March 15, 2026
Miami Marlins infield prospect
Maximo Acosta (oblique) has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left oblique strain and will miss three to four weeks, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Acosta is a former international prospect who ranked #25 among Marlins prospects in FanGraphs' mid-2025 farm system report. He ended up making his MLB debut before the end of the season, slashing .204/.295/.389 with three home runs, a 9.8% walk rate, a 27.9% strikeout rate, and 91 wRC+ across 19 games. The results at the plate weren't great by any means, but they also weren't necessarily uncharacteristic for a glove-first rookie who was called up midseason. Of course, any chance that Acosta had of making the 2026 Opening Day roster is now down the drain due to his oblique injury. He'll open the year on the injured list, and it'll be tougher for the Marlins to justify sending him right back to the majors when he's healthy.
--Andersen PickardSource: Christina De Nicola
March 15, 2026
Los Angeles Angels infielder
Adam Frazier appears to be the favorite to start at second base on Opening Day, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Fletcher wrote that Frazier is "probably the leader" in the mix for the job after
Christian Moore and
Kyren Paris were optioned to Triple-A. Other names in the hunt include
Oswald Peraza,
Nick Madrigal, and Vaughn Grisson. However, Frazier is the leader in the pack amid an impressive spring in which he's slashing .368/.478/.474 with a 8.7% walk rate, a 13.0% strikeout rate, and 159 wRC+. It's a significant accomplishment for the veteran infielder, who originally faced an uphill battle to even make the team after attending camp as a non-roster invite. Now, he's in line to start on Opening Day and will need to be added to both the 26-man and 40-man rosters in the next two weeks. Despite Frazier's newfound starting role, he's not a reliable option in fantasy baseball leagues.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jeff Fletcher
March 15, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman
Pavin Smith (forearm) was scratched from Friday's lineup with left forearm tightness. Manager Torey Lovullo said that Smith will be shut down for a couple of days, but he won't require any imaging, and he should return to the lineup by Wednesday. The 30-year-old is looking to take on a bigger role in 2026 after he posted a solid .258/.362/.434 slash line with 123 wRC+ last year. Unfortunately, his defense is significantly below average, so he's essentially cornered into playing designated hitter and earning some first base reps when
Carlos Santana isn't in the lineup. Specifically, we expect Smith to start against right-handed pitchers, while he sits out most games against southpaws. Since he could be headed for fewer than 100 games once again this year, he ranks all the way down at #56 among first basemen in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.
--Andersen PickardSource: Bailey Leasure
March 15, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander
Hunter Dobbins (knee) will start the 2026 season on the injured list, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Dobbins threw five solid innings on the back fields in camp on Saturday, but he's recovering from ACL surgery last July and still has not been cleared to field his position. Dobbins' role when he's ready to come off the IL will depend on his performance and the Cardinals' need. Goold writes that Dobbins will be a starter at either Triple-A Memphis or with the Cardinals. The 26-year-old former eighth-round pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2021 out of Texas Tech made his big-league debut in Boston last year before his knee injury and went 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 45:17 K: BB in 61 innings over 13 outings (11 starts). The Cards acquired him in the deal that sent
Willson Contreras to Boston. Dobbins is more suited towards being a dynasty or NL-only stash as he heads into his first season in the National League.
--Keith HernandezSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
March 15, 2026
Seattle Mariners shortstop
J.P. Crawford (shoulder) is out of the Cactus League lineup again on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds as he continues to deal with shoulder soreness, according to Shannon Drayer. The Mariners are taking the opportunity to give Crawford multiple days off with an off day coming on Monday. The team will see how he's feeling on Tuesday. It's an injury that the 31-year-old has been battling since early in spring training, and he even took a few weeks off earlier in camp to try to rest his shoulder. But after returning to Cactus League action in March, the issue hasn't gone away. It doesn't sound like the Mariners are too concerned about Crawford's shoulder, but it's definitely something to watch with Opening Day less than two full weeks away. Crawford hit .265/.352/.370 with a .722 OPS, 12 homers, 58 RBI, 69 runs scored, and a career-high eight steals in 157 games last year in his ninth year in the big leagues. He's a better real-life shortstop than a fantasy one with minimal power and speed upside. Crawford has double-digit homers in just two of his nine MLB seasons and has never had double-digit stolen bases.
--Keith HernandezSource: Shannon Drayer
March 15, 2026
Cleveland Guardians right-handed reliever
Cade Smith threw another scoreless inning in his Cactus League outing on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers and has not allowed a run or a hit with no walks and four strikeouts in his three innings of work in spring training. Smith needed just seven pitches to retire the side in the fifth inning on Thursday. With
Emmanuel Clase now out of the picture in Cleveland for the closing role, Smith is the Guardians' go-to guy in the ninth inning, and he's quickly become a top-five closing target for fantasy managers. The 26-year-old Canadian hurler went 8-5 last year with a 2.93 ERA (1.95 FIP), 1.00 WHIP, a career-high 16 saves, 104 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 73 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Smith was one of only five relief pitchers to have 100-plus strikeouts in 2025. He's one of the best emerging high-leverage bullpen arms in baseball.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 15, 2026
Houston Astros first baseman
Christian Walker hit his first Grapefruit League home run on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, but overall, he's been swinging a cold bat this spring. Going into Sunday's action, Walker has gone 3-for-23 (.130) with one home run, two RBI, two runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in the small sample size of nine games played. Walker's name came up in trade rumors in the offseason, but he remains in Houston and will open the 2026 regular season as their starting first baseman. The 34-year-old veteran right-handed slugger slashed .238/.297/.421 with a .717 OPS, 27 home runs, 88 RBI, 72 runs scored, and two steals in 640 plate appearances over 154 games in 2025 in his first year with the Astros. If he stays healthy, Walker should be a reliable mid-round contributor at first base in fantasy while hitting in the heart of Houston's batting order. He's had at least 26 homers and 84 RBI in each of the last four years. RotoBaller has Walker ranked as the No. 22 fantasy first baseman.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 15, 2026
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss might have outfielder
Michael Harris II run more frequently in 2026 after the addition of new baserunning guru Antoan Richardson, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Harris finished last season with exactly 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases despite entering the All-Star break with the lowest OPS in the league. "Antoan knows how important baserunning is to me," Weiss said. "It's really important to him, and he's made it important to the players." Richardson helped
Juan Soto steal 38 bases last year, and the Braves could be much more aggressive on the base paths as a collective unit. The 25-year-old Harris has 79th percentile speed and figures to set a new career-high in steals in 2025 after stealing exactly 20 bags in three of his four MLB campaigns. Harris hit a career-low .249 last year, but his power/speed combination in a strong lineup makes him a low-end No. 2/high-end No. 3 fantasy outfielder as he heads into his fifth year in the majors in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
March 15, 2026
Los Angeles Angels infielder
Nick Madrigal has been optioned to minor-league camp. Despite a strong performance in camp, Madrigal appears set to begin the season in Triple-A. He slashed .333/.391/.429 with three RBI in 23 plate appearances this spring. The former first-round pick hasn't played in the big leagues since the 2024 season with the Chicago Cubs. Madrigal is a solid contact hitter, but his lack of power and ability to draw walks hurts his overall value. He'll head to the minors alongside outfielders
Gustavo Campero and
Wade Meckler, who were also optioned this weekend.
--Andy WebbSource: Angels PR
March 15, 2026
New York Mets shortstop
Francisco Lindor (hand) is in the starting lineup and will make his Grapefruit League debut against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Lindor has made a remarkable recovery after having surgery to address a fractured hamate bone in his left hand in mid-February. He took batting practice on Friday and didn't have any issues, so he has officially been cleared for game action. Lindor will be in the leadoff spot and play shortstop during his spring debut. Barring any setbacks, Lindor should be ready on a full-time basis for Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26. This is great news for Mets fans and fantasy managers who took the risk of selecting injured Lindor on draft day.
--Andy WebbSource: Anthony DiComo
March 15, 2026
Kansas City Royals outfielder
Jac Caglianone could be ready to take the next step in 2026. Caglianone got his first taste of big league action last season, but struggled to adjust. He slashed .157/.237/.295 with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 62 games in 2025. The 23-year-old appears to have made the proper adjustments as he's tearing the cover off the ball in camp. Through six games, Caglianone is slashing .455/581/.970 with one homer, four RBI, and five walks. Caglianone was also impressive during his four games in the World Baseball Classic. The former first-round pick came into the league with a ton of hype, and wasn't ready last season. Early in camp, it looks like he's made the right adjustments and is ready to crush big league pitching.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
March 15, 2026
Los Angeles Angels pitcher
Reid Detmers appeared to have finally turned a corner when he became a full-time reliever last season. According to Jeff Passan, he wouldn't be shocked if Detmers leads the Angels in saves in 2026. Detmers was a struggling starter for the first four years of his career before shifting to the bullpen in 2025. He registered a 3.96 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and an 80/25 K/BB across 61 appearances last season. The Angels are giving him another chance in the rotation this spring. However, it's not going well with a 7.27 ERA across three starts. The best route for him could be as a late-inning reliever. Detmers recorded three saves last season, and it sounds like he could be the favorite for the closer role in 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: ESPN
March 15, 2026
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher
Mick Abel has put together impressive numbers early in camp. Through four starts, Abel has a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and a 17/1 K/BB ratio. The 24-year-old is making a strong case to crack the 26-man roster to begin the season. Abel was part of the trade that sent closer
Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia last July. He posted an ugly 6.23 ERA with eight home runs allowed across 39.0 innings of work with the Phillies and Twins last season. The Twins have already lost starter
Pablo Lopez (elbow) for the entire 2026 season. They definitely need help in the rotation, and Abel could provide that if he keeps pitching like this. He's someone worth monitoring in deep league fantasy drafts.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
March 14, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (knee) was forced from the World Baseball Classic game for Team Japan on Saturday with right-knee discomfort against Venezuela, according to the Miami Herald's Jordan McPherson. Suzuki will continue to be evaluated. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reports that Suzuki limped off the field with a right-knee injury after attempting to steal second base in the bottom of the first inning. The 31-year-old hurt his knee on the slide and eventually walked off the field with a trainer. Suzuki is probably done competing in the WBC, even if Japan advances to the semifinals. For now, he should be considered day-to-day, but we'll know more after Suzuki is evaluated. Depending on the severity of his knee injury, he could be looking at an injured list stint to begin the 2026 regular season. Suzuki hit 30 homers and drove in over 100 runs in Chicago in 2025, putting him in top-25 outfield territory in fantasy. If he were to miss extended time to begin the season, it would open up more playing time in right field for
Matt Shaw and perhaps
Kevin Alcantara.
--Keith HernandezSource: Miami Herald - Jordan McPherson
March 14, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera (knee) is reportedly feeling improved and is making good progress, according to Derrick Goold. Herrera has been held out of action for over a week due to a lingering knee issue. He was being eased into action originally due to offseason elbow surgery. With that being said, Herrera has only made seven plate appearances thus far this spring. The organization plans to have Herrera get behind the plate in game action before the end of Spring Training. It sounds like the Cardinals are confident that Herrera will be ready for the beginning of the season. It wouldn't be shocking if Herrera does see time at designated hitter until he's ready to be behind the plate full-time again. The 25-year-old brings enough upside with the bat to rank slightly outside the top 10 fantasy catchers to begin the 2026 season.
--Andy WebbSource: Derrick Goold
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