February 12, 2026
Chicago White Sox right-hander
Drew Thorpe (elbow) has hit what he described as "road bumps" in his recovery process, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Thorpe visited Dr. Keith Meister last week and was told that his ligament looks solid. Doctors believe his pain is coming from some tendinitis in his elbow. The 25-year-old was placed on the 60-day injured list last March and missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The former second-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2022 out of Cal Poly made his major-league debut with Chicago in 2024 and had a 5.48 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 21 walks in 44 1/3 innings over his nine starts. Thorpe wasn't very sharp in his first taste of the majors, which wasn't exactly a surprise after he skipped Triple-A. While he could be ready for the start of the 2026 season, fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues shouldn't expect Thorpe to contribute until maybe the second half.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Scott Merkin
February 12, 2026
Texas Rangers shortstop prospect
Sebastian Walcott (elbow) will undergo elbow surgery and will likely miss most, if not all, of 2026, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Walcott was expected to start the season back in the minors, but he almost certainly would have made his major-league debut this year had he been healthy. The 19-year-old is ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect at MLB Pipeline after hitting .255/.355/.386 with 13 home runs and 32 stolen bases in 124 games last year at Double-A Frisco. Despite being the youngest qualified hitter at Double-A in 2025, Walcott posted a 110 wRC+. He also showed improvement with his strikeout rate, walk rate, and swing rate. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder has plenty of maturing to do, but he has one of the highest fantasy ceilings of any young position-player prospect in the game. Unfortunately, his timeline has been extended by a year.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Evan Grant
February 12, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect
Andrew Painter has no restrictions in spring training, and the Phillies are hoping he wins a rotation spot in camp, according to John Clark of NBC Sports. It's been a long road for Painter to this point after a tear in his UCL was discovered three years ago, which led to Tommy John surgery.
Cristopher Sanchez,
Jesus Luzardo, and
Aaron Nola are locked into the team's top-three rotation spots, but there's a clear opening for Painter now that we know
Zack Wheeler (shoulder) won't be ready for Opening Day. In his first full season back from TJ surgery, Painter struggled, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 22 starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The good news is that his stuff looked fine, and he threw a combined 118 innings at two levels. If the 22-year-old is a little sharper than he was last year and he stays healthy, he will most definitely be in play in all fantasy formats as long as he is locked into a rotation spot in Philly.
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Philadelphia - John Clark
February 12, 2026
New York Yankees pitcher
Luis Gil will throw live batting practice as he looks to get ready for a full 2026 season. Gil will face
Aaron Judge,
Amed Rosario, and
Paul Goldschmidt out of the gate. The 2024 American League Rookie of the Year got a late start to 2025, making his season debut in early August. He went 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA and 4.63 FIP with 41 strikeouts in 57 innings in the regular season. Gil is expected to compete with
Clarke Schmidt for the fifth spot in the rotation for the Yankees this spring training, and the 27-year-old from the Dominican brings a high ceiling if he can return to his 2024 form. In 2024, he had 10.15 K/9, but that dropped all the way to 6.47 K/9 in his limited work last year, causing his FIP and xERA to climb even though his ERA remained low. His progress will be important to watch, and it's a great sign that he's ready to throw live BP this early in the spring.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Gary Phillips
February 12, 2026
Baltimore Orioles first baseman/third baseman
Coby Mayo was the subject of plenty of trade rumors this offseason after the O's signed
Pete Alonso to play 1B on a five-year deal. Mayo has been an elite power prospect for the last few seasons, but he hasn't really established himself in the majors yet. He played 85 games for the O's last year, hitting .217 with 11 homers and a .303 wOBA. He and
Ryan Mountcastle will both be looking for playing time after the Alonso addition, but space could be opening up with 2B
Jackson Holliday (hand) needing surgery and
Jordan Westburg (oblique) behind schedule in his ramp-up to Opening Day. Mayo could be part of the solution to fill in for Holliday, since he could play 3B, while Westburg slides to 2B. Mayo played 1B mostly last season but came through the minors at 3B, where he was working out on a backfield in Orioles spring training on Wednesday. If Mayo can build on his strong September and have a strong spring at the plate, he could earn an Opening Day roster spot, and his power potential is intriguing enough to make him worth watching as a late-round flier.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Andy Kostka
February 12, 2026
Atlanta Braves pitcher
Grant Holmes (elbow) was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL last season and shut down at the end of July. He opted not to undergo surgery, instead resting and rehabbing, and now he wonders if it was a pre-existing condition, based on his quick recovery so quickly. The 29-year-old righty has no restrictions coming into spring training and could end up in the starting rotation that has already lost
Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) for an extended period of time to start the season. Holms will join Reynaldo López,
Spencer Strider, and
Chris Sale as the established rotation pieces, with
Bryce Elder,
Hurston Waldrep, and
Joey Wentz competing for the fifth spot. Holmes went 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA, 4.40 FIP, and 123 strikeouts in his 115 innings last season. How well his elbow responds to the spring workload will be critical to monitor to see if he breaks camp in the starting rotation for the Braves.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Mark Bowman
February 12, 2026
Washington Nationals starting pitcher
DJ Herz (elbow) will continue to rehab from his Tommy John surgery to start the season and won't be available until mid-season at the earliest. He underwent the procedure last April, so he could return at some point this season, depending on how the recovery goes. The young lefty showed some upside as a rookie in 2024, with 106 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings, going 4-9 in 19 starts. His main issue was control problems in his rise through the minors, and he'll need to regain his control after the procedure if he wants to make an impact this season. He's not someone you need to worry about in drafts in almost any format, but he could be a midseason pickup or streaming option late in the year as he looks to return to fantasy relevance for 2027.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Mark Zuckerman
February 12, 2026
Free-agent relief pitcher
Julian Merryweather is joining the Twins bullpen mix by signing a minor-league deal with an invite to camp. The 34-year-old righty has pitched for the Blue Jays and Cubs over the last six seasons, with his best year coming in 2023, when he went 5-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 3.52 FIP in 69 games out of the bullpen while racking up 98 strikeouts in 72 innings. He has battled injury since then, though, and only pitched in 33 2/3 innings over the last two seasons with reduced velocity resulting in a 6.15 ERA and 4.25 FIP. With the Twins bullpen still very uncertain, Merryweather i sanother name to track this spring training to see if he can earn a role in Minnesota.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Dan Hayes
February 11, 2026
Free-agent right-handed reliever
Liam Hendriks signed a minor-league deal with the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Hendriks, a three-time All-Star, has only made 19 relief appearances since the start of the 2023 season due to injuries. The 37-year-old veteran Australian missed time last year with hip and elbow injuries and pitched in only 14 games for the Boston Red Sox, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on 12 hits (two homers) while walking seven and striking out 12 in 13 2/3 innings. The Twins certainly could use the experience in their bullpen, but Hendriks is going to have to pitch well this spring and stay healthy to earn an Opening Day bullpen spot in Minnesota. Hendriks has 116 career saves in 14 major-league seasons, but fantasy managers should be looking to ignore him for now.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
February 11, 2026
Free-agent right-hander
Chris Bassitt and the Baltimore Orioles agreed on a one-year, $18.5 million contract on Wednesday night, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 36-year-old now joins an overhauled Orioles rotation that also includes
Shane Baz,
Zach Eflin,
Kyle Bradish,
Trevor Rogers, and
Dean Kremer. Bassitt will stay in the American League East after going 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 166:52 K:BB in 170 1/3 innings over 32 regular-season outings (31 starts) in 2025 with the Toronto Blue Jays. The veteran hurler isn't overpowering (career 22% strikeout rate), but he does an excellent job at avoiding hard contact. Bassitt was in the 85th percentile last year in average exit velocity and the 80th percentile in hard-hit rate, and he's made at least 30 starts each year since 2022. At his age, fantasy managers know what they are getting: a safe, dependable back-end starter with a limited ceiling.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
February 11, 2026
The Denver Post's Kyle Newman writes that new Colorado Rockies outfielder
Jake McCarthy "could very well end up starting in right field" to begin the 2026 season over
Mickey Moniak. McCarthy can play all three outfield spots and will be the fastest Rockies player with a sprint speed in the 99th percentile. The 28-year-old finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting back in 2022 and played in a career-high 142 games in 2024, but he dealt with injuries and slumped to the tune of a .204/.247/.345 slash line with a career-worst .591 OPS in 67 games (222 plate appearances) last year. McCarthy faces significant competition in Colorado's outfield, but if he bounces back, he could make the left-handed-hitting Moniak expendable. Speed is McCarthy's greatest asset, and although he doesn't have much power, he's a more intriguing bench stash in deeper fantasy leagues now that he's in Colorado.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Post - Kyle Newman
February 11, 2026
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed right-hander
Jared Jones (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday to make room on the 40-man roster for recently signed right-hander
Jose Urquidy, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Jones' placement on the 60-day IL was expected, as he's not projected to make his 2026 season debut until sometime in late May after he had surgery to fix a torn UCL in his right arm last May. We'll have a clearer timetable for the 24-year-old once he begins to ramp up his throwing program. Despite the surgery, Jones has lots of long-term potential in Pittsburgh after impressing in his rookie campaign in 2024. In his first 22 big-league starts, the former second-rounder went 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 132:39 K:BB in 121 2/3 frames. At best, Jones will be a speculative late-round selection in fantasy drafts this year, with the Bucs most likely handling him with extreme caution when he's finally back.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh PG - Colin Beazley
February 11, 2026
Left-hander
Kris Bubic won his salary arbitration hearing against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Bubic will earn $6.15 million in 2026 after the team filed at $5.15 million. Bubic broke out in 2025 in his sixth year in the big leagues to earn his first All-Star nod, but his season was cut short due to a rotator-cuff strain. In his 20 starts, the 28-year-old southpaw went 8-7 with a career-low 2.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with a career-high 116 strikeouts and 39 walks in 116 1/3 innings pitched. The good news is that Bubic is already throwing bullpens in spring training, so he should be ready for the start of the 2026 season. The former first-rounder has looked pretty darn good the last two years with ERAs under 3.00, but his arm just couldn't hold up to the increase in workload in 2025. He has kept hitters off balance with a diverse arsenal. Don't forget about him as rotation depth late in fantasy drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
February 11, 2026
Left-hander
Eric Lauer lost his salary arbitration hearing against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Lauer will earn $4.4 million in 2026 instead of the $5.75 million he filed for. The 30-year-old veteran southpaw stepped up for Toronto in a swing role in 2025 after pitching in Korea in 2024, as he posted a career-best 3.18 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 102 strikeouts and 26 walks in 104 2/3 innings over 28 appearances (15 starts). Lauer added some velocity last year and showed a little bit better control. The problem for his 2026 fantasy value is that he'll likely be relegated to a long-relief bullpen role after the offseason addition of starting pitcher
Dylan Cease. In his seven-year big-league career, Lauer has a 4.13 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 22.3% strikeout rate for three different teams. Lauer is strictly an arm to roster in AL-only leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
February 11, 2026
Kansas City Royals left-hander
Bailey Falter (biceps) was able to throw a bullpen session at spring training on Wednesday, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Falter missed the final five weeks of last season due to a left-biceps contusion, but he made a couple of minor-league rehab starts in late September and appears to be fully healthy as he heads into his first full season with the Royals. The 28-year-old southpaw opened the 2025 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates and had a 3.73 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with a 70:39 K:BB in 113 1/3 innings over 22 starts before joining the Royals in the second half. Falter only appeared in four games (two starts) with KC to close out the year, allowing 15 earned runs in just 12 innings. Depending on the health of the rest of the Royals' starting options, Falter appears ticketed for a long-relief role to open the 2026 campaign. Fantasy managers can ignore him in mixed formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Anne Rogers
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