MLB News

MLB.com's Christina De Nicola has Connor Norby projected as the Miami Marlins' starting third baseman for the start of the 2026 regular season. Graham Pauley (elbow) was expected to compete for starting third base duties with Norby in spring training, but Pauley remains in a no-throw status due to an elbow injury and has been relegated to the designated-hitter role in Grapefruit League games. Norby "will need to continue improving on defense" and "showing better plate discipline," but as of right now, he appears to have a leg up on playing time at the hot corner in Miami to begin the 2026 season. The 25-year-old Norby needs to make more contact at the plate to keep the third base job. He's hit .276 (8-for-29) with a home run, three RBI, three runs scored, no walks, and 11 strikeouts in 11 Grapefruit League games. In deeper leagues, Norby is certainly worth a late-round flier for his moderate power/speed upside.

Tampa Bay Rays right-handed reliever Edwin Uceta (shoulder) threw a bullpen session in camp on Saturday morning, the first time he has thrown off a mound since receiving a cortisone shot for shoulder inflammation in mid-February, according to John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays haven't officially ruled Uceta out for Opening Day in late March, but he's still likely to begin the year on the injured list due to his injury setback this spring. With the 28-year-old likely to be ready, it sets up the Rays for a closer-by-committee approach, which is expected to feature Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger, and Bryan Baker. Despite his shoulder injury, the 28-year-old Uceta is an intriguing stash candidate in fantasy baseball leagues as a high-leverage relief arm. The Dominican hurler had a 1.51 ERA in 2024 and was one of just five relievers in baseball in 2025 to strike out over 100 batters in 76 innings of work for Tampa.

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim (hand) is expected to be back in the Cactus League lineup on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs, manager Dave Roberts told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Kim injured his left hand on March 8 against Australia while playing for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic. It's not considered a serious injury, though, and all signs point to Kim being fine for Opening Day with the Dodgers later this month, barring a setback. The 27-year-old South Korean native ended up playing in 71 games for L.A. in the regular season in 2025 in his first year in the big leagues, slashing .280/.314/.385 with a .699 OPS, three home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs, and 13 stolen bases in 170 plate appearances. Kim's power and playing time will be limited as a utility player for the Blue, and he'll mostly be valuable in deeper fantasy leagues for his speed on the base paths while offering eligibility at second base, shortstop, and center field. Tommy Edman's ankle injury will give him a better path to at-bats early on in 2026.

The Los Angeles Angels optioned second baseman Christian Moore to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, per an announcement from the team. The 23-year-old Moore is considered one of the team's top prospects, but he hit just .175 across 43 plate appearances in Cactus League action and will start the 2026 season in the Minors. After starting the 2025 season in Double-A, Moore made his MLB debut in mid-June and hit .198/.284/.370 with seven home runs, 16 RBI, 20 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 184 plate appearances (53 games). While Moore walked at an impressive 10.3% rate, he also struck out at an unsustainably poor 33.7% clip. Swing-and-miss was an issue for Moore in the Minors as well, as he posted a 29% strikeout rate across 138 plate appearances at Triple-A. With Moore being optioned, Adam Frazier, Vaughn Grissom (hand), and Oswald Peraza appear to be battling for the Opening Day second base job. Moore could easily work his way back to the big leagues in 2026, but he will have to prove himself at Triple-A to begin the year.

Top Colorado Rockies first base/outfield prospect Charlie Condon is unlikely to make the team's Opening Day roster, per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. The number three overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Condon has absolutely raked so far in 2026 Spring Training action. Across 37 plate appearances in the Cactus League, the 22-year-old is hitting .419/.486/.806 with three home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored. Condon also posted strong numbers across 433 plate appearances split between High-A and Double-A in 2025, slashing .268/.376/.444 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, 59 runs scored, and two stolen bases. However, he's yet to reach Triple-A, and there's little incentive for the rebuilding Rockies to force him onto the Major League roster early in 2026. Swing-and-miss is also a potential red flag in Condon's profile, as he struck out in 28.3% of his Double-A plate appearances in 2025. Still, if Condon gets off to a hot start in the Minors, he could make his MLB debut sooner rather than later. He's unquestionably a player worth monitoring for redraft fantasy managers heading into 2026.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (shoulder) threw his first live batting practice session of the spring on Saturday, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Zolecki reports that Wheeler is "zooming towards an April return" from the thoracic outlet surgery he underwent last September. The 35-year-old was his usual dominant self before getting injured in 2025, posting a 10-5 record with a 2.71 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts across 149 2/3 innings (24 starts). Wheeler will start the 2026 season on the Injured List, but it sounds as though the veteran right-hander will be able to make his first appearance of the season before the end of April. Wheeler profiles as a fantasy SP1 when healthy, and his ADP will likely continue to rise in drafts leading up to Opening Day, barring any injury setbacks.

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Robert Stephenson (shoulder, elbow) said there is "concern of further damage to his UCL," per Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group. Fletcher reports that Stephenson is meeting with renowned specialist Dr. Keith Meister in hopes of "finding a solution that would allow him to pitch this year." It's potentially devastating news for Stephenson, who missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery and pitched just 10 innings in 2025 as he battled thoracic outlet syndrome and nerve issues in his shoulder. If healthy, Stephenson might have been a dark-horse saves candidate in the Angels bullpen. Without him, veterans Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano, and Drew Pomeranz look like the favorites for the ninth-inning role in Los Angeles to open 2026.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Lowe (oblique) is back in the lineup at designated hitter for his team's Spring Training matchup against the Seattle Mariners. Lowe has managed just seven plate appearances this spring as he battles nagging oblique issues, but it appears as though he will have a chance to ramp up and be ready for Opening Day. Lowe is no stranger to oblique problems and injury issues in general, as he's reached 500 plate appearances just once in the last three years. The 28-year-old is looking to get his MLB career back on track after he struggled to a .220/.283/.366 line across 435 plate appearances with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025. However, Lowe collected 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases even in a down year, and he profiles an intriguing power/speed threat for fantasy managers if he can ever get a run of extended health.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain has been tearing the cover off the baseball this spring. Easily the most productive player in the Cactus League, McLain owns a .543/.600/1.057 slash line with five home runs, 12 RBI, a 12.5% walk rate, a 10.0% strikeout rate, and 314 wRC+ through 147 spring contests. While it's dangerous to put much stock into spring training stats, these results offer fantasy managers plenty of reasons to be optimistic about McLain in 2026. He's due for a much-needed bounce-back year after posting 77 wRC+ with 15 homers and 18 steals in 2025. McLain has a very firm grasp on the starting second base job, so it's not like this stretch of hot performances will impact his role for the upcoming season. Still, it should offer more confidence to the Reds' coaching staff, fans, and fantasy managers. As it stands, McLain projects as the Reds' No. 2 hitter and ranks ninth among second basemen in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman has been added to the United States of America's roster for the World Baseball Classic, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. He will join the team for the semifinals in Miami, replacing now-retired pitcher Clayton Kershaw. Now 33 years old, Hoffman has been an effective bullpen arm late into his career. While his FIP did jump to 4.90 last year, he still locked down 33 saves for a Jays team that won the American League pennant. Hoffman finished 2025 with 11.12 K/9 and 3.57 BB/9, leaving home runs as his biggest issue. If he can reduce the amount of loud contact he surrenders in 2026, he can return to being one of MLB's top closers while delivering high-leverage innings for a competitive baseball team. In the short term, he'll have a similarly important role pitching out of the USA's bullpen as the WBC continues.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly haven't engaged in extension talks with infielder Marcelo Mayer or pitching prospect Connelly Early, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It has become increasingly common for organizations to sign their young prospects to long-term extensions, paying them a little more in the short term to ensure they gain extra years of guaranteed control further down the road. However, it sounds like the Sox don't have any interest in jumping to that step with Mayer or Early yet. Injuries limited Mayer to just 44 MLB games in his rookie season last year, and while he played solid defense, he slashed just .228/.272/.402 with a 30.1% strikeout rate and 80 wRC+ at the dish. He's viewed as a potential long-term third base solution with Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman gone, but currently, Boston is non-committal about giving him a spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster. Early has flashed upside on the mound, albeit over a small sample size. Through four starts as a rookie last year, he posted a 0.91 FIP with 13.50 K/9, 1.86 BB/9, and a 46.7% ground ball rate. The Red Sox have previously signed long-term extensions with other young prospects, including Brayan Bello, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Ceddanne Rafaela. We could see Mayer and Early join that list eventually, but for now, extension talks are non-existent.

MLB.com reports that Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung's recovery from a groin injury has "been a little slower than initially expected." However, Jung was able to take ground balls on Friday and is expected to play in a minor-league game this weekend. The 28-year-old oft-injured third baseman hasn't appeared in a Cactus League game since Feb. 24. The former eighth overall pick out of Texas Tech in 2019 still has around two weeks to get fully back up to speed before the start of the 2026 regular season. Jung was an All-Star in 2023 in his first full year in the majors, slashing .266/.315/.467 with a .781 OPS, 23 home runs, 70 RBI, and 75 runs scored in 515 plate appearances and 122 games. He has clear 30-homer upside in Texas, but he's also among the biggest injury risks at the third base position, which makes him only RotoBaller's No. 34 fantasy third baseman. Jung's 131 games played last year were a career high.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (back) expects to open the regular season on the injured list, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Kelly experienced back discomfort on February 21, and while he was able to throw 1.2 innings in a Cactus League game this past Friday, it sounds like he won't be in the Snakes' rotation on Opening Day. On one hand, it's unfortunate news for the Diamondbacks and Kelly, who was projected to be the Opening Day starter after posting an impressive 3.76 FIP with 3.48 K/BB last year. On the other hand, Gilbert notes that the Diamondbacks can backdate Kelly's IL placement to three days before Opening Day, so he'd only miss the first 12 days of regular-season action. All things considered, that's just a few starts and should be enough to ensure he's fully healthy for a long season. Managers can afford to be a little patient with Kelly if it means that he'll be at peak health and productivity going forward. He currently ranks as the #72 starter in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said he expects Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes' pitch limit to be around 75 to 80 pitches for the World Baseball Classic semifinals on Sunday against the Dominican Republic, according to Rowan Kavner of FOX Sports. It will be a high-intensity, difficult matchup for Skenes before the 2026 regular season even begins. The 23-year-old former first overall pick in 2023 out of LSU is already one of the top big-league pitchers as he heads into his third MLB campaign. Skenes was as advertised with a quick rise to the big leagues, earning National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 and winning the NL Cy Young in his second season last year. He led the big leagues in ERA (1.97), FIP (2.36), WHIP (0.95), and home runs allowed per nine innings (0.5) while throwing 187 2/3 innings over 32 starts last year. Skenes has all the ingredients needed to finish as the overall SP1 in fantasy baseball when all is said and done in 2026.

Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger had an uncharacteristically poor year at the plate in 2025, but a strong performance this spring has sparked some optimism about his outlook for 2026. Through 103 games last year -- his first in Texas -- Burger slashed .236/.269/.419 with 16 home runs, a 3.2 walk rate, and a 24.7% strikeout rate. He amassed a career-low 89 wRC+ and, for the first time in his career, produced negative fWAR at the plate and in the field. This spring, however, his slash line is up to .355/.429/.645 with an 11.4% walk rate and 180 wRC+, and he has slugged three home runs in 35 plate appearances. We shouldn't invest too much stock into spring stats, but it's refreshing to see that his home run and walk rates have improved in Grapefruit League play, even if some of the pitchers he's facing aren't MLB-caliber arms. Managers should be optimistic that Burger, who launched 63 home runs between 2023 and 2024, might be able to mash around 20-25 homers this upcoming season, even though the Rangers' park is very pitcher-friendly.

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (back) is starting at second base and batting second on Saturday in the Grapefruit League game against the Baltimore Orioles. Lowe was scratched as a precaution from Wednesday's spring training game, but the 31-year-old veteran is back on the field this weekend as he prepares to start his first season in Pittsburgh. The Tampa Bay Rays sent the left-handed-hitting second baseman to the Steel City in December as part of a three-team deal. Lowe will give the Bucs more power upside at the keystone in 2026, and he's coming off his second All-Star season in 2025, in which he slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 home runs, 83 RBI, 79 runs, and three steals in 553 plate appearances over 134 games played. He'll be the team's everyday second baseman, and he offers 30-homer potential despite carrying plenty of risk and a low batting-average floor. Right now, RotoBaller has Lowe ranked just inside the top 15 fantasy second basemen for the 2026 campaign.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Saturday that right-hander Kevin Gausman will be their Opening Day starter in 2026. Gausman is going into his fifth year with the Blue Jays. He's been their ace all along and was an All-Star for the second time back in 2023. The 35-year-old veteran went 10-11 last year with a 3.59 ERA (3.41 FIP), 1.06 WHIP, and 189:50 K: BB in a career-high 193 innings over 32 starts. Not only has Gausman been a solid fantasy starter in his time in Toronto, but he's been reliable, making at least 31 starts in five straight seasons with a 3.34 ERA and 1.15 WHIP during that span. RotoBaller has Gausman ranked as its No. 27 fantasy starting pitcher because of his pedigree and durability through the year. We know Gausman has a high fantasy floor and elite command of the baseball when pitching, but there is inherent risk in going with a pitcher near the end of his career as your No. 2 or 3 arm. Gausman will face an up-and-coming young Athletics lineup on Opening Day on March 27.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns is fully healthy as the 2026 MLB regular season approaches, according to manager Terry Francona. Burns threw a limited pitch count during spring training action on Friday, but Francona explained that the reduced workload was a result of him "working through some of his routines and stuff." Burns reportedly put in plenty of work over five days leading up to his spring training appearance, which led to a shorter outing on Friday. He could experience similar workload management during the regular season, with Charlie Goldsmith of FOX19 speculating that Burns might not consistently approach 100 pitches during his starts this year. Nevertheless, the Reds are confident that Burns is healthy and will be a staple in their starting rotation throughout the regular season. He's trending upward after a 2025 rookie campaign in which he posted a fantastic 2.65 FIP with 13.92 K/9 and 3.32 BB/9.

Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers (hamstring) is back in the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, playing left field and hitting leadoff. Stowers will finally return to game action after missing the last two weeks with a strained right hamstring. Hopefully, the 28-year-old can get back in the swing of things over the next two weeks and hit the ground running for Opening Day later this month. The young left-handed-hitting outfielder is looking for an encore in 2026 after slashing .288/.386/.544 with a .912 OPS, 25 home runs, 73 RBI, 61 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 117 games in his first full season in South Beach. Stowers broke out in his fourth year in the big leagues and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. Durability is definitely a concern, but when healthy, his 30-homer power potential makes him a high-upside No. 3/4 outfield target in fantasy drafts.

Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker has continued to produce impressive stats at the plate this spring training, headlined by four home runs through just 35 plate appearances. The 31-year-old has turned into one of MLB's most impressive power hitters, producing 30 homers in each of the last three seasons, so we shouldn't be too surprised by his power output so far. Nevertheless, it's encouraging to see him mix in other base hits amid the home runs, as he owns a .324/.343/.765 slash line during Cactus League play. The biggest red flag for Rooker this spring has been his discipline numbers. He currently owns a 2.9% walk rate and a 31.4% strikeout rate, neither of which will be acceptable during the regular season. We expect power hitters to have above-average strikeout rates, but ideally, Rooker will get back down to last year's walk and strikeout rates of 9.3% and 22.2%, respectively. Volatility is common during spring training, so managers should expect Rookier's discipline numbers to improve while maintaining his power when the regular season arrives.