Despite being utilized mostly in a reserve role, New York Yankees utility man Jose Caballero has emerged as one of MLB's most prolific base-stealers in recent years. Across 126 games split between the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in 2025, Caballero stole 49 bases, his second straight season with at least 44 steals. With Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) expected to start the year on the injured list due to offseason shoulder surgery, Caballero appears ticketed for an everyday role in New York early on in 2026. The 29-year-old should not be expected to provide much fantasy value with his bat, as he hit .236/.339/.347 with five home runs, 36 RBI, and 52 runs scored across 370 plate appearances in 2025. However, with everyday playing time, Caballero could be a game-changing source of speed for fantasy managers. With a current average draft position of pick 222, Caballero could be a multi-position eligible sleeper to target, particularly in the early part of the season.

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) won't be ready for Opening Day in 2026, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. "He said Opening Day to me yesterday when I saw him. That's how good he's feeling. It is not gonna be Opening Day, I can assure you that. Where that is, we don't know yet," Lovullo said. Gurriel, 32, tore his right ACL late in the 2025 season and had surgery in September, which means he will most likely miss at least the first couple of months of the 2026 campaign. Before his season-ending injury, the Cuban outfielder hit .248/.295/.418 with a .713 OPS, 19 home runs, 80 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 500 at-bats. He was on pace to set career marks across the board before his injury, but now fantasy managers in mixed leagues can ignore him since he could miss most of the first half.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (hand) is already working out with a cast on his right (non-throwing) hand after he had surgery to fix a broken hamate bone on Wednesday, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. "I'm not surprised. That's how he's wired. He had surgery yesterday morning, and 24 hours later, he's out there working. It's who he is. There's a process, and there's a plan for him," manager Torey Lovullo said. A timetable for Carroll's return is unclear right now, but the D-backs are hoping that he'll be ready to go around Opening Day at the end of March. In the meantime, Jordan Lawlar could see playing time in center field for Arizona, with Alek Thomas moving to right field. Carroll's injury certainly drops his fantasy value going into upcoming drafts, but fantasy managers should still consider him a top-25 player since he might not have to miss much time.

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The Philadelphia Phillies are releasing veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The Phillies were unable to swing a trade for Castellanos, who is owed $20 million in 2026, so they ultimately decided to dump him and eat the money. The 33-year-old two-time All-Star should latch on elsewhere before the start of the 2026 season, but it's hard to envision him being a standout fantasy asset. Castellanos regressed even more in 2025 in his fourth and final season in Philly, slashing .250/.294/.400 with a .694 OPS, 17 home runs, 72 RBI, 72 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 147 games played. He was still useful for his counting stats because of the volume as a regular in one of the best lineups in baseball, but he lost his everyday role halfway through the year. Castellanos' hard-hit rate continues to fall each year, and he's among the worst defensive outfielders in the game. Wherever he lands, it will likely be in a platoon role.

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New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler (back) has "felt a tweak here and there" and is dealing with mid-back inflammation in camp, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. The Yankees will keep him off the mound for now, but Schlittler will continue to throw. The 25-year-old should be considered day-to-day, and his back injury could keep him from pitching in Grapefruit League games in spring training initially. Schlittler earned a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day rotation in 2026 after recording a 2.96 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 31 walks in 73 regular-season innings last year. The Yankees are also dealing with injuries to other key members of the starting unit, so if he's healthy, Schlittler should be locked into a spot to begin the season. Schlittler was impressive in his rookie campaign, but regression could be coming unless his secondary pitches improve to help complement his fastball/cutter combination.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (hand) had surgery on Wednesday on his hand after breaking the hamate bone on his right (non-throwing) hand while taking a swing during live batting practice on Tuesday, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. It's not clear how long Carroll will be out, but in a best-case scenario, he could return to action around Opening Day in late March. He will not be able to play for Team USA in next month's World Baseball Classic. The 25-year-old has been a key player for Arizona since making his MLB debut in August of 2022, winning National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 while helping the team get to the World Series. The two-time All-Star hit .259/.343/.541 with an OPS+ of 140 in 2025 while leading baseball with 17 triples. Carroll's fantasy stock takes a bit of a hit with this news, but he's still considered a top-25 overall player at RotoBaller since he might not miss much time at all to begin the season.

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The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Thursday that they avoided salary arbitration with catcher William Contreras by signing him to an undisclosed one-year deal with a club option for the 2027 season. Contreras' downtick in production last year most likely had to do with the fact that he played through a fracture in his left middle finger. The 28-year-old backstop slashed .260/.355/.399 with a .754 OPS, 17 home runs, 76 RBI, 89 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 150 games (659 plate appearances). Contreras had surgery on his finger in the offseason, but he's expected to be a full-go for Opening Day this year, and fantasy managers should still consider him a top-five catcher. The two-time All-Star will see plenty of volume and has high-end power at the shallow catching position.

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The Minnesota Twins acquired left-handed reliever Anthony Banda from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday in exchange for international bonus money, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The Dodgers designated Banda for assignment. In a corresponding move, the Twins designated pitcher Jackson Kowar (shoulder) for assignment. The 32-year-old Banda pitched well in relief for the Dodgers the last two seasons, posting a 3.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, two saves, and 111:52 K:BB in 114 2/3 innings. The Twins have one of the more unsettled bullpens in baseball as they rebuild, so Banda should be in line for a pretty significant high-leverage role and could rack up plenty of holds in his first year in Minnesota. In his nine-year MLB career, Banda has a 4.44 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, three saves, and a 21.5% strikeout rate in 233 1/3 regular-season innings.

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The Cleveland Guardians are finalizing a two-year minor-league deal with free-agent right-hander Ben Lively (elbow) on Thursday, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Lively had Tommy John surgery last June. The 33-year-old veteran is in camp with Cleveland this spring and will continue to rehab from UCL reconstruction and a flexor-tendon repair. The Guardians aren't expecting Lively to contribute much in 2026, if at all. The former fourth-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2013 out of the University of Central Florida only made nine starts for the Guards last year, but looked good when he was healthy, posting a 3.22 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks in 44 2/3 innings. Lively had a 3.68 ERA with 147 K's and 64 walks in 195 2/3 innings in his two seasons with Cleveland. He will not be a fantasy asset in 2026.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks signed right-handed reliever Paul Sewald to a one-year, $1.5 million deal on Thursday, pending a physical, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Sewald was Arizona's closer in 2023 and had a career-high 34 saves that year, but he lost the role the following year before pitching with the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers last season. The 35-year-old veteran only threw 19 2/3 innings in 2025 due to injuries and posted a 4.58 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, two saves, 20 strikeouts, and six walks in 22 appearances with Cleveland and Detroit. The D-backs will be thin in the bullpen to begin the 2026 campaign with both Justin Martinez (elbow) and A.J. Puk (elbow) on the shelf, which could open the door for the declining Sewald to see some save opportunities. At best, he'll be a desperation source of save chances for fantasy managers in deeper leagues.

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Free-agent infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez announced on his Instagram account on Thursday that he is re-signing an undisclosed one-year deal to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hernandez won't be ready for the start of the 2026 season after having left-elbow surgery this offseason. When the 34-year-old veteran returns, he'll resume his role in L.A. as a super-utility bat that mostly sees action against left-handed pitchers. Kike hit just .203/.255/.366 with a .621 OPS during 92 regular-season games for the Blue last season, adding 10 home runs, 35 RBI, and 30 runs scored in his 256 plate appearances. The Puerto Rican veteran has barely hit over the Mendoza Line the last two years in L.A., but he's been much more clutch during the postseason while helping the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles. Hernandez is a glue guy in L.A.'s locker room, but he won't be on the fantasy radar.

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New York Mets starting shortstop Francisco Lindor (hand) underwent surgery to fix a broken hamate bone in his hand on Wednesday and might not be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season. With Lindor sidelined this spring, infielders Ronny Mauricio, Vidal Brujan, Grae Kessinger, and Jackson Cluff will take reps at shortstop. The Mets plan to leave Bo Bichette at third base for now. After missing all of 2024 due to a torn ACL in his knee, Mauricio struggled at the plate in 61 major-league games, hitting .226/.293/.369 with a .663 OPS, six home runs, 10 RBI, 15 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 184 plate appearances. The 24-year-old former top prospect is running out of time to make an impact in New York, and even if he does earn the starting nod at shortstop on Opening Day, Lindor isn't expected to miss extended time early on.

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The Denver Post's Kyle Newman writes that someone would probably have to get injured for Colorado Rockies outfield prospect Zac Veen to break camp with the major-league team. The Rockies are pretty set in the outfield right now with Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Jordan Beck, and Jack McCarthy, which leaves Veen on the outside looking in as things currently stand. In a 12-game cup of coffee for his major-league debut last year, the 24-year-old former ninth overall pick struck out 37.8% of the time over just 37 plate appearances before being sent back to Triple-A Albuquerque. Veen also hasn't exactly stood out in the upper levels of the minor leagues with a 94 wRC+ last year and discouraging batted-ball metrics. Speed is probably his biggest asset right now, with the potential to steal 20-plus bags at the next level if he has a full-time role. If he's back in the big leagues at some point in 2026, it will likely be in a part-time role, and he probably won't be an impact bat in mixed fantasy leagues.

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Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish has looked sharp early in camp and was seen striking out first baseman Pete Alonso on Thursday during live batting practice, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Although it was a small sample size of only 32 innings over six starts, Bradish looked outstanding in 2025 in his return from Tommy John surgery, allowing only nine earned runs on 23 hits (three homers) while walking 10 and striking out 47. He struck out nine or more hitters in half of his starts for a 37.3% strikeout rate. The 29-year-old surely won't be that dominant over a full season in 2026, but his work last year was extremely encouraging. Since the beginning of 2023, Bradish has a 2.78 ERA (3.03 FIP) and 1.05 WHIP with 268 K's and 69 walks in 240 innings over 44 starts for the O's. He's a nice No. 2 starting pitcher target in fantasy drafts this spring.

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The New York Mets signed Bo Bichette this offseason to play third base, and The Athletic's Will Sammon writes that he "won't be taking reps at shortstop" following Francisco Lindor's surgery on the hamate bone in his hand. However, Sammon adds that it could change if Lindor's timetable changes. Early this spring with Lindor sidelined, infielders Vidal Brujan, Grae Kessinger, Jackson Cluff, and Ronny Mauricio will take spring training reps at the 6. The Mets are hoping that Lindor won't miss time, if any, to begin the 2026 regular season, so they'll keep Bichette locked in at the hot corner. The 27-year-old needs all the reps he can get at third, since he's never played the position professionally. Bichette rebounded nicely from an injury-plagued 2024 campaign to hit .311/.357/.483 with an .840 OPS, 18 homers, and 94 RBI in 139 regular-season games last year. He should have a high ceiling for run production while hitting for a high average and producing around 20 homers, and he'll have dual-position eligibility in 2026.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Thursday that they reached a contract extension with third baseman Max Muncy for one year and $10 million guaranteed, according to Jack Harris of The California Post. The deal also includes a $10 million club option for the 2028 season. Muncy will make $7 million in 2027. The 35-year-old veteran was already under contract for 2026 after the Dodgers picked up his $10 million option. Muncy, a two-time All-Star, has missed significant time with injuries the last two seasons. But when he's healthy, he continues to be a strong left-handed power bat with excellent plate discipline in the best lineup in baseball. In 100 regular-season games last year, he hit .243/.376/.470 with an .846 OPS, 19 home runs, 67 RBI, 48 runs, and four steals in 388 plate appearances. Muncy does struggle against lefties and will almost certainly miss time with injury, but he's still an acceptable third base target in fantasy in the mid to late rounds of drafts.

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Chicago White Sox right-hander Drew Thorpe (elbow) has hit what he described as "road bumps" in his recovery process, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Thorpe visited Dr. Keith Meister last week and was told that his ligament looks solid. Doctors believe his pain is coming from some tendinitis in his elbow. The 25-year-old was placed on the 60-day injured list last March and missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The former second-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2022 out of Cal Poly made his major-league debut with Chicago in 2024 and had a 5.48 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 21 walks in 44 1/3 innings over his nine starts. Thorpe wasn't very sharp in his first taste of the majors, which wasn't exactly a surprise after he skipped Triple-A. While he could be ready for the start of the 2026 season, fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues shouldn't expect Thorpe to contribute until maybe the second half.

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Texas Rangers shortstop prospect Sebastian Walcott (elbow) will undergo elbow surgery and will likely miss most, if not all, of 2026, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Walcott was expected to start the season back in the minors, but he almost certainly would have made his major-league debut this year had he been healthy. The 19-year-old is ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect at MLB Pipeline after hitting .255/.355/.386 with 13 home runs and 32 stolen bases in 124 games last year at Double-A Frisco. Despite being the youngest qualified hitter at Double-A in 2025, Walcott posted a 110 wRC+. He also showed improvement with his strikeout rate, walk rate, and swing rate. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder has plenty of maturing to do, but he has one of the highest fantasy ceilings of any young position-player prospect in the game. Unfortunately, his timeline has been extended by a year.

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Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter has no restrictions in spring training, and the Phillies are hoping he wins a rotation spot in camp, according to John Clark of NBC Sports. It's been a long road for Painter to this point after a tear in his UCL was discovered three years ago, which led to Tommy John surgery. Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, and Aaron Nola are locked into the team's top-three rotation spots, but there's a clear opening for Painter now that we know Zack Wheeler (shoulder) won't be ready for Opening Day. In his first full season back from TJ surgery, Painter struggled, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 22 starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The good news is that his stuff looked fine, and he threw a combined 118 innings at two levels. If the 22-year-old is a little sharper than he was last year and he stays healthy, he will most definitely be in play in all fantasy formats as long as he is locked into a rotation spot in Philly.

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New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil will throw live batting practice as he looks to get ready for a full 2026 season. Gil will face Aaron Judge, Amed Rosario, and Paul Goldschmidt out of the gate. The 2024 American League Rookie of the Year got a late start to 2025, making his season debut in early August. He went 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA and 4.63 FIP with 41 strikeouts in 57 innings in the regular season. Gil is expected to compete with Clarke Schmidt for the fifth spot in the rotation for the Yankees this spring training, and the 27-year-old from the Dominican brings a high ceiling if he can return to his 2024 form. In 2024, he had 10.15 K/9, but that dropped all the way to 6.47 K/9 in his limited work last year, causing his FIP and xERA to climb even though his ERA remained low. His progress will be important to watch, and it's a great sign that he's ready to throw live BP this early in the spring.

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