• In lineup at designated hitter
    Margot is starting at designated hitter and batting ninth for the Twins in Thursday's opener versus the Royals.

    Advice: The Twins got Margot to play against left-handed pitching, so it's no surprise he's in there against southpaw Cole Ragans, though it's a bit of a surprise he's at DH and not playing the outfield. Margot had to exit hit final exhibition game after being hit on the hand by a pitch, but he's fine. Rotowire.com 2 minutes ago
  • Likely facing minimum IL stint
    Romano (elbow) isn't expected to need much time to build back up once he's cleared to start throwing off a mound again, and Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins believes he'll only need a minimum stay on the injured list, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star reports.

    Advice: The Toronto closer was given an anti-inflammatory injection early last week after an MRI on his elbow showed no structural issues. A backdated placement on the IL for Romano and a minimum 15-day stay could have him back in the Jays bullpen as early as April 9 against the Mariners. In the right-hander's absence, Yimi Garcia, Chad Green and Tim Mayza are all candidates to handle save chances. Rotowire.com 6 minutes ago
  • Out of lineup versus lefty
    Wallner is not in the Twins' lineup for Thursday's opener in Kansas City.

    Advice: With the Royals going with lefty Cole Ragans on the bump, Wallner will yield to Willi Castro in left field. Wallner is slated to be the club's regular left fielder versus right-handed pitching. Rotowire.com 6 minutes ago
     
  • Guardians acquire Zak Kent from Rangers
    Guardians acquired RHP Zak Kent from the Rangers in exchange for international bonus pool money.

    Advice: Kent was optioned to Triple-A earlier in March, so he’s likely to stay down there but within the Guardians’ farm system. The 26-year-old had a rough spring camp where he posted a 12.27 ERA over 3 2/3 innings of work. Rotoworld 6 minutes ago
    Zak KentTEX - SP
    4:35 pm vs CHC
     
  • Takes seat against lefty
    Kirilloff is absent from the Twins' lineup for Thursday's opener against the Royals.

    Advice: The Twins are going with Manuel Margot at designated hitter as the Royals throw left-hander Cole Ragans. Kirilloff is in line to be the team's primary DH versus right-handed pitching. Rotowire.com 8 minutes ago
     
  • Getting start against southpaw
    Farmer is starting at second base and batting seventh for the Twins in Thursday's opener versus the Royals.

    Advice: Farmer gets the nod at the keystone with the Royals starting southpaw Cole Ragans. The 33-year-old had a .781 OPS against left-handed pitching last season for Minnesota. Rotowire.com 10 minutes ago
    Kyle FarmerMIN - 2B,3B,SS
    1:10 pm @KC
     
  • On bench versus lefty
    Julien is not in the Twins' lineup for Thursday's opener in Kansas City.

    Advice: The Royals are throwing left-hander Cole Ragans, so Juilen will yield to the right-handed hitting Kyle Farmer at second base. While it might be be a strict platoon at the keystone, Julien seems likely to be on the bench at least against tougher southpaws like Ragans. Rotowire.com 13 minutes ago
  • De La Cruz batting sixth in Opening Day lineup
    Elly De La Cruz is at shortstop and batting sixth in Thursday’s Opening Day matchup against the Nationals.

    Advice: This will be new territory for the 22-year-old phenom as he did not bat in the six-hole once during the 2023 season. Fantasy managers should expect another solid season from De La Cruz as he’ll showcase his power and speed in a full 162-game season. Here’s the full Opening Day lineup for the Reds: Jonathan India 2B, Will Benson CF, Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B, Jeimer Candelario 3B, Jake Fraley RF, Elly De La Cruz SS, Spencer Steer LF, Nick Martini, DH, Tyler Stephenson C, Frankie Montas SP. Rotoworld 15 minutes ago
     
  • Will get full spring progression
    Votto (ankle) will remain at the Blue Jays' spring training complex and go through a full build-up before beginning a minor-league assignment, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star reports.

    Advice: As the 40-year-old won't even begin that progression until his ankle is fully healed, he isn't expected to see game action for another month or more. That could put Votto in line to make his Toronto debut in May, but whether he gets added to the big-league roster when ready will depend on how Daniel Vogelbach performs over the first month of the season. Rotowire.com 19 minutes ago