Brady Singer Leaves Wednesday's Game With a Blister: Cincinnati Reds right-hander Brady Singer (finger) left his Cactus League outing on Wednesday with a blister, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Before being pulled, Singer threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies with two hits allowed, a walk, and three strikeouts. It's unclear if the 29-year-old's blister injury will prevent him from making his first start of the 2026 regular season, which is scheduled to come on March 29 against the Boston Red Sox. In his first full year in Cincy after being acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Royals, the former 18th overall pick from Florida in 2018 went 14-12 with a 4.03 ERA (3.98 FIP), 1.24 WHIP, and 163:60 K:BB in 169 2/3 innings over 32 starts. Singer pitches in a very hitter-friendly home ballpark and has a modest 22.1% strikeout rate in his six big-league seasons, so he relies heavily on his sinker to keep the ball out of the air. In shallow mixed leagues, fantasy managers should be able to find better upside pitching targets late in drafts. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:42:42
Kevin McGonigle in Serious Consideration to Crack Opening Day Roster?: Detroit Tigers shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle is staying in big-league camp on Wednesday rather than playing in the spring breakout game, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. "Their focus is in big-league camp and continuing trying to make an impression, state their case to be part of our puzzle," manager A.J. Hinch said. With just over a week to go until Opening Day next week, McGonigle remains in the Tigers' big-league camp in spring training. The former first-rounder has hit .242 (8-for-33) with two home runs, six RBI, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, and a 7:10 K:BB in 44 plate appearances over 16 Grapefruit League games, and he continues to play well beyond his years. Even if Detroit decides to have the 21-year-old start in the minors, it shouldn't be long before he's contending for starting duties at the 6 in Detroit. McGonigle needs to be stashed in all redraft formats and should already be rostered in dynasty leagues. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:21:54
Jake Rogers Suffers a "Mild Concussion," Expected to Be Ready for Opening Day: Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers (concussion) has suffered a mild concussion after being struck in the face by his own bat while working in the batting cages, per MLB.com's Jason Beck. Beck reports that Rogers received stitches but that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team expects him to be fine by Opening Day. Across 142 plate appearances in 2025, Rogers slashed .187/.277/.333 with three home runs, 19 RBI, and 14 runs scored. The 30-year-old posted an impressive 10.6% walk rate in 2025 and owns a double-digit barrel rate for his career, but he's also struck out at a 32.1% clip across nearly 1,100 MLB plate appearances. Once healthy, Rogers is expected to serve as Detroit's backup catcher behind Dillon Dingler. If Rogers ends up missing time to open the season, veteran backstop Tomas Nido could be the favorite to break camp with the team. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:58:41
Can Dylan Crews Establish Himself as a Productive Big-Leaguer in 2026?: Once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews has struggled to be a consistently productive player early in his MLB career. Across 322 plate appearances in 2025, Crews hit .208/.280/.352 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI, 43 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases. At just 24 years old, Crews still has plenty of time to develop into a quality big-leaguer. Crews also has the benefit of playing for. a rebuilding Nationals' squad that should give him plenty of runway for everyday playing time. However, Crews posted an uninspiring 38.7% hard-hit rate in 2025, and it's worth noting that he owns a .634 OPS across 454 career MLB plate appearances. He has the potential for five-category fantasy production if it all comes together, but Crews has yet to prove he can handle big-league pitching and comes with a fair degree of downside risk heading into 2026. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:42:35
When Will Jesus Made Make His Major League Debut?: Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jesus Made earned an invitation to big league camp this spring after cruising through three levels of the minor leagues last year with a .285/.379/.413 slash line, nine home runs, and 47 steals in 115 games, finishing the year in Double-A as an 18-year-old. The Dominican slugger was reassigned to minor-league camp earlier this month, and although a 2026 debut with the Brewers is unlikely, it isn't out of the question. The soon-to-be-19-year-old has some of the highest-rated hit, power, and speed tools (fielding, too) in the minors and has risen to MLB's No. 3 prospect overall. The 6-foot-1 phenom will likely begin the year at Double-A, and even if a 2026 MLB debut ends up not being in the cards, he's likely to have an impact in 2027, so keen fantasy managers would be wise to keep tabs on his progress this year. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:25:34
Dylan Moore Dealing With Bruised Foot: Philadelphia Phillies infielder Dylan Moore (foot) is dealing with a bruised foot from a foul ball in spring training, manager Rob Thomson told Matt Gelb of The Athletic. It's nothing serious for Moore that will put him in danger of missing Opening Day late next week. Moore, who is pushing for the last bench spot to begin the 2026 regular season, had two hits and a walk in a Grapefruit League game against the Atlanta Braves before being removed in the top of the fifth inning. Speed is the 33-year-old Moore's greatest asset to fantasy managers in deeper leagues. He wasn't able to hit enough in 2025 in 106 games with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, slashing .201/.267/.374 with a .642 OPS, 11 homers, 25 RBI, 35 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. Moore stole a career-high 32 bags in 2024 and has 118 thefts in his seven major-league seasons. Unless injuries in Philly force him into a bigger role, Moore will simply be a speed asset in NL-only leagues. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:14:38
Andrew Painter Fires Four Scoreless in Final Spring Tune-Up: On Wednesday, Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter made what is likely his final spring appearance before the regular season gets underway, twirling four innings of one-hit ball against the Braves, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out three. The Phils' top pitching prospect had a bumpy outing his last time out (three earned runs), but Wednesday's performance made it three scoreless appearances out of four this spring with an 8:2 K:BB in a total of 11 2/3 innings of work. The 6-foot-7 hurler is expected to be the team's fifth starter once the regular season begins, and if he lives up to the former hype, the right-hander could remain there for the rest of the season. The former first-rounder struggled to a 5.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and a 13.7 percent K-BB% in 106 2/3 innings at Triple-A in 2025, his first time pitching in minor league regular-season games since 2022 after elbow problems and eventually Tommy John surgery cost him all of 2023 and 2024. Most fantasy managers may want to wait and see before rostering the tall right-hander, but proactive managers in deeper leagues with available bench space may consider stashing him in the event his spring success carries over into the regular season. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:29:58
Matthew Liberatore Named Cardinals Opening Day Starter: St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore will get the nod as the team's Opening Day starter in 2026, taking on the Tampa Bay Rays at home on Thursday, March 26. The left-hander was second on the team in wins, quality starts, and strikeouts last season behind Sonny Gray, who is no longer with the club, so Liberatore will assume the role of ace of the staff. The 6-foot-5 southpaw recorded a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 151 2/2 innings pitched last season, which doesn't really move the needle much for fantasy. The former first-rounder has looked good so far this spring, though, as he's allowed three earned runs in 10 innings of work (2.70 ERA) while registering a 1.00 WHIP and an impressive 14:1 K:BB in his three starts, so perhaps he's ready to take a step forward in 2026. The 26-year-old is going undrafted in most fantasy leagues, owning an ADP of 359, right around his RotoBaller ranking of 341 overall. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:55:40
Roki Sasaki to be in Opening Day Starting Rotation: Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that right-hander Roki Sasaki will be in the team's Opening Day starting rotation despite his struggles in spring training, according to Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times. Sasaki has been a roller coaster in Cactus League action this year, and it continued in his latest outing on Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals, when he allowed three runs on four hits, four walks, and five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings pitched. He has shown progress with his newly-added cutter, but overall, Sasaki has been underwhelming this spring. When left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder) eventually makes his 2026 season debut, Sasaki may end up back in the bullpen, where he was thriving last fall to close out the season. Struggles with command have been the biggest issue for the 24-year-old Japanese hurler, making him a boom/bust fantasy option in 2026. In 36 1/3 innings in his MLB debut in the regular season last year, Sasaki had a 4.46 ERA with 28 K's and 22 walks in 10 outings (eight starts). - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:06:39
Tyler Freeman Scratched From Spring Lineup With Back Tightness: Colorado Rockies infielder/outfielder Tyler Freeman (back) was scratched from Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds with lower-back tightness, according to the team. Cole Carrigg will take over for the Rockies in center field. Freeman should be considered day-to-day for now. The 26-year-old former second-rounder by the Cleveland Guardians in 2017 played in 110 games in 2025 in his first year in Colorado and looked good, slashing .281/.354/.361 with a career-best .715 OPS, two home runs, 31 RBI, 50 runs scored, and a career-high 18 stolen bases in 428 plate appearances. Freeman makes a lot of contact and has some speed, but his lack of power doesn't make him all that exciting in fantasy, even at hitter-friendly Coors Field. If healthy this year, he's expected to be in more of a super-utility role as well, which will limit his playing time. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:49:44
Christopher Morel Expected to be Primary First Baseman: Miami Marlins infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel is expected to open the year as the team's primary starting first baseman, barring a "dramatic change of heart" by the team, a source told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. It's good news for Morel's fantasy baseball value in deeper leagues entering his first year in Miami, but just remember that there is a lot of volatility and swing-and-miss here. The 26-year-old right-handed hitter is a career .222 hitter in four big-league seasons with 538 strikeouts in 1,770 plate appearances. In 105 games last year with the Tampa Bay Rays, Morel hit .219/.289/.396 with a .684 OPS, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 37 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. He's also gone 5-for-37 (.135) with no homers, 13 K's, and three walks in spring training. Morel has some power from the right side, but if he continues to struggle offensively, the Marlins will give other players opportunities at first base in 2026. - as of Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:43:27