March 16, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (knee) will undergo an MRI exam on his injured right knee on Monday, according to Bruce Levine of the Marquee Sports Network. Suzuki is walking with an obvious limp, although manager Craig Counsell would not speculate on the exact nature of Suzuki's injury. The 31-year-old injured himself playing for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic versus Venezuela on Saturday, and now the Cubbies are just hoping he won't need an extended absence going into the start of the 2026 regular season. A stint on the injured list to begin the year would mean that
Matt Shaw and
Michael Conforto would most likely platoon in right field for the Cubs. Obviously, this makes Suzuki a pretty risky fantasy selection in upcoming drafts until we have a clear diagnosis and timetable on when he might be back. He had a career-high 32 home runs in 151 regular-season games in 2025 and also drove in a career-best 103 runs as he sold out for power at the expense of batting average (career-low .245).
--Keith HernandezSource: Marquee Sports Network - Bruce Levine
March 16, 2026
San Diego Padres right-hander
Joe Musgrove (elbow) is expected to open the 2026 regular season on the injured list, manager
Craig Stammen told Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Musgrove did not recover as well as hoped after his March 4 start against Great Britain for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and he hasn't thrown in a little more than a week in spring training. The 33-year-old veteran had Tommy John surgery in October of 2024 and didn't pitch at all for the Padres last year. He threw 60 pitches over two-plus innings against Great Britain on March 4, but he has since been shut down from throwing after his latest bullpen on March 8. The Padres have described Musgrove's issue as a "cranky" arm and noted that they expected some bumps in the road in his return to big-league action. "I don't expect to make 180, 200 innings (this season), but I expect to be able to take the ball consistently throughout the year and be productive," Musgrove said. He's become a pretty risky starting pitcher option in fantasy in 2026 and is not in RotoBaller's top-100 starting pitchers.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dennis Lin
March 16, 2026
Baltimore Orioles infielder
Jordan Westburg (elbow) is running, fielding, and swinging with his bottom hand, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. It's the extent of Westburg's progress after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured right elbow. He currently does not have a timeline for increased baseball activities. Westburg is expected to be out through April due to a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, although the 27-year-old could need surgery down the road if the rest-and-rehab route doesn't solve his issues when he tries to return to game action. We should have a better idea of his timeline once he ramps up his baseball activities, but fantasy managers should definitely expect to be without Westburg for at least the first month of the season, and possibly longer. In his absence,
Coby Mayo figures to be the primary beneficiary of playing time in Baltimore at third base, but
Blaze Alexander and
Jeremiah Jackson could also be involved.
--Keith HernandezSource: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
March 16, 2026
Los Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto (wrist) will return to game action on Tuesday, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. It could either be a minor league game or the Angels' Cactus League game against the Cubs. Regardless of which it is, it appears his return from a sprained left wrist is nearly complete, which still puts him on track to be ready for Opening Day. The former first-round draft pick is coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which he produced a .257-26-62-82-26 stat line with a .337 wOBA and 116 wRC+ in 128 games. The 25-year-old is poised for another fantasy-friendly season, currently ranking as the fifth shortstop for fantasy at RotoBaller and No. 29 overall, which is right around his current ADP.
--Jarod RuppSource: Jeff Fletcher
March 16, 2026
Cincinnati Reds second baseman
Matt McLain will bat second in the lineup this season, per manager Terry Francona. The 26-year-old is scorching hot this spring, hitting .553 (21-for-38) with six home runs, a pair of steals, and a 5:4 BB:K. The former first-rounder showed a strong blend of contact, power, and speed potential in his debut back in 2023, but missed all of 2024 with a shoulder injury and was not nearly as productive in his 2025 return to the diamond (77 wRC+). Perhaps 2026 will look more like 2023, and if so, the right-handed hitter could end up being a value in fantasy drafts. He's the ninth-ranked second baseman at RotoBaller and is ranked No. 150 overall, while his ADP is closer to pick No. 200 over the last couple of weeks. McLain will hit in front of some big bats, including
Elly De La Cruz,
Eugenio Suarez, and
Sal Stewart, adding to his fantasy appeal.
--Jarod RuppSource: Charlie Goldsmith
March 16, 2026
Baltimore Orioles second baseman
Jackson Holliday (hand) stated that he expects to take live at-bats during camp this week with the big league club, but is unsure whether or not he'll get a chance to see game action before the spring season is over. The 22-year-old is expecting to open the regular season with Triple-A Norfolk, although he does not believe his stay on the injured list will be a lengthy one. The former first-overall draft pick is recovering from hamate-bone surgery in his hand and has been making steady progress in his rehab. The left-handed slugger is looking to build on his 2025 season, which saw him produce a .242/.314/.375 slash line with 17 home runs, 17 steals, a .304 wOBA, and a 96 wRC+ in 149 games. Holliday could finish the year inside the top-12 at the second base position, but you can wait on him in drafts, going after pick No. 150 over the last two weeks.
--Jarod RuppSource: Jake Rill
March 16, 2026
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Chase Burns was removed from his start this past Friday after throwing just 24 pitches. Manager Terry Francona has stated that Burns is fully healthy despite the early hook, and although that still seems to be the case, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, the team "didn't like how Burns' arm was moving" during the outing, so they wanted to address it immediately. With just a week and a half left before the regular season gets underway, it sounds like the 23-year-old still has mechanical adjustments to make, and he may not be stretched out as much as other guys competing for rotations spots are, including
Rhett Lowder and
Brandon Williamson, so Burns could very well be ticketed for Triple-A to begin the season. The right-hander had an impressive debut in 2025 in which he posted a 4.57 ERA (2.65 FIP) and recorded 67 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings pitched, but starting the year in Triple-A would certainly dampen his fantasy outlook. For a pitcher that has been going fairly high in fantasy drafts the last couple of weeks (ADP 120 overall), managers who haven't drafted yet should take a more cautious approach and keep an eye out for any developments.
--Jarod RuppSource: C. Trent Rosecrans
March 16, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect
Konnor Griffin is one of just three non-roster position players remaining in camp with the big league club with just a week and a half left before the regular season begins. MLB's top-ranked prospect has made a solid case with his bat to crack the team's Opening Day roster, going 7-for-33 (.212) with five of his seven hits going for extra bases (one double, four home runs). Without having played a single game at Triple-A (and only 21 at Double-A), it remains to be seen whether the Pirates are ready to give the former first-round draft pick the reins at shortstop or if they think he needs to gain some additional experience at Triple-A Indianapolis. The 6-foot-3 slugger has all the tools needed to make an impact in the majors this season, it is just a matter of when that will be. With an ADP of around pick 143 in drafts since the beginning of March, fantasy managers believe it will be sooner rather than later.
--Jarod RuppSource: DK Pittsburgh Sports
March 16, 2026
Los Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto (wrist) hit some balls off a tee in camp on Monday and said he's going to take batting practice on the field later, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Neto said "he's feeling good." The 25-year-old suffered a small sprain of his left wrist on a head-first slide in Cactus League action on Saturday and expects to miss just a few days. It's something to watch with Opening Day less than two weeks away, but for now, it looks like Neto dodged a bullet and should be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season at the end of the month. The former first-rounder (13th overall) in 2022 out of Campbell University has hit .241 (7-for-29) with a homer, five RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases in 12 spring training games this year. In his first two full major-league seasons, Neto has slashed .253/.318/.458 with a .776 OPS, 49 home runs, 139 RBI, 152 runs, and 56 stolen bases in 283 games. He's RotoBaller's No. 5-ranked fantasy shortstop heading into his third full MLB season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
March 16, 2026
New York Mets right-hander
Nolan McLean will start the World Baseball Classic against either Italy or Venezuela on Tuesday for Team USA, according to Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports. In his last outing for USA in their loss to Italy last week, McLean allowed three runs in his two innings of work. Before leaving to play in the WBC, McLean had one Grapefruit League outing against the Houston Astros for the Mets and looked sharp, tossing four shutout innings with one hit allowed, one walk, and six strikeouts. The 24-year-old former third-round pick in 2023 out of Oklahoma State dominated in the minors last year on his way to making his major-league debut in New York. McLean continued to pitch well in the Show in his first eight starts (48 innings), posting a 2.06 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 57:16 K: BB. He's one of the best young arms in the game and is already ranked as a low-end No. 2 fantasy starting pitcher at RotoBaller as he heads into his first full year in the majors.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Deesha Thosar
March 16, 2026
Across 62 2/3 innings split between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays in 2025, veteran relief pitcher
Seranthony Dominguez recorded a 4-4 record with a 3.16 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 79 strikeouts, and two saves. Dominguez's performance was enough to earn him a two-year deal from the Chicago White Sox in free agency, where he is expected to be the team's primary closer. The 30-year-old is far from a perfect pitcher, as he posted an elevated 13.8% walk rate in 2025 and allowed an inflated 1.84 HR/9 as recently as 2024. However, Dominguez struck out 30.3% of the batters he faced in 2025 and should have a long runway as Chicago's primary option in the ninth inning. Dominguez also pitched well in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic this spring, allowing just three base runners and zero earned runs across four appearances. If he can keep his walk and home run rates in check, Dominguez could be an undervalued source of saves heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 16, 2026
Seattle Mariners outfielder
Julio Rodriguez had fantasy managers a bit nervous early in 2025, as he was hitting .207 with four home runs at the end of April. However, the 25-year-old returned to his elite form the rest of the way, finishing the year with a slash line of .267/.324/.474 with 32 home runs, 95 RBI, 106 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases across 710 plate appearances. Rodriguez's barrel rate dipped below 10% for the first time in his career in 2025, but he also improved his strikeout rate to a career-best 21.4%. If he can merge the best aspects of his power and contact approaches in 2026, Rodriguez could take his game even higher. Even if he simply repeats his established norms, Rodriguez is a true five-category fantasy contributor who should continue to be a max-playing time outfielder as he enters the prime years of his career. Rodriguez is worthy of a first-round selection in fantasy drafts heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 16, 2026
After recording three consecutive 30-homer, 90-RBI campaigns from 2021 through 2023, Atlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley looked to have established himself as one of the best right-handed hitters in baseball. However, the 28-year-old has battled injuries and underperformance in each of the last two seasons, bringing some question marks to his fantasy profile. Core muscle issues limited Riley to just 447 plate appearances in 2025, across which he slashed .260/.309/.428 with 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two stolen bases. His strikeout rate jumped to 28.6%, his worst mark since his rookie season in 2019. Still, Riley posted an elite 15.2% barrel rate and 50.2% hard-hit rate in 2025, and he is entering 2026 fully healthy. If he can kick the injury bug, Riley may return to the ranks of elite fantasy third basemen.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 16, 2026
Across 59 innings with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025, veteran relief pitcher
Kenley Jansen recorded a 5-4 record with a 2.59 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 57 strikeouts, and 29 saves. The 38-year-old landed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers this past winter, and looks like the favorite to open the year as the team's primary closer. While Jansen's top-line numbers remained strong in 2025, his strikeout rate dipped to a career-worst 24.4%, and he benefited from an 85.2% strand rate, well above his career average of 79.9%. In Detroit, he lands with an organization that has typically preferred to spread saves around to multiple players. Should Jansen falter, the Tigers also have a quality ninth-inning option waiting in the wings in
Will Vest, who recorded 23 saves last season. Jansen's proven track record as one of the best closers of the 21st century should give him the leg up to begin the year, but he may have a short leash if his shaky underlying metrics from 2025 start to show up in his overall results in 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 16, 2026
Boston Red Sox closer
Aroldis Chapman was utterly dominant in 2025, recording five wins, 32 saves, and 85 strikeouts across 61 1/3 innings while pitching to a 1.17 ERA and a 0.70 WHIP. Chapman has always been an excellent source of strikeouts, and he delivered with a 37.3% strikeout rate last year. The more surprising aspect of his profile was his massively improved command. After posting four consecutive seasons with a walk rate of at least 14.5%, the 38-year-old slashed his walk rate to 6.6% in 2025, by far the best mark of his 16-season MLB career. It seems likely that Chapman's walk rate will regress towards his career norm to some degree in 2026. Still, he can remain an elite fantasy closer even if he allows free passes to somewhere around 10% of the batters he faces. Barring a complete collapse in his skills in his age-38 season, Chapman should have a chance to provide high-end fantasy production for the second straight year.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
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