MLB Player News

Liberatore didn’t give up a hit until his final inning. He walked one and struck out five while generating seven swings and misses before exiting. He finishes the Grapefruit League with a 1.80 ERA, and he whiffed 12 over his final two starts. The former top prospect will be the Opening Day hurler for St. Louis in 2026, and there’s at least a smidgen of fantasy upside in Liberatore’s left arm.

The Giants have done quite a bit of experimenting with the top of the lineup, with Luis Arraez and Jung Hoo Lee both seeing time in the leadoff spot and Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers switching back and forth between second and third. What they haven’t done lately is bat Adames in the top three; he’s hit fourth, sixth and now fifth in his last three games. Fourth would be just fine for Adames’ value, but any lower than that would sting. He hit second or third more than two-thirds of the time last year, which helped him lead the Giants in both runs scored (95) and RBI (87). The Giants figure to have one of the league’s worst bottom halves of the order, so he could turn into a liability in runs scored if he hits fifth or lower.

Rumfield has still struck out just once in 62 plate appearances this spring. His EV numbers don’t suggest that he’ll hit for much power, but Coors Field will help there. Most likely, he’ll start regularly against right-handers initially, giving him some value in NL-only leagues.

Troy Johnson and TJ Rumfield homered off him. Flaherty ends the spring with a 7.92 ERA, having given up four homers in 12 2/3 innings. It doesn’t mean all that much, but it doesn’t make him look like any better of bet for a 2026 after he was already a well below average starter last year.

The Tigers still haven’t announced their position players, but barring an injury or a surprising decision to send down Kevin McGonigle, it looks like it’s Meadows and Wenceel Pérez for one spot, and though there’s been nothing to indicate an injury, Pérez hasn’t started a game since Tuesday. It seems like good news for Meadows, who is hitting .290/.389/.387 this month after opening the spring 1-for-14 in February.

Peña will return to game action for the first time since suffering a fractured finger while playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The 28-year-old shortstop progressed to taking on-field batting practice on Monday and there’s a chance he’ll be ready for Thursday’s season-opener against the division-rival Angels.

No word yet on the financial terms. Crow-Armstrong made the leap into full-fledged superstardom last season, delivering a 31-homer, 35-steal breakout campaign and emerging as one of the most impactful all-around contributors in the fantasy landscape. The 23-year-old center fielder is firmly entrenched as one of the core building blocks for the Cubs moving forward and projects as a perennial early-round selection in all fantasy formats as he enters his physical prime.

Nimmo took Royals starter Michael Wacha deep to right field in the third inning for his third round-tripper of the spring. The 32-year-old outfielder has eclipsed the 20-homer mark in three straight seasons and will occupy the leadoff spot for a new-look Rangers offense that will feature Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager in the heart of the order.

The major concern here is that Estévez’s fastball velocity hovered between 88-90 mph, while topping out at just 91 mph, after averaging nearly 96 mph last year during a 42-save campaign. He hit one batter and also handed out a free pass, needing 22 pitches (11 strikes) to work a scoreless frame. The fact that he’s barely touching 90 mph is a flashing warning light. He’ll open the regular season as Kansas City’s closer but the fantasy managers should be prepared for some potential early-season turbulence.

Gore scattered three hits and threw 51 pitches (38 strikes) in his final spring tune-up. The 27-year-old lefty will take the ball on Sunday against the Phillies, a familiar foe from his Nationals tenure, in his Rangers debut.

Roberts has decided to flip Smith and Freddie Freeman against southpaws, likely to prevent having three lefty bats in the top four of the order, now that offseason addition Kyle Tucker is in the mix. It’s a small change for the Dodgers but one that fantasy managers should monitor to see whether it sticks. It would likely result in a few additional run-producing opportunities for Smith.