March 21, 2026
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Keegan Akin (thigh) injured his adductor while warming up in the bullpen during Saturday's Grapefruit League contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Manager Craig Albernaz said that he doesn't know the severity of the injury, and the team wanted to be cautious. At this point, it's unclear whether the injury will threaten his spot on the Orioles' 26-man roster to open the season. The left-hander is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he posted a 3.41 ERA across 64 appearances. Compared to his 4.94 FIP, the ERA indicates that Akin may have been somewhat lucky. He'll presumably work to improve his results on the mound after surrendering 4.69 BB/9 and 1.42 HR/9 last year.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jake Rill
March 21, 2026
Detroit Tigers second baseman
Gleyber Torres (back) "will be good to go" for Monday's Grapefruit League contest against the Colorado Rockies, according to Rogelio Castillo of Tigers ML Report. Torres had been scratched from the Tigers' lineup on Saturday due to lower back tightness, but it sounds like the injury isn't serious and won't require him to miss any additional time. All in all, this bodes well for Torres' availability on Opening Day against the San Diego Padres. He has been a productive hitter for the entirety of his MLB career, including 2025, when he slashed .256/.358/.387 with 16 homers, a 13.5% walk rate, a 16.1% strikeout rate, and 113 wRC+. In addition to being the Tigers' starting second baseman, Torres projects as the club's No. 2 hitter this year.
--Andersen PickardSource: Rogelli Castillo
March 21, 2026
Washington Nationals starting pitcher
Cade Cavalli concluded a terrific stretch of spring training games on Saturday. Cavalli tossed five shutout innings with three hits, zero walks, and one strikeout against the New York Mets. His final Grapefruit League stat line includes four starts, 14 innings, one run, zero earned runs, four hits, two hit batters, one walk, and nine strikeouts. Outside of the low strikeout rate, it was a phenomenal spring for Cavalli, who will start for the Nats on Opening Day after
MacKenzie Gore was traded away. In his first real taste of MLB action last year, Cavalli made 10 starts with a 3.93 xFIP, 7.44 K/9, 2.77 BB/9, and a 54.8% ground ball rate. He ranks #77 among starting pitchers in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
March 21, 2026
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Mike Burrows (calf) exited Saturday's Grapefruit League contest after a ground ball deflected off his lower left leg. Burrows told Chandler Rome of The Athletic that the ball hit his left calf, and he will be fine. It sounds like Burrows exited the game as a precaution, and the decision was made easier by the fact that he had already thrown 77 pitches. The right-hander remains in line to break camp as a key piece of the Astros' starting rotation. He is currently projected as the club's No. 4 starter, putting him on track to make his season debut Sunday, March 29, against the Los Angeles Angels. Burrows is coming off a solid 2025 campaign in which he went 2-4 with a 3.86 xFIP, 9.09 K/9, and 2.91 BB/9 across 23 outings (19 starts).
--Andersen PickardSource: Chandler Rome
March 21, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Emmet Sheehan has been informed that he made the Opening Day rotation, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. This does not come as much of a surprise, as Sheehan started 12 of his 15 appearances last season and also made two starts this spring. He was highly effective over his 15 outings last year, posting a 2.93 FIP with 10.92 K/9 and 2.70 BB/9. Ardaya notes that Sheehan's exact spot in the rotation hasn't been confirmed, but we would project him in the No. 4 role ahead of
Roki Sasaki. If so, that role would be temporary, as he'd presumably fall back a slot when
Blake Snell (shoulder) returns to action. We wouldn't be surprised to see the Dodgers roll out a six-man rotation once that happens.
--Andersen PickardSource: Fabian Ardaya
March 21, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Merrill Kelly (back) will open the season on the 15-day injured list, manager Torey Lovullo told Alex D'Agostino of Diamondbacks on SI. The move was widely expected, but now confirmed by the Snakes' skipper as he announced the team's Opening Day rotation. Kelly entered camp as the Diamondbacks' projected No. 1 starter before dealing with the back issue. Now, he'll open the year on the IL. Lovullo didn't offer a timetable for his return, but the starter could pitch in a game as soon as April 7, if the team chooses to backdate his IL placement. Missing only 12 days would be a decent outcome for Kelly, who is looking to build on an impressive 2025 campaign that included a 3.76 FIP, 8.17 K/9, and 2.35 BB/9.
--Andersen PickardSource: Alex D’Agostino
March 21, 2026
The Pittsburgh Pirates have assigned top infield prospect
Konnor Griffin to minor league camp earlier on Saturday. The top prospect in the sport was in serious consideration to crack the Opening Day roster but will instead begin his 2026 campaign in the minor leagues. Even though he has yet to take a Triple-A at-bat, Griffin held his own in camp and was nearly named the team's Opening Day shortstop. Across 16 spring training games, the former first-round pick held a modest .173 AVG but hit four long balls with one stolen base. Last summer, Griffin made his professional debut and held an elite .333/.415/.527 line with 21 home runs and an eye-catching 65 stolen bases across 122 contests split between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. Fantasy managers should expect Griffin to potentially begin the regular season with Triple-A and may only need a brief taste before reaching the Steel City. He is a top stash candidate in all formats ahead of Opening Day.
--Andy SmithSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
March 21, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Braxton Ashcraft put up quality numbers across 26 games (eight starts) in his first taste of the big leagues in 2025, posting a 4-4 record with a 2.71 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 71 strikeouts across 69 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old appears to be locked into a full-time rotation role heading into 2026, and he could be on the verge of a breakout campaign. Across 13 1/3 innings this spring, Ashcraft has recorded 16 strikeouts while allowing just one walk. He also did a nice job limiting hard contact in his MLB appearances in 2025, allowing just a 38.5% hard-hit rate and posting a 0.39 HR/9. For fantasy managers searching the late rounds of drafts for starting pitchers with upside, Ashcraft could be a name to target.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 21, 2026
Atlanta Braves pitching prospect
Didier Fuentes has made the team's Opening Day roster as a member of the bullpen. The 21-year-old was dominant in Grapefruit League action, recording nine shutout innings with 17 strikeouts, zero walks, and zero hits. While Fuentes will open the year in the bullpen, all 13 of his minor league appearances in 2025 came as a starter. The Braves are already thin in the rotation as they deal with injuries to key starters such as
Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and
Hurston Waldrep (elbow). If Atlanta faces further injury or underperformance from any of its current starters, it would not be a surprise to see Fuentes stretched out for a return to the rotation. Depending on league size and format, fantasy managers may want to consider stashing Fuentes through the early portion of the season in case he earns a quick promotion from middle relief to the starting rotation.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 21, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles optioned starting pitcher
Dean Kremer to minor league camp on Saturday, per Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Kremer's demotion comes as a bit of a surprise, as the 30-year-old has made 106 starts over the past four seasons for Baltimore and was expected to open 2026 at the back end of the team's rotation. However, veteran right-hander
Zach Eflin has turned heads with his performance in Spring Training and may have bumped Kremer off the roster. Across 171 2/3 innings (29 starts) in 2025, Kremer recorded an 11-10 record with a 4.19 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 142 strikeouts. Given his experience and track record of reasonable effectiveness, Kremer will almost certainly get another shot in the big leagues at some point this season. However, his fantasy value is built on his ability to eat innings, so his stock is obviously following this news.
--Will BradySource: BaltimoreBaseball.com - Rich Dubroff
March 21, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect
Konnor Griffin survived the team's latest round of cuts from its MLB roster, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. With less than a week remaining before the team's opener on Thursday against the New York Mets, Griffin breaking camp with the big-league club is starting to look more and more likely. The 19-year-old is widely considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and he dominated minor league pitching to a .333/.415/.527 slash line with 21 home runs, 94 RBI, 117 runs scored, and 65 stolen bases across 563 plate appearances in 2025. However, Griffin did not reach Triple-A and has just 98 Double-A plate appearances to his name. If he opens 2026 as the starting shortstop in Pittsburgh, he'll likely experience some early-season growing pains as he adjusts to big-league pitching. Still, Griffin carries sky-high upside with the potential to deliver five-category production for fantasy managers as soon as this season.
--Will BradySource: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Colin Beazley
March 21, 2026
Cleveland Guardians left-hander
Logan Allen was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Allen lost out on a job battle for the final spot in the Cleveland rotation to Guardians prospect
Parker Messick. The 27-year-old Allen threw 156 2/3 innings (29 starts) for the Guardians in 2025, posting an 8-11 record with a 4.25 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts. Allen has made 73 starts over the past three seasons for Cleveland, so he represents trusted pitching depth who will likely be the first option to rejoin the rotation if one of the Guardians current starters goes down with an injury. However, Allen owns an uninspiring 19.5% strikeout rate and an inflated 1.44 WHIP across 379 1/3 career big-league innings. Even if he eventually makes it back to Cleveland this season, his fantasy appeal is limited.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Zack Meisel
March 21, 2026
Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect
Parker Messick will open the season with the big-league club and in the starting rotation, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Messick made his MLB debut in 2025 and pitched well in a seven-start sample, recording a 3-1 record with a 2.72 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts across 39 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old lefty logged just a 23% strikeout rate in his first taste of the big leagues, but he logged a significantly more impressive 29.1% strikeout rate across 98 2/3 innings at Triple-A in 2025. Now that he officially has a rotation spot in Cleveland locked down, Messick has late-round sleeper appeal and could shoot up draft boards in the final few days before the start of the 2026 season.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Zack Meisel
March 21, 2026
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Grant Holmes had his 2025 season cut short after he suffered a partially torn UCL in his elbow in late July. However, the 29-year-old opted against surgery and is reportedly fully healthy and ready to go heading into 2026. Before getting injured last season, Holmes pitched to a 4-9 record with a 3.99 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 123 strikeouts across 115 innings (21 starts). Command was an issue for the right-hander, as he logged an inflated 11% walk rate. However, Holmes showed an ability to miss bats with a 25% strikeout rate, and he's logged 16 strikeouts across 12 1/3 innings so far this spring. With Braves starters
Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and
Hurston Waldrep (elbow) both going down in Spring Training with elbow injuries, Holmes should be locked into a spot in the Atlanta rotation. Holmes carries significant injury risk himself, but he could be a quality late-round source of strikeouts for fantasy managers to target in drafts heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 21, 2026
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that shortstop
Jeremy Pena (finger) will swing a bat for the second straight day on Saturday, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Pena's status for Opening Day remains up in the air as he works his way back from a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger. However, it appears as though the 28-year-old is progressing well and may not be far off from returning to game action, even if he is not on the field for Houston's opener against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Pena is coming off an excellent 2025 season in which he hit .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 62 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across 543 plate appearances. Once healthy, he will be locked into an everyday role at the top of the Astros' lineup. Should Pena miss time, Houston would likely shift third baseman
Carlos Correa over to his natural position at short and insert veteran infielder Issac Paredes into an everyday role at third base.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
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