March 17, 2026
New York Mets outfield prospect
Carson Benge remains on track to make the team's Opening Day roster. The Mets optioned outfielder
MJ Melendez to Triple-A on Tuesday, clearing away some of Benge's competition for the role of right fielder. The Mets' top offensive prospect has continued to put together a strong spring, now 13-for-32 (.406) with a 3:5 BB:K while adding one stolen base. The former first-rounder produced a .281-15-73-87-22 line in 116 games across three levels of the minor leagues last year, and although he might have initially appeared ticketed to start 2026 with Triple-A, the departure of
Brandon Nimmo and
Juan Soto's move to left field opened a hole in right field. With just over a week before the regular season begins, the 23-year-old is in the driver's seat for the job, and with a solid power/speed combo, the left-handed slugger is worth a look at the end of drafts, currently with an ADP of 345 overall since the beginning of March.
--Jarod RuppSource: Mike Puma
March 17, 2026
Los Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto (wrist) did some defensive drills, hit off a tee, and then took batting practice on the field in camp on Monday with no apparent issues, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Neto was planning to return to a minor-league game on the back fields on Tuesday, but the Angels have decided to have him wait a day. Instead, Neto is expected to play in a big-league game on Wednesday. It looked like Neto suffered a serious left-wrist injury on a head-first slide in a Cactus League game on Saturday, but he appears to have dodged a bullet and should be ready for Opening Day at the end of the month, barring a setback once he returns to game action. The 25-year-old is one of the rising stars at the shortstop position and is ranked by RotoBaller as the No. 5 fantasy shortstop after he clubbed a career-high 26 home runs and drove in 62 runs with 26 stolen bases in 554 plate appearances in 2025 in his second full season in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
March 17, 2026
Updated a previous report, the timeline for New York Yankees right-hander
Gerrit Cole (elbow) has not changed, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. It was reported on Tuesday that Cole will make his Grapefruit League debut on Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox and throw one inning. It will be the 35-year-old veteran's first time pitching in a game since he had Tommy John surgery with an internal brace last March. Cole is the Yankees' ace when healthy, but he didn't pitch at all last season, making him more of a question mark for fantasy managers in 2026. He will start the regular season on the 60-day injured list, meaning he won't make his season debut in pinstripes until late May or early June. The six-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner might not return to his pre-injury form until 2027, so fantasy managers must practice patience with him in 2026 if they stash him. RotoBaller has Cole ranked as the No. 65 fantasy starting pitcher this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
March 17, 2026
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he'd be comfortable having third baseman
Ryan McMahon play shortstop if today were a regular-season game, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. McMahon will open the 2026 season as the team's regular third baseman, but apparently, the 31-year-old veteran will also operate as the backup shortstop behind
Jose Caballeros with regular shortstop
Anthony Volpe (shoulder) starting the year on the injured list. McMahon, a first-time All-Star in 2024, was traded from the Colorado Rockies to the Yankees in 2025, but he struggled all around at the plate last season. Overall, he slashed .214/.312/.381 with a .693 OPS, and he hit .208/.308/.333 with a .641 OPS, four home runs, 18 RBI, 21 walks, and 62 strikeouts in 54 games (185 plate appearances) in the regular season in the Bronx. McMahon's stock is obviously down after his poor 2025 performance, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 37 fantasy third baseman. If the mechanical changes he made in the offseason work out, McMahon will be an excellent late-round value pick in deeper fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
March 17, 2026
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he's unsure if left-hander
Carlos Rodon (elbow) will get into a Grapefruit League game before spring training ends, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Rodon will throw another live batting practice session in camp this week. "I expect him back at some point in April," Boone said. The veteran 33-year-old southpaw threw 30 pitches in a simulated game over the weekend and is getting closer as he recovers from offseason surgery to remove a bone spur in his left elbow, but he will begin the 2026 regular season on the injured list for the Yankees. Barring a setback as he continues to ramp up, though, Rodon might not even miss a full month. Rodon is a bit riskier for fantasy managers coming off elbow surgery, but his stock is rising this spring with positive rehab reports. Durability is a concern for the three-time All-Star, but he has made 30-plus starts in three of the last four seasons and is a top-of-the-rotation arm for the Yanks when he's healthy. At a lower price, Rodon is absolutely worth stashing in all redraft formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
March 17, 2026
Seattle Mariners shortstop
J.P. Crawford (shoulder) is currently visiting Dr. Keith Meister in Texas to "make sure they are on track," according to Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com. General manager Justin Hollander said that Crawford's imaging was good, and the team's concern level is "very low" at this point. The veteran infielder has been out of the lineup since last Wednesday, but it doesn't sound like the injury is cause for too much alarm. It remains to be seen whether he'll be healthy enough to play on Opening Day, though. After a frustrating 2024 campaign, Crawford bounced back with an above-average 2025 season at the plate. Across 157 games, he slashed .265/.352/.370 with 12 home runs, an 11.3% walk rate, an 18.7% strikeout rate, and 113 wRC+. He's not a major power or base-stealing threat, but he puts the ball in play while delivering reliable infield defense. As it stands, the 31-year-old ranks #41 among RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Shannon Drayer
March 17, 2026
The New York Mets have optioned outfielder
MJ Melendez and right-handed pitcher
Christian Scott to Triple-A, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post. Melendez was in Mets camp on a split contract, and it appears that he did not make the Opening Day roster. Always a below-average hitter, Melendez is coming off a particularly ugly year with the Royals in which he slashed .083/.154/.167 with -14 wRC+, a 4.6% walk rate, and a 35.4% strikeout rate across 23 games in the majors. He was 4-for-11 with a pair of homers this spring. While encouraging, that stat line came over a small sample size, and the Mets aren't going to find a spot for him in the majors yet. Meanwhile, Scott is also back in the minors after missing all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery. He last pitched in 2024, when he split time between Triple-A and the majors. In the bigs that year, he posted a respectable 4.60 FIP with 7.42 K/9 and 2.28 BB/9. After surrendering three runs and four walks over six innings this spring, though, the Mets have decided that he needs a little more time in the minors before re-joining the big-league pitching staff.
--Andersen PickardSource: Mike Puma
March 17, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop
Konnor Griffin was not listed among the team's latest batch of roster cuts on Tuesday. As the Pirates inch closer to trimming their Opening Day roster to 26 players, it appears that Griffin remains in the mix for a spot. It would be a remarkable story if he ends up making the team, as he's just 19 years old and was drafted out of high school less than two years ago. Griffin tore up the minors to the tune of a .333/.415/.527 slash line last year, and he also added 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases. He plays terrific defense at shortstop with some additional pro experience in center field. His slash line has dropped to .206/.270/.588 against big-league pitching this spring, but he has still jolted four homers with an above-average 110 wRC+. Media projections have been torn on whether Griffin will break camp with the major league squad, but the fact that he survived Tuesday's cuts is another step in the right direction. As it stands, the Pirates have 13 more cuts to make within the next nine days. Even if Griffin doesn't make the Opening Day roster, he'll start the year in Triple-A and should mount a pretty quick push to make his MLB debut.
--Andersen PickardSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
March 17, 2026
Detroit Tigers right-handed pitcher
Beau Brieske (groin) has been diagnosed with a groin strain and will open the regular season on the injured list, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. Brieske hasn't pitched since Friday, when he tossed one scoreless inning in a spring training contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, he'll be sidelined through at least the first week of April as he recovers from a groin strain. It's an unfortunate but perhaps minor setback for Brieske, who is looking to bounce back from a career-worst campaign in 2025. Across 22 innings last year, he posted a 6.27 FIP with 6.55 K/9 and 4.91 BB/9. With his injury, Detroit's projected Opening Day bullpen is now down to five righties.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chris McCosky
March 17, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera (knee) will catch a bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's Grapefruit League contest against the Houston Astros, according to Lynn Worthy of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He's expected to get three innings behind the plate in his return to game action. Herrera hasn't played since March 6, when he injured his knee. He previously noted that he's not sure how the injury occurred. Fortunately, the issue wasn't too severe, and Herrera will now get back into the lineup less than two weeks later. He 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+. As it stands, Herrera ranks as the #10 catcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Lynn Worthy
March 17, 2026
New York Yankees starting pitcher
Gerrit Cole (elbow) will throw an inning during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post. Cole is expected to start the contest, marking his first taste of in-game action in more than a year. The ace underwent Tommy John surgery last year and will look to get back to his pre-injury form. Across 17 starts in 2024, he went 8-5 with a 3.69 FIP, 9.38 K/9, 2.75 BB/9, and 38.7% ground ball rate. The Yankees have previously said that Cole will return in late May or early June, but this latest development could imply that he's slightly ahead of schedule. With that said, the organization certainly won't rush him back, especially this early in the season. Cole is joined on the injured list by
Carlos Rodon (elbow), leaving
Cam Schlittler,
Will Warren, and
Ryan Weathers as mid-rotation options behind ace
Max Fried to open the year.
--Andersen PickardSource: Joel Sherman
March 17, 2026
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher
Kris Bubic is back at full strength after having his potential breakout season cut short last year, and he can be a solid mid-round value to add depth to your pitching staff. Last year, the 28-year-old lefty posted a 2.55 ERA, 2.89 FIP, and 2.97 K/BB ratio in 116.1 innings but was shut down in July with a shoulder injury. Bubic wasn't a hard thrower before the injury, but his velocity has returned to around 92 mph with his fastball, which is more effective due to movement than raw speed. Even though he doesn't normally overpower hitters, he did have a strong strikeout rate last season, giving him a nice ceiling in his return this year. He has allowed just one run with 10 strikeouts in his eight spring training innings, and if you can grab him to add depth to your rotation, he is set up to be a solid contributor again this season. He's RotoBaller's No. 57 SP coming into the season, so don't reach for him as an elite arm, but he can be a solid mid-rotation addition with good returns after seemingly making a full recovery.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman
Jonathan Aranda got plenty of hype as a top prospect, and although it took longer than some people expected, he put together a breakout season last year. The 27-year-old hit an impressive .316 with 14 homers and a .381 wOBA in 106 games last year. He missed time with a fractured wrist, but returned before the end of the season and looked strong in the World Baseball Classic for Mexico. After an All-Star season last year, Aranda is still flying a little under the radar as the No. 21 first baseman in RotoBaller's rankings, but he brings excellent upside as the Rays' top left-handed power option after the departure of
Brandon Lowe this offseason. Aranda should hit in the heart of the order, and if he stays healthy, could emerge as a top value play at the position after the elite options are off the board. His power production may not match the elite options, but he is definitely someone to target in the middle rounds if you need depth at the position or missed out on the big boppers at first base.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
New York Mets outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. will be in a very different environment this year as he adjusts to playing for the Mets instead of the White Sox. Robert has flashed a very high ceiling and has elite raw talent, but has struggled with injuries and consistency throughout the last few seasons. 2025 was a down year for the 28-year-old, who hit .223 with 14 homers and 33 stolen bases in 110 games. His totals were very similar to his 2024 numbers but a big dropoff from his 2023 stats, when he hit .264 with 38 homers and a .358 wOBA in a career-high 145 games. He has elite power and speed upside as he joins the Mets, but he needs to cut down on his strikeouts and improve his average to be a top outfield option. The Mets have brought him along very slowly this spring, and he is 3-for-7 (.429) in his very limited playing time. If he slots into a good spot in the order on a regular basis, he will have a very high ceiling, but he'll need to improve against righties, or he could slip into a platoon. He's a boom-or-bust play with lots of upside, and he makes sense as a middle-round outfielder. He's currently ranked as RotoBaller's No. 26 outfielder, making him a nice third outfielder in most standard-sized mixed leagues.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander
Cody Ponce has worked eight innings in four spring training games for the Blue Jays, allowing just one run on six hits with four strikeouts. With
Jose Berrios (elbow) dealing with an injury issue, Ponce's spot in the Blue Jays rotation is even more secure heading into the season. The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Toronto in December after earning MVP honors in the KBO in Korea last year while pitching for the Hanwha Eagles. Ponce put together an impressive 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 252 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings pitched. Before heading overseas, the righty had just a 5.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 5.47 FIP in 20 appearances with the Pirates. He seems to be ready to readjust to the MLB, and even though his strikeout numbers may not translate, he has been effective in his spring training innings so far. He's a very intriguing option with good upside in mixed leagues, and he is currently the No. 72 SP in Rotoballer's rankings.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
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