Hyeseong Kim Expected to Return to Spring Lineup on Sunday: 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. - as of Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:26:43
Angels Option Christian Moore to Minor-League Camp: 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. - as of Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:59:48
Charlie Condon Unlikely to Make Rockies Opening Day Roster: 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. - as of Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:42:51
Matt McLain Delivering Elite Production in Spring Training: 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. - as of Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:06:41
Red Sox Haven't Discussed an Extension with Marcelo Mayer or Connelly Early: 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. - as of Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:48:34
Jake Burger Poised for a Resurgent Season?: 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. - as of Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:29:37
Brent Rooker Demonstrating Power Amid Strikeout Issues: 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. - as of Sat, 14 Mar 2026 11:17:54