Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Martin Perez continued his impressive spring during Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The left-hander struck out eight batters over five innings of work during Monday's victory. It's worth noting that Perez never struck out eight hitters during a single start last season. His velocity was down during this game and he was still extremely effective. Perez has allowed one earned run in 12 innings this season. Perez probably won't be a reliable 12-team fantasy option, but could still be worth a look in deep leagues.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) has "a pretty significant bone bruise" on his right foot, according to manager Aaron Boone, and the skipper isn't sure if LeMahieu will have enough time to get ready for Opening Day on March 28 in Houston against the Astros. LeMahieu fouled a ball off his foot in a Grapefruit League game on Saturday, but X-rays came back negative. Still, the 35-year-old veteran, who is projected to be the team's regular third baseman in 2024, may not be ready to go for the start of the 2024 regular season. The season hasn't even started yet and the Yankees are dealing with injuries to Gerrit Cole (elbow), Aaron Judge (abdomen, oblique) and LeMahieu. If LeMahieu opens the year on the injured list, Oswaldo Cabrera should see a boost in playing time at the hot corner.

New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) is "still pretty sore" but is moving around better on Monday, according to manager Aaron Boone. The veteran left Saturday's Grapefruit League game early after fouling a ball off his foot and underwent imaging on the issue afterward. "I definitely think it's going to cost him some days here," Boone added. Likely to serve as the club's leadoff hitter and everyday third baseman, LeMahieu took a step back at the plate last season, hitting .243 with 15 home runs and a .717 OPS across 136 games and 562 trips to the plate. LeMahieu's best fantasy production is behind him but he could be a decent source of runs if he can remain atop the Yankees lineup this season.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has been confirmed as the Opening Day starter, according to manager Rob Thompson. The right-hander has earned this opportunity given how excellent he has pitched over the last few seasons. This will be a change of pace for the Phillies as Aaron Nola has started the last seven Opening Day games for the Phillies. The organization will shake it up and have Wheeler take the ball against the Atlanta Braves on March 28. The assumption is that Nola will follow him as the second starter.

New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu (foot) was forced to exit early during Saturday's game. The veteran slugger fouled a ball off his right foot and underwent imaging this weekend. Luckily, the X-rays came back clean which means LeMahieu has avoided serious injury. The team will likely give LeMahieu a few days off for the pain and swelling to stop. The expectation is that LeMahieu will be fine heading into Opening Day.

With St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) not set to be cleared to pitch on Opening Day on March 28 against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road, right-hander Miles Mikolas has been tabbed as the Opening Day starter for the Red Birds. Not only is Mikolas not much of a mixed-league target in standard 12-team fantasy leagues, but he should be considered a poor DFS option on Opening Day against a strong Dodgers lineup that added Shohei Ohtani in the offseason. The 35-year-old veteran is hoping an improved slider will make him more effective this year after he had a 4.78 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 39 walks, 137 strikeouts and league-highs in hits allowed (226) and earned runs (107). There's just not much fantasy upside from a pitcher with a career 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings in eight years in the majors.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) will not be cleared for Opening Day on March 28, according to manager Oliver Marmol. However, there is a possibility that Gray won't open the year on the injured list and could potentially pitch later in the first road trip of the season. With Gray out for Opening Day, right-hander Miles Mikolas will be the team's Opening Day starter on the road in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. The 34-year-old is set to throw a simulated game on Sunday after straining his right hamstring on March 4. It's a bummer that Gray won't be making the team's Opening Day start in his first season in St. Louis, but his injury might not require him to miss a start at all to open the year. After finishing second in the American League Cy Young voting in 2023, Gray makes for a high-floor No. 3 fantasy starter in 2024.

Free-agent outfielder Kole Calhoun has decided to retire from professional baseball. The veteran announced his retirement in a lengthy statement online after a solid 12-year run in the majors. Calhoun began to cement himself in the 2013 season when he hit .282 with eight homers in just 58 games. He went on to become the everyday right fielder for the Angels the following season when he hit .272 with 17 home runs and a .775 OPS across 127 games in the 2013 campaign. He would be an integral part of the Angels' offense for the next five seasons, launching a career-high 33 home runs in the 2019 campaign. All told, the 36-year-old posted a .242 average with 179 long balls and 34 stolen bases across 1,239 appearances in the big leagues.

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow), the reigning American League Cy Young winner, said he will be shut down from throwing for three to four weeks and then go from there. He said he has nerve inflammation in his right elbow but "felt good" after meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles this week. The 33-year-old ace wasn't bouncing back normally after his spring outings, prompting the team to send him for a battery of tests. It's been confirmed that Cole doesn't have a torn UCL, so the Yankees are hoping that after a month or two of rest, he'll be able to make his 2024 debut without having to go under the knife. Cole was RotoBaller's No. 2 fantasy starter before his elbow injury, but now he's ranked at No. 72 with the possibility that he could miss most of the first half of the season.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring), who strained his right hamstring on March 4, will pitch in a simulated pre-game situation at Roger Dean Stadium on Sunday. Hitters will stand in, but not swing. It's the next step in Gray's rehab, with the team still holding out hope that he can pitch in the season-opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a worst-case scenario, the 34-year-old veteran would end up on the injured list to begin the year but would have a minimum stay and make his season debut early on in April. If he's ready to go for the first series versus the Dodgers, he'd be a fade in DFS coming off his injury. But overall, last year's runner-up to Gerrit Cole for the American League Cy Young award is a high-floor No. 3/4 fantasy starter in his first year in St. Louis.

Houston Astros first baseman Jose Abreu (knee) is scheduled to do a full workout in camp on Friday and Saturday, with the goal of serving as the designated hitter in a Grapefruit League game on Sunday versus the Philadelphia Phillies. Abreu has been dealing with some minor knee soreness in camp in the last week, but the 37-year-old is fine and should return to game action soon. Given his age, Abreu is expected to see more of his at-bats at DH for the Astros in 2024 in order to keep him off his feet as much as possible. After a dreadful start to the season for Houston in the first half of last season, the Cuban slugger rebounded to hit .237/.296/.383 with 18 home runs and 90 RBI in 540 regular-season at-bats. Abreu isn't the hitter he once was with the Chicago White Sox, but he can deliver moderate power as a corner infield option in mixed fantasy leagues with plenty of RBI chances.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (shoulder) was able to throw one inning of live batting practice on Friday. The right-hander threw 23 pitches during this session without any issues. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters that Gausman looked great during the outing. The organization has not given a timetable for his return to the mound. At this point, Gausman is unlikely going to be ready for the beginning of the season. However, this issue doesn't seem to be too serious, so he should be ready relatively early in the regular season.

Free-agent reliever Justin Wilson has signed a major-league deal with the Cincinnati Reds after he opted out of his minor-league pact with the Dodgers on Wednesday. The left-hander last saw big-league action with the Reds in the 2022 season, posting a 2.45 ERA in five appearances but was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery that cost him the 2023 campaign, as well. He did appear briefly in the minors with the Brewers last season but the club declined their option on Wilson this winter. The long-time big leaguer has largely been effective in his career, posting a 3.41 ERA and a 25.9% K% across 527 appearances. He certainly won't be in line for saves and likely won't see many hold opportunities, leaving him off the fantasy radar at this point.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (shoulder) will throw one inning of live batting practice in camp on Friday and build back up from there. It's now looking unlikely that he'll be able to start on Opening Day for the team on March 28. "We just want him to be good, and if that means 30 starts as opposed to 32, we'll be pretty happy with that," manager John Schneider said. The Blue Jays aren't going to push their 33-year-old ace back too soon just so that he can start on Opening Day. Gausman has been dealing with right-shoulder fatigue in spring training, but he's making progress now and should make his 2024 debut in mid-April, barring any setbacks as he builds back up. Both his injury and Alek Manoah's (shoulder) means that both Bowden Francis and Mitch White are likely to open the year in Toronto's rotation.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi (shoulder) has returned to the Rays on a minor-league deal. Odorizzi spent 2023 recovering from shoulder surgery and last suited up in 2022 for the Atlanta Braves. The right-hander will return to familiar grounds with the club that he spent five of 11 seasons with. He does own a career 3.99 ERA, but this is merely a depth piece and he can be avoided in all fantasy formats for now.

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) was told on Thursday that he will not need Tommy John surgery, at least for now, after visiting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Cole has been advised to rest and undergo non-invasive treatment while being shut down for at least a month. The reigning American League Cy Young reported not recovering as expected between outings this spring, which prompted the team to send him for an MRI exam on his right elbow before traveling to LA for a second opinion. The 33-year-old has made at least 30 starts in every full season since 2017, but that's going to change in 2024, and there's still no guarantee that he won't need TJ surgery down the road. It makes him a high-risk fantasy ace in 2024 drafts.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) threw a full side session in camp on Thursday after straining his right hamstring on March 4. If Gray is able to clear this hurdle, it could put him on a path to pitch in the opening series of the regular season in Los Angeles against the Dodgers at the end of March. The 34-year-old's next step could either be live batting practice or to pitch in a Grapefruit League game. It's great news for those that were worried the veteran hurler might have to open his first season with the Red Birds on the injured list. The three-time All-Star was great with the Minnesota Twins last year and finished second in the American League Cy Young voting. Even though he's leaving the weak AL Central, Gray is a strong No. 2 fantasy starter in St. Louis in 2024.

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) has had X-rays and a CT scan on his elbow, in addition to an MRI. He flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday for an in-person visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, where more testing is planned. There remains no official timeline from the Yankees for Cole's return/recovery, although the New York Post reported on Wednesday morning that Cole would miss at least a month or two. ElAttrache and Yankees doctors haven't found a tear in the reigning American League Cy Young winner's right elbow, but there remains some concern. Cole is one of, if not the most, dominant starting pitchers in baseball, so losing him for an extended period of time would be a devastating blow to New York's rotation to begin the year. Stay tuned for more news on Cole, but needless to say, he's now become a huge risk as a fantasy ace in 2024.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar (leg) was forced to exit early during Wednesday's Cactus League matchup against the Oakland Athletics. The veteran slugger came up limping after rounding first base in the fourth inning. He was able to walk off the field under his own power. The expectation is that Profar will undergo further testing and an update will be given following the contest. The 31-year-old was 3-for-3 with a one home run and 4 RBI before exiting the game. The expectation is that Profar is going to be the Opening Day left fielder in San Diego.

New York Mets left-hander Jose Quintana will officially be the team's Opening Day starter on March 28 against the Milwaukee Brewers on the road. Quintana is getting the nod to kick things off for the Metropolitans in 2024 because right-hander Kodai Senga (shoulder) is being forced to start the year on the injured list due to a right-shoulder injury. The 35-year-old veteran Quintana had a decent 3.57 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 24 walks in 75 2/3 innings over his 13 starts in New York last year after getting a late start to the year due to a fractured rib. The Colombian southpaw can be a reliable innings-eater in NL-only leagues at the back of your fantasy rotation, but there's very little upside left at this stage of Quintana's career for those in mixed leagues.