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  • Tigers' Kevin McGonigle: Focus remains shortstop

    McGonigle is getting reps across the infield in camp but wants to show that he can stick at shortstop long term, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

    McGonigle is an advanced hitter at the age of 21, as he slashed .305/.408/.583 with 19 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 88 games across three minor-league levels in 2025. His clearest path to MLB playing time in the near term appears to be shortstop, where Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry are the incumbents, as Baez and McKinstry would fit nicely in utility roles. McGonigle is getting the chance to show he can be a versatile player as well, but shortstop is the cleanest fit if he's up to the challenge defensively. The young infielder is one of the top prospects in baseball and should be firmly on the fantasy radar this season.

  • Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Getting cast off Monday

    Holliday will have the cast on his surgically repaired right hand removed Monday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

    Holliday underwent surgery last week to have the fractured right hamate bone removed from his hand. He's able to field grounders (but not throw) and run in Orioles camp and is aiming to take live at-bats in three weeks. Holliday will begin the season on the injured list, but the goal is for it to be a brief stint.

  • Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong: Seeking more consistent swing

    After fading down the stretch last season, Crow-Armstrong is aiming to make his swing more consistent and compact this year in an effort to find more sustained success at the plate, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

    Crow-Armstrong was one of the top players in the league before the All-Star break, blasting 25 home runs and posting an .846 OPS. However, he faded some after the break, as he mustered only six long balls and a .634 OPS. Chicago assistant hitting coach John Mallee said he noticed that as the season went on, the talented outfielder developed a longer stride in his swing, which led him to miss more pitches or make weaker contact when he did connect. Crow-Armstrong still had a great season with the 31 long balls and 35 stolen bases, making him one of only seven players in all of baseball to get to 30 in each of those categories. The 23-year-old's combination of power and speed makes him a valuable fantasy asset, and he could take a step forward in 2026 if he tightens up his swing and makes more consistent contact all year.

  • Reds' Hector Rodriguez: Sparks interest in camp

    Rodriguez's contact ability has generated reaction from observers in camp, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

    Rodriguez spent time with Double-A Chattanooga (82 games) and Triple-A Louisville (53) in 2025 before earning a promotion to the Reds' 40-man roster during the offseason. He slashed .298/.357/.481 with 12 home runs in Double A and .260/.304/.405 with seven homers in his introduction to Triple A. While onlookers are impressed by Rodriguez's ability to hit anything thrown at him, they also feel he needs to be more selective. The soon-to-be 22-year-old outfielder also played offseason ball in the Dominican Winter League, where he slashed .301/.375/.504 with four homers across 128 plate appearances and walked as many times as he struck out (13).

  • Chase Burns P | CIN

    Reds' Chase Burns: In mix for rotation

    Burns will compete for the fifth starter's role during spring training, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. He showed improvement with his changeup during a two-inning live batting practice session on Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports.

    Burns experienced just about everything a pitcher can during his first year of professional ball in 2025, hitting three levels of the minors before making his MLB debut with the Reds. He also experienced an injury, time on the injured list and returned to pitch as a reliever over the final weeks of the regular season and into the postseason. The right-hander held his own for the most part and can leverage that experience to compete for the final rotation spot. His fellow candidates for the job are Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar (elbow). Burns possesses an elite four-seamer and slider (43.9 Whiff%) and has succeeded thus far on the strength of those two pitches, but adding a useful changeup or cutter could take him to another level.

  • Mike Soroka SP | ARI

    Diamondbacks' Michael Soroka: Could land in relief role

    Soroka might open the season in the bullpen, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

    The Diamondbacks enter spring training well stocked in the rotation but with an unsettled outlook in the bullpen. Soroka, signed by Arizona as a free agent in December, made 17 starts for the Nationals and Cubs in 2025 before a shoulder injury limited him to relief work over the final two weeks of the regular season. Built into Soroka's contract are incentives that reward him for starts or relief appearances -- two points for every start, one point for a relief outing. He will earn $250,000 each for reaching 10 and 20 points, $425,000 each for reaching 30 and 40, and $650,000 for reaching 50. Barring a significant injury, the 28-year-old right-hander could reach those incentives as a full-time starter or reliever or a combination of the two roles.

  • Chase Hampton SP | NYY

    Yankees' Chase Hampton: Could return to action in May

    Hampton (elbow) has been throwing on flat ground and could return to pitching in games in May or June, per MLB.com.

    Hampton underwent Tommy John surgery last February, so he didn't pitch at all during the 2025 campaign. The right-hander nonetheless remains one of New York's top pitching prospects and was added to the 40-man roster in November, as the Yankees opted to shield him from the Rule 5 Draft. Hampton is likely to spend much of the season at the Double-A level once he's ready to throw in games again.

  • Jose Altuve 2B | HOU

    Astros' Jose Altuve: Healthy to start spring

    Altuve (foot) is healthy to start spring training and is expected to serve as the Astros' primary second baseman this season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

    Altuve dealt with a rocky transition to left field to start the 2025 campaign and finished the year with a nagging foot injury, resulting in a .265 batting average, the lowest of his career apart from the 2020 shortened season. Now healthy and back at second base, Altuve will look to rebound in 2026. Manager Joe Espada emphasized the 35-year-old Altuve's health earlier in the offseason, stating that he needs to "help Jose have the right amount of time to be off his feet." With Houston's current surplus of infielders, it seems likely that Altuve will at least play fewer than the 155 games he did in 2025.

  • Kade Anderson SP | SEA

    Mariners' Kade Anderson: Impressing early in spring

    Anderson has impressed early in spring training and is expected to advance quickly through the Mariners system, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

    Anderson has yet to make his professional debut since being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, but the left-hander is already receiving rave reviews following his performance Sunday during a live batting practice session against some Mariners regulars. Anderson is likely to begin the upcoming season with High-A Everett, though he's not expected to "spend a heck of a lot of time in the high minors," according to Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners' president of baseball operations. Seattle's rotation is one of the league's best, and while Anderson still has a lot to prove, he could have an outside chance at making his MLB debut at some point in 2026.

  • Hunter Bigge RP | TB

    Rays' Hunter Bigge: Healthy ahead of spring training

    Bigge (face) threw live batting practice Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

    After pitching eight games in the Dominican Winter League, Bigge appears to be just about all the way back from the multiple facial fractures he suffered when he was hit by a foul ball in June of last season. The 27-year-old right-hander said Sunday that he's fully cleared medically, and the expectation is that Bigge will be competing for a spot in Tampa Bay's Opening Day bullpen during spring training.

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