March 19, 2026
The Seattle Mariners announced on Thursday that right-hander
Logan Gilbert will make the start on Opening Day next Thursday, March 26, against the Cleveland Guardians at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. It will be Gilbert's second straight Opening Day assignment. The 28-year-old went 6-6 with a 3.44 ERA (3.35 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP with 173 strikeouts and 31 walks in 131 innings over his 25 starts in 2025 in his fifth year in the big leagues with the M's. He was a first-time All-Star in 2024, when he had a nice 3.23 ERA, league-leading 0.89 WHIP, and a career-high 220 strikeouts in a league-high 208 2/3 innings over 33 starts. Gilbert's 2025 season might have looked much better had he not dealt with a flexor strain in his right elbow that caused him to miss over a month of action. Despite dealing with arm issues last year, Gilbert had a career-high 32.3% strikeout rate, and he has one of the highest floors of any high-end fantasy starter. RotoBaller has Gilbert ranked as the No. 6 fantasy starting pitcher in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Seattle Mariners
March 19, 2026
Los Angeles Angels right-hander
Grayson Rodriguez (arm) is dealing with some arm soreness in camp, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Manager Kurt Suzuki called it dead arm, and there's still a chance he'll be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season next week if his arm feels better in the coming days. The Angels will continue to monitor him, but this could turn into an injured-list situation for Rodriguez. It's not what Angels fans want to hear from a pitcher who missed all of the 2025 season in Baltimore due to late and elbow issues, but the good news is that Rodriguez still played catch in spring training on Thursday, and the Angels genuinely don't believe it's anything serious. Still, it's a situation that could cause him to miss the start of his first year in Anaheim. The former 11th overall pick by the O's in 2018 was once the top pitching prospect in baseball, and he's shown high-end upside at times. He showed improvement in Year 2 in 2024, going 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 130:36 K:BB in 20 starts before injuries shut him down. Rodriguez is a high-risk, high-reward late-round flier who has a 4.97 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 10 walks in 12 2/3 Cactus League innings this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Rhett Bollinger
March 19, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman
Pavin Smith (forearm) is at first base and is batting third for Thursday's Cactus League game against the Chicago White Sox. Smith is back after missing some time with a minor forearm injury, so he'll be ready to go for Opening Day a week from now. The 30-year-old left-handed hitter is expected to be on the strong side of a platoon between first base and designated hitter for the Snakes in 2026. The former seventh overall pick in 2017 out of the University of Virginia hit .258/.362/.434 with a .797 OPS, eight home runs, 28 RBI, 36 runs scored, and two steals in 87 games played in 2025 in his sixth year with the D-backs. Smith played in only eight games after July 5 due to two injuries in the second half of the season. He has decent power from the left side, but his high strikeout rate and limited playing time limit his fantasy appeal to a late-round bench stash in deep-mixed leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
March 19, 2026
Cleveland Guardians third baseman
Jose Ramirez (shoulder) is back at third base and will bat third in the team's Cactus League game on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals, according to MLB.com. Ramirez left the spring training game last Sunday with shoulder inflammation, but the 33-year-old veteran is back and should have no issues being ready to go for Opening Day next week. He's gone 7-for-30 (.233) with two home runs, nine RBI, three runs scored, and three stolen bases in 13 Cactus League games this spring. J-Ram is a seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger who has been one of the best all-around hitters for the last eight seasons. He's ranked as the No. 6 overall player in fantasy baseball as he heads into his 14th MLB season. Not only is Ramirez durable, but he provides across all fantasy categories. He hit .283/.360/.503 with an .863 OPS, 30 homers, 85 RBI, 103 runs, and a career-high 44 stolen bases in 2025. Ramirez has hit 30-plus homers in three of the last five seasons and has 40-plus steals in each of the last two years. The dude does it all.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 19, 2026
The San Francisco Giants announced on Thursday that right-hander
Hayden Birdsong (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery next week and will miss the entire 2026 season, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports. Fantasy managers will obviously want to avoid Birdsong everywhere in single-year leagues, and the 24-year-old's development will now be paused for at least a year for those in dynasty/keeper leagues. An MRI exam that Birdsong had on Sunday showed a Grade 2 forearm strain and a UCL sprain, and rather than go the rest-and-rehab route, the Giants have decided that Birdsong will go under the knife. Not only will he miss all of this year, but he probably won't be ready for the start of the 2027 campaign, either. The former sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Eastern Illinois has gone 9-10 with a 4.77 ERA (4.81 FIP), 1.44 WHIP, and 156:80 K:BB in 137 2/3 innings over 37 appearances (26 starts) since debuting in the big leagues with San Fran in 2024.
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Alex Pavlovic
March 19, 2026
New York Yankees left-hander
Ryan Weathers will be in the team's Opening Day starting rotation, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "He's healthy, and the stuff is in line with where it needs to be. I don't put a lot of stock in numbers in spring," Boone said. Weathers beat out right-handed pitching prospect
Carlos Lagrange for the final spot in New York's rotation to begin the year despite allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 15 hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out 12 in 9 1/3 innings of work in the Grapefruit League. The 26-year-old southpaw will have some runway to be a sleeper and matchup-based streamer until injured starters
Gerrit Cole (elbow) and
Carlos Rodon (elbow) are ready to make their season debuts. Injuries have limited Weathers' fantasy upside, but increased velocity this spring has many hopeful that he'll be fantasy relevant in his first year in the Bronx.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
March 19, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno (forearm) is serving as the team's designated hitter and will bat fifth in Thursday's Cactus League game versus the Chicago White Sox. Moreno will return after missing a few spring training games due to tightness in his right forearm, which mostly affected him while throwing the baseball. The 26-year-old starting backstop should be fine for Opening Day next week. He'll be hoping to get some more timing down before the start of the 2026 regular season, as he's gone just 5-for-28 (.179) with a homer, three RBI, one walk, and six strikeouts in nine Cactus League games played. Injuries have been an issue for Moreno in his four years in the big leagues, as he's only played over 100 games once, back in his second year in the league and first with Arizona in 2023. Moreno slashed .285/.353/.433 with a career-high .786 OPS, nine homers, and 40 RBI in 83 games in 2025. Treat Moreno as a low-end No. 1 catcher/high-end No. 2 option in upcoming fantasy drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
March 19, 2026
The New York Yankees reassigned right-handed pitching prospect
Carlos Lagrange to minor-league camp on Thursday, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Lagrange made it a difficult decision for the Yankees after he turned heads in Grapefruit League play, allowing an earned run with three walks and nine strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings of work in his three spring training appearances with the big-league squad. Per MLB Pipeline, he's the team's No. 2 prospect going into this year, behind only
George Lombard Jr. Lagrange is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-7 and 248 pounds, and as you might expect, he has a fastball that gets into the low-100s on the radar gun. In addition to his elite heater, Lagrange features three swing-and-miss secondary pitches. The Dominican hurler has the upside to be a high-end starter in the big leagues, but a little more polish in the minors with his mechanics might be needed. We fully expect Lagrange to be in play for starts in the Bronx in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
March 19, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander
Zack Wheeler (shoulder) will throw in a minor-league game at Carpenter Complex on Monday, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. It will be Wheeler's first appearance in a game this spring, and the 35-year-old veteran is expected to be limited to 40 pitches. Wheeler will begin the 2026 season on the injured list, but he's made enough progress in spring training that the club is optimistic that he will make his season debut in April. His season was cut short in 2025 after dealing with a blood clot and later being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which required surgery. It's tough to predict how pitchers will return from a unique procedure like that, which makes Wheeler much riskier in fantasy leagues this year. However, Wheeler has looked great during his rehab, and he was among the most consistent fantasy aces in the game before his injury last year. In his six years in Philly, Wheeler has a 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 1,094:220 K:BB in 979 innings. He has risen up draft boards this spring and is now ranked as RotoBaller's No. 28 fantasy starting pitcher.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
March 19, 2026
After another roster cutdown by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, shortstop prospect
Konnor Griffin remains in big-league camp and is one step closer to making the 2026 Opening Day roster. If the Pirates go with the best player at the shortstop position this spring, it would be Griffin, a 19-year-old phenom who is trying to be the first teenager in the big leagues since
Juan Soto. The former ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft made it look easy in three minor-league levels in 2025 in his first professional season, hitting .333/.415/.527 with a .941 OPS, 21 home runs, 94 RBI, 117 runs scored, and 65 stolen bases in 122 total games (563 plate appearances) with Single-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro, and Double-A Altoona. With an advanced approach at the plate, impressive strength, and high-end power/speed abilities, Griffin has the makings of a once-in-a-generation player that could really make a difference in his first MLB season without any experience at Triple-A. All signs are pointing to Kriffin being on the Opening Day roster, and he'll certainly have an impact in all fantasy baseball formats in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
March 19, 2026
The New York Mets announced on Thursday that they optioned infielder
Ronny Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse. Mauricio's only real chance to be on the Opening Day roster was if shortstop
Francisco Lindor (hand) wasn't ready after having hamate-bone surgery last month. The offseason additions of
Marcus Semien and
Bo Bichette make it more difficult for the 24-year-old to find a significant role on the infield in the Big Apple in 2026. Mauricio will bide his time in the minors to begin the year before hopefully getting the call eventually to serve as additional infield depth at the major-league level. He swung the bat well in Grapefruit League play, hitting .313/.389/.531 with five RBI, three runs, and two stolen bases in 13 games played. The Dominican infielder missed all of 2024 after having surgery on his knee and then hit .226/.293/.369 with six homers, 10 RBI, 19 runs, and four steals in 61 games played in 2025. While being buried in a crowded infield picture with the Mets, Mauricio is really only a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper leagues, but even there, his star is fading quickly.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Mets
March 19, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks infield prospect
Tommy Troy impressed during his first taste of big-league camp this year, going 12-for-32 (.375) with eight singles and four doubles. The D-backs' fourth-ranked prospect wasn't necessarily expected to make the Opening Day roster, however, his performance reinforced the success he saw in 2025. The former first-round draft pick began the 2025 campaign at Double-A, and after 87 games there, he earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he was just as effective over 38 games. In all, the right-handed slugger produced a .289/.382/.451 slash line with 15 home runs, 24 steals, and better-than-average strikeout (16.9 percent) and walk rates (11.5 percent). The 24-year-old could be called up for his MLB debut around midseason, and at an offensively-challenged position like second base, Troy could be an interesting waiver wire addition whenever he gets the chance in Arizona.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
March 19, 2026
Chicago White Sox pitching prospect
Noah Schultz was reassigned to minor league camp earlier this month after making a pair of Cactus League appearances. The former first-round draft pick showed well in his limited action, offering glimpses of his strikeout potential with five punchouts in 4 1/3 innings pitched while walking none. The 6-foot-10 hurler earned a promotion to Triple-A in midseason last year, but struggled to a 9.37 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, and an 11.7 percent K-BB% in five starts with Charlotte before being shut down with knee tendinitis. That is where the southpaw is expected to start 2026, and with the knee issue behind him, he'll look to get on a roll early and work toward a major league debut later this year, perhaps even before the All-Star break. The 22-year-old's large frame and strikeout potential give him the look of a worthy stash candidate in deep redraft leagues; otherwise, managers in shallower formats should keep an eye on his progress as Chicago's top-ranked pitching prospect could offer fantasy-rotation reinforcement once he's called up.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
March 19, 2026
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Thursday that right-hander
Paul Skenes will start on Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, on the road at Citi Field against the New York Mets. It's not the easiest of opening matchups, but fantasy managers should never be benching the mighty Skenes. The 23-year-old former first overall pick out of LSU in 2023 made a quick rise to the big leagues and has quickly established himself as one of the most dominant arms in the game in just two MLB seasons. He's been an All-Star in both of his big-league campaigns, won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2024, and the first of likely many Cy Young awards in 2025. Skenes has gone 21-13 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 386:74 K:BB in 320 2/3 innings over his 55 starts for the Bucs. He looked great pitching for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and will look to get his year started on the right foot in New York next week.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
March 19, 2026
Cleveland Guardians first baseman/outfielder
CJ Kayfus has been competing for a spot on the team's big league roster this spring, but could be the odd man out when it comes to final roster cuts. The left-handed slugger played some first base down the stretch for the Guardians in 2025, but with the team's signing of
Rhys Hoskins, who is currently projected to be the starter there, outfield may be the only path to playing time for Kayfus. It may come down to the health of outfielder
George Valera's calf, who has not played in a spring game since March 9. If Valera, who only began running activities on Tuesday, isn't ready to go for Opening Day, Kayfus could end up being the starting right fielder when the regular season begins. The former third-round draft pick collected 15 extra-base hits during his 44-game debut last year, hitting .220 with a .415 SLG. While he may be a decent source of power, a history of high strikeout rates (27.5 percent in '25) may limit his fantasy potential. Until the 24-year-old is confirmed to be on the big league roster and is producing at the plate, he's best left to the waiver wire in all but the deepest of leagues.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
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