Chicago White Sox outfielder Luisangel Acuna is starting in center field and is batting ninth on Opening Day on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Jacob Misiorowski at American Family Field, according to MLB.com. Acuna joined the Pale Hose this offseason and will operate as the club's regular center fielder to begin the 2026 season. The 24-year-old Venezuelan began his career as an infielder before being shifted to the outfield this spring in Chicago. In 95 games with the New York Mets in 2024, he slashed .234/.293/.274 with a .567 OPS, no homers, eight RBI, 30 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases in 193 plate appearances. Acuna, the younger brother of Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr., made some adjustments with his swing mechanics to try to generate more power going forward, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues should only really be counting on his speed on the basepaths.

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Milwaukee Brewers infielder David Hamilton is making the start at third base and will bat seventh for the Brewers on Opening Day on Thursday at home against the visiting Chicago White Sox and right-hander Shane Smith, according to MLB.com. Hamilton will get the nod at the hot corner for Game 1 of 162 over Luis Rengifo. The 28-year-old is primarily an option in NL-only leagues for his speed on the basepaths. Hamilton has very little power (14 home runs in 204 big-league games). In his three seasons with the BoSox, he hit .222/.283/.359 with a weak .642 OPS, 14 long balls, 47 RBI, 76 runs scored, and 57 stolen bases in 550 plate appearances. Playing time should be easier to come by now that he's in Milwaukee, but still, Hamilton could become more of a utility infielder by season's end if the Brew Crew opt for offense over defense at third base.

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New York Mets infielder Jorge Polanco is starting at first base and batting cleanup for the Mets in Thursday's Opening Day contest against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Paul Skenes, according to MLB.com. The matchup for DFS purposes against the reigning National League Cy Young winner isn't a great one for DFS for Polanco, but if he hits in the four-hole regularly this year behind Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette, he will have plenty of RBI opportunities as he splits time between first base and designated hitter in his first year in Queens. In his career against Skenes, Polanco has a hit in four at-bats. The 32-year-old Dominican switch-hitter will be looking to carry over his strong spring numbers to the regular season, as he went 9-for-29 (.310) with two home runs, four RBI, and six runs scored in 11 Grapefruit League contests.

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Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Cincinnati Reds. While manager Alex Cora previously said Mayer made the roster as Boston's starting second baseman, it appears that he won't be getting many at-bats against left-handed pitching. The Red Sox face left-hander Andrew Abbott on Thursday, and Cora has decided to start right-handed-hitting infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base over Mayer. It's not the flashiest decision, but it makes sense. Mayer had a rough rookie season at the plate, posting a .416 OPS, a 37% strikeout rate, and 6 wRC+ against left-handed pitching (27 plate appearances). He could come off the bench if the Reds bring in a right-handed reliever, and we expect him to start at second base on Saturday against right-hander Brady Singer.

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Baltimore Orioles outfield prospect Dylan Beavers (knee, quadriceps) is out of the team's Opening Day lineup on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. Tyler O'Neill is starting in right field and will hit sixth for the O's against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan. Beavers isn't quite ready to make his 2026 debut after sitting out of action the last week with tightness in his right knee and quadriceps muscle. He managed to avoid the injured list, though, so he could be back in Baltimore's starting lineup any day now. It won't be a strict platoon in right field this year, but Beavers and O'Neill are expected to share time at the position. The 24-year-old Beavers, who hits from the left side, made his big-league debut last year and went 25-for-110 (.227) with four home runs and 14 RBI in 137 plate appearances and 35 games played. He has 20/20 potential and could force his way into more playing time if he can get past his injury and get off to a hot start at the plate in his first full MLB season.

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The New York Mets have signed outfielder Tommy Pham to a minor-league contract, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com. Pham remained a free agent throughout all of spring training, which means he hasn't played in a game since September 28, 2025, with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He'll presumably need to ramp back up before he reports to the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, where he'll offer depth and a proven veteran presence. The 38-year-old continued to put the ball in play last season, slashing a modest .245/.330/.370 with an 11.1% walk rate, a 20.9% strikeout rate, and 94 wRC+ across 120 games. He bats right-handed and posted reverse splits in 2025, contributing an OPS of .716 against right-handed pitching and .651 against southpaws. Given his decent numbers at the plate last year, we wouldn't be surprised if Pham is the first player the Mets turn to when an outfielder or right-handed bat gets injured this season.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (finger) is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Los Angeles Angels. He is reportedly taking live at-bats at the Astros' Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land on Thursday morning. The 28-year-old is still recovering from a right ring finger fracture that he suffered while working out for the Dominican Republic ahead of the World Baseball Classic. Pena is trending in the right direction, as he was able to log defensive innings during the Astros' exhibition game on Tuesday. However, he's evidently not quite healthy enough to start the club's season opener. Given that the injury wasn't serious enough to warrant placement on the injured list, we'd expect to see Pena in the lineup sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Carlos Correa will play shortstop while Isaac Paredes shifts to third base.

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Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw will bat ninth and play right field during Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Between the minors and majors, Shaw has never played the outfield in a regular-season contest. However, he did spend 50 innings in right field and 14 innings in center field during spring training, indicating that the Cubs were very interested in moving him around defensively. Indeed, they'll get his bat and glove into the lineup for Game 1 of the regular season. He slashed just .226/.295/.394 last year, but he still contributed 13 home runs, 17 steals, and 93 wRC+ across 126 games. Shaw was a rookie in 2025, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him take a step forward offensively in his second season. He'll get his first chance at making that leap on Thursday as the Cubs face Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli. Shaw has never faced Cavalli before, but he posted a mere .649 OPS with a 22.0% strikeout rate and 82 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers in 2025.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jake Bauers will bat fifth and play left field during Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Chicago White Sox. Bauers wasn't projected to start, but he ended up getting into the lineup after starting left fielder Jackson Chourio (hand) was placed on the injured list just hours before first pitch. With Chourio slated to miss at least two weeks, we expect to see some combination of Bauers and Christian Yelich patrolling left field for the time being. Bauers gets the first crack at the role, with Yelich remaining in the designated hitter spot for now. The former slashed .235/.353/.399 with a 14.7% walk rate, 27.1% strikeout rate, and career-high 114 wRC+ across 86 games in the majors last year. He hits lefties much better than righties, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him start the first two contests before heading to the bench when the Brewers face White Sox southpaw Anthony Kay on Sunday.

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St. Louis Cardinals rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt will lead off and play second base in his MLB debut on Opening Day. Wetherholt made the major league roster out of spring training after playing just 47 games at Triple-A last year. He was terrific in the minors in 2025, slashing .306/.421/.510 with 17 home runs, 23 stolen bases, a 14.5% walk rate, a 14.7% strikeout rate, and 154 wRC+. The former first-round pick added 115 wRC+ this spring, walking at a 20.5% clip (albeit over a small sample size). Fantasy managers shouldn't panic if Wetherholt takes a little while to adapt to the environment of Major League Baseball and the higher caliber of pitching. He still projects as a long-term standout at the plate and in the field, offering plenty of fantasy appeal in 2026 and beyond. If he can stick in the leadoff role, he'll provide fantasy managers with frequent trips to the plate and a high potential for runs and stolen bases.

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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore has streaming appeal in fantasy baseball on Thursday. Liberatore was named the Cardinals' Opening Day starter and will get the ball against the Tampa Bay Rays. Beyond the fact that he's starting Game 1 and had an impressive 1.80 ERA with 11.4 K/9 this spring, the southpaw is a particularly appealing streaming candidate because of his matchup against Tampa Bay. The Rays' lineup projects for the sixth-lowest fWAR in 2026, according to FanGraphs, and it's laden with plenty of lefties, giving Liberatore a potential handedness advantage. Fantasy managers should consider streaming the 26-year-old on Opening Day as he faces off against the team that originally drafted him.

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New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge is batting eighth and playing right field as he makes his MLB debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day. Benge, the Mets' first-round pick in 2024, ascended from High-A to Triple-A last year, and now, he's opening the 2026 season in the majors. He earned the start after slashing .366/.435/.439 with two extra-base hits and five RBI in spring training. Extra-base hits are Benge's specialty, as he contributed 25 doubles, seven triples, and 15 homers across just 116 games in the minors last year. We'd expect him to continue demonstrating his ability to find gaps and gain extra bases with his speed as he makes his MLB debut. Assuming he holds onto his starting role, he should prove to be a great early-season waiver wire addition across fantasy baseball.

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Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich is expected to handle more appearances in the outfield as the 2026 season gets underway. After the team placed Jackson Chourio (hand) on the 10-day injured list, manager Pat Murphy said, "[Yelich] wants to play the outfield, and I think he will." This was widely expected as soon as Chourio landed on the IL. After all, Yelich was an everyday outfielder until 2024, when he logged more games at designated hitter following Chourio's debut. Presumably, Yelich will spend more time in left field, penciling Sal Frelick into right field while Garrett Mitchell and Brandon Lockridge platoon in center. We'll have to wait and see whether the increased defensive reps impact Yelich's performance at the plate. He's coming off a solid season in which he slashed .264/.343/.452 with 29 home runs -- his highest home run total since 2019. He also contributed 121 wRC+, ranking above league-average for the 13th year in a row.

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (hand) is officially in the starting lineup for Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He'll bat leadoff and play shortstop. There had been some speculation that Lindor might not be ready for the season opener after suffering a stress reaction in his hamate bone at the start of spring training. However, his recovery went well, and he even logged 19 at-bats across five games in spring training, showing that he was healthy enough to be in the lineup. As the season gets underway, Lindor will immediately face a tough opponent as the Pirates send Paul Skenes to the mound. All-time, Lindor is 2-for-6 against Skenes with a pair of singles.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio (hand) has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left hand, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. He is expected to miss two to four weeks. This is crushing news for the Brewers, just hours before their Opening Day contest against the Chicago White Sox. Chourio was terrific in his second MLB season last year, slashing .270/.308/.463 with 21 home runs, 21 walks, and 111 wRC+. He has put together a 20-20 campaign in each of his first two years at the major league level, but a delayed start to the 2026 season could threaten that streak. It's bad news for fantasy managers, too, as they'll have to quickly pivot and find a replacement for the 22-year-old, who ranked #9 among outfielders in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings and had an ADP of 21. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that he expects Christian Yelich, who logged 130 games at designated hitter last year, to play the outfield in Chourio's absence.

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The San Diego Padres announced on Wednesday that they have placed right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) on the restricted list. Darvish will miss the entire 2026 season after having UCL surgery on his right elbow last November. While he ponders whether he'll try to continue his playing career in 2027, putting him on the restricted list will allow the Padres to free up significant payroll for this year. The 39-year-old native of Japan is nearing the end of his illustrious major-league career, which began in 2012 with the Texas Rangers. Darvish is a five-time All-Star with 2,075 career strikeouts in 13 seasons with four different teams. Since the start of the 2024 season, though, he has only made 31 total starts for the Friars, going 12-8 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, 146 strikeouts, and 41 walks in 153 2/3 innings. Even if Darvish decides to return for his age-40 season in 2027, he'll be hard to trust in fantasy baseball after major elbow surgery. We wouldn't recommend stashing Darvish in dynasty/keeper leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (hand) will start a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, according to Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Holliday was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday after having surgery on Feb. 12 to remove the fractured hamate bone from his right hand, but barring a setback on his rehab assignment, he's expected to make his 2026 season debut around mid-April. Because of his hand injury, the 22-year-old was unable to play at all in any Grapefruit League games in spring training. The former first overall pick in 2022 looked overmatched in his first 60 games in the majors in 2024, but he bounced back in 2025 with a .242/.314/.375 slash line, .690 OPS, 17 home runs, 55 RBI, 70 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 149 games. If he avoids any more injuries this year, Holliday's upside as a rising young second baseman is evident. We wouldn't be surprised if he puts up his first 20-20 season despite a delayed start to the regular season.

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The Toronto Blue Jays officially placed right-hander Jose Berrios (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to March 22) on Wednesday with a right-elbow stress fracture, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Berrios hasn't been ruled out for the 2026 season, but it could be a while before we see him make his season debut for the Jays, and when he does, don't be surprised if it's in a long-relief role out of the bullpen. The 31-year-old veteran loses most of his fantasy relevance in redraft leagues due to his elbow injury after regressing in his 10th year in the big leagues in 2025 in his fourth year in Toronto. Berrios went 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 138 strikeouts and 56 walks in 166 innings over his 31 appearances (30 starts) last year. His declining profile now includes a pretty serious injury to go along with control issues and struggles with home runs. The veteran Puerto Rican's heavy workloads over the year appear to finally be catching up with him.

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The Toronto Blue Jays placed right-handed pitching prospect Trey Yesavage (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to March 22) on Wednesday with a right-shoulder impingement, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. The Blue Jays are being extremely careful with Yesavage's workload after he joined the big-league roster late in the regular season and pitched into the World Series for the team last fall. It's not a serious injury, and the 22-year-old was able to pitch on the back fields at spring training on Wednesday. It's unclear when exactly Toronto will allow him to make his 2026 season debut, but it should be at some point in April. Left-hander Eric Lauer is the biggest beneficiary for the Jays with Yesavage, Jose Berrios (elbow), and Shane Bieber (elbow) all starting on the IL. Yesavage was a top-25 MLB prospect at the conclusion of last regular season, and then he proceeded to display his upside by striking out 12 against the Dodgers in the World Series. The former 24th overall pick creates deception with his delivery and features a three-pitch mix. Lack of control is probably the biggest knock on Yesavage. He'll have workload limitations early on, but long-term, he's one of the highest-upside young starting arms in baseball.

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The Toronto Blue Jays placed right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to March 22) on Wednesday with right-elbow inflammation, according to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. Bieber was looking like a potential value pick in 2026 fantasy drafts this spring at the end of last year, but he reportedly dealt with right-forearm fatigue last year, so the Blue Jays are playing it safe with the veteran 30-year-old. Bieber has yet to throw off a mound this spring, so he has a ways to go and might not be able to make his 2026 season debut until May. He didn't debut last year until late August after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he went 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA (4.47 FIP), 1.02 WHIP, and 37:7 K:BB in 40 1/3 innings over seven regular-season starts after his return. Most promising was the fact that Bieber's velocity was up. He gave up a lot of hard contact, though, and more injury concerns going into this season make him a more volatile fantasy stash for rotation depth.

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