February 21, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays infielder
Kazuma Okamoto is starting at third base and batting sixth in the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The Blue Jays will get Okamoto as many at-bats in spring training as they can before the 29-year-old reports to Team Japan for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Third base is his job to lose as he enters his first year in the major leagues, especially since Toronto could use
Addison Barger more in the outfield with
Anthony Santander (shoulder) potentially missing all of 2026. The biggest question is whether Okamoto's power will translate to MLB immediately. He hit at least 27 home runs in each of his first seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, but he only managed 15 in 2025 due to an elbow injury. Still, his combination of contact and power skills makes him intriguing near the heart of the Blue Jays' batting order.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
February 21, 2026
New York Mets manager
Carlos Mendoza said the designated hitter spot will be in play "big" time as the team tries to keep infielder
Jorge Polanco healthy in 2026, according to Chelsea Janes of SNY. Mendoza also expects infielders
Mark Vientos and
Brett Baty to get playing time at first base when Polanco is the DH. The Mets are also slow-playing the 32-year-old switch-hitting Dominican early in Grapefruit League games. Polanco has played in 100-plus games in six of his 12 seasons in the big leagues, although he did manage to play in 138 contests while hitting .265/.326/.495 with an .821 OPS, 26 home runs, 78 RBI, 64 runs scored, and six steals for the Seattle Mariners last year.
Marcus Semien will be locked into Polanco's primary position at second, so most of his at-bats figure to come as New York's DH. Fantasy managers need to expect Polanco to miss time due to injury in 2026, but when healthy, he hits the ball hard and has solid pop with second base eligibility.
--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Chelsea Janes
February 21, 2026
Free-agent infielder
Ramon Urias is in agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals on a one-year, $2 million contract on Saturday, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Urias will have a $1.5 million salary in 2026 with a $500,000 buyout on a 2027 mutual option. The deal also includes $2 million in incentives based on plate appearances. The 31-year-old veteran will give the Cardinals infield depth behind
JJ Wetherholt at second base and
Nolan Gorman at third base this year. The Mexican infielder is coming off one of his worst offensive seasons, slashing .241/.292/.384 with a .675 OPS, 11 home runs, 44 RBI, 33 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 112 total games played with the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros. Urias is mostly valuable for his glove and doesn't offer much of a skill set for fantasy managers. You can avoid him in all mixed leagues in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
February 21, 2026
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that he sees outfielder
Roman Anthony as the team's leadoff hitter this year, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. True to his word, Cora put Anthony in the leadoff spot for the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday versus the Minnesota Twins. It's not a huge surprise after the 21-year-old former top prospect hit atop Boston's order after making his major-league debut last year. Before an oblique strain cut his season short late in the year, Anthony was as advertised, slashing .292/.396/.463 with an .859 OPS, eight home runs, 32 RBI, 48 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 257 at-bats. The Red Sox could move Anthony down in the batting order when they face left-handed pitchers, but even so, he has the upside of a top-10 fantasy outfielder going into his first full season in the majors. Anthony became one of just two Red Sox players to have 20-plus extra-base hits and 25-plus walks in their first 52 career games, joining the legendary Ted Williams.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
February 21, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that right-handed reliever
Edwin Uceta was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation and a slight impingement in his right shoulder, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Uceta got a cortisone shot, and the plan is for him to start throwing next weekend. Topkin writes that Uceta could be cutting it close to be ready for Opening Day on March 26. The 28-year-old figures to be squarely in the mix for save chances in Tampa alongside
Griffin Jax and
Garrett Cleavinger this year after posting a 3.79 ERA (3.69 FIP), 1.17 WHIP, one save, a career-high 103 strikeouts, and 27 walks in 76 innings for the Rays in 2025. He was even better the year prior with a 1.51 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and a career-high five saves. Uceta was one of just five relievers last season to reach 100 K's.
--Keith HernandezSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
February 20, 2026
MLB.com's Sonja Chen suggests that Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar and four-time MVP
Shohei Ohtani is fully expected to begin the 2026 regular season in the starting rotation, but he has limited time to build up as a pitcher while representing Team Japan exclusively as a hitter in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Dodgers could use someone like
Justin Wrobleski in long relief behind Ohtani as they build up his pitch count early in the season. The 31-year-old didn't make his debut as a pitcher for the Dodgers last year until June after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and L.A. eased him in slowly. Ohtani had a 2.87 ERA (1.90 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP with 62 K's and just nine walks in 47 innings over 14 starts during the regular season. His upside will be limited on the mound early on in 2026 as he's being eased in, but once he's fully stretched out, Ohtani should at least be a solid No. 2 starter in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Sonja Chen
February 20, 2026
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher
Ben Joyce (shoulder) threw a successful bullpen session on Friday. According to Jeff Fletcher, Joyce looked good and was able to mix in secondary pitches as well. The 25-year-old is currently on track to be ready by Opening Day. He's working his way back from a torn labrum that required surgery in May of last year. The Angels are hopeful that Joyce can be an impactful late-inning reliever for them this season. In 2024, Joyce registered a 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 33/14 K/BB ratio across 31 games. The 25-year-old could be the closer of the future, assuming he's able to tap into his full potential.
--Andy WebbSource: Jeff Fletcher
February 20, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to take the mound versus the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. This is likely going to be his only start before he joins Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic. Yamamoto probably won't pitch long during Saturday's game, but at least fans will get to see him face a few batters. The 27-year-old is coming off a fantastic 2025 campaign with the Dodgers. He posted a 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and a 201/59 K/BB ratio across 30 starts with the Dodgers last season. Yamamoto is a top-five fantasy starting pitcher heading into the 2026 campaign.
--Andy WebbSource: Katie Woo
February 20, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles claimed infielder
Bryan Ramos off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. Ramos was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals from the O's earlier this month. Now, Ramos will head back to Baltimore for the second time this offseason. The Orioles need extra depth with
Jordan Westburg (elbow) set to open the regular season on the injured list. Ramos has played in 36 big league games with the Chicago White Sox over the last two seasons. Last season, Ramos slashed .216/.309/.396 with 16 home runs, 51 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 105 games in Triple-A Charlotte. His overall numbers don't scream everyday third baseman, but he at least gives the Orioles another option at the hot corner.
--Andy WebbSource: Francys Romero
February 20, 2026
The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly staying in touch with free-agent starting pitcher
Max Scherzer. According to Ben Nicholson-Smith, talks between the two sides have intensified over the last week. It sounds like other teams remain in the mix, but the Blue Jays appear to be the most serious suitor for Scherzer right now. A reunion seems possible, but Scherzer didn't exactly light up the stat sheet last season. Through 17 starts, Scherzer posted a 5.19 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and an 82/23 K/BB ratio last season with the Jays. The 41-year-old probably doesn't have much left in the tank, but the Jays need to add depth. They're going to open the season with
Shane Bieber (forearm) on the injured list due to right forearm fatigue. Scherzer is unlikely to offer much fantasy value, but he gives this team some extra depth heading into the regular season.
--Andy WebbSource: Ben Nicholson-Smith
February 20, 2026
Boston Red Sox infielder
Marcelo Mayer (wrist) is expected to remain sidelined for a few more days. According to Ian Browne, Mayer isn't expected to make his spring debut for a couple of days. Mayer still needs to do some batting practice and get his wrist more exposed to hitting before moving into live games. The young infielder is currently recovering from wrist surgery that he underwent last August. The 23-year-old is expected to be a major factor in the Red Sox lineup this season. During the 2025 campaign, Mayer slashed .228/.272/.402 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 44 games. The former first-round pick should get a much longer look in a Red Sox uniform this upcoming season.
--Andy WebbSource: Ian Browne
February 20, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever
Yimi Garcia (elbow) said on Friday that he is "a little behind" the other pitchers in camp and will "100%" not be ready for Opening Day in late March, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The 35-year-old veteran reliever had right-elbow surgery in September of last year and is still recovering. Garcia has yet to throw off a mound, but he's hoping to do so in the next week or two. "I feel good right now, I feel better than last season," Garcia said. In addition to his elbow injury, Garcia missed time with ankle and shoulder injuries in 2025 and was limited to just 21 relief innings. He was unavailable for the Blue Jays' postseason run to the World Series, but Toronto is hoping he'll bounce back as their top setup man in 2026. Garcia has 12 saves and 57 holds for the team in the last four seasons, and he would most likely be their top option for saves if
Jeff Hoffman is injured or ineffective.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sportsnet - Shi Davidi
February 20, 2026
New York Yankees right-hander
Gerrit Cole (elbow) reached 96.9 mph on the radar gun in his first live batting practice session against hitters in camp on Friday since he had Tommy John surgery last March, according to The Associated Press. Cole threw around 20 pitches to
Trent Grisham,
Aaron Judge, and
Jasson Dominguez. The Yankees expect Cole to be ready at some point from May to September. "It sounds like it was really good," manager Aaron Boone said. The 2023 American League Cy Young winner has altered his windup, putting his hands over his head now. The 35-year-old six-time All-Star will be a big question mark for the Yankees and for fantasy managers in 2026 because of his long layoff -- his last official outing was in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series on Oct. 30. RotoBaller has Cole ranked as the No. 83 fantasy starting pitcher this year. He's worth stashing in all single-year leagues, but temper your expectations upon his return.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Associated Press
February 20, 2026
Los Angeles Angels first baseman
Nolan Schanuel improved his average bat speed by 2.3 mph from 2024 to 2025, which was the sixth-best jump in the majors, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Schanuel said he spent the offseason working on the same type of drills while also working on his barrel control as he seeks more power and extra-base hits. The 24-year-old left-handed hitter has a .257 average and .348 on-base percentage in his first two full major-league seasons and has struck out only 13% of the time, but he's added just 25 home runs. Perhaps Schanuel will start hitting the ball over the fence more often in 2026 as he continues to search for more power, but until that happens, it's hard to get excited about him in shallow mixed fantasy leagues. Schanuel is most valuable in deeper leagues that count on-base percentage as corner-infield depth.
--Keith HernandezSource: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
February 20, 2026
San Francisco Giants right-hander
Tyler Mahle (illness) is a bit behind the other pitchers in camp because he got sick, but he's expected to face hitters next week, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports. Mahle should be ready to roll for Opening Day in late March in his first year with the Gigantes after signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the team in December. The 31-year-old veteran had a career-best 2.18 ERA (3.37 FIP) and 1.13 WHIP with 66 strikeouts and 29 walks with the Texas Rangers last year, but he was limited to 86 2/3 innings and 16 starts after missing almost three months with a shoulder injury. In 2023 and 2024 combined, Mahle made just eight starts for the Twins and Rangers, so durability is a big concern for the veteran hurler. Fantasy managers can't count on Mahle being reliable, which is why he's outside RotoBaller's top-100 starting pitcher rankings. Under the hood last year, Mahle had a weak 19.1% strikeout rate and didn't miss many bats (23.2% whiff rate).
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Alex Pavlovic
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