• Edouard Julien sitting on opening day vs a LHP
    Edouard Julien is on the bench for Thursday’s Opening Day matchup against the Royals with Kyle Farmer starting at second base and hitting seventh.

    Advice: The Royals are throwing left-hander Cole Ragans, so the Twins are sitting the majority of their left-handed starters. This was the case for Julien last year and it appears that will carry over into 2024. The same is true for Alex Kirilloff and Matt Wallner, who also find themselves on the bench against Ragans. All three should start regularly against right-handed pitchers, but fantasy managers with weekly lineup leagues should always check to see how many lefties the Twins are set to face in a given week. The opening day lineup for the Twins will be Byron Buxton CF, Ryan Jeffers, C, Royce Lewis 3B, Carlos Correa, SS, Carlos Santana 1B, Max Kepler, RF, Kyle Farmer, 2B, Willi Castro LF, Manuel Margot DH. Rotoworld Today, 8:59 am
  • Placed on 60-day IL
    The Yankees placed Cole on the 60-day injured list Thursday with right elbow inflammation.

    Advice: The initial timetable for Cole's return from his right elbow injury was 1-to-2 months, but clearly it's going to be closer to the latter end of that span. The hope is that the reigning American League Cy Young winner will be ready to begin a throwing program in a couple weeks, but the Yankees will not rush what will be a slow and steady build-up. Rotowire.com Today, 8:58 am
     
  • On bench versus lefty
    Julien is out of the lineup for Thursday's season 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 migh not be a strict platoon at the keystone, Julien seems likely to be on the bench at least against tougher southpaws like Ragans. Rotowire.com Today, 8:13 am
  • Reds place TJ Friedl (wrist) on 10-day IL
    Reds placed OF TJ Friedl on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to March 25, with a fractured right wrist.

    Advice: Friedl is likely to be sidelined until mid-to-late May after suffering a fractured right wrist earlier this month. There’s optimism that he’ll beat that initial return timetable, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him to make his season debut until early May in a best-case scenario. Rotoworld Yesterday, 2:23 pm
    TJ FriedlCIN - OF
    1:10 pm vs WSH
     
  • Placed on injured list
    The Reds placed Friedl (wrist) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

    Advice: Friedl's fractured right wrist will cause him to miss the first month-plus of the season. However, it's worth noting that the Reds put him on the 10-day IL rather than the 60-day list, suggesting that the 28-year-old outfielder may be targeting the shorter end of his initial 6-to-8-week recovery timeline. Bubba Thompson was recalled from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:13 pm
    TJ FriedlCIN - OF
    1:10 pm vs WSH
     
  • Will bat leadoff Opening Day
    Manager Aaron Boone said Torres will serve as the Yankees' leadoff hitter in Thursday's season opener against the Astros, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

    Advice: The Yankees are facing a southpaw (Framber Valdez) in the season opener, but Torres looks like he could be the team's top choice to set the table against both left- and right-handed pitching to begin the season while DJ LeMahieu (wrist) is on the shelf. The leadoff assignment is a nice little boost for Torres' fantasy prospects, even if it might be a relatively short run atop the lineup. He had a terrific spring, sporting a 1.078 OPS with three home runs and two stolen bases. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:09 pm
     
  • Gleyber Torres leading off Opening Day vs. Astros
    Gleyber Torres will lead off on Opening Day against the Astros.

    Advice: Yankees manager Aaron Boone made it official that Torres will set the table for Thursday’s season-opener against Astros southpaw Framber Valdez with marquee offseason acquisition Juan Soto batting second and Aaron Judge hitting third. It’s a nice boost for Torres as he figures to continue leading off while DJ LeMahieu (foot) remains sidelined. Rotoworld Yesterday, 1:44 pm
     
  • Healthy heading into season
    Rodon pitched 19.1 innings over five starts in Grapefruit League action, posting a 4.19 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB.

    Advice: Rodon made just one appearance last spring before suffering a forearm injury that significantly cut down his season, so the fact that he made it through the exhibition slate without any health issues this spring is a positive development. Per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Rodon dropped weight in the offseason and looked to be in better shape in camp as he aims to put last year's injury-plagued and largely forgettable performance in the rearview mirror. While the southpaw's spring stats weren't overwhelming, Kuty reports that Rodon's fastball sat in the mid-90s, which is in line with where it has been during recent campaigns. The Yankees may need Rodon to step up as the team's ace with Gerrit Cole likely out for at least the first two months of the regular season due to an elbow injury. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 7:43 am
     
  • Bryce Miller holds down Padres for four innings
    Bryce Miller allowed one run and one hit over four innings Monday as the Mariners bested the Padres 4-1.

    Advice: Miller had little luck with his new splitter tonight, but he was still effective in allowing just one hit. He ends the spring 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA and a 13/6 K/BB in 12 innings. His next start will come Sunday in the finale of a four-game series against the Red Sox. Rotoworld Monday, 10:34 pm