Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (arm) is going to open the season on the 15-day Injured List. Rodriguez is reportedly dealing with general soreness that will keep him sidelined to start the year. He's basically dealing with dead arm that will hopefully only keep him sidelined for the minimum of 15 days. Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson have been named the final two starters with Rodriguez out. Rodriguez hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2024, with him missing all of last season due to elbow issues. When healthy, Rodriguez has posted good numbers, but the arm issues make him difficult to trust as a long-term fantasy option.

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Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader (biceps) was able to throw a successful bullpen session on Sunday. The southpaw has been able to throw a few bullpen sessions, but there is no word on when he'll advance to facing hitters. Hader will begin the season on the Injured List while he recovers from a biceps injury. There doesn't seem to be a clear timetable for Hader's return right now, which makes him a risky fantasy closer. He posted a 2.05 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and a 76:16 K/BB ratio with 28 saves last season. His numbers were solid, but he also ended the season with a left-shoulder strain. Both age regression and injuries should be taken into account when deciding to draft Hader. Once healthy, Hader should resume the closer role, but Bryan Abreu figures to fill that role until he's ready to go.

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Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (finger) is currently trending towards being ready for Opening Day. The southpaw was removed from Wednesday's outing due to a blister on his left index finger. He doesn't appear to be in danger of missing Opening Day after throwing a successful bullpen session over the weekend. The Brewers will continue to monitor the situation, as blisters can often be a recurring issue. Barring any setbacks, Harrison seems likely to be ready for the beginning of the regular season. He posted a 4.04 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 38:14 K/BB ratio across six starts last season. The 24-year-old could be an interesting late-round option for fantasy managers looking for pitching depth.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (hand) was back in the starting lineup for Sunday's Freeway Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Trout was removed from Friday's Cactus League contest after getting hit by a pitch on his hand. He was immediately taken out of the game and underwent precautionary X-rays, which came back negative. The Angels gave Trout a day off to rest before he returned to the lineup on Sunday. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about this injury impacting his status for Opening Day. The three-time MVP slashed .232/.359/.439 with 26 home runs and 64 RBI in 128 games last season. His ADP is around 167, which seems fair given Trout has only played over 100 games twice since 2021.

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Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander will begin the 2026 season pitching out of the bullpen, according to manager Warren Schaeffer. Dollander was competing for the final spot in the rotation with Ryan Feltner during camp. The 24-year-old didn't make the starting rotation after posting a 6.43 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, with seven walks across 14 innings of work this spring. Last season, Dollander registered a 6.52 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and an 82:49 K/BB ratio across 21 starts with Colorado. It doesn't appear that the former first-round pick has made many improvements over the offseason. The Rockies will give Dollander a chance to prove himself out of the bullpen to start the season. There is unlikely to be much fantasy value here with Dollander probably pitching in a long relief or swingman type of role.

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Cleveland Guardians first baseman Rhys Hoskins has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The eight-year MLB veteran was in camp with the Guardians on a minor league contract with a non-roster invite. He appeared in 90 games for the Milwaukee Brewers last year, slashing .237/.332/.416 with 12 home runs, an 11.6% walk rate, a 27.7% strikeout rate, and 109 wRC+. He has posted above-average wRC+ numbers every year throughout his career, as well as this spring. Evidently, the offensive output was enough to earn him a spot on Cleveland's 26-man roster, and he'll have a chance to carve out a large workload as the team's projected designated hitter, batting fifth.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (blister) was pulled from his Cactus League start on Sunday due to a blister on his left index finger, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX19 (via radio broadcaster Tommy Thrall). Lodolo was clearly dealing with discomfort, as he threw just 10 pitches (four strikes) before exiting. He allowed two runs, including a homer, without recording a single out. It's too early to tell whether the blister might impact his availability for the Reds' opening series against the Boston Red Sox. The Reds' projected No. 2 starter is looking to build on a strong 2025 campaign in which he went 9-8 with a 3.66 xFIP, 8.96 K/9, and 1.78 BB/9. Lodolo currently ranks #30 among starting pitchers in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

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New York Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra will open the regular season in a backup role behind Austin Wells, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Ben Rice did appear in Sunday's spring training game behind the dish, but he's expected to spend most of 2026 at first base, leaving Escarra as the natural No. 2 backstop option. The 30-year-old made his MLB debut in pinstripes last year, slashing .202/.296/.333 with an 11.2% walk rate, a 14.3% strikeout rate, and 79 wRC+ across 40 big-league games (98 plate appearances). He didn't have the best batted ball results, but he posted solid discipline numbers and was significantly above average behind the dish with 3.9 framing runs and 3.3 defensive fWAR.

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Colorado Rockies right-handed pitching prospect RJ Petit (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace on the right elbow, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The operation was performed on Friday by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, and it will result in Petit missing the entire 2026 regular season. It's a crushing blow for the 6-foot-8 right-hander, who was initially trending toward making his MLB debut this year after being selected off the Detroit Tigers' roster in the Rule 5 draft. He posted a 2.74 ERA with 12.91 K/9 and 3.91 BB/9 across 23 innings at Triple-A last year. The Rule 5 eligibility restrictions will apply to Petit in 2027, when he's activated from the 60-day injured list. In the meantime, Colorado will have another decision to make regarding which pitcher will take Petit's spot on the 26-man roster for Opening Day.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski has made the starting rotation out of camp, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Manager Don Kelly said that Mlodzinski will open the year in the No. 3 spot, putting him in line to start on Sunday, March 29, against the New York Mets. Mlodzinski split the last three years between the Pirates' bullpen and rotation, ultimately logging a career-high 99 innings of work last year. Across those 99 frames, he posted a respectable 3.33 FIP with 8.09 K/9, 2.45 BB/9, and a 47.5% ground ball rate. If he sticks in the rotation for a while, he could end up commanding some fantasy consideration in deeper leagues.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver has made the Opening Day roster, according to Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports. He won the backup catcher job over Andrew Knizner, who is expected to be designated for assignment. Garver, 35, enters his third season with the Mariners and his 10th in the majors. He slashed .209/.297/.343 with 86 wRC+ at the plate last year, and he hasn't posted positive defensive fWAR since 2021 (2.0). Depending on how the Mariners manage Cal Raleigh's workload, we could see Garver come close to matching his 2025 total of 290 plate appearances. Raleigh played roughly three-quarters of last season behind the dish, with the remaining one-quarter comprising days off or designated hitter appearances.

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The Washington Nationals have acquired infielder Jorbit Vivas from the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Sean Paul Linan, according to Andrew Golden of The Baltimore Banner. Vivas logged 66 plate appearances as a rookie last season, slashing just .161/.266/.250 with a 7.6% walk rate, a 19.7% strikeout rate, and 52 wRC+. He showed slight improvement at the plate this spring with 85 wRC+. The 25-year-old finds himself near replacement level on defense, splitting time between second and third base. He was out of options, so this move suggests that the Yankees were looking for a way to recoup any sort of trade compensation, rather than simply designating him for assignment. Headed back to New York is Linan, a 21-year-old who signed with the Dodgers out of Colombia back in 2022. He was sent to Washington in last summer's Alex Call trade. Linan made 19 appearances (15 starts) in the minors last year, posting a 3.22 FIP with 12.34 K/9 and 3.84 BB/9. He impressed in the lower levels of the minors but was roughed up during a brief stint in Triple-A.

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New York Yankees first baseman/catcher Ben Rice was deployed behind the plate for the first time this spring on Sunday, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Rice is expected to be New York's primary first baseman in 2026, but he came through the minors as a catcher and caught 36 games for the Yankees in 2025. With Austin Wells locked in as the team's starter behind the plate and J.C. Escarra on the Opening Day roster as the backup, Rice may not see much time at catcher early in 2026. Still, it's noteworthy that Rice may not be limited to just first base and designated hitter in the minds of the Yankees' decision-makers. With veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on the roster, Rice may be limited to a big-side platoon role unless the team trusts him to take reps behind the plate against left-handed pitching.

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The San Francisco Giants have granted the release of left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi, according to Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News. After the Giants signed Ryan Borucki yesterday, it became clear that Lucchesi would not make the team, so he asked to be released. The southpaw should find an MLB opportunity elsewhere. Not only did he maintain a solid 3.97 FIP over 38.1 innings last year, but he also amassed three innings of work with one earned run, two strikeouts, and zero walks this spring. The 32-year-old will now have a few days to search for a new job before Opening Day arrives on Thursday.

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A first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Philadelphia Phillies outfield prospect Justin Crawford has made the team's 2026 Opening Day roster and has a chance to emerge as the Phillies' long-term answer in center field. Across 506 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2025, Crawford slashed .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs, 47 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 46 stolen bases. Crawford posted an exceptionally high 59.4% ground ball rate in the minors last year, so he is almost certain to be a negative in the power categories for fantasy managers. However, the 22-year-old has elite speed. If he can turn enough ground balls into hits to stick in the Phillies' everyday lineup, Crawford could easily rack up 30-plus stolen bases as a rookie. His profile comes with some extreme strengths and weaknesses, but Crawford has a clear carrying tool that makes him an intriguing late-round target for fantasy managers.

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After missing the entire 2024 season with a shoulder injury, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain managed to log 577 plate appearances in 2025. However, the 26-year-old had his struggles at the plate, slashing .220/.300/.343 with 15 home runs, 50 RBI, 73 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases. McLain struck out in 28.9% of his plate appearances while also recording a middling 7.7% barrel rate. Now nearly two years removed from his shoulder troubles, McLain is starting to show signs of a breakout. He has dominated Cactus League action to a .529/.571/1.020 slash line with seven home runs across 56 plate appearances. If McLain can get back to the 10.8% barrel rate he posted as a rookie in 2023, he could emerge as a legitimately high-end power/speed threat relative to his peers at second base. McLain's impressive spring should have him rising up draft boards, and he has the type of high-upside profile that could be worth gambling on for fantasy managers.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic had a breakout start to the 2025 season, posting an 8-7 record with a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts across 116 1/3 innings (20 starts). However, the 28-year-old lefty's season was cut short after he suffered a rotator cuff injury in late July. Bubic is now healthy and has been impressive so far this spring, recording a 0.75 ERA and 14 strikeouts across 12 Cactus League innings. While Bubic's fastball isn't overpowering, he still struck out nearly one batter per inning in 2025 and did a good job limiting the long ball with a 0.46 HR/9. Bubic has never logged more than 130 innings in a season and is coming off a shoulder injury, so fantasy managers may be wise to limit their expectations for his workload. Still, Bubic could be an undervalued source of quality starting pitcher production in the later rounds of drafts heading into 2026.

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New York Mets outfield prospect Carson Benge is reportedly on the verge of being named the team's Opening Day starter in right field after turning heads with his Spring Training production. Across 43 Grapefruit League plate appearances, the 23-year-old has hit .368/.442/.447. Benge may not offer much in the power category, as he has yet to homer this spring and hit just 15 long balls across 519 minor league plate appearances in 2025. However, Benge showed an advanced understanding of the strike zone and some speed in the minors, posting a 13.1% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate while swiping 22 bags in 2025. If the lefty-swinging Benge does indeed make New York's Opening Day roster, he could start the year on the big side of a platoon. Still, Benge's well-balanced profile at the plate makes him an intriguing late-round target for fantasy managers entering 2026.

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Across 151 2/3 innings (29 starts) in 2025, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore recorded an 8-12 record with a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts. While Liberatore's numbers do not jump off the page, the 26-year-old was recently named the Cardinals' 2026 Opening Day starter and appears likely to be entrusted as an innings-eating workhorse this season. Liberatore has also had an impressive Spring Training. Across 15 innings of Grapefruit League action, he's 1.80 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and just two walks. Liberatore owns an 18.9% career strikeout rate, so the 33.9% rate he's posted this spring is sure to regress. Still, if he can boost his strikeout rate from the high teens to the low twenties, Liberatore's profile becomes much more attractive to fantasy managers. In the very late rounds of drafts, Liberatore could be worth taking a flier on heading into 2026.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren emerged as a rotation staple in 2025, recording a 9-8 record with a 4.44 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 171 strikeouts across 162 1/3 innings (33 starts). While the 26-year-old had a few notable blowup outings that impacted his ratios, Warren also led all rookies in strikeouts and proved he could handle a full season's worth of a starter's workload. With Yankees starters Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Carlos Rodon (elbow) both on the Injured List to open 2026, Warren has a rotation spot in New York locked up to start the year. He has also recorded strong numbers so far this spring, pitching to a 1.77 ERA and 0.74 WHIP while allowing just three walks across 20 1/3 Grapefruit League innings. If Warren can do a better job limiting start-ruining damage while maintaining an above-average strikeout rate in his second full MLB season, he could easily outperform his current average draft position of SP95.

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