Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Andrew Painter is set to make his spring debut on Sunday against the New York Yankees. Painter is currently in contention for the final spot in the starting rotation, and a strong showing in camp should put him as the favorite to claim it. Last summer, Painter returned to the bump for the first time since 2022 (after undergoing Tommy John surgery) and found little consistency. Across 106 2/3 innings at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the former 13th overall pick posted a modest 5.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, with a 111:46 K:BB. However, before undergoing surgery in 2022, Painter posted a stellar 1.56 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over 103 2/3 innings at the lower levels. During camp, the Phillies have noted that the right-hander has shown improved command and looks far more comfortable another year removed from his surgery. Painter remains a prime late-round sleeper given that immense strikeout upside he flashed early in his career.

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New York Mets outfield prospect Carson Benge was perfect at the plate on Wednesday afternoon and continues to make a strong case to be on the Opening Day roster. Facing the Astros, the team's top hitting prospect went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish (all singles). Given New York's current outfield situation, Benge could make a strong case to begin the regular season as the team's primary right fielder, as Juan Soto is slated to shift to left field. Last summer, Benge began the season at High-A but was able to reach Triple-A in the second half. While he posted a dominant .317/.407/.571 line across 32 games at Double-A, Benge faced some growing pains during his first stint at Triple-A, posting a much lower .178/.272/.311 line. Despite this, Benge will continue to have an opportunity to claim the starting job from veterans Tyrone Taylor and Mike Tauchman. He remains an intriguing late-round target in five-outfielder formats.

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Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said he pulled third baseman Josh Jung (hamstring) from the Cactus League lineup on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox as a precaution because he "felt something" in his hamstring, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Schumaker said that Jung "wasn't thrilled that I pulled him." Jung is likely to be back in the lineup on Friday, so it's obviously nothing serious. The 28-year-old should be fine, but it's worth noting for a player who has struggled to stay on the field early in his career due to injuries. Jung played a career-high 131 games in 2025 and slashed .251/.294/.390 with a .684 OPS, 14 home runs, 61 RBI, 53 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 511 plate appearances. Injuries in the last two seasons have caused his batted-ball metrics to dip and his draft stock to slide. Jung still has plenty of power from the right side, though, and isn't a bad depth option at the hot corner if you're looking for home runs.

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New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea performed like an ace in the second half of 2024 after lowering his arm slot to emulate Chris Sale. In 2025, Manaea went even lower with his arm slot, but it didn't work, and he also dealt with elbow and oblique injuries before finishing with a 5.64 ERA in just 60 2/3 innings. The Athletic's Will Sammon writes that Manaea is "one of the Mets' biggest X-factors" in 2026, and while working with Tread Athletics over the offseason, he is "closer to where he was at his best in 2024" in terms of his revised arm slot. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw is also feeling totally healthy this spring. Pitching coach Justin Willard describes Manaea's fastball as "elite" because it's "a different pitch than hitters are used to seeing." Manaea has relied mostly on his fastball and sweeper in recent seasons, but he's working more on his changeup to potentially bring it back. Manaea isn't a bad late-round flier in fantasy drafts to mitigate the risk of an aging pitcher with two above-average seasons since 2020.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Cody Ponce made his Grapefruit League debut on Wednesday and threw a clean inning with no walks, no hits, and two strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. Ponce is an interesting arm going into the 2026 season in the middle of Toronto's starting rotation. The Jays signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract in December after he was named the MVP of the Korean League last year with the Hanwha Eagles, where he had an impressive 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 252:41 K:BB in 180 2/3 innings pitched. Ponce won't have it easy as he returns to the majors in the tough American League East and in a hitter-friendly home ballpark, but he's returning with a better splitter and the addition of a kick-change. The 31-year-old had a 5.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 48:17 K:BB in 20 outings (five starts) in 2020 and 2021 with the Pirates. Ponce will be one to watch in deep-mixed leagues and a sleeper for those in AL-only leagues.

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Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler (shoulder) threw his first bullpen session this spring on Thursday since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery on Sept. 23 of last year, which involved the removal of a rib, according to Corey Seidman of Sports Illustrated. Wheeler felt great after throwing 21 fastballs on Thursday. When asked if Wheeler could be ready to pitch in a big-league game six weeks from Thursday, manager Rob Thomson said, "Possibly." It's also possible that he could pitch in a Grapefruit League game, but it's still unclear. Barring soreness or a setback, Wheeler should be expected to throw another bullpen on Sunday. Wheeler will begin the 2026 season on the injured list, but if he continues to progress at this pace, it's possible he could make his season debut in April. Still, the 35-year-old veteran isn't a lock to return to his ace form, which is why he's dropped in the starting pitching rankings to No. 48 overall at RotoBaller.

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New York Mets right-handed pitching prospect Nolan McLean was dominant in his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday against the Houston Astros, allowing no runs on one hit, one walk, and six strikeouts in four innings pitched, according to MLB Pipeline. The No. 6 overall prospect in all of baseball picked up where he left off after posting a 2.06 ERA in eight starts for the Mets last year in his MLB debut. McLean retired 12 of the 14 batters he faced on the day and topped out at 97.9 mph on the radar gun with his fastball. The 24-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 out of Oklahoma State University should be considered a top-100 overall fantasy player going into his first full year in the big leagues. In addition to his 2.06 ERA in New York in 2025, McLean had a 1.04 WHIP, 57 strikeouts, 16 walks, and a 61.1% ground-ball rate in 48 innings. McLean already has an advanced arsenal with multiple offspeed pitches that can also generate swings and misses. He's one of the most attractive young arms in the game.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that the team is "holding out hope" that if right-hander Merrill Kelly (back) can ramp up his throwing "sooner than later," that he'll have time to get ready to pitch in the second series of the season and "avoid the injured list," according to The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro. It was believed that the 37-year-old would open the 2026 season on the IL, and that's still likely to be the outcome, with the D-backs probably preferring not to rush the veteran hurler back early in the year. When healthy, Kelly is a top-of-the-rotation arm for Arizona, even though his fantasy baseball value is limited due to his lack of strikeouts (22% career strikeout rate). Kelly opened the 2025 season with the D-backs before being traded to the Rangers at midseason. He finished with a 3.52 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 167:48 K:BB in 184 innings (32 starts). An aging pitcher with an injury concern heading into the season isn't exactly a strong late-round fantasy target.

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The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Foul Territory on Thursday that it looks like Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Konnor Griffin is "trending toward being" the team's Opening Day shortstop. It was seen as a bit of a stretch going into spring training, since Griffin is only 19 years old and has played just 21 games in the minors above High-A. However, he's the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball, and Rosenthal says the Pirates think he can be the hitting version of a "unicorn" that right-hander Paul Skenes is. It puts a lot of expectations and pressure on Kriffin, but despite still being a teenager, he is "put together physically," is mature beyond his years, and has a good head on his shoulders. Rosenthal thinks it's possible that Griffin can be one of those rare players like Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout, and Juan Soto that can immediately come to the big leagues and succeed. The hype is real and will continue to inflate his ADP going into the 2026 season.

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Updating a previous report, Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (abdomen) left Thursday's Grapefruit League game with right-side abdominal discomfort, the team announced. Basallo was injured when he reached out to tag Matt Vierling out on a play at the plate. The 21-year-old Dominican backstop eventually walked off the field under his own power, and he should be considered day-to-day for now. After making his MLB debut last year, the left-handed hitter is expected to see plenty of playing time behind the dish in Baltimore if he's healthy in 2025, allowing Adley Rutschman to play first base or serve as the designated hitter. Basallo hit only .165/.229/.330 with a .559 OPS over a small sample size of 31 games played last year, but he's a rising young catching talent who should be considered a high-end No. 2 fantasy catcher as long as this injury isn't serious.

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The Minnesota Twins scratched third baseman Royce Lewis (side) from Thursday's Grapefruit League game after he experienced tightness in his right side after running the bases before the game, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Lewis was scratched "out of an abundance of caution." It makes sense for the Twins to proceed cautiously with the 26-year-old, who has a lengthy history of injuries. The former first overall pick in 2017 played in a career-high 106 games for the Twins last year but disappointed offensively, slashing .237/.283/.388 with a career-low .671 OPS, 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 36 runs scored, and a career-high 12 stolen bases in 403 plate appearances. Lewis missed over a month of the season last year due to a strained left hamstring he suffered in spring training. He has played in only 70 games in his first two years in the big leagues due to injuries. Lewis' power is well above-average at third base, but durability concerns make him a risk/reward as a top-15 fantasy third baseman.

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Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (undisclosed) was injured on a play at the plate in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Detroit Tigers, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Basallo tagged the runner out, but then stayed down for a bit and was checked by head athletic trainer Scott Barringer. The Orioles removed Basallo from the game, but he was able to walk off the field under his own power. It appeared to be some sort of oblique or core-muscle injury, as the 21-year-old immediately grabbed at his midsection. We'll have more details on the severity and specific nature of Basallo's injury when they become available. The former top prospect is expected to do more catching in Baltimore this year, which will allow Adley Rutschman to play either first base or serve as the designated hitter. In his major-league debut in 31 games last year, Basallo went 18-for-109 (.165) with four homers, 15 RBI, and 30 K's in 118 plate appearances. He's an up-and-coming catcher in the big leagues, but he could sit often against lefties.

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New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Weathers looked good in his Grapefruit League debut with the Yankees on Wednesday, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings with no walks and five strikeouts against the Washington Nationals, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. In an effort to stay healthy in 2026 after two injury-riddled seasons, the 26-year-old southpaw has a new routine after working at Peak Kinetic Performance in the offseason. He eliminated some lifting patterns in the weight room and implemented more ground-based rolling exercises that focus on his spine. Weathers is hoping the changes he made in the offseason will keep him healthier, and he surely flashed his talent on Wednesday, topping out at a career-high 99.8 mph while averaging a 16-inch vertical break. The rest of his arsenal looked great, too, and he generated 12 whiffs. The former first-rounder has shown flashes, but injuries have held him back. His upside alone makes him worth a late-round dart throw in mixed fantasy leagues.

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The Athletics have made a long-term extension offer to American League Rookie of the Year first baseman Nick Kurtz, two sources told Joel Sherman of the New York Post. There's no word on whether the two sides will actually get something done this spring, but the team has done pre-arbitration extensions with outfielder Lawrence Butler, first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom, and shortstop Jacob Wilson. Going into his second MLB season, Kurtz is already the top-ranked fantasy first baseman at RotoBaller after hitting .290/.383/.619 with a 1.002 OPS, 36 home runs, 86 RBI, and 90 runs scored in 489 plate appearances in 117 games in 2025. The most impressive feat is the fact that he almost hit .300 despite striking out 30% of the time. Fantasy managers should expect regression with his average if he continues to whiff at that rate, but Kurtz's power upside from the left side is already elite, especially at one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the league.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is playing in left field in the Cactus League game on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs, and the Angels are going to move him around in all three outfield spots this spring to "see what works best," according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Trout wants to return to center field, where he feels most comfortable, but that might not be in the Angels' best interest if they want to keep the aging outfielder healthy for the entire season. The 34-year-old three-time MVP, 11-time All-Star, and nine-time Silver Slugger winner started as the team's right fielder in 2025 before eventually becoming the full-time designated hitter after suffering a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee in late April. Trout will eventually be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he's past his prime now and has durability issues. At the right price, though, Trout still has plenty of fantasy value after hitting 26 homers last year. He's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 45 fantasy outfielder.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that left-hander Shane McClanahan (triceps) did well in throwing "two innings" of live batting practice on Thursday in camp, and he's scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut next Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 28-year-old southpaw and two-time All-Star is currently the No. 69-ranked fantasy starting pitcher at RotoBaller, but his 2026 value will continue to rise if he proves he's fully healthy in spring training action. McClanahan last pitched in the big leagues in 2023, so there is obviously a lot of risk in rostering a pitcher that will surely have some workload restrictions this year, at least early on. He's a risk/reward fantasy selection who could struggle to return to his pre-injury form. McClanahan had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and then suffered a freak nerve injury to his triceps that kept him from pitching at all last year.

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Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle (wrist), who was scratched from Wednesday's Cactus League lineup due to left-wrist soreness, said he underwent imaging on his wrist, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The results haven't come back yet. The Rockies announced that the move to scratch Doyle was precautionary, but we'll have a better idea of whether his status for Opening Day will be in question when the MRI results are released. If Doyle were to miss any time to begin the 2026 regular season, Jake McCarthy would most likely slide over to center field in Denver. Doyle, 27, broke out with 23 homers and 30 stolen bases in 149 games in his sophomore season in 2024, only to regress last year with a .233/.274/.376 slash line, .651 OPS, 15 homers, 57 RBI, 57 runs, and 18 steals in 138 games. Doyle's batted-ball metrics show that he was a bit unlucky last year, so if fully healthy, a rebound could be in store.

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San Diego Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui (groin) has officially been ruled out for next month's World Baseball Classic with Team Japan, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Matsui is recovering from a left-groin strain that he suffered in a recent live batting practice session in camp with the Padres. He has resumed playing catch, but he hasn't thrown off a mound, and his status for Opening Day in late March is also in question. In his two seasons in San Diego since coming over from Japan, Matsui has a 3.86 ERA in 125 appearances out of the bullpen. He resides in one of the best bullpens in baseball, but as more of a middle-inning arm, he has limited fantasy value. "Right now, I'm just continuing the throwing progression, getting intensities and distances of [playing] catch back up," Matsui said. "Once it's good enough, then I'll start throwing off the mound. But as to when, we don't know yet. We're not sure yet [about Opening Day]."

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The Athletic's Dan Hayes reports that the Minnesota Twins were pleased to learn on Wednesday that right-hander Pablo Lopez's (elbow) surgery to fix a "significant" tear in the UCL of his right elbow was "less invasive" than a standard Tommy John surgery. Dr. Keith Meister was able to use an elbow graft from Lopez's 2014 TJ surgery to add an internal brace. The Twins are now "optimistic" about Lopez's chances of returning closer to the start of the 2027 season. The 29-year-old will have an MRI exam in roughly five months, at which point we should have a better idea of when he might be able to return to pitching. Fantasy managers should have already taken Lopez off their draft boards for the 2026 season. All things considered, it's good news for Lopez, but a second major right-elbow surgery means that he'll be more of a gamble as the Twins' ace next year.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki allowed three runs, three hits, and two walks in 1 1/3 innings in his Cactus League debut on Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It wasn't a good start to spring action for Sasaki, who is trying to win a starting rotation spot going into his second MLB season. The Japanese hurler had a 4.46 ERA (5.80 FIP) and 1.43 WHIP with 28 strikeouts and 22 walks in 36 1/3 innings over 10 appearances (eight starts) during the regular season last year before becoming a key piece at the back end of L.A.'s bullpen during their run to a second straight World Series championship. Sasaki struck out three on Wednesday, but he threw only 17 of his 36 pitches for strikes. His fastball topped out at 98.6 mph. Manager Dave Roberts thought Sasaki was overthrowing, but he's not too worried after just one spring outing. The 24-year-old's upside is intriguing, but until he figures out his control issues, he'll be a wild card in fantasy.

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