Ronald Acuna (knee) is already doing batting practice. That's a good sign, given how worried we were about his meniscus injury earlier in the week, though there is currently no timetable for his return to Grapefruit League action. That being said, Acuña is still expected to be ready for Opening Day, and should be the No. 1 pick in all formats barring a setback.
Kevin Gausman (shoulder) is dealing with "general shoulder fatigue". Gausman is going to continue to rest over the weekend, with the hope that he'll be able to throw off a mound Monday. He's very much in question for Opening Day, which is just 17 days away from Monday, but if he can avoid setbacks, he should be ready shortly after, at least. I've moved Gausman down to the bottom of the top 12 of my SP rankings, but if this ends up being a non-factor, he could be a terrific value.
Justin Verlander (shoulder) will begin the season on the IL. Verlander had an issue in his shoulder during the offseason, but it sounds like he's doing well since – he threw a 60-pitch bullpen session without issue earlier in the week, and the hope is he'll face hitters soon. He'll probably get into a spring game within the next week or two, and at this point, I'm anticipating only a short IL stay to open the season. He could be a terrific value as his price continues to fall.
Gunnar Henderson (oblique) has returned to spring action. Henderson, who missed the first couple of weeks of the spring with an oblique injury, made up for lost time with four hits in his first five trips to the plate over two games. Assuming Henderson can avoid setbacks, he should have more than enough time to get ready for Opening Day. There's no point in discounting him in drafts at this point.
Adolis Garcia (oblique) homered in his spring debut. Garcia appeared in a game for the first time in 128 days when he made his spring debut Wednesday, and he got things started off with a homer against the Rockies. It was his first game since suffering the oblique injury during the World Series, which is an awfully long layoff, and there will be some risk of a setback over the coming days and weeks. But assuming he avoids any issues, he's a rock-solid fourth-round pick in Roto leagues.
Edwin Diaz (knee) is nearing a spring debut. The Mets are slow-playing Diaz's spring as he returns from last year's right patellar tendon tear, but he's been pitching in intrasquad scrimmages and sitting in the high-90s with his fastball, so it looks like all systems go for the elite closer. There's some risk coming off the injury, but I think you can justify taking Diaz as the first closer off the board – he had a 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings in 2022.
David Bednar (lat) is on a pause. Bednar has not pitched in spring action yet, and at this point it's not clear when he will. All public comments from Bednar and the team have downplayed the injury, but I think you probably need to discount him a few rounds at this point, and if you do draft him, you almost have to draft Aroldis Chapman as insurance in the last few rounds.
Matt McLain (oblique) is nearing his spring debut. McLain has been swinging and participating in team workouts, and earlier this week, David Bell told reporters that McLain would likely play in games sometime this week. As of Thursday, that hasn't happened yet, but I haven't seen any reason to think there was a setback, so hopefully we'll see him out there this weekend. McLain has plenty of time to get up to speed for Opening Day, barring a setback, though I still think there's plenty of risk at his price even if he's healthy.
Nate Lowe has side tightness. Lowe was scratched from Thursday's spring game, but it doesn't sound like the Rangers are too concerned right now. We'll see how he reacts to a few days off and some treatment, but I'll admit, it makes me feel a bit worse about spending $5 on Lowe in our Salary Cap draft Thursday night.
Lucas Giolito (elbow) has a partially torn UCL. Giolito is seeing a specialist for a second opinion before determining whether he will undergo what would likely be season-ending surgery. The Red Sox were hoping for a bounceback from Giolito after signing him this offseason, but now it looks like their rotation depth will already face a significant test. Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Garrett Whitlock are all competing for a roster spot for the Red Sox, and it looks like all three may have an opening. I like Crawford best of that trio, followed by Whitlock and Houck in that order, but all three are intriguing late-round sleeper options.
Sonny Gray (hamstring) looks unlikely for Opening Day. Gray suffered a hamstring injury in a spring start recently, and while the injury isn't considered serious, it looks like it could delay his season – especially given Gray's history of hamstring issues, which will likely cause him to take an especially conservative approach to his return. I don't think it's likely to extend into May, or anything, but it's an added risk factor for a pitcher who already had plenty of them, so it makes sense to discount him in drafts.
Lars Nootbaar (ribs) is headed for a CT scan. Nootbaar has been out for most of the past week after an awkward fall during a game, and while his absence was initially reported as a precaution, apparently it hasn't healed as expected. He's going to have a CT scan taken Friday to determine the extent of the injury, and the Cardinals really can't afford another injury with Tommy Edman looking unlikely for Opening Day as he recovers from wrist surgery. If Nootbaar has to miss time in the regular season as well, that could open an opportunity for top-100 prospect Victor Scott, who hit .303/.369/.425 while reaching Double-A last season with – get this – 94 stolen bases. He has significantly better quality-of-contact metrics than someone like Esteury Ruiz, and could be a Fantasy standout if he gets a real chance. And he might be getting a real chance.
The Rangers hope Corey Seager (hernia surgery) will get some Grapefruit League at-bats. One thing that might be complicating Seager's timetable is that he recently had the flu, which caused him to pause his rehab a little bit. The team would prefer to get him "a few at-bats" in spring, but manager Bruce Bochy also noted that Seager returned from a five-week absence last season without a rehab assignment and hit .324/.382/.630 from that point on. If anyone could hit the ground running without a proper spring training, it could be Seager, though there would be risk of a slow start, to be sure.
Ian Happ (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury. Happ has been able to get some batting practice in in recent days, so it sounds like the injury may not be too serious. Hopefully he's able to make some more progress this weekend and we see him back out there next week, with plenty of time to get ready for the start of the season.
Trevor Story (neck) is being held out as a precaution. Story was scratched from Thursday's lineup with neck stiffness, but the hope is it won't be a long-term issue. Given Story's struggles staying on the field over the past few seasons, it's worth noting, but not worth worrying about (yet).
Jarren Duran (ankle) was back in the lineup Thursday. Duran was back in his typical spot at the top of the Red Sox lineup after a scare Wednesday. He's expected to hit leadoff for Boston this season and is becoming one of my favorite breakout candidates for this season, with 20-40 upside if everything goes right.
Nick Lodolo (leg) should make his spring debut Saturday. Lodolo's recovery from a stress fracture last season definitely hasn't gone as expected, but he's been throwing simulated games and bullpen sessions since spring started, and he was finally cleared to pitch in games beginning this weekend. The team hopes he'll be able to join the rotation a few weeks into the season, and he still has significant upside – he struck out 11.4 batters per nine as a rookie in 2022 and could be a terrific Fantasy option if he can keep the ball in the yard (and stay healthy).
Kenley Jansen (lat) is nearing a spring debut. Jansen is aiming for a March 15 Spring Training debut, and looks like he'll be ready for Opening Day at this point. There's still a chance those trade rumors surrounding Jansen will come to fruition, but I'd be surprised if he got traded somewhere he wasn't going to be the closer, so I'm still targeting Jansen for saves whenever there's a discount (as there often is right now).
Vaughn Grissom (groin) might not be ready for Opening Day. Grissom suffered a groin injury earlier in the week and sounds unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster, though his ultimate timetable is still unknown beyond that. Grissom is still an interesting late-round flier, especially in leagues with IL spots to play with, while Emmanuel Valdez can probably be safely ignored even in deeper leagues while Grissom is out, though he does have a bit of pop and speed.
Tyler O'Neill (calf) will not travel with the team for an upcoming series in the Dominican Republic. He's dealing with calf tightness, which isn't expected to be a long-term concern at this point, but is worrying given O'Neill's history of injuries, but we won't worry as long as he's back in the lineup when the Red Sox return from the trip Monday.
Matt Brash (elbow) has been cleared to resume throwing. There was some concern that Brash might have a season-ending elbow injury, multiple doctors confirmed that he didn't need surgery, and he's been cleared to play catch. He threw from 60 feet Tuesday, and while he isn't entirely out of the woods, there's still a path back to the Mariners bullpen for the wicked righty. Andres Munoz will almost certainly open the season as the club's closer, but Brash is still a viable late-round dart throw, especially if you have an IL spot to play with.
Alek Manoah (shoulder) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. Manoah's injury is considered "minor" at this point, with no structural damage showing up in an MRI taken in recent days. However, he's had his prep for the season stalled, and that likely leaves him without enough time to be ready for the start of the season. Though, with Manoah allowing four runs on three hits, one walk, and three hit batters in 1.2 innings in his only spring outing so far, it's hard to even view him as a late-round dart throw at this point.
Robert Stephenson (shoulder) still hopes to be ready for Opening Day. Stephenson threw a bullpen session Wednesday and hopes to throw another one Sunday, with the hopes he can return to game action shortly after. He's had his spring delayed due to shoulder discomfort, but if he gets back to game action soon, he could still be back by Opening Day. Stephenson is expected to set up for Carlos Estevez, but he's probably the better pitcher and could step in to the ninth-inning role if Estevez stumbles.
Yuki Matsui (back) threw his first bullpen session Tuesday. It was his first time throwing off a mound since he suffered a back strain on Feb. 25, and Matsui reported no issues. He might not be ready for the team's March 20 opener against the Dodgers in Korea, but there's a chance he'll be ready when the Padres return to the states shortly after.
