MLB Player News

The Marlins put out their lineup over an hour before the announcement, so they probably already had a courtesy heads up that it’d be the lefty on the mound. Johnny Cueto and Kodai Senga are expected to start Game 2 of the doubleheader.

Wheeler will open the season on the injured list to continue building up his pitch count and stamina in advance of his season debut, which is likely to come before the end of April.
The 35-year-old veteran fantasy ace will likely require a handful of rehab outings before he’s ready to rejoin Philadelphia’s rotation. He’s a top 25-30 range fantasy starter in remaining drafts this spring. His absence gives top prospect Andrew Painter some additional runway to prove he belongs at the highest level following a strong performance in spring training.

Estrada was granted his release to pursue opportunities elsewhere after opting out of his minor league deal with the Orioles. The 30-year-old veteran was limited to just 39 games with the Rockies last year due to injury. There was a chance for him to make the club’s season-opening roster with both Jackson Holliday (wrist) and Jordan Westburg (elbow) getting hurt during spring training.

Olson took Carson Fulmer and Mike Clevinger deep today. He typically hit second or fourth for the Braves last year, but he’s poised to occupy the third spot behind Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin this year. He seems like a good bet to finish with 30 homers and 100 RBI for the fourth time in his career, but he’s fallen just short the last two years (29 HR, 98 RBI in 2024 & 29 HR, 95 RBI in 2025).

It’s the first run he’s allowed in 13 1/3 innings this spring. Fuentes probably ought to be the Braves’ No. 2 starter with Spencer Strider out, but at least before the game, the team maintained that he’d open the season in the bullpen, with the plan being to send him to the minors to start in a few weeks. And given that the 20-year-old Fuentes threw just 70 innings last year, that would be the sensible plan if the Braves could afford to do without him. It just seems like that might be difficult right now.

The Pirates are going to be starting four pure left-handed hitters against righties: Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz, Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn. Their OBPs over the last two years are .311 for Cruz, .355 for Horwitz, .309 for Lowe and .351 for O’Hearn. So, guess which two Don Kelly seems to prefer batting first and second in his lineup? Well, it was Cruz first, Lowe second, O’Hearn fifth and Horwitz seventh today. Lowe was dropped to fifth a couple of times during the middle of the month, but he’s only hit second recently. It’s not a disaster or anything, but Lowe’s typical line is that of a good No. 5 hitter, and it seems like he’s mostly hitting second because, well, he’s a second baseman and that’s what second basemen did back in Kelly’s day.

It’s official. Wetherholt will make his highly-anticipated big-league debut against the Rays on Thursday at Busch Stadium. The 23-year-old top prospect will open the regular season as the Cardinals starting second baseman and figures to bat near the top of the lineup. He projects as an immediate five-category impact fantasy contributor after batting .306/.421/.510 with 17 homers and 23 steals in 109 games in the upper minors last season.

Woodruff gets the ball for Milwaukee’s fifth game of the regular season to open a three-game series against Tampa Bay at American Family Field. There were some questions earlier this spring whether the veteran fantasy stalwart would be ready for Opening Day coming off a lat strain. The 33-year-old appears ready to roll and will pitch at the back-end of the Brewers’ rotation.

Rocker gets the nod to open the season in Texas’ rotation with Jacob Latz heading to the bullpen. It qualifies as a bit of a surprise considering how inconsistent the former top prospect was in his opportunities with the Rangers last year. The 26-year-old has turned in an impressive spring with a 4.26 ERA and 14/3 K/BB ratio across 12 2/3 innings of work. He’s talented enough to make a fantasy impact, especially in deeper mixed leagues, but there’s enough evidence to suggest a wait-and-see approach in shallower formats.

McLain will sit out Monday’s spring contest against the Brewers as he recovers from a flu bug that has been working its way through Cincinnati’s facility. The 26-year-old second baseman has been the talk of the Cactus League this spring with seven homers and two steals in 17 contests. He should be ready for the club’s Opening Day matchup later this week.

Peña hasn’t been officially ruled out for Houston’s season-opener later this week. The 28-year-old shortstop traveled with the club to Daikin Park for Monday night’s exhibition against Triple-A Sugar Land where he’ll take on-field batting practice. He’s made steady progress in his recovery from a fractured right finger and could be ready for Opening Day. The Astros are unlikely to make a final decision on his status until later this week.