March 24, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Ryan Pepiot (hip) has been placed on the 15-day injured list, according to Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Pepiot has been dealing with right hip inflammation, and as a result, he won't be available for the first couple of weeks of the regular season. That's crushing news for the Rays, who are dealing with several pitcher injuries and were hoping Pepiot could be a source of health and stability in the rotation. He threw a career-high 167.2 innings over 31 starts last year, posting a 3.86 ERA with 8.96 K/9 and 3.27 BB/9. Moving forward, the Rays and fantasy managers will look for Pepiot to get healthy and minimize loud contact. He allowed 1.40 HR/9 last year (consistent with his career rate) and surrendered ground balls at a 38.2% clip, which was somehow the highest mark of his career.
Joe Boyle will occupy Pepiot's slot in the rotation until the 28-year-old is able to return.
--Andersen PickardSource: Marc Topkin
March 24, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherhold is likely to bat in the leadoff spot on Opening Day on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander
Drew Rasmussen, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wetherholt, 23, will be the team's starting second baseman after posting a .780 OPS, two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and seven strikeouts in 15 Grapefruit League games. He came up through the minors as a shortstop, but he'll begin his big-league career at the keystone with
Masyn Winn entrenched at the 6. Wetherholt will likely hit lower in the batting order against lefties. In 109 games last year at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, the former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia hit .306/.421/.510 with a .931 OPS, 17 homers, 59 RBI, 82 runs, and 23 stolen bases in 496 plate appearances. Wetherholt's hit tool is stronger than his power profile, but he could eventually be a 20- to 25-homer guy at second base. RotoBaller currently has Wetherholt ranked as the No. 17 fantasy second baseman.
--Keith HernandezSource: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
March 24, 2026
Colorado Rockies outfielder
Mickey Moniak (finger) was removed from Monday night's Cactus League game out of an abundance of caution after hitting his right ring finger while diving back to first base, according to Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette. Manager Warren Schaeffer thinks Moniak "will be fine." The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day for now, and he should be fine for Opening Day later this week. Moniak broke out in his first year in Denver in 2025, hitting .270/.306/.518 with an .824 OPS, 24 home runs, 68 RBI, 62 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 461 plate appearances over 135 games played. He became more selective at the plate, which lowered his strikeout rate. The drawbacks are that his numbers weren't as good on the road, and he still has issues against left-handed pitchers. Fantasy managers should limit their exposure to Moniak only at home against right-handed arms, where he can do plenty of damage.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Gazette - Kevin Henry
March 24, 2026
Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect
Connelly Early will make his first regular-season start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Right-hander
Johan Oviedo, who has been battling for the No. 5 starting spot in spring training, will open in the bullpen and will likely be a piggyback option. The Red Sox will re-assess after a couple of turns through the rotation. Early could easily be sent to the bullpen or to the minors in 2026 if he starts to struggle, but the young southpaw has earned a rotation spot after recording a 1.59 ERA with 16 strikeouts and only five walks in 17 innings in the Grapefruit League. The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2023 out of Virginia also looked good in his MLB debut in 2025, posting a 2.33 ERA (0.91 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K:BB in 19 1/3 innings. Early has a versatile repertoire, has a pretty clean injury history, and is good at inducing weak contact. His stock in all fantasy formats is on the rise.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
March 24, 2026
Colorado Rockies first baseman
T.J. Rumfield has emerged as a breakout candidate to watch this spring training. The Rockies added Rumfield from the Yankees, who didn't have room for the 25-year-old lefty who hit .285 with 16 dingers in Triple-A last season. Rumfield seems to have claimed the wide-open job as the Rockies' starting 1B coming into the season, after hitting .296 with five homers in his first 22 games this spring training. He has only one strikeout in 62 plate appearances, which will be a huge change for Rockies fans used to
Michael Toglia's high strikeout rate from last year. Rumfield may not have the raw power of Toglia, but he's showcased good pop this spring and will get the boost from playing his home games at Coors Field. He has shown enough potential to definitely be a name to watch early in the year from the waiver wire.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 24, 2026
New York Mets outfielder
Carson Benge is set to make a splash early in the season. He has officially made the roster and should play a regular role in the outfield. The lefty could end up in a platoon with righty
Tyrone Taylor, but he should get enough time to make a real impact as part of the Mets' solid offense. The 23-year-old impressed in spring training this year, posting a .366/.435/.439 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, nine strikeouts, and four walks in 46 Grapefruit League plate appearances. His ADP is on the rise, and he makes a great addition towards the end of mixed-league drafts. If he gets through the draft, he'll be a great addition from the early-season waiver wire with plenty of potential to be a contributor all season long.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 24, 2026
Cleveland Guardians outfielder
Chase DeLauter is having an outstanding spring training and makes a great pickup from the waiver wire or an awesome last-round snag. The 24-year-old lefty hasn't played a regular-season game but made his MLB debut in the playoffs last year. He hit .278 in 34 games at Triple-A with five homers and a .384 wOBA. This spring, DeLauter went 17-for-37 (.459) in his first 14 games with five doubles, three homers, six walks, and just four strikeouts. DeLauter's rise through the minors has been beset by injuries, but when he's healthy, he has proven to be an MLB-ready bat. If you need outfield depth, he makes a great pickup late in drafts and could be one of the hottest names on the waiver wire if he's starting and hitting high in the batting order as expected. If he stays healthy (a huge if so far in his career), he has a great shot at a breakthrough season.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBAller
March 24, 2026
Cleveland Guardians catcher
Austin Hedges (hand) was forced to leave Monday night's game after taking a fastball off the back of his right hand. The 33-year-old veteran was visibly upset and will undergo further testing on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury. Hedges was set to split time behind the plate with
Bo Naylor for the Guardians, but if he misses time,
David Fry could get more time at catcher, or the team could bring back
Jonathan Rodriguez or
Petey Halpin. While Hedges is not typically a strong enough offensive contributor for fantasy baseball teams, Naylor and Fry's playing time would be impacted by his absence, so keep an eye out for an update on Hedges' status for Opening Day.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Mason Horodyski
March 24, 2026
Boston Red Sox third baseman
Caleb Durbin is expected to open the season in an everyday role with plenty of potential, and he can be a great way to add some infield depth late in your fantasy draft or even off the waiver wire if he slips through your draft. Durbin shipped up to Boston this offseason after the Red Sox snagged him in a trade from the Brewers. Last year, Drubin slashed .256/.334.387 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI in 136 games on his way to finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He has looked excellent at the plate and in the field this spring, hitting .356 in 17 games with three stolen bases and a .431 wOBA. Since he'll be an everyday player and likely hit in a good spot in Boston's batting order, he has a solid batting average floor and good speed potential. He's ranked as the No. 16 3B at RotoBaller and brings nice flexibility with 2B eligibility in some formats as well. If you need infield help at the end of your draft, he's a great option to consider.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
March 23, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith will hit cleanup against left-handed starting pitchers to open the 2026 regular season, manager Dave Roberts told Jack Harris of the California Post. The Dodgers rolled out this wrinkle to their lineup during Monday's spring training contest against the Los Angeles Angels, and it sounds like it will stick for at least the first part of the season. As a result,
Freddie Freeman dropped to the fifth spot in the lineup. Presumably, the motivating factor is to get more balance at the top of the order. With
Kyle Tucker on the team, three of the Dodgers' first four batters were projected to be left-handed hitters. Swapping Smith and Freeman allows for just two lefties among the first four batters. Jumping to cleanup against southpaws should lead to additional RBI opportunities for the veteran backstop, who already ranks #9 among catchers in RotoBaller's fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jack Harris
March 23, 2026
Detroit Tigers catcher
Jake Rogers (concussion) has cleared concussion protocol and will be on the 26-man roster for Opening Day, manager A.J. Hinch told Evan Petzold of Detroit Free Press. Hinch noted that Rogers caught a couple of bullpens and hit in the cage on Monday, and he'll catch a portion of Tuesday's spring training contest against the Colorado Rockies. Rogers is nestled into the backup role in Detroit after a couple of frustrating seasons at the plate. Across 49 games in 2025, he slashed just .187/.277/.333 with a 27.5% strikeout rate and 70 wRC+. The vast majority of his contributions come on defense, where he has posted 11 FRV and 14.6 FRM over the last two years. He'll only start games this year when
Dillon Dingler gets the day off.
--Andersen PickardSource: Evan Petzold
March 23, 2026
Houston Astros infielder
Jeremy Pena (finger) will play shortstop during Tuesday's exhibition game against the Triple-A Space Cowboys, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. There had been speculation that Pena might play on Tuesday, but the skipper now confirmed the rumors and also noted that the 28-year-old will grab a glove and play the field. Pena is working his way back from a right ring finger fracture that he suffered while working out for the Dominican Republic ahead of the World Baseball Classic. It seems unlikely that Pena will open the season on the injured list, but the Astros are certainly taking the decision down to the wire. If he does miss any time,
Carlos Correa would shift to shortstop and
Isaac Paredes would patrol the hot corner. Pena is looking to build on a career-best 2025 campaign in which he slashed .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases, a 6.4% walk rate, a 17.1% strikeout rate, and 135 wRC+. He currently ranks #16 among shortstops in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chandler Rome
March 23, 2026
Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher
Jordan Montgomery (elbow) will throw his fifth bullpen session on Tuesday, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. The session will include approximately 30 pitches, and if all goes well, he could progress to the equivalent of two-inning sessions in the near future. Montgomery is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and he's not expected to pitch in an MLB game until the middle of the 2026 season. Given that he's already had two UCL reconstruction surgeries, it seems unlikely that he'll get back to his 2023 form, which included a 3.20 ERA and 4.2 fWAR. However, the Rangers still believe he can be a low-risk starter in the back of their rotation, which is why they signed him to a one-year, $1.25 million deal in the middle of his rehab process.
--Andersen PickardSource: Evan Grant
March 23, 2026
San Diego Padres relief pitcher
Jason Adam (quad) will open the season on the 15-day injured list, according to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Adam has been recovering from a September surgery that repaired a ruptured tendon in his quad. While he has been facing batters for weeks, he didn't make his Cactus League debut until last Friday. As a result of his delayed return to action, he's going to open the year on the injured list. His placement on the IL will be backdated to March 22, allowing him to return no earlier than April 6. Getting Adam back and healthy is key for the Padres, as the veteran reliever pitched to an impressive 1.93 ERA with 9.64 K/9 and 3.44 BB/9 across 65.1 innings of relief work last year.
Ron Marinaccio and
Bradgley Rodriguez are both expected to make the Opening Day roster since Adam is not quite ready to go.
--Andersen PickardSource: Kevin Acee
March 23, 2026
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Lance McCullers Jr. has made the Opening Day rotation, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. McCullers has been with the Astros since he made his MLB debut in 2015, but he didn't pitch at all in 2023 or 2024. He returned to action last year, making 16 appearances (13 starts) in the majors with a shaky 5.77 FIP, 6.34 BB/9, and 1.63 HR/9. He struck out batters at a modest clip of 9.92 K/9, but his ground ball rate dropped to a new career-low mark of 46.4%. His job was far from guaranteed coming out of spring training, but ultimately, it appears that he has won the No. 5 starter role. With that being said, he'll need to pitch well -- or, at least, better than last year -- to survive a full season in the rotation. He showed flashes of improvement this spring with a 3.38 ERA, as well as reduced walk and home run rates. However, he racked up just 5.63 K/9 and a 40.9% ground ball rate, albeit over a small sample size.
--Andersen PickardSource: Matt Kawahara
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