March 21, 2026
Baltimore Orioles third baseman
Jordan Westburg (elbow) has already been ruled out for Opening Day and is looking at an extended absence. O's general manager Mike Elias told reporters on Saturday that he expects Westburg to be sidelined into May. Westburg is currently working his way back from a partially torn UCL in his elbow. It sounds like Westburg is progressing well right now, but still has a long road ahead of him. His absence figures to mean increased playing time for
Coby Mayo at the hot corner. Also,
Blaze Alexander and
Jeremiah Jackson could see more at-bats while Westburg is sidelined. Fantasy managers holding Westburg on their IL might be waiting until sometime in May to get anything out of him.
--Andy WebbSource: Jacob Calvin Meyer
March 21, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (knee) won't be ready to play in time for Opening Day. Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed the news on Saturday that shouldn't really shock anyone. Suzuki is currently recovering from a PCL sprain in his right knee that he suffered during the World Baseball Classic. The Cubs have until Wednesday to decide if they want to place Suzuki on the 15-day injured list or carry him on the bench to begin the season. The expectation is that
Matt Shaw and
Michael Conforto will split up the time in right field until Suzuki is ready to play. Once healthy, Suzuki should be a solid fantasy contributor after blasting a career-high 32 home runs with the Cubs last season. Fantasy managers should check back in a few days for another update on Suzuki.
--Andy WebbSource: Marquee Sports Network
March 21, 2026
Seattle Mariners infielder
Colt Emerson has been reassigned to minor league camp on Saturday. It's not a huge surprise that Emerson won't make the Opening Day roster. The 20-year-old didn't have a great shot with
Cole Young playing extremely well right now. Across 18 games, Emerson slashed .268/.340/.488 with two home runs and eight RBI during his time in Spring Training. The Mariners feel that the former first-round pick still needs some time to develop in the minor leagues. He earned a promotion to Triple-A Tacoma last season, so he figures to begin the year there. It wouldn't be shocking to see Emerson playing in Seattle at some point during the 2026 season.
--Andy WebbSource: Daniel Kramer
March 21, 2026
New York Mets outfielder
Mike Tauchman (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's Spring Training contest against the Houston Astros. Tauchman exited the contest due to a left knee injury and will undergo an MRI, according to manager
Carlos Mendoza. He joined the Mets as a non-roster invitee and had a good chance at securing a spot on the 26-man roster. Now, it's unclear if Tauchman will even be available for Opening Day. If he misses time,
Carson Benge would likely open the season on the big league roster. Tauchman slashed .263/.356/.400 with nine home runs and 40 RBI in 93 games with the Chicago White Sox last season. The 35-year-old could be a platoon option for the Mets, but isn't someone worth rostering in basically any fantasy formats.
--Andy WebbSource: Mike Puma
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
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