March 28, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman
Kazuma Okamoto has been moved up to the cleanup spot in his team's lineup for Toronto's matchup on Saturday against the Athletics and left-handed starting pitcher
Jeffrey Springs. Okamoto batted seventh for the Blue Jays' opener on Friday with the A's throwing right-handed starting pitcher
Luis Severino. Okamoto performed well in his MLB debut, going two-for-three with a walk and two runs scored. The 29-year-old is expected to play a key role as the Blue Jays' everyday third baseman in 2026 after the team brought him over from Japan on a four-year, $60 million contract. Okamoto's prominent spot in the lineup against left-handers should help him rack up counting stats for fantasy managers, and could be an indicator of his potential to move up in the lineup against righties if he proves he can handle MLB pitching.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
March 28, 2026
Texas Rangers ace
Jacob deGrom (neck) has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies due to neck stiffness. Left-hander
Jacob Latz will make the start in deGrom's place. After failing to reach 100 innings pitched in four consecutive seasons from 2021 through 2024 due to multiple different arm injuries, deGrom finally put together a healthy campaign in 2025. Across 172 2/3 innings (30 starts), the 37-year-old recorded a 12-8 record with a 2.97 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 185 strikeouts. On the bright side, deGrom's current issue is not arm-related, and he may simply need to be pushed back a few days before he can make his first start of 2026. However, any injury issue for deGrom is a concern for fantasy managers, given his extensive track record of missed time in recent years. Texas wraps up its series with the Phillies on Sunday before heading to Baltimore for a three-game set with the Orioles that begins on Monday evening.
--Will BradySource: Texas Rangers PR
March 28, 2026
Washington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams is currently away from the team due to the passing of a family member, per Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal. Nationals infielder
Nasim Nunez will fill in for Abrams at shortstop for the team's game on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, with infielder
Jorbit Vivas taking Nunez's regular spot at second base. Abrams went one-for-four with two RBI in Washington's Opening Day win on Thursday against the Cubs. It's not entirely clear how long Abrams will be away from the team, but it's unlikely to be an extended absence. The Nationals wrap up their series in Chicago on Sunday before traveling to Philadelphia for a three-game series that begins on Monday night.
--Will BradySource: Nats Journal - Mark Zuckerman
March 28, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers are calling up catching prospect
Jeferson Quero from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, a source told Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtra Base. Quero, the team's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will give the Brewers more catching depth behind
William Contreras and
Gary Sanchez. The 23-year-old Venezuelan backstop will be making his big-league debut whenever he gets into a game, but right now, his path to playing time appears blocked in Milwaukee. Quero dealt with hamstring and shoulder injuries in the minors in 2025 and was limited to 250 plate appearances, hitting .255/.336/.412 with 11 home runs, 57 RBI, and 42 runs scored in 69 games on the farm. It's a questionable early-season call-up unless one of Contreras or Sanchez is currently dealing with an injury that we are unaware of. Quero is considered one of baseball's best defensive catching prospects, although he's not on MLB Pipeline's list of top-10 catching prospects overall.
--Keith HernandezSource: ElExtraBase - Daniel Alvarez-Montes
March 28, 2026
Miami Marlins right-handed closer
Pete Fairbanks was successful in his first save opportunity on Opening Day on Friday, locking down the team's 2-1 victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies. In his inning of work, Fairbanks allowed a hit and struck out one batter to pick up his first win of the 2026 season with his new squad. The 32-year-old veteran signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Fish over the winter to be their closer for this season, and if he can stay healthy, he'll have a good shot at his first career 30-save campaign in the big leagues. Fairbanks is in his eighth season in MLB and has 91 career saves with the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays. He had a 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, a career-high 27 saves, 59 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 60 1/3 innings in 2025 in his final year in Tampa. Despite being in Miami, Fairbanks should be a pretty stable fantasy closer, as he's had at least 20 saves in each of the last three seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 28, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays infielder
Andres Gimenez was the hero for the Blue Jays on Friday in their 3-2 Opening Day win over the visiting Athletics on Friday, driving home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Gimenez finished the game 2-for-3 with a two-run triple, an RBI single, and a walk out of the nine-hole. The 27-year-old, who is now playing shortstop for the Blue Jays with
Bo Bichette no longer in town, has been riding high of late, also helping Team Venezuela win the World Baseball Classic this spring. Gimenez was an All-Star back in 2022 with the Cleveland Guardians and had 70 total stolen bases from 2022 to 2024, but he's still mostly useful to Toronto for his defensive prowess up the middle. He has a .254/.317/.383 career slash line in 670 career games, and has never reached the 20-home run mark. Offensive performances like Friday night will probably be few and far between for Gimenez, but his speed can be useful in deeper leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 28, 2026
Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect
Chase DeLauter is now up to three home runs on the year after just the first two games of the season after he homered again in the team's 5-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. DeLauter, batting in the two-hole for Cleveland, went 1-for-4 on the night with a solo home run and a strikeout. In his first two games of the 2026 season, the 24-year-old left-handed slugger has gone 4-for-9 with three home runs (all solo jobs). It's been nice to see from the former 16th overall pick in 2022 out of James Madison University in his first taste of major-league pitching. He also looked good at the plate this spring, batting .459/.535/.838 with a 1.373 OPS, three homers, five doubles, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored, six walks, and four strikeouts in 14 Cactus League games. Durability has been an issue for DeLauter in the minors, but for now, fantasy managers need to swoop him up where he's available, as he's looking like a potential early favorite for American League Rookie of the Year if he can stay on the field for Cleveland.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 28, 2026
Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever
Jordan Romano is emerging as the team's primary closer with all of
Kirby Yates (knee),
Ben Joyce (shoulder), and
Robert Stephenson (elbow) on the injured list to begin the 2026 season. Romano picked up his first save of the year in Thursday's 3-0 Opening Day win over the Houston Astros, and although it wasn't a save situation, he pitched in the ninth inning for a second straight day in Friday's 6-2 victory. He had a clean inning of work to finish off the victory, striking out two batters. Romano had a rough couple of seasons the last few years, but he topped out at 95.7 mph on Friday and is looking more like the version of himself that had 36 saves in back-to-back years with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 and 2023. Veteran left-hander
Drew Pomeranz could also see some save chances for the Halos early in the year with the back end of the bullpen banged up, but for now, Romano is the arm to roster for fantasy managers in need of saves.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 28, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera (knee) will bat second and play catcher for Saturday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays. Herrera was the designated hitter for the Cardinals' regular-season opener on Thursday, but it appears that he's now healthy enough to get back into the defensive alignment. The 25-year-old is looking to build off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he slashed .284/.373/.464 with 19 home runs, 66 RBI, a 9.5% walk rate, an 18.6% strikeout rate, and 137 wRC+. He went 0-for-4 on Opening Day, but it's far too early to panic. He still has tremendous upside given his production at the plate and near-league-average defense. As it stands, he ranks #10 among catchers in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: MLB.com
March 28, 2026
Miami Marlins first baseman
Christopher Morel (oblique) has been placed on the injured list, according to Craig Mish of SportsGrid. In a corresponding move, first baseman
Deyvison De Los Santos was recalled from Triple-A. Morel has yet to make his 2026 regular-season debut, as he was scratched from the Opening Day lineup on Friday with a left oblique strain. The 26-year-old is coming off a lackluster year with the Rays in which he slashed .219/.289/.396 with an 8.2% walk rate, a 35.7% strikeout rate, and 90 wRC+ across 105 games in the majors. While Morel primarily played left field last year, he's the Marlins' projected first baseman for 2026. De Los Santos and
Liam Hicks should fill in at first base for the duration of his IL stint.
--Andersen PickardSource: Craig Mish
March 28, 2026
Houston Astros relief pitcher
Bennett Sousa (oblique) has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 oblique strain, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. He was placed on the injured list but is not expected to miss more than the minimum 15 days. Sousa was a key part of the Astros' bullpen in 2025, posting a 2.72 FIP with 10.48 K/9, 2.66 BB/9, and 0.71 HR/9 over 50.2 innings of work. He also recorded four saves. Sousa didn't pitch in a 2026 regular-season game before landing on the IL, but he did throw three innings of one-run ball in spring training. Without consistent save opportunities, Sousa isn't on the fantasy radar. Still, Astros fans will patiently await his return to the bullpen, given how well he pitched last year.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chandler Rome
March 28, 2026
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher
Jackson Jobe (elbow) is expected to play catch from 120 feet on three different occasions this upcoming week, according to Evan Petzold of Detroit Free Press. The former No. 3 pick is making decent progress as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He still has a long road ahead of him, though, as the Tigers previously said they hoped he could return in September. Jobe logged 10 starts before landing on the injured list last year. He had a 4.22 ERA, 5.18 FIP, 7.16 K/9, 4.96 BB/9, and 1.29 HR/9. This was a somewhat uninspiring stat line for the right-hander, given that he didn't rack up strikeouts, he struggled with walks, and he was unable to induce much weak contact (43.2% ground ball rate). Still, Jobe is an exciting arm with impressive velocity, so the Tigers would love to get him back just in time for the postseason.
--Andersen PickardSource: Evan Petzold
March 28, 2026
The San Diego Padres have signed veteran relief pitcher
Jose Leclerc to a minor league contract, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The 32-year-old hasn't pitched since last April, when he suffered a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery. Presumably now fully healthy, Leclerc will offer bullpen depth in the minor leagues. His veteran experience and track record make him a strong candidate for a promotion to the majors at some point this season. Across nine innings before his injury last year, the right-hander allowed six earned runs with five walks, eight strikeouts, and three home runs. He fared better over a larger sample size in 2024 with the Rangers, pitching to a 3.66 xFIP with 12.02 K/9, 4.32 BB/9, and 0.95 HR/9.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jon Heyman
March 28, 2026
The Boston Red Sox have re-signed infielder
Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) to a two-year minor league contract, according to Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com. Rodgers had been in camp with the Red Sox, but he was released this past week following shoulder surgery. Now, he's back in the organization on a new deal that will allow him to rehab in 2026 before returning as a healthy depth option in 2027. It's a low-risk move that could give the Red Sox a potential bench middle infielder next year. Rodgers hasn't been a productive hitter since 2024, which was his final year with the Rockies. However, he continues to offer a right-handed bat, veteran experience, solid glovework, and defensive versatility.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chris Hatfield
March 28, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Emmet Sheehan "had issues maintaining his stuff and command in spring," according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The right-hander saw his velocity and stuff get worse deeper into games, and the team reportedly attributed it to "some mechanical stuff he was working through." The struggle to maintain velocity and stuff didn't stop at the end of spring training, though. Rather, the issue persisted into Sheehan's 2026 regular-season debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. His fastball averaged 95.5 mph in the first inning, but that number dropped below 94.0 mph in the second and third innings, and it fell to 92.8 mph in the fourth. Sheehan still struck out six batters over 3.1 innings of work, but he was also roughed up to the tune of four runs, five hits, and two walks. The Dodgers and the right-hander will now have to continue working on fixing the mechanical issue before his next scheduled start on Friday, April 3, against the Washington Nationals.
--Andersen PickardSource: Fabian Ardaya
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