Betting

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.

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.

McCutchen earns a spot on Texas’ season-opening roster as a bench bat after hitting a blistering .444 (8-for-18) with three doubles in seven Cactus League contests this spring after signing a minor league pact earlier this month. The 39-year-old longtime Pirates icon will kick off his 18th season in the majors later this week, splitting time with Joc Pederson at DH for the Rangers.

It seemed to be tracking this way, but now we know for sure. Benge, the 16th-ranked prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, went 15-for-41 (.366) this spring with five runs scored, five RBI, and one steal. Only two of his hits went for extra bases, and he had just a 31 percent hard-hit rate in a small sample, so fantasy managers shouldn’t expect a ton of power production from Benge, but he has shown a good understanding of the strike zone and has the speed to steal double-digit bases. It remains to be seen how much he’ll play against left-handed pitching, so it’s not the most fantasy-friendly skillset for 2026 only, but he’ll be a regular starter in a good lineup, and that’s worth a gamble in the later rounds of drafts.

We already knew that Suzuki would not be ready for Opening Day, but now the Cubs have decided to hold him out for longer. There isn’t any new information, and there was no setback or increased level of concern; the Cubs are simply being cautious with Suzuki at the start of the season. Matt Shaw figures to be the regular starter in right field until Suzuki comes back, and is worth adding in most league types given how well he played after the All-Star Break last year. How well Shaw plays and how soon Suzuki comes back could impact the playing time for Moises Ballesteros. If Shaw hits, and the Cubs want to bring Suzuki back as a designated hitter to not stress his knee, that could mean Ballesteros would lose his spot as a regular in the starting lineup.

Wheeler threw two innings on a back field on Monday “against low-level farmhands with no outfielders and the catcher calling balls and strikes.” However, the most important part of the day was simply that the right-hander came away happy and was able to go full speed against hitters. As of now, Wheeler remains on track to return in late April, but we have yet to see him pitch, so it’s hard to know for sure what version of the 35-year-old we’re going to get coming off such a big surgery. He remains one of the bigger risk/reward picks in fantasy drafts right now.

Lux had missed time this spring with a “cranky” shoulder but returned to the lineup on Sunday. Apparently, he didn’t recover from that game as well as the Rays would have hoped. While his injury means that Richie Palacios will make the Opening Day roster, it’s unclear if Palacios or Ben Williamson will start at second base with Lux out. Palacios is a left-handed hitter, which would favor him, but neither player needs to be added in fantasy leagues right now.

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.

Barco, MLB’s 95th-ranked prospect, made his MLB debut last season with just three innings out of the bullpen. He will presumably start this season in the bullpen as well, with Carmen Mlodzinski already named the team’s fifth starter. That means Barco will be the presumed sixth starter and long reliever and should get a chance to start if Mlodzinski falters. Barco looked good this spring, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits in 9 1/3 innings while striking out 12 and walking six. He might not be worth adding right now in his current role, but fantasy managers should watch Mlodzinski’s early starts closely to see if Barco will get a shot.

A 10-run third inning decided this one quickly. Glasnow got whiffs on exactly half of the 36 swings against him. His spring ends with a 3.45 ERA and an outstanding 26/3 K/BB in 15 2/3 innings. He’s pretty obviously not going to contribute for six months this year, but it looks like he might be especially good early on.