Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) is considered day-to-day after rolling his right ankle in his Grapefruit League debut with the team on Sunday. The injury isn't very serious, as Votto is scheduled to take live batting practice on the field in camp on Tuesday. It remains to be seen when Votto will be allowed to play in another spring game, but the injury isn't very serious at all and shouldn't keep him from being ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. Given how late the 40-year-old signed with Toronto, he's expected to open the year in the minors with Triple-A Buffalo, but he should eventually become an experienced left-handed bat off the bench for the Blue Jays in 2024 in what could be his final season of professional baseball.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that closer Kenley Jansen (back) has just enough time to be ready for the start of the regular season on March 28, but there is no margin for any more injury setbacks. "We're running out of time," Cora said. Despite being scratched from his second Grapefruit League appearance on Monday with lower-back tightness, Jansen is scheduled to pitch on Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday and one more time in an exhibition game in Texas next week. The 36-year-old veteran reliever didn't make his first spring appearance until last Friday due to lat tightness, so Jansen has already dealt with two injuries this spring. While he could be ready for Opening Day, fantasy managers should be considering him a pretty shaky No. 2 closer in 2024. Chris Martin (groin) is also hurt and could open the year on the injured list, so the back end of Boston's bullpen is limping into Opening Day.

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.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) should face hitters "in the next day or two" in camp. Verlander came into spring training with right-shoulder issues, but he threw another bullpen session on Sunday and is ramping up with the start of the 2024 regular season right around the corner. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner is going to start the year on the injured list and might not make his 2024 debut until late April or early May. He became the first pitcher age 40 or older to win 12 games and post an ERA below 3.25 since 2013, so Verlander can clearly still be effective despite his age. However, injuries are a big concern, and his fantasy value has obviously dropped considerably in 2024 now that he could miss the first month of the season.

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.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (back) has been scratched from the team's Grapefruit League game on Monday versus the Minnesota Twins due to lower-back tightness. However, he could pitch as soon as Tuesday, and the Red Sox still expect that he'll be ready for Opening Day on March 28. Jansen didn't make his spring training debut until last Friday due to lat soreness that he experienced after reporting to camp a month ago, so he hasn't been able to get much work in this spring. Boston is being extra cautious with the 36-year-old veteran reliever. Jansen is MLB's active leader in saves and will be Boston's primary ninth-inning man in 2024, but the injuries are beginning to pile up, and he should be considered a shaky No. 2 fantasy closer.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto (ankle) was forced to exit early during Sunday's spring training contest against the Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran slugger launched a solo home run in his first at-bat with his new team. Sadly, Votto didn't last too much longer as he rolled his ankle stepping on a bat in the dugout. The team decided to take a cautious approach and pull Votto from the game. The expectation is that Votto will return to the lineup in a few days.

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.

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton clobbered his first home run of the spring on Saturday in a 10-9 Grapefruit League win over the Blue Jays. The 34-year-old demolished a 1-0 fastball from Jays pitcher Paolo Espino and finished the day 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored. It took Stanton 25 at-bats to hit his first homer and he's batting just .250 (7-for-28) in ten spring games, but at least he's healthy after missing 61 games last season. As long as he's in the lineup he should be a viable source of power and is available at the end of most drafts. Currently projected to hit 26 home runs over 104 games this season, if the former MVP can eclipse that number he could be a value.

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.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went hitless in four at-bats in an 8-4 Grapefruit League loss to the Marlins on Friday. The veteran has been scuffling this spring, hitting just .148 (4-for-27) including 11 strikeouts (33.3%) and just one home run. You don't want to put too much stock in spring stats, but the 36-year-old is coming off of a season that was a continuation of some troubling trends, seeing his Contact% tick down while his Whiff% ticked up for a third consecutive season. Hopefully the 7x All-Star can pick up the pace, as he'll also be in talks with the Cardinals at some point about a contract extension as the former MVP will be a free agent at the end of the season.

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.

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.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen's (lat) live batting practice session appeared to go well on Tuesday, as he gave a thumbs up and a "yes, sir" when asked how it went. He is expected to pitch in his first Grapefruit League game on Friday. The Red Sox have been slow-playing Jansen in camp after he reported to spring training with lat soreness. The 36-year-old veteran has progressed nicely, though, and as long as he doesn't have a setback once he starts pitching in actual games, he will be ready for Opening Day later this month. Jansen is MLB's active leader in saves and will be Boston's primary ninth-inning guy when he's healthy, but there's no denying that he's a pretty big injury risk for fantasy managers at this stage of his career.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Joey Votto could be in minor-league games in spring training as early as Wednesday, according to manager John Schneider. This would put Votto on track to appear in his first Grapefruit League game in the days that follow this weekend, but the Blue Jays want to ramp him up against minor-league pitching first. The 40-year-old veteran joined the club as a non-roster invite to spring training last Friday and will attempt to make his hometown team in what could be his final season as a professional. There's a good chance Votto will start the year at Triple-A Buffalo, but he could eventually be up in Toronto as a veteran left-handed bat off the bench. In 65 games in 2023 for the Reds, he hit just .202 but with 14 home runs.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (lat) is scheduled to throw another live batting practice session on Tuesday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. The 36-year-old reported right lat soreness early in camp and was shut down, but is now building up for Opening Day. Fantasy managers should monitor his situation for a better idea of whether he will be ready for Opening Day. It seems as though veteran Chris Martin (groin) would get the first shot at save opportunities for the Red Sox if Jansen is unable to start the season healthy.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip) threw a 30-pitch batting practice session on Monday. The right-hander was originally expected to be sidelined until around June. Now, it sounds like Cobb would return at some point in April. There is certainly still plenty of rehabbing left before Cobb is ready to rejoin the Giants rotation. However, it sounds like the 36-year-old is heading in the right direction. He pitched well with the team last year and could be an interesting deep league option once he returns.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale was looking excellent on the mound until he faced off against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. The left-hander was smacked around for three runs in 3 2/3 innings during Saturday's loss. Sale didn't have his best stuff as he allowed four hits and walked one batter during his rough outing. Despite the bad outing, fantasy managers shouldn't be too concerned about Sale. He still holds a 3.24 ERA with 11 strikeouts and a 1.20 WHIP over 8 1/3 innings this spring.

The Miami Marlins and free-agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez are in discussions as the slugger lingers on the open market. The Marlins lost their primary designated hitter from last season Jorge Soler to the San Francisco Giants in free agency, so a fit with Martinez makes sense. However, the club could also go with a rotating DH combo of Josh Bell and Jake Burger as Martinez is reportedly seeking a two-year deal. The veteran is coming off of a massive season with the Dodgers in which he hit .271 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI despite appearing in just 113 games a season ago. Despite his utility-only eligibility and his unsure landing spot in free agency, Martinez still makes sense for fantasy managers around his 235.2 ADP.

Free-agent first baseman Joey Votto has signed a non-roster invite deal to join the Toronto Blue Jays for spring training. The 40-year-old is from Toronto as the player and team seemed likely to at least connect on a minors deal this winter. Votto was relatively productive in the 2023 season, hitting just .202 but also slugging 14 home runs in just 65 games played while walking at a healthy 11.2% clip. He has seen his walk rates dip and his strikeout rates increase in recent seasons but his production hovered around league average a season ago, as per his 98 wRC+. He will battle for reps at designated hitter in the 2024 season but the Blue Jays also signed veteran Justin Turner to fill that void. Votto is well off the fantasy radar at this point.