The good news is that the injury is not related to his arm. The bad news is that, because of pitching mechanics, oblique strains can sideline pitchers for four to six weeks. Strider will not be able to throw while he manages the pain and inflammation. He will then begin some strengthening exercises and work his way back onto the mound and have to ramp up his pitch count again. Fantasy managers should expect Strider back in the rotation sometime in early May. Until then, the Braves will likely turn to either Jose Suarez or Didier Fuentes in their starting rotation; however, they could also decide to add any of Martin Perez, Carlos Carrasco, or JR Ritchie to their 40-man roster as well.

Stowers is expected to be shelved for 3-4 weeks. He had battled hamstring issues early on during spring training and then aggravated it again during Friday’s Grapefruit League contest against the Astros. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect to have him in lineups until the end of April. Griffin Conine figures to be the direct replacement for Stowers on the active roster, perhaps in a platoon role, with Heriberto Hernández serving on the short side of the platoon.

The new agreement keeps Sánchez, who finished second in NL Cy Young Award balloting last season, in Philadelphia through 2032. His previous four-year, $22.5 million contract ran through 2028 and included team options for 2029 and 2030. The new agreement starts in 2027 and runs through 2032 with a club option for 2033. It makes plenty of sense that the Phillies would want to lock up one of the best left-handed arms in the game for as long as possible. He’ll be one of the first 10 pitchers off the board in all remaining fantasy drafts this spring.

Griffin hit just .184 in his Grapefruit League action, but he was able to hit four homers and had some exceptional exit velocities during his time in big-league camp. There’s reports that the two sides are working on a long-term extension, but he’ll almost assuredly begin the season in the minors. Griffin is one of the few prospects in baseball who is worth rostering in redraft leagues even if he is opening the season in Triple- or Double-A.

Skenes scattered one hit and three walks, requiring 65 pitches (36 strikes) to navigate four shutout frames in his final spring tune-up. The 23-year-old reigning NL Cy Young Award winner kicks off the season on Thursday with a challenging road tilt against the Mets at Citi Field. He’s one of the top three pitchers off the board in the first or second round of every fantasy draft this spring.

Crawford will be officially added to Philadelphia’s active roster in advance of next week’s season-opener. The 22-year-old top prospect will open the season as the Phillies’ starting center fielder after batting .334/.411/.452 with seven homers and 46 steals in 112 games at the Triple-A level last year. His stolen base potential gives him immediate relevance in deeper fantasy formats, although he’s likely to bat near the bottom of the order at the outset of the season, which limits his realistic across-the-board ceiling. He’s a talent worth rostering in deeper leagues.

That had been a foregone conclusion for a while now, but is now official. The bigger question will be whether he or Taijuan Walker gets bumped once Zack Wheeler (shoulder) is ready to return. Cristopher Sanchez will work on Opening Day for the Phillies and will be followed by Aaron Nola. Jesus Luzardo, Walker and Painter in that order.

Brandon Woodruff would have likely received the honor if he were fully healthy, but his status for the start of the season is still in question. Misiorowski, 23, has registered a 3.68 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and a 12/3 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings during Cactus League play this spring.

Crews seemed very likely to not only make the Nationals out of spring training coming into Grapefruit League action, but to be a part of the lineup. He’s looked horrendous in Florida, however, and the 24-year-old will begin the year in Rochester. There’s still upside in his bat in the long-term, but fantasy managers can safely ignore Crews to begin 2026.

Obviously, Joel Sherman is not a member of the Mets’ front office, so he does not have an official say, but he has been covering the Mets for long enough that it’s worth noting when he makes a declarative statement like this. It doesn’t hurt that Benge has hit .406/.472/.500 in 11 games this spring, and the Mets don’t have another candidate to really push him for the starting right field job aside from Mike Tauchman. While many fantasy managers are focused on Kevin McGonigle and Konnor Griffin, Benge also should likely be drafted in a similar range after hitting .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 22 steals across 116 minor league games last season.