MLB Player News

Hyatt, 24, holds a career 2.88 ERA with 165 strikeouts over 134 1/3 career relief innings. He’s likely to begin the 2015 season at Double-A.

Well of course he is. Sale will get the nod against Kansas City to open the year after an impressive — but injury-shortened — 2025 campaign that saw him forge a 2.58 ERA and 165/32 K/BB over his 21 starts. Sale is still very relevant from a fantasy perspective, but managers need to be prepared for a workload that won’t rival the top arms in 2026.

The placement on unpaid leave comes after the Guardians came to an agreement with the MLBPA. Both Clase and Ortiz are currently being investigated on gambling charges related to a schame to manipulate bets on pitches thrown in games. ""This agreement is not an admission of any wrongdoing by Clase or Ortiz,” a statement from Major League Baseball read. “MLB has been closely monitoring the matter since alerting federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and will have no further comment until its investigation has been completed.”

Johnson and Kochanowicz will be a part of the Angels’ roster, but their roles are yet to be defined. It’s worth noting that Alek Manoah has a fingernail issue and Grayson Rodriguez is currently experiencing a “dead arm” phase, so it’s feasible those two are the replacements for those arms. Johnson was a disaster in his MLB action in 2025, but there’s considerable upside in his right arm. Kochanowicz offers no fantasy upside.

Holiday will also take part in live BP Friday. The 22-year-old continues to make steady progress from his hamate bone surgery, and while it seems very likely that the former first-overall pick will open the year on the injured list, there’s a chance he’ll be available in the early portion of the campaign. A breakout season for Holliday is well within reach, even with the missed time.

Bibee gets the nod after going 12-11 with a 4.24 ERA in 2025 for the Guardians and helping Cleveland secure a postseason berth. He’s a solid if unspectacular fantasy option for 2026, and it’s worth noting that first start will come in the cool Seattle weather in a pitcher-friendly park.

Rutledge, 26, is one of two former first-round picks who was optioned Friday, with the other being Dylan Crews. Rutledge will likely be an up-and-down arm for the Nats in 2026.

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.

All four players were signed to minor-league contracts with invites to spring training, and all four will be given a chance to play elsewhere rather than reassigned to minor-league camp. Wade has the most MLB success for the four, and his ability to hit left-handed pitching makes him likely to find a new landing spot relatively quickly.

The 26-year-old has been playing catch and doesn’t sound too concerned with his issue: “I’ve had some serious issues in the past. This is not serious.” It’s nice to hear that he isn’t worried, but given his long list of arm injuries in the past, it’s hard to be overly optimistic that he won’t miss any time. It might be best for fantasy managers to avoid this situation in upcoming drafts this weekend.

Zebby Matthews was optioned to Triple-A today, so it seems like Abel and Taj Bradley will take the final two spots in the Twins’ rotation. Abel was tremendous this spring, allowing four runs on 12 hits in 18 innings while striking out 23 and walking three. He also looked solid for stretches in his MLB debut last season and was stellar in the minor leagues. He should be a priority target in the later rounds of drafts now that he has won a spot in the rotation.