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  • Jose Fermin 2B | STL

    Cardinals' Jose Fermin: Will get look in outfield

    Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Saturday that the signing of Ramon Urias could lead to more playing time in the outfield for Fermin, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.

    Fermin is an infielder by trade, but he's seen a bit of action in the outfield in the majors and at the Triple-A level. The 26-year-old slashed .283/.377/.417 in 70 appearances with the big club and .300/.428/.485 with a 45:25 BB:K at Triple-A Memphis in 2025. Fermin could see more of an opportunity at the big-league level in 2026 as the Cardinals go through a rebuild.

  • Thomas Saggese SS | STL

    Cardinals' Thomas Saggese: More time in outfield likely

    Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Saturday that the signing of Ramon Urias could lead to more playing time in the outfield for Saggese, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.

    Saggese has never played the outfield in pro ball, but he's been working out there during spring training and could see starts in the outfield, especially against lefties. The 23-year-old also figures to see some starts at designated hitter, or in the field while others are getting a DH day. Saggese has hit only .250/.292/.336 with a 28 percent strikeout rate in his first 100 games in the majors.

  • Giants' Casey Schmitt: Starting spring opener

    Schmitt (wrist) will start at third base and bat sixth during Saturday's Cactus League game against Seattle, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

    After undergoing offseason surgery to remove the carpal boss in his left wrist, Schmitt has officially been cleared for game action ahead of San Francisco's first spring exhibition game. The 26-year-old slashed .237/.305/.401 with 40 RBI and 34 runs scored across 348 plate appearances last season and is expected to begin 2026 as infield depth on the Giants' bench.

  • Jonny DeLuca LF | TB

    Rays' Jonny DeLuca: In Saturday's lineup

    DeLuca (hamstring/quad) will start in center field and bat seventh during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

    DeLuca ended the 2025 campaign on the 60-day IL with a right quad strain, but after a full offseason of recovery, he's ready to return to the field for the Rays' spring opener. As one of the team's few right-handed outfield bats, the 27-year-old figures to see regular action against southpaws this year.

  • Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: To see more work against lefties?

    Carpenter only logged 60 at-bats against left-handed pitchers last season, but he could see more opportunities in 2026, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

    Carpenter is just a .207 career hitter against lefties in the regular season, and he batted .217 (13-for-60) with 14 strikeouts against same-handed pitching last year, though three of those hits left the yard. It's that power potential that could keep the 28-year-old on the field against southpaws, and he's been an elite offensive weapon against righties throughout his career. When the Tigers do decide to bench Carpenter against lefties, Jahmai Jones, Matt Vierling and Austin Slater are among the top options to receive at-bats. More playing time against southpaws could raise Carpenter's fantasy ceiling in 2026, at least in terms of home runs and other counting stats, though his batting average may suffer.

  • Janson Junk RP | MIA

    Marlins' Janson Junk: Sheds walking boot

    Junk (ankle) played catch Saturday without a boot, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

    Junk began wearing a boot as a precaution after suffering a mild right ankle sprain during a drill Tuesday. Now that he's resumed throwing, he could also soon be cleared to appear in Grapefruit League games, though the Marlins have yet to confirm when that will happen.

  • Porter Hodge SP | CHC

    Cubs' Porter Hodge: Struggles with command Friday

    Hodge allowed two runs on a hit and four walks while retiring just a single batter via strikeout in Friday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

    It was an alarming spring training debut for Hodge, who struggled last year after a promising 2024 rookie season. The righty saw his BB/9 jump from 4.0 two years ago to 4.9 last year, and he'll need to improve in that area if he wants to stick around as a high-leverage reliever for the Cubs. Hodge has maintained good velocity in both of his professional campaigns and has a career 10.9 K/9, so the talent is there if he can refine his control.

  • Cubs' Jameson Taillon: Struggles in spring debut

    Taillon allowed four runs on four hits and a walk across 1.2 innings of work in Friday's Cactus League game against the White Sox. He struck out one.

    Making his spring debut, Taillon allowed a pair of home runs and only recorded five outs while tossing 34 pitches. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry too much about spring results for the veteran, as he should be able to round into form before the regular season begins and offer up fairly steady performance. Health is worth monitoring with Taillon, as he made a few trips to the injured list in 2025 and only logged 129.2 regular-season innings, his fewest in a season since 2019.

  • Jordan Lawlar SS | ARI

    Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Will start opener in CF

    Lawlar will start in center field in Arizona's Cactus League opener Saturday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

    This will be Lawlar's first start in center field in a Diamondbacks' uniform. He was given reps in center during winter ball and has been working with outfielders during spring drills. As part of the team's adjustment to being without injured outfielders Corbin Carroll (hand) and Lourdes Gurriel (knee) for rest of spring training, Lawlar is expected to see time in the outfield in camp and into the regular season.

  • Roman Anthony OF | BOS

    Red Sox's Roman Anthony: Named leadoff hitter

    Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Anthony will serve as the Red Sox's main leadoff hitter to begin the regular season, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

    Anthony took over as the Red Sox's leadoff man midway through the 2025 campaign, and he'll officially remain at the top of the order in 2026 after posting a .396 OBP in 71 big-league contests last season. The 21-year-old outfielder made three appearances as a leadoff hitter against southpaws last year, but it's unclear if the Red Sox plan to drop him further down the order when faced with a lefty-on-lefty matchup.

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