Edward Cabrera, SP (MIA)
Cabrera, who has looked very sharp this spring, is possibly facing an extended absence. The young right-hander was scratched from Sunday's start with shoulder tightness, and on Monday manager Skip Schumaker said Cabrera is going to get an MRI. Cabrera's spring performance (5 IP, 0 R, 5 K) had seemingly locked up a spot in the Marlins rotation, but results from the MRI could muddy that situation. With Braxton Garrett expected to start the season on the injured list due to his own shoulder injury, perhaps Max Meyer would be an option to get some more innings. Meyer is coming back from Tommy John surgery, but he has thrown four scoreless innings through two spring appearances. As for Cabrera, the most encouraging aspect of his spring results is the zero walks he has allowed. In 2023 he walked 66 batters in 99.2 innings. He has struggled with control during multiple major league stints, but if he can rein in the free passes, the upside is still very high. More than anything right now, the Marlins can only hope for good results on this week's MRI.
Pete Fairbanks, RP (TB)
Fairbanks made his spring training debut on Monday. The Rays reliever's delayed participation in the Grapefruit League isn't due to any current injury but rather a strategy to limit his overall workload. Fairbanks dealt with multiple injuries last year so the Rays are trying to keep him healthy throughout the regular season. When he was healthy, he was excellent, racking up a career-high 25 saves while holding opposing hitters to a .163 batting average and striking out 37% of the batters he faced. In his spring debut, he pitched a perfect 9th inning with two strikeouts. He will be ready to go on Opening Day and should serve primarily as Tampa Bay's closer, with Jason Adam vulchering the occasional save.
Junior Caminero, 3B (TB)
Junior Caminero is one of the top prospects in baseball, but he will begin the 2024 season in the minor leagues. As reported last month, the Rays are opting to have Caminero begin at AAA-Durham, even after he got a taste of the big leagues in 2023. Instead of committing to Caminero to fill the shortstop role vacated by Wander Franco, the Rays brought in Jose Caballero and veteran Amed Rosario. With Isaac Paredes emerging last season as an everyday player at third base and Curtis Mead in the mix along with Jonathan Aranda, Caminero's path to everyday playing time is scarce. Therefore, it makes more sense for him to get regular at-bats at AAA. There's still a good chance Caminero, who hit .269 with a home run in 26 at-bats this spring, will quickly make his way back to the majors, but his redraft fantasy value is murky as long as the Rays employ so much depth. Long-term he offers a lot of power with the ability to hit for a good batting average.
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Colson Montgomery, SS (CHW)
Chicago's top prospect, Colson Montgomery, was sent down to the minor leagues on Monday after spending spring training with the big-league club. He had two hits in 17 at-bats with a stolen base in the Cactus League, and he will spend a bit of time at the team's minor league facility before getting assigned to either AA or AAA. He finished the 2023 season at AA-Birmingham, where he hit .244 with four home runs. He has the ability to develop some real power, but first he needs to improve his swing path and mature as a hitter. The 22-year-old shortstop has an outside chance of making an appearance this summer with the White Sox, but more than likely his first path to fantasy relevance will come in 2025. Paul DeJong is expected to handle the shortstop position in Chicago to begin the year.
Robert Hassell III, OF (WSH)
Nationals prospect Robert Hassell III is dealing with a groin injury that could be more serious than originally thought. According to Nats beat reporter Mark Zuckerman, Hassell is getting an MRI after missing the past couple spring training games with tightness. Hassell has impressed in 14 spring at-bats, hitting .357 with a home run and two stolen bases. Hassell has mostly struggled since a midseason trade in 2022 that sent Juan Soto to San Diego in exchange for Hassell, James Wood, and four other players, including MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams. The former first-round pick spent most of the 2023 season at AA-Harrisburg where he struck out 32% of the time and hit only .225 with eight home runs and 13 stolen bases in 414 at-bats. He doesn't profile to have elite power, but he should do better than the .099 ISO he posted at Harrisburg. What he has displayed is a strong OBP and stolen base potential. He stole 13 bases at AA in 2023 and then added another six steals in 20 games at the Arizona Fall League. However, a groin strain will probably delay what was already an unlikely path to the 2024 Nationals roster. Expect him to get a look later this season, but his redraft fantasy value is quite low right now.
Aaron Judge, OF (NYY)
Judge will sit out the next couple spring games with what Yankees manager Aaron Boone describes as "mid-spring beat up." I guess that's normal for MLB players, or maybe it's just normal for Judge, who has only three career seasons with more than 500 at-bats. Judge had already said his toe issue will require constant maintenance so another season with more than 500 at-bats just cannot be expected. He will probably have to sit out regular season games at times and may even require a stint or two on the injured list. Judge has only two hits and no home runs this spring as he attempts to regain the consistency that led to his historic 2022 season. He is being drafted in the first round because we know what he is capable of, but the reality is his lack of regular availability makes a late first-round selection quite risky.
Kenedy Corona, OF (HOU)
Kenedy Corona was optioned to minor-league camp, but his major league debut appears to be imminent. The 23-year-old outfield prospect had four hits and a stolen base in 12 spring-training at-bats. He impressed in his first taste of AA last year, hitting 20 home runs and stealing 31 bases. However, strikeouts have been an issue throughout his minor league career, which has generally led to low batting averages. There is a universe where Corona makes his major league debut this summer, but more than likely his first taste of the big leagues will come in 2025.
Reese Olson, SP (DET)
Olson was solid on Monday, holding a lineup consisting mostly of Houston's regulars, to one run on two hits and a walk in four innings. He struck out three batters in the game as he moved a step closer to securing a spot in the Tigers' starting rotation. After allowing four runs in his first two appearances of the spring, Olson has now only allowed one run in his past seven innings. The 24-year-old righthander closed the 2023 season on a high note, going his last six starts without allowing more than two runs. He finished with a 1.44 ERA in September and struck out 19 batters in his final three starts. Olson has a starter's arsenal so it wouldn't make much sense putting him in the bullpen. The likelihood is he either earns a starting role with Detroit or he starts the season at AAA-Toledo.
Ronald Acuña, Jr., OF (ATL)
Acuña Watch continues with most of the news remaining cautiously positive. The reigning NL MVP took live batting practice on Monday and Braves manager Brian Snitker said his star outfielder's knee "is fine." There was no indication as to when he will reappear in spring training games, but unless the Braves are hiding something, Acuña should be back out there soon. The Braves have downplayed the impact of the injury, basically saying it's a non-factor, which means Acuña could be running all over the base paths once again. Fantasy owners cannot bank on a repeat 40/70 season, but even a steady decline in those numbers warrants selection as the No. 1 overall pick.
Gerrit Cole, SP (NYY)
After giving up three runs on Mar. 1 in his only start this spring, Cole is now dealing with a concern regarding his pitching elbow. The Yankees say the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is going to have an MRI because his elbow was not recovering as well as he'd like. It could be nothing. It could be something. For fantasy owners, it simply has to be a factor if you're in the midst of a draft. The veteran Cole wouldn't be going for an MRI if this was typical spring soreness. The fact the Yankees are taking this step appears notable, but until we have a definitive answer, it should knock his ADP back, perhaps pushing Cole more towards the 3rd round rather than the 2nd. That could create an opportunity for extraordinary value, or he's forced to miss extensive time and shouldn't be drafted at all. YOLO!
Eddie Rosario, OF (WSH)
Rosario made his first appearance this spring, singling once in three at-bats before getting lifted for a pinch hitter in the 8th. The veteran outfielder signed just last week with the Nationals, a nice landing spot from a fantasy perspective. First of all, Rosario probably only has to beat out Jesse Winker for a starting role. That should be a piece of cake. Secondly, Nationals Park ranks among the top-five in the majors for left-handed hitters. Rosario is coming off a rejuvenated season in Atlanta where he hit 21 home runs and drove in 74 batters. His barrel rate was a career-high 9.5% to coincide with a more stable launch angle. That will play well in Washington, although the reality is he may not be there long-term. The Nats will probably trade him prior to the trade deadline, assuming James Wood and/or Robert Hassell III are ready to come up.
AJ Smith-Shawver + Reynaldo Lopez, SP (ATL)
AJ Smith-Shawver was optioned to AAA-Gwinnett on Monday, further signaling Reynaldo Lopez's coup of a Braves starting rotation spot. Smith-Shawver didn't do himself any favors this spring, allowing seven runs in 7.2 innings, but the reality is Lopez more so earned the role with one run allowed in eight innings, earning rave reviews for his stuff. Lopez hasn't started more than one game in a season since 2021 and his best success in the majors has occurred in a relief role. However, he offers an advanced arsenal with more power and an ability to reintegrate his changeup and curveball as a starter. Lopez will need to control his walks, but he should strike out a hefty number of batters and limit base hits. As for Smith-Shawver, his development is still very much a work in progress. Too many home runs and too many walks. He will likely get another shot at some point this season.
Jordan Diaz, 2B/3B (OAK)
Diaz was sent down to the minor leagues after a dismal spring that torpedoed any chance of earning a role with the A's. It's not as if he has a lot of headwinds on the Oakland roster, but at this point the A's see Miguel Andujar, Nick Allen and Abraham Toro as better options than Diaz. Darell Hernaiz is also a likely candidate to make the Opening Day roster. Diaz hit 10 home runs in 272 at-bats in 2023, but he struggled to control the plate and was wildly inconsistent with his swing. The door isn't shut yet, however, as the 23-year-old has displayed quiet pop and better plate discipline in previous years of the minor leagues. He will certainly get another opportunity in the majors this season, but you're only given so many chances and at some point Diaz will have to prove he belongs as an everyday player. He's not there yet.
Dairon Blanco, OF (KC)
The Royals are sending Blanco for an MRI this week after leaving Saturday's game with cramping in his calf. The 30-year-old speedster is trying to earn a role in Kansas City's outfield, at the very least as a fourth outfielder/pinch runner. However, missing significant time near the tail end of spring training is not a great scenario for acquiring regular season playing time. Blanco appeared in 69 games in 2023, getting only 124 at-bats but stealing 24 bags. This was on top of the 47 thefts he nabbed in 173 at-bats at AAA-Omaha. He has weak bat-to-ball skills and has to sell out for the limited power he generates, but when he's on the bases, he's an immediate threat to steal. You can get him super late in AL-Only or deep mixed league drafts, but it's probably a good idea to wait on the results of tests before investing even the lowest amount of draft capital in the one-category player.
Josh Jung, 3B (TEX)
Jung's return is about two weeks away as the Rangers are planning to play the young slugger in exhibition games on Mar. 25 and 26, right before the regular season begins. That isn't a lot of time to ramp up for the season, but it's a good sign that Jung will at least play most of April, if only to get a day or two off every week or two. He has been out all spring with a calf injury, but he has resumed running and taking swings. Expect the Rangers to utilize Jung at designated hitter more often than not to begin the season. Ezequiel Duran, Jose Barrero, Josh Smith and Justin Foscue are all options to pick up at-bats while Jung is out (remember, Corey Seager is out as well to begin the season). Jung displayed excellent quality of contact en route to 23 home runs as a rookie, but his plate discipline will need to improve if he hopes to become a dominant middle-of-the-order bat in Texas. The Fantistics projections on Jung have him at 27 home runs in 2024 with 574 at-bats.
J.D. Davis, 3B (SF)
Even after the signing of Matt Chapman to man the hot corner in San Francisco, it was still surprising the Giants waived the veteran J.D. Davis, and then it was perhaps even more surprising to see him get released altogether on Monday. No team was willing to put in a waiver claim for the hard-hitting corner infielder who was making just over $1 million? That's a concern for those who drafted Davis early in the draft process. He's obviously droppable at this point, but if you're in a draft-and-hold, you have to hope he gets signed by the right team. He has a career average exit velocity of 91 miles per hour. However, his home runs have always been held in check by a high ground ball rate and minimal playing time. Jorge Soler will play designated hitter most of the time while Chapman gets the full playing time at third base.
