Everything that happens in and around MLB has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy baseball perspective. From lineup changes to minor league call-ups to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy baseball.
Our fantasy baseball buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around MLB.
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March 29: Sunday morning’s news to know
By Todd Zola
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The first Sunday slate of the season gets underway at 1:35 p.m. ET with a trio of games. The first Sunday night game of the year features the Seattle Mariners hosting the Cleveland Guardians at 7:20 p.m. ET.
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Concerns about Carlos Estevez‘s velocity drop in the spring came to fruition yesterday as the Kansas City Royals’ closer blew a save by yielding six runs in one-third of an inning, allowing four hits and two walks. His fastball was about 4 mph slower than last season’s average. Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm would be next in line for saves.
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The Milwaukee Brewers placed Andrew Vaughn on the 10-day IL after imaging divulged a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. He’s set for surgery tomorrow, with an expected recovery of four to six weeks. Catcher Jeferson Quero was called up from Triple-A Nashville, which will allow Gary Sanchez to platoon with Jake Bauers at first base.
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The Miami Marlins placed Christopher Morel on the 10-day IL after he was diagnosed with a left oblique strain. He’s expected to be out four to six weeks. Deyvison De Los Santos was called up from Triple-A Jacksonville to fill the open roster spot and help fill in at first base, along with Connor Norby. Graham Pauley, who couldn’t throw for much of the spring, is ready to take over at third base.
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Jacob deGrom was scratched from yesterday’s start with a neck issue, with Jacob Latz taking the hill for the Texas Rangers in their interleague affair with the Philadelphia Philles. The club is optimistic that deGrom will not need an IL stint and will be able to start later this week.
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CJ Abrams missed yesterday’s game as he was away from the team due to a death in the family. It’s unclear whether the Washington Nationals will place him on the bereavement list. Nasim Nunez moved over to shortstop yesterday, with Jorbit Vivas filling in at second base.
March 28: Saturday morning’s news to know
Pavin Smith returned to the Diamondbacks lineup last night, and is expected to be back again tonight. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
By Todd Zola
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Saturday marks the season’s initial full slate, with the first of 15 games getting underway at 2:15 p.m. ET.
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Pavin Smith was back in action for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. He was scratched due to a sore elbow before Thursday’s opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He should be in the lineup again tonight with Tyler Glasnow on the hill for the two-time defending World Series champions.
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The Miami Marlins shuffled their lineup before their season opener Friday night due to Christopher Morel’s left oblique strain. Connor Norby played first base with Owen Caissie handling designated hitter. The left-handed Caissie was originally on the bench with southpaw Kyle Freeland on the hill for the Colorado Rockies. Morel is being evaluated today.
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Even with Jeremy Pena debuting Friday night with the Houston Astros, Isaac Paredes was in the lineup as the designated hitter against Los Angeles Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. Opening Day designated hitter Yordan Alvarez replaced Joey Loperfido in left field. This is significant since Alvarez qualifies at just utility, but if this is a permanent arrangement against lefties, Alvarez could earn outfield eligibility in April. The Angels will start lefty Reid Detmers tonight, so more information will be known soon.
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Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak was placed on the IL with a sprained finger. With Jake McCarthy joining the club, Moniak was likely going to be the designated hitter versus right-handers, a role now filled by Edouard Julien. However, it’s noteworthy that catcher Braxton Fulford was called up to take Moniak’s roster spot, and with three catchers on the roster, starter Hunter Goodman could see some time as the designated hitter.
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A tight left hamstring has limited Rafael Devers to designated hitter in the San Francisco Giants’ first two games of the season. Casey Schmitt filled in at first base while expected designated hitter Jerar Encarnacion.
To see all the projections and ratings for the next 10 days, go here for pitchers and here for hitters. These will be updated daily throughout the season. For March 30-April 5 games, you can find the week’s ratings, scheduling quirks and pitcher projections right here.
March 27: Forecaster findings for the rest of Week 1
Fantasy baseball’s Week 1 concludes with the first full “week” of 2025, in which four teams (Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants) are scheduled for a full seven games, while no team has fewer than six.
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As most teams begin the week playing their fourth of fifth games of the season, back-of-the-rotation starters are the ones generally aligned for two-start weeks. When examining the starting pitcher rankings, bear in mind that a two-start pitcher from the back of a team’s rotation will project for roughly 5-6 fewer total fantasy points across both turns than an ace will. That’s a reason to not overly worry about whether your aces are pitching only once, and the rankings reflect that, with seven Opening Day starters — all of them scheduled to work between Tuesday and Thursday — ranked right up there with many of the two-start pitchers.
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We’ll see our first games at hitters’ heaven ballparks Colorado’s Coors Field and Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, though the hosting Colorado Rockies and the Athletics both play only three weekend games at home after beginning the week with three-game road series. The Philadelphia Phillies visit Coors Field and the Houston Astros travel to Sutter Health Park and, in the case of the Phillies, that’s what vaults them to nearly a perfect 10 hitter rating for the week.
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Weather continues to be something to watch in northern and northeastern cities, especially with colder temperatures and a heightened chance of rain across the region heading into the April 3-5 weekend. This could affect games in Boston, Chicago (White Sox), Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, New York (Yankees), Pittsburgh and Washington — all cities that will be hosting games during those three days.
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Remember that in ESPN leagues, “Week 1” extends from March 25’s opening night contest through the games of Sunday, April 5. Additionally, if your league conducts its draft from this point forward, all players will lock into place in the roster spots (whether lineup or bench) where you draft them for games that have already occurred.
March 27: Friday morning’s news to know
By Todd Zola
Kyle Freeland and the Colorado Rockies kick off their 2026 season on Friday. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
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Friday usually features a full slate, but during this opening week, when weather could have been be an issue, the league’s schedule-makers left the day open — just in case Thursday’s Opening Day needed to be postponed. As such, there are only eight games, with the first scheduled for 4:35 p.m. ET when the San Francisco Giants look to even their series against the New York Yankees. The remaining seven games are under the lights.
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Pavin Smith was scratched due to elbow soreness before last night’s NL West game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers. Tim Tawa served as the D-backs’ DH. Smith is scheduled for an MRI today.
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With Kyle Stowers and Esteury Ruiz both starting the season on the IL, the Miami Marlins signed Austin Slater for outfield depth and to serve as a right-handed complement to their largely left-handed outfield/DH pool. Slater will likely be in the lineup this evening when lefty Kyle Freeland gets the Colorado Rockies’ Opening Day nod in South Beach.
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In addition to the Rockies and Marlins, Friday marks “Opening Day” for the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves in Atlanta, as well as the Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto.
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It appears that Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt will rely on matchups and choose between CJ Kayfus, Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martinez for an outfield spot. Kayfus and Schneemann are lefties while Martinez is a switch-hitter, so he’ll likely face left-handers. Last night, Schneemann collected the start, but was replaced by Martinez when the Seattle Mariners brought in a left-handed reliever.
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With Jeremy Pena beginning the season on the Houston Astros’ active roster, it was assumed that he was set to play in Thursday’s opener against the Los Angeles Angels. However, it turns out that he wasn’t quite ready for game action. Still, the club clearly felt it won’t be long and did not feel the need to place him on the IL. Pena spent Thursday getting live at-bats at their affiliate, Triple-A Sugar Land, and is listed as day-to-day. If he’s unable to play tonight, Carlos Correa will again handle shortstop, with Isaac Paredes manning the hot corner.
March 26: Jackson Chourio to start season on IL
Jackson Chourio will start the 2026 season on the shelf. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
By Tristan H. Cockcroft
The Milwaukee Brewers will start the 2026 season shorthanded. Chourio, who was hit by a pitch in a March 4 World Baseball Classic game, has been diagnosed with a small hairline fracture and will miss the first 2-4 weeks of the season. The Brewers unexpectedly placed him on the 10-day IL on Thursday, meaning they’ll be without their leadoff man, a 20/20 player in both 2024 and 2025.
Editor’s Picks
Chourio’s fantasy managers should remain patient through his absence, with the hopes that he’ll be back in action sometime around April 16, but his IL placement opens up opportunities for other Brewers players. Sal Frelick, the team’s usual right fielder, figures to lead off in the short term, boosting his counting-number potential (runs scored especially). Christian Yelich, who might otherwise have been ticketed for DH duty, should now see some starts in the outfield, giving him a chance to capture eligibility there quickly (he’ll need 10 games there to qualify).
Garrett Mitchell and Jake Bauers should also see an uptick in playing time while Chourio is sidelined, helping their fantasy appeal in 15-plus-team mixed and NL-only leagues. Mitchell’s plate discipline and speed make him an ideal pickup in points leagues of at least that depth.
Replacing Chourio’s production in standard rotisserie leagues won’t be easy, as not many players possess his power/speed ability. Fortunately, at this stage of the season, there are a multitude of upside-oriented outfielders to consider as short-term pickups, some of which might develop into players you’ll want to keep around. Consider adding Lawrence Butler and Brenton Doyle, if you’re attempting to mirror Chourio’s statistical output. If power is more of what you need, Jac Caglianone and Addison Barger are worth your while. If it’s speed that you need, Jose Caballero and Chandler Simpson warrant pickups.
March 26: Thursday morning’s roster news
A strong spring showing has led to Carson Benge making the roster for the New York Mets. Rich Storry/Getty Images
By Todd Zola
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There are 11 games on the docket, beginning at 1:15 p.m. ET when Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates take on Freddy Peralta and the New York Mets at Citi Field. With the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants opening the season Wednesday night, there are still six teams that won’t play their first game until Friday.
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The only game that might be affected by weather is in the Windy City where the Chicago Cubs are set to host the Washington Nationals at 2:20 p.m. ET. Rain is expected, although it will likely hold off until the later innings. The wind is forecast to be blowing in, with occasional gusts.
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Leo Rivas will be at shortstop when the Seattle Mariners entertain the Cleveland Guardians. J.P. Crawford will open the season on the 10-day IL due to lingering right shoulder inflammation. He received a cortisone injection last week but isn’t ready for action. There were some murmurs that rookie Colt Emerson might fill in, but the Mariners opted to go with Rivas and sent the youngster back to the minors for some more seasoning.
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Emerson might have to wait for his first MLB action, but three other top prospects will debut. Carson Benge will be in right field for the Mets. His first at-bat will likely be against Skenes. Welcome to The Show, kid! Kevin McGonigle, one of the top prospects in baseball will start at shortstop for the Detroit Tigers on the road against the San Diego Padres. JJ Wetherholt will be the starting second baseman and likely leadoff hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Jeremy Pena‘s Opening Day was put in jeopardy after he fractured his fingertip during fielding practice for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, but he has been cleared and will be in the lineup when the Houston Astros welcome the Los Angeles Angels to Daikin Park for their opener.
