Jordan Montgomery to Throw His Fifth Bullpen Session on Tuesday: Texas Rangers left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery (elbow) will throw his fifth bullpen session on Tuesday, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. The session will include approximately 30 pitches, and if all goes well, he could progress to the equivalent of two-inning sessions in the near future. Montgomery is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and he's not expected to pitch in an MLB game until the middle of the 2026 season. Given that he's already had two UCL reconstruction surgeries, it seems unlikely that he'll get back to his 2023 form, which included a 3.20 ERA and 4.2 fWAR. However, the Rangers still believe he can be a low-risk starter in the back of their rotation, which is why they signed him to a one-year, $1.25 million deal in the middle of his rehab process. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:39:34
Lance McCullers Jr. Makes the Astros' Opening Day Rotation: Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. has made the Opening Day rotation, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. McCullers has been with the Astros since he made his MLB debut in 2015, but he didn't pitch at all in 2023 or 2024. He returned to action last year, making 16 appearances (13 starts) in the majors with a shaky 5.77 FIP, 6.34 BB/9, and 1.63 HR/9. He struck out batters at a modest clip of 9.92 K/9, but his ground ball rate dropped to a new career-low mark of 46.4%. His job was far from guaranteed coming out of spring training, but ultimately, it appears that he has won the No. 5 starter role. With that being said, he'll need to pitch well -- or, at least, better than last year -- to survive a full season in the rotation. He showed flashes of improvement this spring with a 3.38 ERA, as well as reduced walk and home run rates. However, he racked up just 5.63 K/9 and a 40.9% ground ball rate, albeit over a small sample size. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:28:33
Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong Finalizing Long-Term Extension: The Chicago Cubs and star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong are working to finalize a multi-year extension that would keep him in Chicago long-term, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. Terms of the deal haven't been disclosed yet, and while the two sides are approaching an agreement, nothing has been finalized at this point. Still, it's a very encouraging development for all parties involved, including Cubs fans and fantasy baseball managers. Crow-Armstrong is coming off a spectacular 30-30 season in which he slashed .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 35 stolen bases, and 109 wRC+. He was also highly productive defensively, posting 21 OAA and 21 FRV in center field. There are some holes in his game -- last year's 4.5% walk rate is far from optimal -- but overall, at just 23 years old, he has already blossomed into a superstar outfielder with a very bright future ahead of him. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:22:32
Connelly Early Makes Boston's Opening Day Roster: Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. However, despite a strong showing in spring training, he will be competing with Johan Oviedo for the fifth starting rotation spot early in the 2026 season. It will help the Red Sox provide length to their rotation, with both Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello still building up their pitch counts after pitching in the World Baseball Classic. Boston views Early as a starter, and it's unlikely that he'll be used as a reliever for the first few weeks of the season. Exact plans for Early and Oviedo are "still being ironed out," and the team's decision-makers "do not seem keen" on the idea of a six-man rotation. The 23-year-old prospect could make his first start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. Early had a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K: BB in his first four big-league starts in 2025 before allowing three earned runs in 17 innings with five walks and 16 K's in five Grapefruit League appearances in spring training. He has good control and limits hard contact, making him one of the more intriguing young arms to stash in the big leagues. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:31:27
Dodgers Hoping Tommy Edman Returns Around End of May: Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Monday that the team is hoping to get infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman back around the end of May, according to The California Post's Jack Harris. Edman has had ankle issues the last couple of seasons, so he decided to have surgery on his right ankle back in mid-November, and he's still working his way back. The Dodgers just optioned Hyeseong Kim to the minors, too, so it's looking like it could be a committee at the keystone in L.A. to begin the year between veteran Miguel Rojas, Santiago Espinal, and Alex Freeland. Of the trio, Espinal has the most fantasy upside in NL-only leagues. Edman is essentially avoidable in mixed fantasy leagues going into his third year with the Dodgers. He has appeared in a total of 134 regular-season games the last two years for the Blue and has hit a lowly .229/.280/.392 with 19 homers, 69 RBI, 69 runs, and nine stolen bases in 530 plate appearances. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:20:29
Jeremy Pena Could Play in Exhibition Game on Tuesday: Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (finger) could play in Tuesday's exhibition game against Triple-A Sugar Land, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. After resuming swinging over the weekend, Pena is taking live batting practice at Daikin Park on Monday and has a chance to be cleared to play on Opening Day on Thursday against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels. Facing live pitching is probably the last box that Pena needs to check after fracturing the tip of his right ring finger while working out for the Dominican Republic while preparing for the World Baseball Classic. If Pena is forced to miss any time to begin the 2026 season, Carlos Correa will shift over to shortstop, and Isaac Paredes will start at third base in Houston. The 28-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2025, slashing .304/.363/.477 with an .840 OPS, 17 home runs, 62 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 125 games played. He's not an elite option at the shortstop position in fantasy, but he's a lower-end five-category contributor at a premium position. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:58:48
Kevin McGonigle Still on the Big-League Roster: Detroit Tigers shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle remains with the big-league squad for their Cactus League game on Monday against the Colorado Rockies. He is starting at third base and will hit sixth in the batting order. Opening Day is coming on Thursday against the hosting San Diego Padres, so it's looking awfully likely that the 21-year-old will make Detroit's Opening Day roster as its starting shortstop despite having no experience beyond Double-A. He has held his own in spring training, going 10-for-40 (.250) with two home runs, two doubles, a triple, six stolen bases, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, 11 walks, and eight strikeouts in 52 plate appearances. McGonigle can do it all, but what has been most impressive this spring has been his plate discipline at such a young age. His power and speed are still developing, but McGonigle can at least serve as middle-infield depth with upside in mixed fantasy leagues in 2026 with a clear path to the majority of playing time at the 6 in Motown. He's ranked as the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball for a reason. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:51:34
Garrett Mitchell, Brandon Lockridge to Platoon in Center Field: Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy announced on Monday that center field will be a platoon between Garrett Mitchell and Brandon Lockridge to begin the 2026 season. Mitchell, who hits from the left side, will be on the strong side of the platoon and will face right-handed pitchers. The 27-year-old former 20th overall pick in 2020 out of UCLA has a much higher fantasy ceiling than Lockridge because of his power/speed upside. He's been unable to stay on the field so far in his major-league career, though, so perhaps being in a platoon will help him in that regard. In his 443 big-league plate appearances since debuting in Milwaukee in 2022, Mitchell has hit .254/.333/.433 with a .766 OPS, 13 home runs, 40 RBI, 61 runs, and 40 stolen bases in 141 games played. Fantasy managers will be hoping that his rough spring training showing (.063 average, 19 strikeouts in 11 games) won't carry over to the regular season. Lockridge, on the other hand, has hit .317 with four homers and nine RBI in 14 Cactus League games. Expect him to serve in more of a super-utility role in his first full year in Milwaukee. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:43:45
Red Sox Option Payton Tolle to the Minors: The Boston Red Sox optioned left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle to the minors on Monday, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Tolle is Boston's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but he'll likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Worcester. The 23-year-old southpaw pitched well in spring training, allowing only three earned runs while walking one and striking out 13 in 10 2/3 Grapefruit League innings over four appearances (one start). Tolle made his major-league debut late last year and struggled with a 6.06 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and 19:8 K:BB in 16 1/3 innings over seven outings (three starts), but he should be one of the first arms up in Boston when the BoSox need rotation help. He throws in the upper-90s, but he needs to show better command consistently. As a fly-ball pitcher, he could get into quite a bit of trouble at Fenway Park if he's not locating his pitches. Tolle is one of the better under-the-radar pitching prospects to stash in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:30:28
Andrew McCutchen Makes Rangers Opening Day Roster: Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said that veteran outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen made the team's Opening Day roster, according to The Dallas Morning News' Shawn McFarland. McCutchen went 8-for-18 (.444) with a homer, seven RBI, five runs scored, six walks, and five strikeouts in seven Cactus League games to win a spot out of spring training in his first year with the team. Despite his age (39), Cutch continues to swing the bat. The five-time All-Star and former National League MVP is heading into his 18th major-league season after slashing .239/.333/.367 with a career-low .700 OPS, 13 home runs, 57 RBI, and 51 runs scored in 551 plate appearances and 135 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025. McCutchen can still offer modest power from the right side, but the floor and ceiling are low for fantasy managers as he looks for playing time in Texas, mostly as the designated hitter. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:49:49
Robert Garcia, Chris Martin to Share Closer Duties in Texas?: Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said on Monday that the closer position will "depend on the situation," according to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. The skipper also said that he's comfortable with relievers Robert Garcia and Chris Martin in the ninth inning, but also said that "there's a chance you see a couple different guys there." This isn't exactly what you want to hear if you invested in Garcia as a late-round closing option in deeper fantasy leagues. In addition to Garcia and Martin, Schumaker could opt to use Cole Winn or Josh Sborz in high-leverage situations out of the bullpen late in games. Garcia, a 29-year-old lefty, figures to be the favorite in 2025 for save opportunities after he led the team with nine saves, a 2.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 68:22 K:BB in 64 innings pitched in his third year in the majors. Garcia is still the odds-on favorite to be Texas' preferred closing option, but this news makes him less attractive in what could evolve into a committee. - as of Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:43:31