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.

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.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back), who had surgery on Dec. 15 on his back for a herniated disc that shut him down late last season, has been cleared for baseball activities around the 13-week mark since surgery. June remains the target date for the Rangers, although Scherzer doesn't fully see it that way. In eight starts for Texas in 2023 after being traded from the Mets, he went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA, but he missed the final six weeks of the regular season due to a muscle strain in his right shoulder. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer isn't targeting any specific date to make his 2024 debut, and the reality is he could miss all of the first half of the season. Scherzer can still contribute in fantasy when he's healthy, but the fact that he could miss the first half drastically reduces his fantasy value in upcoming drafts.

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 outfielder George Springer slugged a solo home run as part of his team's 9-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Grapefruit League action on Friday. The long ball was the veteran's second of the spring in what has been a prosperous start to Springer's 2024 season. He is hitting .318 (7-for-22) with seven runs, three RBI, a stolen base, six walks, and a big-time 1.100 OPS across 28 trips to the plate to this point in the spring. He has just three strikeouts in the process. The 34-year-old endured a down season at the plate by his standards in 2023, hitting .258 with 21 home runs and 20 stolen bases across 154 appearances. While a quality campaign overall, his 104 wRC+ was the lowest of his 10-year MLB career. He projects for a bounce back overall by ATC but his 22 homers and 14 stolen bags projected aren't much different than his 2023 season, although those figures would still serve fantasy managers well.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) is close to progressing to facing hitters again. Astros manager Joe Espada recently said that Verlander is slated to throw another bullpen session on Thursday. The team will wait and see how Verlander feels after that before deciding on when he'll face hitters again. The 41-year-old will open the season on the injured list, but it doesn't sound like Verlander is going to miss an extended period of time.

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.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Aaron Hicks took part in an intrasquad game on Wednesday after he was scratched on Monday due to general soreness. Hicks landed with the Angels on a league-minimum deal this winter after he enjoyed a big season following a move to the Orioles last season. After struggling to a .188 average and .524 OPS across 28 games with the Yankees, the veteran hit .275 with seven home runs and an .806 OPS across 65 games with Baltimore a season ago. Hicks said he expects to see time at all three outfield spots this season and the plan is for him to play every day. However, the 34-year-old has a lengthy injury history on his resume as his fantasy value remains questionable given his largely subpar performance over the last few seasons.

The New York Mets are among the teams talking to free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez, and the interest is mutual, according to sources. Owner Steve Cohen has apparently given the go-ahead to seriously discuss signing Martinez, even though the team is over the so-called "Steve Cohen tax," and they'd have to pay a 110 percent tax on any new deals. Martinez would solve the team's long-running issue of not having much protection for cleanup hitter Pete Alonso. The Los Angeles Angels remain involved with the veteran slugger, too, and he's said to like the idea of going to Anaheim to join Mike Trout. Martinez is now 36, but he still managed to hit .271 with 30-plus homers in 2023, but he also struck out over 30% of the time with the Dodgers.

Houston Astros first baseman Jose Abreu (knee) is scheduled to hit and take groundballs in camp on Tuesday and could return to Grapefruit League games by Wednesday or Thursday, according to manager Joe Espada. The Astros have held Abreu out of games the last couple of days while he deals with right-knee soreness. It's nothing serious, though, and the 37-year-old right-handed slugger should be just fine for Opening Day on March 28. So far in spring training games, he's gone 4-for-14 in six contests for the Astros. Abreu came on strong in the second half last year after a really bad start in his first year in Houston. He's no longer in his prime, though, so fantasy managers might not be able to expect much from Abreu other than solid RBI numbers while hitting in the heart of a strong Astros lineup.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (shoulder) will throw a side session in camp on Tuesday, and the team will determine his next steps afterwards. Gausman's options include a live batting practice session or straight into a Grapefruit League game. The 33-year-old has been dealing with right-shoulder fatigue in spring training but is making nice progress and could still be ready for Opening Day if he resumes facing hitters in spring games soon. When healthy, Gausman is the ace of Toronto's pitching staff and is a top-10 fantasy starting pitcher, despite residing in a hitter-friendly home ballpark and the tough American League East division. Gausman has made the All-Star squad twice in the last three years and had a league-high 237 strikeouts in 31 starts in 2023.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco is showing his new team what he can do at the plate this spring. After bashing two home runs on Sunday, the 30-year-old failed to reach base for the first time Monday, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in a 13-3 Cactus League loss to the Padres. Through his first eight Cactus League games, however, Polanco had reached base at least once via hit or walk in each game. After nine games now, the veteran is 7-for-17 (.412) with a double, two home runs, four runs, and eight RBI. He's collected four walks and has also been plunked once, with his OBP standing at .545 after 22 plate appearances. The 2019 All-Star has missed portions of the last two seasons due to injury so it's a welcome sight to see him healthy. He's currently projected to hit third in the Mariners order and is being drafted around pick 257 per his NFBC ADP, slightly behind his RotoBaller rank of 244.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (elbow) has been named the Opening Day starter in Seoul, Korea, against the Dodgers. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow will oppose him. The 37-year-old's 2023 season was cut short when he underwent surgery to address elbow inflammation. However, he has looked good this spring, pitching 9 1/3 innings with a 2.89 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts. Darvish's fantasy value has fluctuated over the past several seasons. Fantasy managers will be hoping he can both stay healthy and find his strikeout stuff for 2024. For DFS purposes to kick off the year, Darvish will be one to avoid.

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Aaron Hicks was scratched from Monday's lineup against the Rangers due to body soreness. Willie Calhoun replaced him in the lineup. The Angels described Hicks' injury as "body soreness" but didn't go into further detail on what the veteran was dealing with. Hicks is considered day-to-day. He signed a one-year contract with the Angels in January, providing the team with outfield depth. Hicks slashed .253/.353/.383 with eight home runs, 36 RBI, 44 runs, and six stolen bases over 312 plate appearances in 2023. The former New York Yankee will play all three outfield spots for the Angels and serve occasionally as the team's designated hitter. With an NFBC ADP well past 600, Hicks is mainly an option in AL-Only leagues.