February 15, 2026
New York Yankees starting pitcher
Cam Schlittler (back) is expected to resume throwing from the mound on Tuesday. The Yankees have been cautious with Schlittler, who is currently dealing with back inflammation. Schlittler should be fine in the long term, but the team doesn't want to risk aggravating the issue. For the time being, Schlittler is expected to be fully ready to go in time for Opening Day. He's coming off an excellent rookie campaign in 2025. He posted a 2.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and an 84/31 K/BB ratio in 14 starts. The 23-year-old is expected to be a mainstay in the Yankees' rotation in 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: Gary Phillips
February 15, 2026
Atlanta Braves pitcher
Hurston Waldrep (elbow) will visit with a doctor after experiencing elbow soreness following a live batting practice session. He underwent an MRI, which revealed loose bodies in his elbow, but no ligament damage. The visit with Dr. Keith Meister should help give the Braves a better timetable on when Waldrep will be able to pitch again. At the moment, it's unclear if the 23-year-old will be ready in time for Opening Day. Waldrep looked solid during his time with the Braves last season. He registered a 2.88 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 55/22 K/BB ratio across 10 games (nine starts) in 2025. The Braves were hopeful Waldrep could make a bigger impact in 2026, but this elbow issue could be a setback.
--Andy WebbSource: Mark Bowman
February 15, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals infielders
JJ Wetherholt and
Nolan Gorman could be stationed at new primary positions in 2026. As of this weekend, Wetherholt is playing second base, while Gorman is taking reps at third base. Wetherholt has yet to make his MLB debut, but he should be in St. Louis soon. He has primarily been playing shortstop, but has seen some action at second base. It looks like the Cardinals would like Wetherholt to take over second base with the team trading
Brendan Donovan this offseason. As for Gorman, he came up as a second baseman, but has been transitioning to the hot corner. He played a career-high 54 games over there last season.
Nolan Arenado has been traded, so the spot is open full-time for Gorman. The Cardinals will likely move them around, but offseason trades have given these two players a chance to play full-time infield positions.
--Andy WebbSource: Jeff Jones
February 15, 2026
New York Mets relief pitcher
Devin Williams is working hard to shake up his pitching repertoire this spring. According to Laura Albanese, Williams is incorporating a cutter and adding a gyro slider to his mix of pitches. The hope is that using the gyro slider will help protect his changeup. Williams has been throwing these pitches in bullpen sessions and will soon get a chance to use them versus live hitting. The 31-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career with the New York Yankees in 2025. He registered a 4.79 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 90/25 K/BB ratio with 18 saves in 67 appearances. The Mets gave Williams over $50 million this offseason, so he's expected to be the primary closing option. The hope is that the addition of new pitches will help Williams bounce back in 2026.
--Andy WebbSource: Laura Albanese
February 15, 2026
Texas Rangers outfielder
Brandon Nimmo is expected to function as the leadoff hitter and play right field, according to manager Skip Schumaker. This was expected to happen, but it's nice to finally have confirmation on the situation. Nimmo was traded to the Rangers in the deal that sent
Marcus Semien to the New York Mets earlier this offseason. The left-handed slugger is hopeful to give a boost to this lineup after a strong campaign in 2025. Nimmo slashed .262/.324/.436 with 25 home runs, 92 RBI, and 13 steals in 155 games with the Mets last season. The 32-year-old is a consistent hitter and durable, with 150-plus games played in each of the last four seasons. His fantasy value should remain strong, especially with him hitting in the leadoff spot.
--Andy WebbSource: Kennedi Landry
February 15, 2026
New York Mets shortstop
Francisco Lindor (hand) recently underwent surgery on his left hamate bone. Lindor is back in the Mets camp now and is very optimistic that he'll be ready to play on Opening Day. The expectation is that Lindor will need about six weeks of recovery time after having surgery. He underwent surgery last Wednesday and believes he'll be ready in time for the regular season. This certainly seems like great news, but who knows if Lindor will truly be 100 percent healthy by then. His fantasy stock should still take a hit, but possibly being ready for Opening Day is fantastic news for the Mets.
--Andy WebbSource: Anthony DiComo
February 15, 2026
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that infielder
Colt Keith will focus on third base and first base in spring training, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Keith will only return to second base if there are injury issues this year. The 24-year-old former fifth-round pick in 2020 spent most of his time at the keystone in his rookie season in 2024, but he played 24 games at second, 33 at third base, and 52 as the designated hitter for Detroit in 2025. Despite moving around the diamond last year, Keith was productive at the plate, slashing .256/.333/.413 with a .746 OPS, 13 home runs, 45 RBI, and 65 runs scored in 414 at-bats over 137 games played. The former top prospect must improve against left-handed pitchers (he had reverse splits), but with regular playing time and multi-position eligibility, he's a decent corner infield target in the later rounds of drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: Detroit News - Chris McCosky
February 15, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays right-handed reliever
Edwin Uceta (shoulder) will skip pitching in this year's World Baseball Classic due to a "little cranky" right shoulder, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The good news is that the Rays are "very confident" that Uceta will be ready for Opening Day on March 26. The 28-year-old Dominican will play a key role at the back end of Tampa's bullpen this year and is expected to share high-leverage closing duties with
Griffin Jax and
Garrett Cleavinger now that
Pete Fairbanks is no longer in town. Manager Kevin Cash said the decision to keep Uceta out of the WBC was a precautionary move. In 76 innings last year, Uceta had a 3.79 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, one save, 21 holds, a career-high 103 strikeouts, and 27 walks in 70 appearances. His 38.7% whiff rate on his four-seam fastball ranked second overall in the big leagues, and he was just one of five relievers to reach 100 K's. While he may not rack up a ton of saves, Uceta will be useful for his ratios and holds.
--Keith HernandezSource: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
February 15, 2026
Houston Astros infielder
Isaac Paredes said he'll work at first base, second base, and third base in camp this year, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Paredes also said he'll be a 100% participant in activities this spring after tearing his hamstring last year. The 26-year-old has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason and could be a man without a position on Opening Day, with
Carlos Correa set to start at third base and
Jose Altuve moving back to second base full-time. Despite playing in only 102 games in 2025 in his first year in Houston due to his hamstring injury, Paredes hit .254/352/.458 with an .809 OPS, 20 home runs, 53 RBI, and 53 runs scored in 438 plate appearances. His hamstring recovery could still be an issue, but the biggest setback for his 2026 fantasy value is his uncertain playing time if he sticks with the Astros. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 14 fantasy third baseman.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
February 15, 2026
Boston Red Sox first baseman
Triston Casas (knee) will do drills independently when the team holds its first full-squad spring training workout on Sunday, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Casas has some catching up to do after tearing his left patellar tendon on May 2 of last year. Offseason acquisition
Willson Contreras has taken his primary position (first base), but Casas thinks the BoSox will find a place for him when he's fully healthy. "When I'm healthy, I fit on any team," said Casas. Browne writes that designated hitter could be a "nice fallback" for Casas once he's 100% healthy. However, Boston could need the DH spot to deploy whichever player can't fit in the outfield on a given day. Casas said that medical professionals told him his injury typically takes a year of full recovery, which would put him on track to play again around May 1. The Red Sox's lineup lacks power, so they could use Casas' bat in their lineup, but the 26-year-old might not be ready for Opening Day, and he might not have a full-time role when he makes his season debut.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Ian Browne
February 15, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander
Brandon Woodruff (lat) said he finally feels fully healthy this spring after missing all or parts of the last three years due to a 2023 shoulder surgery and a lat strain that ended his 2025 campaign early, according to Michael Reynolds of MLB.com. Although the Brewers are being cautious with Woodruff in camp, manager Pat Murphy fully expects Woodruff to be ready for the start of the 2026 season. "It feels like I'm finally to the point where I can do stuff and I just don't have to think about my shoulder, which is a good thing," Woodruff said. The 33-year-old two-time All-Star showed diminished velocity upon his return last year, but other than that, he was excellent, going 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 83 K's in his 12 starts. He showed last year that he can still keep hitters off balance. He'll be a high-risk, high-reward No. 3 starting pitcher target in fantasy baseball drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Michael Reynolds
February 15, 2026
Boston Red Sox catcher
Carlos Narvaez will be the team's starting catcher again in 2026, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Manager Alex Cora revealed on Saturday that Narvaez's knee started to bother him in just the third game of the season and his first start behind the plate on March 29 against the Texas Rangers. "He was banged up the whole season," Cora said. Narvaez had a left-knee meniscesctomy right after the 2025 season ended. He missed three straight games from Aug. 6-9 but avoided going on the injured list during his rookie campaign. The 27-year-old was still one of the best defensive catchers in the league, although his offensive numbers tailed off in the second half. The Venezuelan backstop finished with a .241/.306/.419 slash line .726 OPS, 15 homers, and 50 RBI in 118 regular-season games. Narvaez has decent offensive skills for a catcher, but his poor plate discipline should keep his ceiling on the lower side as a No. 2 catcher in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
February 15, 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies were seeking lineup protection for first baseman
Bryce Harper and more right-handed pop this offseason, which is why they brought in outfielder
Adolis Garcia in free agency on a one-year deal. NBC Sports' Cole Weintraub writes that the Phillies are hoping Garcia can return to his 2022-23 form in Texas and slide into the team's cleanup spot. However, a cold spring from Garcia could push designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber to the four-hole after he had a .955 OPS in 2025. The 32-year-old Garcia will start in right field in his first year in Philly, but he's a gamble in fantasy baseball drafts after posting a sub-.700 OPS in back-to-back seasons. His .675 OPS last year ranked 117th out of 123 qualified hitters, and he also hit fewer than 20 homers for the first time in his career. Still, there are worse players to take a chance on in a favorable hitting environment with plenty of RBI opportunities. Remember, Garcia hit 39 homers and drove in 107 runs just two seasons ago.
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Philadelphia - Cole Weintraub
February 15, 2026
Atlanta Braves outfielder
Jurickson Profar (abdomen) underwent sports hernia surgery in November, and the procedure required six weeks of recovery, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Profar doesn't have any restrictions in spring training, though. He felt discomfort in September and again when he began his offseason workouts, prompting him to have surgery. Profar tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in March of last year and was suspended for 80 games in his first year in Atlanta. But when he was on the field, he was solid, slashing .245/.353/.434 with 14 home runs and nine stolen bases over 371 plate appearances. The 32-year-old veteran switch-hitter is expected to be the Braves' primary designated hitter in 2026. Profar is in a favorable home park and still has elite plate discipline, but fantasy managers should not expect a return to his 2024 numbers with the Padres.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
February 15, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
Daulton Varsho had a strong season at the plate in 2025, posting new career-highs in various categories. In his third season with the Jays, he slashed .238/.284/.548 with 20 home runs while maintaining a 6.3% walk rate and 28.4% strikeout rate. He also finished the year with a career-high 123 wRC+. Varsho's stats become even more impressive when you consider that he missed roughly half of the regular season due to separate shoulder and hamstring injuries. If he had stayed healthy, he could have pushed for 40 home runs. That didn't happen, but it's something to look forward to in 2026. Varsho projects to bat clean-up for the Jays this year, putting him in position to flash his power and drive in runs. As it stands, he ranks as the #54 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
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