9 hours agoSan Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto (oblique) looked good during Monday's minor league spring training contest. The 24-year-old mentioned afterwards that he's excited to be healthy enough to play on Opening Day. It sounds like Soto is going to be ready despite him dealing with a mild left oblique strain that he suffered earlier in camp. He has been slowly working his way back into game shape. Soto walked three times and doubled once during Monday's contest. Fantasy managers should expect Soto to play on Opening Day, barring any setbacks.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Kevin Acee

9 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers infielder Owen Miller has made the Opening Day roster. It's a bit surprising, but Miller did play well this spring. He'll serve in a versatile super-utility role for the Brewers. Miller slashed 243/.301/.351 with six home runs, 51 RBI last season with the Cleveland Guardians. He beat out outfielder Joey Wiemer for a roster spot after he hit .262 with two homers and three steals this spring. Although, it shouldn't be long before we see Wiemer on the big league roster. Miller is going to need to perform right away or these young prospects could be taking his roster spot. Fantasy managers shouldn't bother looking at Miller as an everyday option to begin the season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Adam McCalvy

9 hours agoNew York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is likely to bat ninth on Opening Day, according to manager Aaron Boone. The 21-year-old came into camp as a longshot and officially won the starting shortstop spot over the weekend. Volpe is well deserving of the spot after hitting .314 with three homers, five RBI and five stolen bases this spring. He has a chance to be an almost immediate five-category contributor. However, there could be a bit of an adjustment period at first considering Volpe has only played in 22 games above Double-A. Although, it shouldn't take too long before Volpe is making a significant impact in New York.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Bryan Hoch

9 hours agoCincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (shoulder) confirmed that he will begin the season on the injured list. The 39-year-old continues to work his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. Votto will head to Triple-A to finish his rehab until he feels ready to rejoin the big league roster. The left-handed slugger was able to play in eight games this spring, so hopefully he won't need much more time. The hope is that Votto will be back with the team in mid-April. The expectation is that Wil Myers will likely get a majority of the reps at first base until Votto is back.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Joe Danneman

10 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells is likely to make the Opening Day roster. The current reports are that the O's are planning to option top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez to Triple-A to begin the season. That means, Kyle Bradish and Wells are the two most likely candidates to make the roster. Wells appears to be the better option of the two after making 23 starts for the Orioles last season. He posted a 4.25 ERA (4.52 FIP), a 1.14 WHIP, 76 strikeouts and 28 walks in 103 2/3 innings. Possibly, Wells has some deep league value, but he isn't exactly a consistent option.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com

10 hours agoBaltimore Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez is expected to head to Triple-A to begin the 2023 season. The 23-year-old is one of the top pitching prospects in the league, but the team feels like he needs a little more time in the minors. That could be true considering Rodriguez allowed 15 runs (12 earned) on 17 hits with a 19/7 K/BB ratio across 15 1/3 innings this spring. It shouldn't be too long before Rodriguez makes his way into the O's rotation. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Rodriguez in case he does get called up early this season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Andy Kostka

1 day agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder Mitch Haniger (oblique) will start the season on the 10-day injured list due to a Grade 1 oblique strain that he sustained in March. The 32-year-old was signed to a three-year, $43.5 million deal over the offseason to bolster the Giants' outfield squad. Haniger was initially hoping to be ready by Opening Day, but his injury was worse than expected, which will cause him to miss the beginning of the season. In 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, the California native shelved a .246 clip along with 11 homers and a .736 OPS. He also posted a 26.3% strikeout rate along with a 113 wRC+. Once he is reinstated, the Giants are hoping to reinvigorate the success that Haniger had in his 39-homer season back in 2019.--Rephael Negnewitzky - RotoBallerSource: Danny Emerman

1 day agoOakland Athletics reliever Kirby Snead (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Snead had been dealing with some arm issues before he was termed with a strain in his left shoulder. The 28-year-old will likely miss the first two months of the season, which already depletes a lackluster A's bullpen. Snead showed some potential as an above-average reliever in his rookie 2021 campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he posted a 2.35 ERA (4.61 FIP) with seven strikeouts across seven appearances. Once he migrated west to Oakland, Snead completely derailed and composed a horrid 5.84 ERA this past season. Once the southpaw returns, he will likely serve as depth in the back of the A's bullpen.--Rephael Negnewitzky - RotoBallerSource: Oakland A's

1 day agoAfter getting hit in the wrist by a pitch on Sunday's Grapefruit League exhibition against the Braves, Boston Red Sox center fielder Enrique Hernandez (wrist) is expected to return to Monday's lineup. Hernandez was forced to leave Sunday's game but no further damage was found aside from the contusion in his wrist. The center fielder has been flailing in spring training as displayed by his .336 OPS. He's only made 25 plate appearances so far in spring, but his offensive gestures haven't shown much improvement from last year's .629 OPS. While he played in just 93 games last season due to a hip flexor injury, the Red Sox are hoping that he will contribute more from an offensive standpoint in 2023.--Rephael Negnewitzky - RotoBallerSource: Julian McWilliams

1 day agoPittsburgh Pirates top prospect Termarr Johnson aggravated his hamstring during infield work in late February. The initial return timetable projects him to be out for at least six weeks and positions him to miss the start of the minor-league season. The 18-year-old 2022 fourth overall pick still has a long road to the majors but will undoubtedly be a name to track. Johnson already ranks 26th on MLB Pipeline's 2023 prospect rankings. Equipped with 70-grade hitting and 60-grade power, Johnson should ascend the minor-league ranks faster than the average high school draft pick.--Kevin Hickey - RotoBallerSource: Post-Gazette Sports - Jason Mackey

1 day agoOakland Athletics top prospect Tyler Soderstrom has raked his way to an .824 OPS across 34 Cactus League at-bats. The No. 39 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, Soderstrom's offense is already considered MLB-ready. Defensively, manager Mark Kotsay says the catcher's growth has been noteworthy. It remains to be seen whether Soderstrom will stick behind home plate or pivot to first base, where he saw most of his playing time in 2022. In any event, it's safe to expect the 21-year-old to arrive in the majors sometime in 2023.--Kevin Hickey - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Martin Gallegos

1 day agoAfter an injury-plagued 2022 campaign, New York Yankees utility infielder DJ LeMahieu was named the Opening Day leadoff man. After succumbing to a foot fracture midway through the season, LeMahieu struggled to stay healthy and never fully recovered from his foot injury. It caused him to miss a chunk of the second half, in which he received several cortisone shots in his foot. LeMahieu's presence was mostly missed in the Yankees' postseason run, in which the 34-year-old was forced to sit out due to his lingering foot injury. LeMahieu is now completely healthy for the 2023 season and the Yankees are expecting his bat to contribute heavily as he has done in recent years. In 2022, the California native slashed .261/.357/.377 with 12 HRs and 111 OPS+.--Rephael Negnewitzky - RotoBallerSource: Talkin' Yanks

1 day agoBaltimore Orioles third base prospect Coby Mayo was re-assigned to minor-league camp following an 18-at-bat stint in the Grapefruit League. The 21-year-old managed five hits and a .777 OPS in his first look at the top level. Last season, Mayo flashed his 60-grade power, accruing 19 home runs and a .456 slugging percentage across 104 games at three different minor-league levels. He enters 2023 as a top-10 prospect in the Orioles robust farm system. Mayo is unlikely to reach the majors this season, but continued strides will put him on track to join the MLB roster before long.--Kevin Hickey - RotoBallerSource: The Baltimore Sun - Nathan Ruiz

1 day agoNew York Yankees top prospect Oswald Peraza was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. After a tense battle in spring training to decipher the Yankees' Opening Day shortstop, young phenom Anthony Volpe came on top, which ensued the demotion of Peraza. The 22-year-old Venezuelan scuffled at the plate throughout spring training as exhibited in his .644 OPS, but his glove kept him in contention with Volpe for the starting role. Ultimately, Peraza will stick around at Triple-A for further development, but will certainly see quality reps at some point in the big leagues. In 2022 with the Yankees, Peraza slashed .306/.404/.429 with one homer and a .832 OPS through 57 plate appearances.--Rephael Negnewitzky - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees

1 day agoPhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm will begin the season as the fifth starter, according to manager Rob Thompson. It was reported earlier in the spring that Strahm was going to be a multi-inning reliever this season. However, the injury to Ranger Suarez (forearm) has changed the Phillies plans for Strahm. He's expected to throw around 65-70 pitches during his first outing as a starter. The expectation is that Strahm will head back to the bullpen once Suarez is back. It's unlikely that Strahm pitches deep into games considering he's not stretched out to start. He'll be a risky streaming option in his first start against the New York Yankees.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Alex Coffey