Colorado Rockies outfielder/first baseman Tyler Freeman (back) will start the 2026 regular season on the 10-day injured list due to lower-back inflammation, according to Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette. Freeman dealt with back issues this spring, and the setback he had last week means he won't be ready for Opening Day this week. The 26-year-old's back injury isn't considered very serious, though, so the hope is that he has a minimal stay on the IL and makes his season debut early in April. Freeman, a former second-round pick in 2017 by the Cleveland Guardians, played in 110 games in his first year in Denver in 2025 and hit an impressive .281 (106-for-377) with two homers, 31 RBI, 50 runs, and 18 stolen bases in 428 plate appearances. He's a contact over power-oriented hitter, limiting his fantasy appeal to mostly NL-only leagues as a utility man in Colorado once he's healthy. In addition to having limited power, Freeman probably won't be of much help away from hitter-friendly Coors Field, either.

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The Detroit Tigers optioned infield prospect Jace Jung to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, according to the Detroit Free Press' Evan Petzold. For now, Jung will operate as third base depth for the Tigers in the minors. The 25-year-old former 12th overall pick in 2022 out of Texas Tech has played in 55 total big-league games with the Tigers in the last two years and has hit just .190 (24-for-126) with no homers, six RBI, 22 runs, no steals, 22 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 149 plate appearances. He looked pretty bad at the plate in his first stint with Detroit in 2025 before finishing in a better spot with the lumber. Issues making contact at the plate have been a big concern for Jung, the younger brother of Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. He will need to make some notable improvements with the Mud Hens at Triple-A before getting a shot in the majors again in 2026. Jung is a hold in dynasty/keeper leagues right now, with many managers likely considering selling low on him.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez will open the 2026 season at Triple-A Toledo, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Perez is the odd man out for the Opening Day roster after infield prospect Kevin McGonigle made the team out of spring training. With the 26-year-old starting the season on the farm, fantasy managers should expect Matt Vierling to see most of the playing time in right field in Detroit to begin the year. Perez, a switch-hitter, didn't help his cause in spring training by hitting .158 (6-for-38) with no homers, three RBI, four runs, two stolen bases, three walks, and 12 strikeouts in 16 Grapefruit League games. The Dominican outfielder will be up with Detroit eventually after hitting .244/.308/.430 with a .738 OPS, 13 home runs, 43 RBI, 47 runs, and eight steals in 100 games in 2025 in his second year in the majors. When he returns to the big leagues, expect Perez to be in some sort of a platoon in the outfield, limiting his fantasy appeal in redraft leagues to deep-mixed and AL-only affairs.

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Bubba Chandler appears set to open the season in the team's starting rotation, though no official confirmation has been made yet by the team. Right now, RosterResource projects the Pirates' top-ranked pitching prospect as the team's No. 3 starter. The right-hander didn't have the cleanest of springs, but looked sharp his last time out, allowing just one run on one hit while striking out eight batters and walking only one over five innings of work. The 6-foot-3 hurler finished 2025 on a high note as well, allowing just two earned runs over his final three starts while recording a pristine 19:0 K:BB in 16 2/3 innings pitched. Hopefully he can carry that momentum into 2026, and if he can, then the 23-year-old could end up as a real value pick in fantasy drafts, currently going around pick No. 160, whereas RotoBaller ranks him at 145 overall.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that second baseman Ketel Marte was scratched from Tuesday's exhibition game against the Cleveland Guardians due to soreness, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. There is "no concern" about Marte's status for Opening Day on Thursday. Ildemaro Vargas is starting at the keystone on Tuesday against Cleveland with Marte sitting out. The 32-year-old Dominican is the second-ranked fantasy second baseman at RotoBaller, behind only the Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. In a hitter-friendly home environment in Phoenix, the three-time All-Star has at least 25 home runs in each of the last three years while recording at least 72 RBI as well. Marte's 145 wRC+ led all qualified players at second base in 2025 for the second straight year. Additionally, he has hit .283 over the last three seasons for the D-backs. It doesn't get much better than Marte at the second base position in MLB.

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Philadelphia Phillies shortstop prospect Aidan Miller (back) likely won't be ready for Opening Day at Triple-A Lehigh Valley due to an ongoing back issue. The Phils' top-ranked prospect dealt with a back injury late last year that prevented him from participating in the Arizona Fall League, and it has lingered into 2026, resulting in Miller being unable to play in any Grapefruit League games before being reassigned to minor league camp in mid March. Unfortunately, the organization has not yet provided a timetable for his return, so it's not clear when he's expected to make his 2026 debut. The 21-year-old could make his major league debut later this year if he gets going at Triple-A once he returns, and will be a top stash candidate once healthy.

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Houston Astros outfield prospect Kevin Alvarez will begin the season with Single-A Fayetteville, per Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. The Astros' top-ranked prospect was part of the 2025 international signing class and performed well in the Dominican Summer League last year as a 17-year-old, recording a .301/.419/.455 slash line with a 23:19 BB:K in 47 games there. The team clearly feels he is advanced enough to skip over playing rookie ball with the club's Florida Complex League affiliate, so he'll begin at Single-A instead. The 18-year-old possesses good contact ability along with projectable power in his 6-foot-3 frame, and it will be interesting to see how he fares stateside. Regardless, he's not expected to debut in the majors for a few years, but he could quickly become a desirable dynasty asset if he continues to live up to his top-prospect billing.

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New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil will start the 2026 campaign in the minors to stay built up until the team needs a fifth starter, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post. Despite Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Carlos Rodon (elbow) not being ready for the start of the regular season, the 27-year-old Gil was unable to crack the Opening Day four-man rotation in the Bronx. The Yankees won't need a fifth starter until April 11 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Gil didn't make his debut in 2025 until early August after he suffered a lat strain in spring training last March. The Dominican hurler was named American League Rookie of the Year in 2024, but he managed to make only 11 regular-season starts last year, posting a 3.32 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 41:33 K:BB in 57 innings. Gil's lowered strikeout rate and poor chase rate likely had something to do with his injury last year, but it has fantasy managers and the Yankees wondering if he can get back to his 2024 form. Although he could make his 2026 debut early in April, Gil won't be a lock for a rotation spot once Cole and Rodon return.

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Seattle Mariners outfield prospect Lazaro Montes will begin the season at Double-A Arkansas, per Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. The Mariners' fourth-ranked prospect played nearly half of his games in 2025 there after starting the season at High-A. The powerful left-handed hitter blasted 32 home runs in '25, 14 of which came in 64 games at Double-A. With his big-time power comes a lot of swing-and-miss, though, as the 6-foot-5 slugger registered a 30.5 percent strikeout rate during his time with Arkansas (career 27.1 percent K%). It was somewhat offset by a strong 12.4 percent walk rate (career 15.2 percent BB%), but with just a .213 AVG at Double-A, the team would surely like to see the Cuban take a step forward in 2026 before sending him on to Triple-A. With a strong showing at both levels, there's a chance MLB's No. 43 overall prospect makes a late-season debut, but 2027 is when he'll likely begin making an impact for fantasy. Redraft managers should keep an eye on his progress, as the power is for real, and if he gets the call in September, he could provide a home-run boost for teams in need.

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Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (illness) is back at second base and is batting second in the team's exhibition game on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. McLain caught a bug going around the team's clubhouse and was held out of Monday's exhibition game. The 26-year-old former 17th overall pick in 2021 out of UCLA has major bounce-back potential for fantasy managers in 2026 near the top of a powerful Reds lineup. McLain turned heads as a rookie in 2023 with a .290/.357/.507 slash line with 16 homers, 50 RBI, and 14 stolen bases, but he missed all of 2024 due to injuries and returned as a disappointment last year. He hit .220/.300/.343 in 2025 with 15 homers, 50 RBI, and 18 steals in 147 games played. McLain has mashed this spring, going 27-for-51 (.529) with seven homers and 16 RBI in 17 Cactus League games. He's an excellent choice as a starting second baseman in fantasy after some of the high-end names at the position come off the board.

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MLB.com's Jessica Camerato and Paige Leckie have Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile starting in right field for the team going into the 2026 regular season this week. Lile will get the nod next to left fielder James Wood and center fielder Jacob Young after the team surprisingly optioned Dylan Crews to Triple-A Rochester at the end of spring training. Outfield prospect Robert Hassell III is also beginning the year at Rochester. Lile, a former second-round pick in 2021, made his major-league debut in 2025 and hit an impressive .299/.347/.498 with an .845 OPS, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 51 runs, and eight stolen bases in 351 plate appearances over 91 games played. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter makes plenty of contact and has emerging power and speed skills. His defense won't do him any favors, though, and he'll likely need to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump in 2026 to hold Crews off eventually. Still, there's a lot to like about his profile in dynasty/keeper leagues, and he's now firmly on the radar in mixed fantasy leagues as well. RotoBaller has Lile ranked as the No. 44 fantasy outfielder in 2026.

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Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz is projected to be the team's primary catcher entering the 2026 regular season, according to Jessica Camerato and Paige Leckie of MLB.com. This was the expectation after the Nats optioned prospect Harry Ford to Triple-A Rochester to get him more consistent reps to begin the season. The team's No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is very much in Washington's long-term plans, though, and he could even have a good shot to become the team's No. 1 backstop by the conclusion of this season. Drew Millas will open the year as Ruiz's backup behind the dish. The 27-year-old Ruiz, a Venezuelan switch-hitter, is RotoBaller's No. 34-ranked fantasy catcher because of his declining offensive profile. Since hitting a career-high 18 home runs in 2023, Ruiz has a .235/.266/.345 slash line with a .610 OPS, 15 homers, 82 RBI, 80 strikeouts, and 24 walks in 752 plate appearances in the last two seasons. Ruiz doesn't strike out much, but he also makes a lot of weak contact.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez made some mechanical tweaks and showed improved velocity during his bullpen session in camp on Tuesday, according to Ken Sugiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lopez was last seen averaging 89 mph on his fastball in his final Grapefruit League appearance. The 32-year-old veteran averaged 95 mph on his heater when he was a first-time All-Star in 2024 in his first year in Atlanta. Unfortunately, Lopez only made it one start last year before needing right-shoulder surgery. His velocity will be something to watch early on in 2026 as he returns from major shoulder surgery. Fantasy managers definitely shouldn't be expecting him to return to the form he displayed in 2024, when he had a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 148:42 K:BB in 135 2/3 innings. As a former reliever, Lopez could be in danger of moving back to the bullpen in 2026 if his velocity dips again. Even if he stays healthy and stays in a starting role, Lopez's expected workload restrictions will limit his upside as a back-end fantasy starter.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander Roki Sasaki will remain in the starting rotation to begin the 2026 season despite his struggles on the mound this spring, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. Sasaki had an ugly outing on Monday against the Los Angeles Angels, surrendering five runs on six walks with two hit-by-pitches in two-plus innings before being pulled without allowing a hit. It was a spring training to forget for the second-year pitcher, as he posted a 15.58 ERA with 12 strikeouts and 15 walks in 8 2/3 innings pitched. The 24-year-old Japanese hurler also struggled in 10 regular-season appearances (eight starts) in 2025, allowing 18 earned runs while walking 22 and fanning 28 in 36 1/3 innings before becoming L.A.'s closer in their World Series fun last fall. Fantasy managers should be very hesitant to use Sasaki in his first scheduled regular-season outing against the Guardians after he showed erratic fastball command, continuous arm-side misses, and out-of-sync mechanics during Cactus League play.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Nick Martinez (hamstring) will have his first start of the 2026 season pushed back to Game 4 due to a minor hamstring issue, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Right-hander Joe Boyle will now start the second game of the season for the Rays, with Ryan Pepiot (hip) landing on the 15-day injured list. The 35-year-old Martinez will make his first start for the Rays on Monday, March 30, in Milwaukee against the Brewers. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues and in DFS should be looking to avoid Martinez next week in a bad matchup, especially since he has allowed 18 runs in just 7 2/3 innings in the Grapefruit League in his last two starts. Since returning from a four-year stint in Japan in 2022, Martinez has a 3.67 ERA (3.96 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 433 strikeouts and 141 walks in 61 outings (26 starts). Martinez doesn't walk many, but he lacks the strikeout upside to make him intriguing outside of shallow-mixed fantasy leagues.

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The Detroit Tigers announced on Tuesday that shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle has made the Opening Day roster. Not only has McGonigle won an Opening Day roster spot, but he's expected to open the 2026 campaign as the team's starting shortstop after hitting .250 (10-for-40) with two home runs, two doubles, a triple, six RBI, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, 11 walks, and eight strikeouts in 19 Grapefruit League contests. The 21-year-old is set to make his major-league debut this Thursday at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres and right-hander Nick Pivetta. McGonigle's fantasy stock in all formats has been on the rise all spring while displaying maturity beyond his years on both offense and defense. The former first-rounder in 2023 is developing as a power/speed threat, slashing .305/.408/.583 with a .991 OPS, 19 homers, 80 RBI, 68 runs, and 10 stolen bases at three minor-league levels in 2025. RotoBaller has McGonigle ranked as the No. 19 fantasy shortstop. There could be growing pains in his first taste of the majors, but there's no doubt that McGonigle will contribute in all fantasy formats in 2026.

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St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said that outfielder Lars Nootbaar (heels) will be evaluated this week for a potential placement on the 60-day injured list, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If Nootbaar lands on the 60-day IL, he won't be eligible to make his 2026 season debut until late May, so the Cardinals would like to avoid that if possible. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder had surgery to fix deformities in both of his heels in the offseason, and he's just not ready yet. The good news is that he's scheduled to take batting practice with minor-leaguers in camp on Tuesday. Nootbaar has teased fantasy managers for years, but he has never delivered, and now his dynasty/keeper stock is at a new low. Despite playing in a career-high 135 games in 2025, Nootbaar disappointed with a .234/.325/.361 slash line with a career-low .686 OPS, 13 homers, and 48 RBI in 583 plate appearances. Look for Nathan Church, Thomas Saggesse, and Jose Fermin to compete for playing time in left field for the Cardinals to begin the season.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Johan Oviedo will begin the 2026 season in the bullpen, likely as a piggyback option for rookie left-hander Connelly Early in his first start of the year on Sunday versus the Cincinnati Reds, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The Red Sox will reassess the situation after a couple of turns through the starting rotation. Oviedo, 28, lost out on the No. 5 starting-rotation spot to Early despite going into his outing on Monday allowing only two earned runs while walking six and striking out 14 in 11 1/3 innings this spring over four Grapefruit League starts. The Cuban hurler then allowed six runs in 3 1/3 innings on Monday against the Minnesota Twins with diminished velocity on his pitches. Oviedo will surely make starts for the Red Sox in 2026 in his first year with the team, but he has some things to clean up first, and his opportunities could depend on how Early fares early on. Oviedo is merely an arm to stash in AL-only leagues at the moment.

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Colorado Rockies right-handed reliever Victor Vodnik struck out the only batter he faced and nailed down the save in Monday night's Cactus League win over the Detroit Tigers, and manager Warren Schaefer hinted that it's something we could see more of going into the 2026 regular season, according to Steve Stockmar of MLB.com. "Also, Victor, we're gonna see a lot of that this year late in the game," Schaeffer said. It helps that last year's saves leader for the Rockies, Seth Halvoresen, isn't expected to make the Opening Day roster. In addition to Vodnik, Juan Mejia and Jimmy Herget could be options to see save chances for the Rockies in 2026. Even though Vodnik, 26, has struggled in spring training with a 15.43 ERA, five walks, and five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings pitched, he should have a leg up on save chances after recording 10 saves, a 3.02 ERA, and a 49:26 K:BB in 50 2/3 innings in 2025. Only fantasy managers desperate for saves in deeper leagues should seriously consider Vodnik or any other reliever in Colorado's bullpen.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (knee) will stay in Fort Myers to continue his recovery, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Casas suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon on May 2, 2025, and hasn't played since then. At this point, it seems likely he'll remain sidelined on the one-year anniversary of his injury. The first baseman didn't get into any Grapefruit League games this spring, but he did log some innings in a minor league game. So far, Casas has been cleared to hit against live pitching, but not run the bases or slide. Once he's cleared for those activities, the Red Sox can schedule him for a rehab assignment in Triple-A. He remains on track for a return sometime in mid-to-late May, but even when he gets back to the majors, he'll have to compete for playing time. Willson Contreras, acquired from the Cardinals during the offseason, is Boston's projected everyday first baseman.

From RotoBaller