbow last May. The 24-year-old won't be an option for the Pirates' starting rotation or for fantasy managers until at least late May, but he continues to make progress in his rehab. Among all of Pittsburgh's promising young arms, it might be easy for Jones to get lost in the shuffle after his elbow injury. In his MLB debut in 2024, Jones was impressive, going 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA (4.00 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 132 strikeouts and 39 walks in 121 2/3 innings over 22 starts. Because Jones won't have a full season in 2026 and he'll likely be on a strict workload, he'll only be a late-round flier to stash in fantasy drafts, at best.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Colin Beazley
February 20, 2026
As part of a wide-ranging discussion about lineup construction with St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol on Friday, the Belleville News' Jeff Jones reports that shortstop prospect
JJ Wetherholt's name was "bandied about as an option at leadoff." It's looking more likely that Wetherholt will not only be on the team's Opening Day roster, but he could potentially be at the top of the batting order. After the offseason trades of
Nolan Arenado and
Brendan Donovan, the 23-year-old has a clear path to the second base job, with
Nolan Gorman moving to third base. MLB Pipeline's No. 5 overall prospect slashed a strong .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 109 games at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis last year. Wetherholt has never been a big power bat, but he can easily hit 15 homers in his first year in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Belleville News - Jeff Jones
February 20, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that right-handed reliever
Riley O'Brien (calf) will be shut down for the next few days, and it will take a couple of weeks for him to ramp up, according to Brian Murphy of MLB.com. O'Brien is expected to miss the upcoming World Baseball Classic for Team South Korea, but he can always be added back to the roster, depending on his recovery from what is being called a mild right-calf strain. The 31-year-old veteran still has plenty of time to get himself right before Opening Day in late March, but if he has any further setbacks, his availability could be in question. O'Brien is in the mix for saves in St. Louis in 2026 after he posted a sharp 2.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, his first six career saves, 45 K's, and 22 walks in a career-high 48 innings last year. He'll primarily be competing for save opps at the back end of the Cards' bullpen with
JoJo Romero and
Matt Svanson.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Brian Murphy
February 20, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
Chandler Simpson (hamstring) is dealing with a tight left hamstring and will not play in at least the first several Grapefruit League games in spring training, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Simpson continues to do on-field work, so it doesn't appear to be a very serious injury. Still, it's something to watch carefully for the 25-year-old, whose game is mostly based on speed. The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of the Georgia Institute of Technology made his major-league debut last year and slashed .295/.326/.345 with a .671 OPS, zero home runs, 26 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases in 441 plate appearances over 109 games. With no power and a below-average glove, there isn't a ton of room for error for the speedy Simpson. Because Simpson is mainly a stolen base contributor, he has a limited ceiling as a No. 4 fantasy outfielder.
--Keith HernandezSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
February 20, 2026
The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they agreed to a minor-league contract with free-agent catcher
Elias Diaz. The Royals expect him to join their major-league camp next week. Diaz, a former All-Star game MVP, will provide the Royals with extra catching depth going into the 2026 season behind
Salvador Perez and
Carter Jensen. The 35-year-old Venezuelan veteran backstop will most likely begin the year at Triple-A Omaha if he's still with the team. Diaz slashed .204/.270/.337 with a .607 OPS, nine home runs, 29 RBI, and 34 runs scored in 106 games with the San Diego Padres in 2025 while splitting time behind the plate with
Martin Maldonado for most of the year. His batting average and strikeout rate (26.1%) were the worst marks of his career, although he has an above-average glove on defense. Diaz is going to need some injuries to find playing time in KC.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kansas City Royals
February 20, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told Arizona Sports on Thursday that top outfield prospect
Ryan Waldschmidt is a "very talented player" and is going to determine his own timeline on when he'll help the big-league club. "He is coming. He's emerging ... he's got a lot going for him," Lovullo said. The 23-year-old, considered the No. 59 overall prospect in baseball, is in big-league camp and is competing for significant playing time in left field to begin the 2026 season with
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last September. Waldschmidt has experience at all three outfield positions .289/.419/.473 with an .892 OPS, 18 home runs, 78 RBI, 114 runs, and 29 stolen bases in 134 games at High-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo last year. Even when Gurriel is ready to return, Waldschmidt could take over everyday duties in center field in Arizona in 2026. His elite bat speed, plus wheels, and advanced plate discipline make him a name to watch in redraft fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports
February 20, 2026
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora made it clear that it's not a guarantee that infielder
Marcelo Mayer will be on the team's Opening Day roster, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Cora said Mayer "needs to earn" a job on the Opening Day roster and needs to "show some things this spring." Specifically, the skipper said Mayer "needs to be better offensively than he was in the majors last year." The 23-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2021 struggled in his first taste of the majors in 2025, hitting .228/.272/.402 with a .674 OPS, four homers, 10 RBI, and a 41:8 K:BB in 136 plate appearances. Mayer is still a good bet to be on the Opening Day roster at either second or third base, but the BoSox will make him work for it. There is a buy-low opportunity for fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues going into Mayer's first full season in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
February 20, 2026
Baltimore Orioles infielder
Jordan Westburg (elbow) has a partially torn UCL but will not have Tommy John surgery, president of baseball operations Mike Elias told Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. The Orioles will opt for platelet-rich plasma injections. Westburg will at least be out through April, and his timeline after that is to be determined. Elias added that Westburg's partial UCL tear was deemed a chronic issue, meaning it broke down over time. Baltimore is hoping that the PRP injections will have more success for a position player than a pitcher, given that there is less stress put on the UCL. The injury obviously is a pretty big hit to Westburg's fantasy value going into the 2026 season, and there's certainly a chance he's out much longer than just one month. In the meantime,
Coby Mayo is expected to slide over to third base full-time, with
Blaze Alexander also being an option at the hot corner.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Baltimore Sun - Jacob Calvin Meyer
February 20, 2026
According to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com, Arizona Diamondbacks infielder
Jordan Lawlar has looked quite comfortable in his move to center field. Peicoro noted that the early impressions are quite positive and that the former top prospect is getting "quick jumps" and is "showcasing his strong arm" in his position. With the Diamondbacks having a crowded infield due to the emergence of
Geraldo Perdomo and the trade for
Nolan Arenado, Lawlar's best chance of seeing everyday at-bats is now in the outfield. Last summer, Lawlar appeared in just 28 games with the Diamondbacks and posted a .182/.257/.288 line. However, across 91 career games at Triple-A, Lawlar has looked quite productive, posting a .328/.414/.576 line with 18 home runs and 24 stolen bases. Managers in deeper leagues should continue to monitor his progression in camp, as he could become the team's center fielder over
Alek Thomas.
--Andy SmithSource: Nick Piecoro
February 20, 2026
New York Yankees third baseman
Ryan McMahon tweaked his batting stance in the offseason to "unlock" more power. McMahon had one of the widest batting stances last season compared to other major league hitters, which likely played a role in his disappointing season. After posting a .722 OPS with a .242 AVG back in 2024, McMahon's production took a dip in 2205, as he posted a much lower .693 OPS with a .214 AVG. Additionally, the 31-year-old saw his strikeout rate climb to 32.3%, a stark jump from the 28.7% he posted back in 2024. Despite his struggles, McMahon continued to hit the ball very hard, as evidenced by his 50.5% hard-hit rate and 12.1% barrel rate. The coaching staff hopes this slight tweak to his stance helps him return to his pre-2025 level of production. McMahon is a name to watch in camp as he figures to be the team's primary third baseman and could hold some sneaky power upside batting in a favorable park for left-handed hitters.
--Andy SmithSource: Garry Phillips
February 20, 2026
Houston Astros designated hitter
Yordan Alvarez could see time in left field, given Houston's current outfield situation. Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that manager Joe Espada has noted that Alvarez will see time in left field this season, but it is still unclear how often. Alvarez has only eclipsed the 50-game mark in the outfield twice in his career and is coming off an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. While it is expected he sees most of the time at DH, given Houston's lack of answers in the outfield, the slugger could find himself on defense more than expected. Currently,
Cam Smith,
Joey Loperfido, and
Zach Cole are expected to compete for the starting corner spots, but none have shown any sustained production in the big leagues. Alvarez played in only 48 games last summer but held an elite .988 OPS from 2022 through 2024. While the 28-year-old only has utility eligibility on most platforms, this recent update suggests he may gain outfield eligibility much sooner than expected, which would significantly boost his fantasy value.
--Andy SmithSource: Chandler Rome
February 20, 2026
Colorado Rockies first base prospect
T.J. Rumfield is in competition for the team's starting first base role, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. The Rockies enter spring training without a clear answer at first base and expect to have several players competing for the role. Rumfield was shipped to the Rockies earlier this winter by the New York Yankees in exchange for right-hander
Angel Chivilli. Last summer, Rumfield spent his entire campaign with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and held his own, posting a .285/.378/.447 slash line with 31 doubles, 16 home runs, and a 108:75 K:BB. He is expected to be in the mix for the starting job alongside
Edouard Julien,
Blaine Crim, and fellow prospect
Charlie Condon. If he were to carve out a role, Rumfield may have some sleeper appeal in deeper formats playing at Coors Field.
--Andy SmithSource: Patrick Saunders
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
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