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St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that he thinks outfielder Jordan Walker could steal more bases in 2026, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It might be a make-or-break year for Walker, who has stolen only 18 bases in 279 games in his first three seasons in the big leagues. The former first-rounder is surprisingly fast despite standing 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, and the Cardinals could give him more opportunities to run this year. The 23-year-old is still young, but so far, he's been a bust at the major-league level, slashing .240/.302/.378 with a .680 OPS, 27 home runs, 112 RBI, 107 runs, and a 26.9% strikeout rate. Walker's 66 wRC+ in 2025 ranked 270th out of 277 qualifying hitters, although he did make loud contact along the way. There have been positive reports about Walker's swing changes this offseason. Taking a chance on Walker will be cheap if you're hoping for a post-hype breakout.

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The New York Mets placed right-hander Tylor Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday to make room for new outfielder MJ Melendez on the 40-man roster, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Megill will miss the entire 2026 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in September of last year. The 30-year-old veteran stepped up in the Mets' starting rotation in 2025 with both Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas injured, and he went on to go 5-5 with a career-best 3.95 ERA (3.43 FIP) and 1.36 WHIP with 89 strikeouts and 33 walks in 68 1/3 innings over 14 starts. Megill even had two starts with 10-plus strikeouts, but he landed on the IL in June with a right-elbow sprain and never pitched again. He has a career 4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 435:163 K:BB in 409 2/3 innings over his 88 outings (81 starts) with the Mets over five seasons.

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The Kansas City Royals announced on Thursday that they acquired right-hander Mitch Spence from the Athletics in exchange for right-hander AJ Causey. In a corresponding move, the Royals moved right-hander Alec Marsh (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list. Spence, 27, will be battling for a spot in KC's bullpen in spring training after posting a bloated 5.10 ERA (5.10 FIP) and 1.44 WHIP with one save, 66 strikeouts, and 26 walks in 84 2/3 innings over 32 appearances (eight starts) in 2025 in Sacramento. He wasn't much better the year before for the A's in his major-league debut, going 8-10 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 126:44 K:BB in 151 1/3 frames covering 35 appearances (24 starts). With minor-league options remaining, Spence will most likely open the 2026 season at Triple-A Omaha as pitching depth for the Royals.

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Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hamstring) tweaked his hamstring in January, according to Charlie Goldsmith. Encarnacion-Strand is on a running progression in camp and may be forced to miss the first few Cactus League games. The 26-year-old is off to a bad start in spring training after struggling to the tune of a .208/.234/.377 slash line with a .610 OPS, six home runs, 19 RBI, and 13 runs scored in just 36 games played in 2025 in his third year in the big leagues. He was eventually sent down to Triple-A Louisville on July 12 and never made it back to Cincy. CEH's plate discipline was awful, and it didn't improve much down on the farm, as he struck out nearly 25% of the time. He has 21 home runs in his three years in the big leagues, but his 27.1% strikeout rate and high chase rate haven't helped his cause. Barring a strong spring training, Encarnacion-Strand could find himself back at Louisville to begin the 2026 season.

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Kansas City Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (back) was seen throwing a bullpen session at camp on Thursday, according to Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. It's good to see the veteran hurler throwing again after he was shut down for the final month of last season due to a nagging back injury. Lugo doesn't have any restrictions this spring and mentioned that he wants to use his fastball more in early counts in 2026. The 36-year-old started the year off strong last season but really struggled down the stretch (likely due to his back) to finish with a 4.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 125 strikeouts in 145 1/3 innings pitched over 26 starts in his second year in KC. Lugo could bounce back in 2026 with better health, but nobody should be expecting another career year from him at this stage of his career, especially with a 21.1% strikeout rate since the start of 2024. The heavy workload may be catching up to him after he transitioned to a full-time starting role three years ago.

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Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (concussion) has been cleared from concussion restrictions after dealing with head injuries last year, according to Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. Now healthy, Ruiz enters spring training this year in a competition with No. 2 overall prospect Harry Ford, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in December, for the starting role in D.C. Riley Adams and Drew Millas will be battling for a backup role. The 27-year-old Ruiz was initially hit by a pitch in the head in late June of last year, which limited him to 68 games played. The Venezuelan backstop hit .247/.277/.318 with a career-worst .595 OPS, only two home runs, 25 RBI, and 19 runs scored in 267 plate appearances. Ruiz is hard to strike out, but when he makes contact with the baseball, it's usually weak. He might open the year as the Nats' starting catcher, but he also grades out poorly defensively, and it's only a matter of time before Ford takes over.

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Seattle Mariners infielder Ryan Bliss (knee, biceps) was part of a full infield workout at second base at spring training on Thursday, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. It's a promising sign for Bliss after he missed most of last year with significant meniscus and biceps injuries. The 26-year-old only appeared in 11 games at the big-league level in 2025 with Seattle, going 7-for-35 (.200) with a homer, three RBI, and two stolen bases. Bliss had surgery on his biceps last April and then tore his meniscus in September. The former second-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2021 out of Auburn hit just .222/.290/.397 with a .687 OPS, two home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 71 games for the M's in his rookie campaign in 2024. Bliss will be competing at the keystone this spring, but in all likelihood, he'll begin the year as infield depth at Triple-A Tacoma.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (heels) will be a couple of days delayed in reporting to camp due to his rehab, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. Nootbaar is in a spot in his progression where he's running on an altered-gravity treadmill, and the Cardinals have not had one delivered yet to their spring training facilities. The 28-year-old had surgery on both of his heels in early October of last year. We should have a better idea of Nootbaar's timetable for a return when he reports to camp, but as of now, it's looking likely that he won't be ready for Opening Day in late March. In addition to playing through heel issues, Nootbaar missed three weeks with a rib-cage injury and finished with a mediocre .234/.325/.361 slash line, career-low .686 OPS, 13 homers, and 48 RBI in 135 games. Nootbaar has teased fantasy managers with his batted-ball metrics, but his health has not cooperated.

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Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez, who is ranked at RotoBaller as the No. 4 fantasy backstop after a strong rookie campaign, is working to improve his defense behind the plate as he heads into his sophomore campaign in 2026, according to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Offensively, Ramirez hit .231 with a .700 OPS, 21 home runs, 33 doubles, 67 RBI, 72 runs scored, and 16 steals over 136 games (71 at catcher). He was the first rookie catcher in MLB history to hit at least 20 homers and steal 15 bases, and just the sixth Marlins player to do it. However, his mark of minus-14 defensive runs saved ranked second-worst among 31 catchers with at least 600 innings caught. He had just an 8.8% caught-stealing rate and 19 passed balls. Ramirez spent time in the offseason working on his mobility, but if he cannot improve defensively, he could become more of a full-time DH with catching prospect Joe Mack right behind him. For his bat alone, though, Ramirez is very attractive in fantasy in 2026.

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Texas Rangers right-handed reliever Nabil Crismatt (elbow), who is in camp with the Rangers on a minor-league deal, will have right-elbow surgery and will not pitch for Team Colombia in this year's World Baseball Classic, according to Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports. It's unclear exactly what kind of surgery Crismatt will have, but at the very least, he'll probably miss several months. The 31-year-old veteran joined the Rangers in the offseason after going 3-0 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and nine walks in 34 innings over eight appearances (five starts) for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year. The six-year MLB veteran won't be guaranteed to resurface in the big leagues with the Rangers this year once he's recovered from his elbow surgery. In his six MLB seasons, Crismatt has a 3.71 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 187:63 K:BB in 211 innings pitched with four different clubs.

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The Athletic's Mitch Bannon writes that Toronto Blue Jays outfielders Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider will likely form a platoon in left field in 2026. Lukes, who hits from the left side, will be on the strong side of the platoon. The 31-year-old veteran has handled right-handers pretty well since the start of the 2023 season, slashing .266/.330/.421 with all 13 of his home runs against them. Lukes was hard to strike out, but he also had a ground-ball rate of over 45%, so he probably won't provide a ton of pop, especially in a platoon. Schneider, 27, hits from the right side, but he was actually better against right-handed pitchers last year while slashing .234/.361/.436 overall with a .797 OPS, 11 home runs, and 31 RBI in 82 regular-season games played. He has a limited skill set and is mostly useful to the Blue Jays for his defensive versatility. Neither Lukes nor Schneider should be rostered in shallow mixed leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger will play most of his games in right field in 2026, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Meanwhile, Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider will likely form a platoon in left. Barger split his time almost evenly between the outfield and third base in his second year in the big leagues with Toronto in 2025, but the Jays have a bigger need in the outfield now that Anthony Santander (shoulder) is injured again. How much he plays against lefties will be the big question after he slashed an unremarkable .217/.270/.337 against southpaws last year. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter limped to the finish line and finished with a .243/.301/.454 slash line with a .756 OPS, 21 home runs, 74 RBI, 61 runs scored, and four steals in 460 at-bats during the regular season. Barger was a postseason hero, finished third on the team in homers, and regularly hit the ball on the screws when he made contact. He has a solid floor in at least the strong side of a platoon, and there is breakout potential if he can improve against lefties.

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Miami Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett was reaching 95 mph during his live batting practice in spring training this week, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Garrett is coming along nicely early in camp after missing all of last year following an internal-brace procedure on his left elbow in December of 2024. The 28-year-old southpaw has no restrictions in spring training previously sat in the low-90s with his four-seam fastball, so he's apparently throwing hard post-surgery. Since the start of the 2022 season, Garrett posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 280 strikeouts and 57 walks in 284 2/3 innings over 55 outings (54 starts), laying the foundation for an intriguing fantasy arm. He's going to have workload restrictions this year because of his long layoff, which means he won't have a ton of upside in mixed fantasy leagues, but managers in NL-only formats need to take notice.

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Former Atlanta Braves right-hander Ian Anderson (shoulder) tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder on Christmas Eve and underwent season-ending surgery on Jan. 13. Anderson will remain on the free-agent market and will not pitch at all in 2026. He is scheduled to pick up a baseball in late summer or early fall, with the goal of signing with a team for the 2027 campaign. Anderson has fallen a long way since being taken third overall in the 2016 draft by the Braves. He made his return to a big-league mound last year with the Los Angeles Angels for the first time since 2022, but he wasn't good, allowing 13 runs (12 earned) on 17 hits (two homers) while walking seven and striking out eight in only 9 1/3 relief innings. With another serious injury setback, Anderson will merely be hoping to sign a minor-league deal with a team in 2027.

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Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson left Orioles camp on Thursday due to a personal matter and will return on Sunday, according to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. Henderson should still be ready for the start of Grapefruit League action in spring training, and he'll be hoping to bounce back after regressing in 2025 in his fourth year in the big leagues. The 24-year-old All-Star admitted that he played through a nagging shoulder injury last year, which was likely responsible for his dip in power -- he dropped from 37 long balls in 2024 to just 17. Henderson slashed .274/.349/.438 with a career-low .787 OPS, but he still managed 68 RBI, 85 runs scored, and a career-best 30 stolen bases in 154 games played. An intercostal strain suffered in spring training last year also played a part in Henderson getting off to a slow start. Fantasy managers everywhere are expecting Henderson to bounce back in 2026.

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Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Noelvi Marte will get some work in center field in spring training, even though TJ Friedl is expected to get most of the starts in center this year, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. Marte didn't make his pro debut in the outfield until last July, and he definitely experienced some growing pains. However, the 24-year-old Dominican made a quick transition and is expected to be the team's primary right fielder in 2026 after moving from third base last year. In his third year in the big leagues in 2025, Marte hit .263/.300/.448 with a .748 OPS, career-high 14 home runs, 51 RBI, 45 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 90 games over 360 plate appearances. It was a very nice bounce-back campaign after he struggled mightily in 2024 when he returned from a PED suspension. Marte has 20-20 potential with eligibility at third base and the outfield. Don't sleep on him in what could be a very potent Reds' batting order.

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Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart won the "best shape of his life" contest for the team in December, as he had already dropped 26 pounds from his listed 6-foot-1, 224-pound frame, according to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Stewart is confident that he'll still have plenty of power despite playing at a lighter weight, and he has a clear path to regular playing time between first base and designated hitter with Spencer Steer primarily playing left field. The 22-year-old looked much more athletic in the offseason after trimming down, and he'll be looking to build on his first 18 games in the big leagues last year, when he hit .255 (14-for-55) with five home runs, eight RBI, and 11 runs scored. Stewart is a particularly intriguing dynasty/keeper asset because of his ability to hit for power while also maintaining solid hard-hit and strikeout rates.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed first baseman Keston Hiura to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He spent 2025 with the Colorado Rockies, primarily playing at Triple-A. The former first-round pick debuted with a .938 OPS in 2019, but his offensive metrics in the majors have been severely underwhelming ever since then. He went 4-for-18 with zero walks and seven strikeouts in the majors last year, but he fared much better at the Triple-A level with a .272/.369/.507 slash line, 21 home runs, a 10.6% walk rate, a 26.7% strikeout rate, and 107 wRC+. Hiura has shifted to first base full-time at this point in his career. The Dodgers are seemingly taking a low-risk opportunity on Hiura because of his average defense and intriguing display of power in the minors last year. Freddie Freeman is locked into a starting role, but there could be a 26-man roster spot for Hiura if the Dodgers want to carry a backup first baseman.

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Free agent outfielder Nick Castellanos is drawing "a lot of interest" after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Castellanos was cut loose after Philadelphia failed to find a trade partner. While none of the other 29 teams were willing to trade for Castellanos, Heyman notes that many of those organizations were waiting for him to be released. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Trading for Castellanos could have cost teams a prospect, and they would have had to pay a portion of the remaining money on his contract. By letting him hit free agency, he'll simply cost the league minimum without requiring trade compensation. However, teams will now have to compete for his services; we won't see a bidding war, but Heyman's report indicates that the veteran outfielder will get to pick from multiple suitors. Across 147 games in 2025, Castellanos slashed .250/.294/.400 with 17 home runs, a 5.4% walk rate, a 22.6% strikeout rate, and 90 wRC+. He posted negative fWAR with his bat and glove, and he also finished the year with -12 OAA and -12 FRV in the outfield. At this point in his career, the 33-year-old projects best as a part-time designated hitter, and he'd benefit from playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark.

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The Colorado Rockies have placed reliever Jeff Criswell (elbow) on the 60-day injured list. Criswell underwent Tommy John surgery last year and hasn't pitched since his rookie season in 2024. Across 19.2 innings of relief work as a rookie, he posted 12.36 K/9, 4.12 BB/9, and 1.83 HR/9. He managed to escape with a 2.75 ERA, but his 5.06 xERA suggests he got quite lucky. The right-hander's timetable is a bit murky, and today's transaction confirms he'll miss at least the first few weeks of the regular season, if not more. Newcomers RJ Petit and Keegan Thompson could fill Criswell's void until he's able to return.

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