Isaac Paredes Starting at First Base on Tuesday: Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes will make his first Grapefruit League start at first base on Tuesday night, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Manager Joe Espada said Paredes' practice "work around the base has been good -- holding runners, scoops, all that." Paredes will move back to third base for his next start. The Astros are moving the 27-year-old around the diamond at third, second, and first this spring to try to find additional ways to get him into the starting lineup regularly. Carlos Correa is the primary third baseman, while Jose Altuve is moving back to second full-time in 2026, leaving Paredes without a permanent defensive home. If he isn't traded before Opening Day, Paredes may serve in more of a utility infield role. The two-time All-Star hit 20 home runs in only 102 games last year in his first season in Houston, and he has plenty of pop in his bat, but his fantasy value will remain limited as long as he stays with the Astros. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:07:42
Bobby Miller Throws Off Mound Tuesday: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller (shoulder) threw off a mound on Tuesday for the first time this spring. Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, it was only about 10 throws, although it was not off the rubber, and the catcher was standing. The right-hander has been dealing with right shoulder soreness, which has slowed his ability to get up to speed this spring. So long as there are no setbacks, the 26-year-old should be ready by Opening Day, however, it could be with Triple-A Oklahoma City, not Los Angeles. The former first-rounder is being viewed as a reliever this season after splitting time as both a starter and reliever in 2025 while spending most of the campaign at Triple-A. The 6-foot-5 hurler struggled to a 5.66 ERA and 1.56 WHIP last year, and didn't show much better splits as a reliever compared to his time as a starter. With a 14.9 percent walk rate in 2025, he'll need to get his command under control before working his way back to the major leagues. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:49:44
Hunter Gaddis Dealing With Forearm Tightness: Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Hunter Gaddis (forearm) made his spring debut this past Friday, striking out two while allowing no hits or walks in the one-inning outing. However, the right-hander experienced mild forearm tightness following the appearance. According to manager Stephen Vogt, the 27-year-old went for imaging that "came back clean," and will be reevaluated on Thursday before being built back up. Sounds like a minor injury, and it doesn't appear to put his status for Opening Day in doubt for now. The 6-foot-6 hurler had a strong season for the Guardians in 2025, striking out 73 batters in 66 2/3 innings of work on his way to a 3.11 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and the second-most holds in all of baseball with 35. For fantasy managers looking for some ratio help, Gaddis could be a worthwhile roster addition, especially in the event something were to happen to the Guardians' closer, Cade Smith, as Gaddis could potentially be the one to step into that role. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:29:46
Royce Lewis Back in Grapefruit League Lineup on Tuesday: Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (side) is back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tampa Bay Rays, starting at third base and batting leadoff. Lewis missed a bit of time in spring training after reporting tightness in his side last week, but an MRI exam was clean, and he's back in action this week. The Twins weren't going to take any chances with the oft-injured 26-year-old this early in camp. Lewis played in over 100 games for the first time in 2025 in his fourth year in the majors, but he disappointed by hitting .237/.283/.388 with a career-low .671 OPS, 13 home runs, 36 runs scored, 52 RBI, and a career-high 12 stolen bases in 403 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should consider Lewis a top-10 fantasy third baseman because of his ability to carry a roster with high-end power when he's on, but durability concerns for the former first overall pick put him on the low end of the top 15 at his position. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:24:38
Matt McLain Emerging as Late-Round Sleeper?: Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain is seeing the baseball as well as any hitter early in spring training. The 26-year-old former first-rounder went 2-for-2 with two home runs, six RBI, three runs scored, and two walks in Monday's Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs. McLain enters Tuesday's action with a .571 batting average (8-for-14) with three homers, nine RBI, seven runs scored, three walks, and only one strikeout in five games played. Injuries have been a big part of McLain's story so far in his big-league career, and he struggled to a .220/.300/.343 slash line, .643 OPS, 15 homers, 50 RBI, 73 runs, and 18 stolen bases in 147 games in his second year in the Show in 2025. McLain had an .864 OPS and 127 OPS+ as a rookie in 2023, though, and is looking like a nice late-round sleeper target at the second base position in 2026. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:15:34
Spencer Jones Changes his Swing to Resemble Dodgers Superstar: New York Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones is now swinging like Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. After reviewing last year's film, Jones quickly found that his swing wasn't getting started until it was too late. The 6-foot-7 left-handed slugger "began constructing his swing in a way that attempted to resemble" Ohtani's, especially in the lower half. Jones expects the offseason changes to stick as he attempts to finally break into the big leagues in 2026. The 24-year-old former first-rounder has seen results this spring, hitting .300 (3-for-10) with three homers, four strikeouts, and two walks. Jones has elite power upside, can play all three outfield positions, and also runs the bases well. However, he tends to have a lot of swings and misses. Jones hit 35 homers and drove in 80 runs in 116 games in the minors in 2025, but he also struck out 35.4% of the time. He also had an in-zone contact rate of just 72%. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:10:41
Edgar Quero Showing Improvement This Spring: Chicago White Sox catcher Edgar Quero has looked impressive on both sides of the ball so far this spring, and the switch-hitter is tied for the Cactus League lead with nine RBI and nine hits after going deep against Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga on Sunday. MLB.com's Scott Merkin writes that Quero's "diligent offseason work focused on strengthening all areas of his game," but change with his swing "came especially within his hips." "Try to rotate a little better with my load, in my back hips, and it's working right now. Both sides, same thing. I figured it out in the offseason, and now it's working," Quero said. The 22-year-old Cuban backstop hit .268/.333/.356 with five homers, 17 doubles, and 36 RBI, but he hit .357 with an .851 OPS in 137 plate appearances versus lefties. The White Sox don't have a set DH, so both Quero and Kyle Teel could rotate time at DH if the Sox want to keep their bats in the lineup. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:35:24
Mike Burrows Looking Strong in Early Spring Action: Houston Astros starting pitcher Mike Burrows landed with his new team as part of a three-team swap this offseason, and the team sees him as an "upside play" who can jump into their rotation right away. The Astros saw an opportunity to adjust his pitch mix a little bit and add in a two-seam fastball. The early returns have been very positive for Burrows, who has pitched five scoreless innings in his first two Grapefruit League outings, striking out six with two walks and two hits allowed. He went 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA, 4.00 FIP, and 97 strikeouts in 97 MLB innings with the Pirates last year, but the Astros could help unlock even stronger results from the 26-year-old righty this season. He's going at the end of drafts in most formats but is worth considering as a deep-league sleeper with considerable upside. The team has several starting pitching options to consider for the rotation, but they are high on Burrows, who seems to be on his way to earning a spot in the Opening Day rotation. At his extremely low ADP, Burrows is bursting with sleeper potential. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:56:45
Casey Mize Can Be a Late-Round Value Pick: Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize finally had a healthy season in 2025, and the No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 MLB Draft had his best season in the majors. He went 14-6 in his 28 starts with a 3.87 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 3.89 FIP, while totaling 139 strikeouts over 149 innings. Mize doesn't pick up enough strikeouts to be an elite starting option, but he should open the season as the Tigers' fifth starter behind Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, and Justin Verlander. With a good lineup behind him, he can be a solid source of wins, ERA, and innings if he stays healthy again this season, which will be his last year before becoming a free agent for the first time in his career. He is currently ranked as RotoBaller's No. 104 starting pitcher, but his ADP (average draft position) has him even lower than that, so if you need a late-round depth option to help round out your staff, Mize has a high floor with enough upside to make him a good value consideration, especially if you have high-strikeout, high-risk options elsewhere in your rotation. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:37:29
Daylen Lile Can Be a Great Outfield Sleeper: Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile was one of the few bright spots in a rough season for the team last year, and the 23-year-old lefty brings a ton of upside based on his ADP (average draft position) in fantasy drafts coming into his second season in the majors. He closed out last year withNL Player of the Month honors in September, and in his 91 games as a rookie, Lile hit .299 with35 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, 15 doubles, and a club rookie record with 11 triples. Lile added eight stolen bases (in 14 attempts), 51 runs scored, 41 RBI, and finished with a 132 wRC+, .199 ISO, and .360 wOBA. He finished in the 100th percentile of qualified hitters in both xBA and LA Sweet-Spot%, showing his results were definitely not fluky. This year, he should occupy a premium spot in the batting order and bring his well-balanced skillset to a great run-producing spot in a rising young lineup. Lile's excellent contact skills give him a high floor to go with a very high ceiling, and if he carries over his momentum from the end of last season, he will be a great late-round addition. - as of Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:26:33