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He’ll undergo further evaluation and imaging to determine the severity of the injury. It’s an ominous injury designation after Ponce was carted off during his Blue Jays debut following an awkward attempt to field a grounder up the first-base line in the third inning of his first major-league appearance since 2021. The 31-year-old journeyman spent the previous four seasons overhauling his arsenal in Korea and Japan before returning stateside on a three-year, $30 million deal with Toronto. An extended absence would be a significant blow to an already injury-ravaged rotation that’s without Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (elbow) and José Berríos (elbow). An update on his status should arrive in the coming days, but he’s in clear jeopardy of missing his next scheduled start against the White Sox on Sunday.

Bibee completed a 26-pitch bullpen session over the weekend without any issues and has been cleared to take the ball against the two-time defending World Series champions in Los Angeles. It’s such a daunting matchup that fantasy managers were likely strongly considering alternatives to begin with this week. The positive news is that Bibee won’t require a trip to the injured list after exiting his season-opening start against the Mariners last week with shoulder inflammation.

“We spotted a few things and we’ll be able to get him back on track here for his next outing,” Espada told reporters on Monday. He also confirmed that Abreu isn’t dealing with any physical issues, which is an encouraging development. The 28-year-old high-leverage specialist, who is filling in for injured Astros closer Josh Hader (biceps), averaged just 93.2 mph on his fastball during Sunday’s outing against the Angels in a save situation after averaging 97.3 mph last year. He was ultimately pulled in favor of lefty Bryan King after issuing a pair of walks and recording only one out. It doesn’t sound like the Astros are overly concerned. King would be the clear stash for fantasy managers in the event that Abreu doesn’t turn things around.

This explains why Polanco has been limited to DH in back-to-back contests with Jared Young and Brett Baty taking turns at first base. The positive news is that the 32-year-old isn’t dealing with anything knee-related since those issues have plagued him in the past. It sounds like a manageable situation for the Mets as they continue to exercise caution with their new first baseman in the early portion of the year.

This makes it three consecutive different top-of-the-order lineup combinations for first-year skipper Tony Vitello with Adames, who is 1-for-11 at the dish this season, in the leadoff spot after Jung Hoo Lee got a chance following a pair of appearances from contact-oriented specialist Luis Arraez. It’ll be the first time as the top-of-the-order table-setter for Adames this season after mostly hitting second or third last year in his San Francisco debut. The Giants were swept by the Yankees in their season-opening series, scoring just one run combined during the three-game set at Oracle Park.

Raleigh will get a chance to reset mentally, instead of facing Yankees southpaw Ryan Weathers, after going an ice-cold 2-for-15 with one RBI and 10 strikeouts during a four-game series against the Guardians to open the regular season. There are obviously zero concerns fantasy-wise when it comes to the 29-year-old slugging backstop on the heels of a 60-homer campaign where he rewrote the offensive record book for catchers. It’s only a matter of time before he heats up. It’ll be Mitch Garver handling the catching duties on Monday night in his place.

It’s a significant step for Bieber as he continues to work his way back from offseason forearm fatigue that led to a season-opening stint on the injured list with elbow inflammation. The 30-year-old former fantasy ace was a revelation during last year’s postseason and could make a significant fantasy impact this season, but only if he’s healthy. There should be a clearer return timetabe for Bieber once he progresses to facing hitters and is ultimately cleared to head out on a minor league rehab assignment.

Yesavage is aiming for roughly 45 pitches as he continues to progress towards his season debut after being slowed by shoulder inflammation during spring training. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect will require at least a brief minor league tune-up before he rejoins Toronto’s injury-marred rotation, which looked outstanding during their season-opening series against the Athletics. Yesavage offers sky-high strikeout upside and projects as one of the most impactful young arms in the game from a fantasy perspective.

Nightengale adds that the long-term agreement, if it gets across the finish line, will be worth more than $50 million and contains a pair of club options worth roughly $15 million per-season. It’s a significant, virtually unprecedented, financial commitment for a highly touted prospect that has played just 123 games above High-A. The 21-year-old projects as Milwaukee’s shortstop of the future and could ascend to the big leagues at some point later this year, especially if the Brewers decide to move defensive wizard Joey Ortiz into a utility role. He’ll settle in as one of the club’s future franchise building blocks alongside fellow top middle infield prospects Jesús Made and Luis Peña.

The 24-year-old Matos, who is out of options and was DFA’d last week, has slashed .231/.281/.369 in 593 MLB plate appearances. The Brewers figure to have him replace Blace Perkins, who opened up in the minors before being recalled as Andrew Vaughn’s replacement, and can give him some starts in left field against left-handers.