March 20, 2026
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Grayson Rodriguez (arm) played "light catch" on Friday, per Jeff Fletcher of SoCal News Group. Fletcher also reports that Rodriguez said he's not worried about a major injury, although it's still to be determined whether or not the 26-year-old will open the season on the Injured List. Injury troubles are nothing new for Rodriguez, who missed the entirety of 2025 due to an elbow issue. Rodriguez has shown he can be a productive pitcher when healthy, as he posted a 13-4 record with a 3.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 130 strikeouts across 116 2/3 innings (20 starts) in 2024. It's also a good sign that Rodriguez has not been shut down from throwing at this point. However, Rodriguez's track record of poor health, combined with his current arm troubles, makes it difficult for fantasy managers to trust him heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: SoCal News Group - Jeff Fletcher
March 20, 2026
The Washington Nationals optioned outfielder
Dylan Crews to Triple-A Rochester on Friday, per Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal. Barring an injury, it appears as though the 24-year-old former top prospect will open the 2026 season in the Minors. Crews struggled mightily across 322 plate appearances with the Nationals in 2025, slashing .208/280/.352 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 43 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases. Still, his demotion comes as a surprise, as Crews is widely considered to be one of the team's building blocks for the future as they enter another rebuilding season. Zuckerman points to Crews' spring troubles as fuel for this decision. Across 34 Grapefruit League plate appearances, Crews had recorded just three hits, none of which went for extra bases. While Crews could easily hit his way back to the big leagues with a few weeks of strong production at Triple-A, his fantasy outlook heading into 2026 has now been thrown into question.
--Will BradySource: Nats Journal - Mark Zuckerman
March 20, 2026
Seattle Mariners catcher
Cal Raleigh had one of the all-time great offensive seasons by a backstop in 2025, slashing .247/.359/.589 with 60 home runs, 125 RBI, 114 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases across 705 plate appearances. With a career 15.4% barrel rate and 153 career home runs to his name across 623 total MLB games, Raleigh's ability to hit for power is not up for debate. He also lowered his strikeout rate to a career-best 26.7% in 2025, which could help his batting average in 2026 stay closer to his 2025 mark than his career average of .226. While Seattle will deploy Raleigh at designated hitter on days when he needs a break from catching, it may be difficult for him to reach 700 plate appearances for the second straight year. However, even if his counting stats regress across the board, Raleigh still projects as the number one catcher in fantasy baseball by a significant margin. Managers will have to pay a steep price in drafts to get Raleigh on their teams, but his upside relative to his positional peers may make him worth it.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 20, 2026
Los Angeles Angels outfielder
Josh Lowe (oblique) is starting in left field and will hit fifth in Friday's Cactus League game against the Chicago White Sox, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. It's the first time that Lowe will play the outfield since injuring his oblique. Lowe had been serving as the designated hitter to ease his way back into action, and he even hit a grand slam in a Cactus League game on Wednesday. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger looks to be just fine for Opening Day next week. Staying healthy has been an issue for Lowe in his five-year major-league career, playing in over 108 games just one time. He hit 20 home runs and stole 32 bases in his best season in 2023 with the Tampa Bay Rays, but he has just 21 combined home runs in the last two seasons while battling various oblique injuries. If he can stay healthy, Lowe has clear 20-20 potential in his new home in Anaheim as he likely rotates between outfield and designated-hitter duties.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
March 20, 2026
The Athletics optioned infielder
Zack Gelof to Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, according to the team. The A's will give Gelof a little more time to dial in his swing in the minors after he returned late to spring training this year after recovering from surgery to fix a dislocated right shoulder in the offseason. The 26-year-old former second-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Virginia hit .278 (5-for-18) in spring training with a double, RBI, five runs scored, three walks, and four strikeouts in six Cactus League games. Gelof appeared to be the second baseman of the future for the A's after his rookie season, but he led the league in strikeouts in 2024 and has struggled to stay healthy the last two years. In his three MLB seasons, Gelof has hit just .225/.287/.397 with a .684 OPS, 33 home runs, 88 RBI, 112 runs, and 40 stolen bases in 237 games. The A's aren't giving up on Gelof just yet, but he's going to need to prove it to regain playing time at the big-league level in 2026, and he must first stay healthy.
--Keith HernandezSource: A's Communications
March 20, 2026
Minnesota Twins right-hander
Mick Abel will make the team's Opening Day roster with right-hander
Zebby Matthews being sent to Triple-A St. Paul, according to Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. Abel has won a starting rotation spot to begin the 2026 regular season over Matthews after posting a 1.35 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP, 17 strikeouts, and only one walk in 13 1/3 Grapefruit League innings over his four starts this spring. The 24-year-old took a 10-inning scoreless streak into his last outing. The former 15th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020 made his big-league debut in 2025 and had a 6.23 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 39:16 K:BB in 39 innings over 10 outings (eight starts) with the Phillies and Twins. Abel has had concerning walk rates in the minors and in his first taste of the big leagues, so if he can clean that up like he has this spring, he will have a shot to stick at the back end of Minnesota's starting rotation. Abel's leash will be short in the big leagues, though, as he has minor-league options remaining.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pioneer Press - Betsy Helfand
March 20, 2026
The Minnesota Twins optioned right-hander
Zebby Matthews to Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, according to Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. Even with
Pablo Lopez (elbow) injured, Matthews won't make the team's Opening Day starting rotation, paving the way for right-hander
Mick Abel to make the team. The 25-year-old struggled again in 2025 in his second time in the big leagues, going 5-6 with a 5.56 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with 88 strikeouts and 24 walks in 79 1/3 innings over his 16 starts, but his underlying metrics painted a different picture. The former eighth-rounder looked great at St. Paul, posting a 1.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 47 strikeouts and only nine walks in 36 2/3 innings. Matthews has a wide range of fantasy outcomes in 2026, but for now, since he's starting in the minors, he's mainly just a stash candidate with plenty of upside in AL-only and dynasty/keeper leagues. Matthews should be Minnesota's first option for a call-up if a rotation arm is needed early this season.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pioneer Press - Betsy Helfand
March 20, 2026
Cleveland Guardians pitchers
Emmanuel Clase and
Luis L. Ortiz will shift to unpaid non-disciplinary leave, per an agreement between the league and the Players Association, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Clase and Ortiz were previously being paid as they await trial for a pitch-rigging scheme. The two pitchers were put on non-disciplinary paid leave last July amid allegations of sports gambling. They were indicted last November and remain away from the team. There is no timetable for a resolution in the cases, with both pitchers pleading not guilty. The 28-year-old Clase was one of the best closers in baseball before the allegations surfaced, and he had 40-plus saves in three straight seasons for Cleveland from 2022 to 2024. He was up to 24 saves in 48 relief appearances last year before he was put on non-disciplinary leave. There's a good chance we won't see either pitcher appear in the big leagues again.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
March 20, 2026
The Minnesota Twins announced on Friday that right-hander
Joe Ryan will be their Opening Day starter for next Thursday's game in Baltimore against the Orioles at Camden Yards. Ryan will get the nod after being named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2025, when he went 13-10 for the Twins with a career-low 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP with 194 strikeouts and 39 walks in 31 appearances (30 starts) over 171 innings. He had a back injury flare up in February, but he's fine now and is ready for the start of his sixth year in the big leagues. Despite not throwing very hard compared to most other pitchers in the big leagues nowadays, Ryan gets plenty of swing and misses and has posted a 27.6% career strikeout rate in his 641 1/3 innings pitched. When healthy, he has a high fantasy floor in a pitcher-friendly ballpark in Minnesota. RotoBaller has Ryan ranked as the No. 21 fantasy starting pitcher in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Minnesota Twins
March 20, 2026
Minnesota Twins right-handed reliever
Liam Hendriks triggered an opt-out in his minor-league contract and was granted his release by the team on Friday, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Hendriks will be looking to latch on with another team before the start of the 2026 regular season next week. The 37-year-old Australian veteran will probably have to settle for another minor-league deal, though, and will most likely have to start the year in the minors as he tries to work his way back to the big leagues. Hendriks is in his 15th MLB season. He only appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox in 2025 due to elbow and hip injuries, and he missed the entire 2024 season as well. When he did pitch last year, he wasn't very effective, posting a 6.59 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and seven walks in 13 2/3 innings. The three-time All-Star doesn't appear to have much left in the tank and hasn't been able to stay healthy in recent years.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
March 20, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays left-hander
Eric Lauer "should once again move into the rotation" to begin the 2026 season now that right-hander
Trey Yesavage (shoulder) will start the year on the injured list, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Manager John Schneider hasn't guaranteed Lauer a rotation spot, but Lauer appears to have "gone from eighth starter to the top five in a matter of weeks." The 30-year-old southpaw got up to 70 pitches in his most recent spring training outing. Lauer has allowed eight earned runs in 8 1/3 Grapefruit League innings this spring, but he has struck out seven and only walked two in his four starts, and he was tremendous for the Blue Jays' rotation a year ago, when he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 102:26 K:BB in 104 2/3 innings over 28 appearances (15 starts). At least until Toronto's rotation arms get healthy, Lauer could be a nice matchup-based sleeper in deeper fantasy leagues. In addition to Yesavage, both righties
Shane Bieber (forearm) and
Jose Berrios (elbow) will start on the IL.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
March 20, 2026
New York Mets outfield prospect
Carson Benge appears poised to win a spot on the Opening Day roster after impressing the team in spring training, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. "Carson Benge has made this team. The Mets have not announced that officially," Sherman said. Sherman goes on to explain that the 23-year-old former 19th overall pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma State looks like he belongs with the major-league group. His spring numbers back it up, too, as he came into Friday hitting .406 (13-for-32) with no homers, a double, a triple, five RBI, five runs scored, a stolen base, three walks, and five strikeouts in 11 Grapefruit League games. If Benge does make the Opening Day roster, the left-handed-hitting outfielder would most likely be on the strong side of a platoon in right field. The former two-way player is extremely athletic and slashed .281/.385/.472 with an .857 OPS, 15 homers, 73 RBI, 87 runs, and 22 steals in 116 games over three minor-league levels in 2025. Benge's power/speed upside could make him a favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year honors if he's in the big leagues from Day 1 in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Joel Sherman
March 20, 2026
Houston Astros outfield prospect
Brice Matthews will start in left field in the team's Grapefruit League matchup on Friday night against the Miami Marlins, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Matthews got off to a hot start at the plate this spring but comes into Friday hitting .226 (7-for-31) with a home run, nine RBI, six runs scored, six stolen bases, six walks, and 11 strikeouts in 37 plate appearances over 13 games played. The 24-year-old has primarily been an infielder in his time in the minors, but he has been working in the outfield this spring for the Astros and has been impressive. The former first-rounder (28th overall) in 2023 hit .260/.371/.458 with an .830 OPS, 17 homers, 64 RBI, 70 runs, and 41 steals in 112 games at Triple-A Sugar Land before going 7-for-42 (.167) with four homers and nine RBI in his first 13 big-league games. Although Matthews has been playing the outfield, he still could be the eventual replacement at second base down the road for
Jose Altuve. Per MLB Pipeline, he's the team's No. 4 prospect. Because of his quick-twitch athleticism and impressive bat speed, Matthews has the potential to hit 30 home runs.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
March 20, 2026
San Francisco Giants first base prospect
Bryce Eldridge won't make the 2026 Opening Day roster, but the team expects him to contribute in the majors later this season, according to Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News. Eldridge got a small taste of big-league action last year, slashing .107/.297/.179 with an 18.9% walk rate and 35.1% strikeout rate. He has posted similarly high walk and strikeout rates this spring while slashing .225/.380/.450 with one home run, six RBI, and 118 wRC+. The Giants evidently have no interest in rushing Eldridge into a full-time role before he's ready, so he'll start the year at Triple-A and continue to develop there until the Giants are ready to call him up again. Upon returning to the majors, he'd presumably split time between first base and designated hitter.
--Andersen PickardSource: Justice delos Santos
March 20, 2026
Cleveland Guardians infielder
Brayan Rocchio is projected to open the 2026 regular season next week as the team's starter at second base, according to Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal. Rocchio, who was previously the team's regular shortstop, will form a double-play combination with shortstop
Gabriel Arias. The 25-year-old switch-hitting Venezuelan has never hit much in the big leagues and doesn't really have notable speed, either, so it's unlikely he'll suddenly become a fantasy asset in mixed leagues in 2026 despite a strong finish to last year and a strong spring training. Rocchio came into Friday hitting .313 (10-for-32) with a homer, four RBI, three runs, and two steals in 12 Cactus League games. In his three big-league seasons, he's slashed just .222/.293/.327 with a .620 OPS, 13 homers, 88 RBI, 93 runs, and 18 stolen bases in 281 total games. If Rocchio falls into a deep slump at some point during the year, his job could be in danger at the keystone in Cleveland.
--Keith HernandezSource: Akron Beacon Journal - Ryan Lewis
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