Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah (shoulder) is likely to start the season on the injured list, according to manager John Schneider. Manoah threw 34 pitches in two simulated innings on Wednesday, and his next steps will depend on how he feels after Wednesday's session as the team looks to continue building him up. The 26-year-old doesn't have any structural damage in his right shoulder, but starting the year on the IL is another setback after he had an absolutely disastrous 2023 campaign. Manoah's command completely deserted him last year, which led to him being demoted to the minors two separate times. There was lots of optimism from the Blue Jays that he'd be able to bounce back in 2024, but the fact is that Manoah won't be guaranteed a rotation spot once he comes off the IL if he continues to pitch poorly.

TSN's Scott Mitchell writes that the Toronto Blue Jays will use a closer-by-committee setup and matchup-based choices to open the season with relievers Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) starting the year on the injured list. Mitchell says that his pecking order for saves would be Chad Green first, followed by Yimi Garcia and Tim Mayza. Green, 32, has 11 career saves in eight big-league seasons and posted a career-worst 5.25 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, four walks and 16 K's in just 12 innings last year in Toronto in his return from Tommy John surgery. He struck out 11 hitters in 7 2/3 Grapefruit League innings this spring but also allowed seven runs. While Green might get first crack at saves in Toronto to open the year, the fact that both Garcia and Mayza could also be involved means that fantasy managers shouldn't invest much in any of these three names off the waiver wire.

Toronto Blue Jays relievers Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) will officially open the 2024 season on the injured list, according to manager John Schneider. As a result, Nate Pearson and Wes Parsons will open the year in Toronto's bullpen. Swanson has already resumed playing catch, while the Blue Jays hope Romano can begin throwing off a mound next week. Hopefully, both pitchers will be able to return in the middle of April, but there's no guarantee. Romano should be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues for the time being. With both Romano and Swanson on the shelf, the Blue Jays are expected to roll with a closer-by-committee approach, consisting of arms like Chad Green, Yimi Garcia and Tim Mayza.

New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres is set to bat leadoff against the Houston Astros on Thursday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made it official that Torres will take the first at-bat of the regular season for New York. It won't be an easy task against left-hander Framber Valdez. Boone said that Juan Soto is batting second and Aaron Judge hitting third. The move to the leadoff spot should give Torres a boost in fantasy value until DJ LeMahieu (foot) returns to the lineup.

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from the New York Yankees on Wednesday in a three-team deal that also included the Miami Marlins, according to a source. The Marlins landed prospect Shane Sasaki from the Rays and prospect John Cruz from the Yankees. Rortvedt, 26, was out of minor-league options and wasn't going to make New York's Opening Day roster as a third catcher, so he now moves to Tampa, where he's expected to be the backup to starter Rene Pinto. He is more of a defense-first catcher and has hit just .146/.234/.255 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 71 major-league games in two seasons with the Yankees and Minnesota Twins. Rortvedt will be off the fantasy radar in two-catcher and AL-only leagues unless Pinto gets hurt and misses time.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said he told right-hander Ronel Blanco in the dugout after his outing on Tuesday against Triple-A Sugar Land that he has won a starting rotation spot to open the regular season. Blanco's performance on Tuesday (10 strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings) convinced Espada apparently. The 30-year-old Dominican hurler will grab the team's final rotation spot with both Justin Verlander (shoulder) and Jose Urquidy (forearm) starting the year on the injured list. Blanco will have at least several turns through the rotation to prove himself after going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA (5.99 FIP) and 1.48 WHIP with 28 walks and 52 strikeouts in 52 innings over 17 appearances (seven starts) for Houston a year ago. He had a 4.74 ERA and 1.37 WHIP as a starter and will only be worth a flier in AL-only fantasy leagues.

The Miami Marlins acquired right-hander Burch Smith from the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations. Smith had an assignment clause in his minor-league contract, and the Rays didn't have a spot for him on their major-league roster out of spring training. The Marlins selected Smith's contract from Triple-A Jacksonville after the trade. The 33-year-old last pitched in the majors in 2021 with the Oakland Athletics, posting a 5.40 ERA (4.21 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 11 walks and 28 strikeouts in 43 1/3 relief innings. He'll be completely off the fantasy radar in what's expected to be a long-relief role for the Fish. In five big-league seasons, Smith has a poor 6.03 ERA, a 1.56 WHIP, one save, 87 walks and 184 strikeouts in 191 innings pitched.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers went 1-for-2 with a solo home run on Tuesday versus the Texas Rangers to close out Spring Training. His home run would be his fifth this spring and 11th RBI to go along with a stellar .380 batting average. Devers has been one of the best players in the league throughout his career and is still just entering his prime at age 27. He remains a top-20 player in mixed leagues. One of the safest picks on a yearly basis, managers should have zero hesitation about drafting Devers in upcoming drafts.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Matt Wallner went 1-for-1 with a two-run homer in Grapefruit League action against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. Wallner finishes spring with three homers and nine RBI, but a weak .132 batting average. The 26-year-old will never be big in the average department, but he has shown plenty of power, including 14 homers in just 213 at-bats last season for the Twins. The at-bats should be there for Wallner, even with a tough spring and managers seeking cheap power should consider Wallner as an option in the deepest of leagues.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic went 1-for-1 with his first homer of the spring on Tuesday to finish up his rough Grapefruit League. Acquired from the Seattle Mariners this offseason, the former top prospect was expected to be an everyday outfielder with his new club, but has struggled mightily this spring. Aside from his homer on Tuesday, Kelenic was a rough 8-for-56 with four RBI this spring. His struggles even led to the Braves bringing back outfielder Adam Duvall, who will likely take playing time away from the 24-year-old. Kelenic has always had huge potential, but he other than the first half of 2023, he has not shown much. His potential makes him a strong watch-list candidate in the deepest of leagues, but he does not warrant being drafted in most formats.

Oakland Athletics utility man Hoy Park was told on Tuesday that he will start the season with Triple-A Las Vegas, per Athletics Nation's Connor Ashford. The 27-year-old signed a minor-league deal this off-season and put forth a strong showing, batting .477 with one home run and two stolen bases in 44 spring at-bats. Park has spent little time in the big leagues throughout his career and now has even further to go to become fantasy-relevant.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic ended his spring training on a positive note in Tuesday's 9-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Twins. Kelenic only had one at-bat, hitting a 452-foot solo home run off Louie Varland in the third inning. It was a bright spot in an otherwise dreary spring for the 24-year-old, as he batted just .143 in 56 spring at-bats and did not have a HR until Tuesday. However, the former first-round pick has been working with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer in an attempt to unlock his potential. Kelenic did show some positive signs in 2023, but it remains to be seen if he can provide fantasy impact with his new team.

Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco capped off a great spring in Tuesday's 7-3 exhibition game win over Triple-A Sugarland. Blanco pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits (including a solo home run) and two walks with 10 strikeouts. While it may not have been against big-league competition, it was another strong outing for the 30-year-old, who pitched 15 2/3 scoreless Cactus League innings this spring with 18 strikeouts. He had some fantasy streaming appeal last season and could start this season in the rotation for the Astros given his performance and injuries on the team. He will need to prove he can deliver consistently, but Blanco could be worth a look in favorable matchups if he can carry his strong spring into the regular season.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Alex Faedo made the team's Opening Day roster for the first time in his career. In addition, left-hander Joey Wentz made the team out of spring training. In large part due to injuries, the 28-year-old Faedo has had an uneven two seasons in the big leagues with Detroit. He's dealt with blister and nail issues, a back strain, hip pain and had Tommy John surgery. But the former first-rounder in 2017 out of Florida was healthy in the offseason and had a 1.35 spring training ERA. Faedo is expected to work in a long-relief role, which won't give him any real fantasy value, but if he can stay healthy, he could be an important piece for Detroit's pitching staff in 2024. In his 27 big-league outings (24 starts), Faedo has a 4.94 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 45 walks and 102 K's in 118 1/3 frames.

Free-agent starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a one-year, $25 million deal with a vesting player option for 2025, pending a physical. With Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) set to begin the year on the injured list, the D-backs bolster their rotation with the move. Montgomery began 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals but ended the season winning a World Series ring with the Texas Rangers, totaling a 3.20 ERA (3.56 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, and 166:48 K:BB over 188 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old southpaw likely won't miss enough bats (21.4% strikeout rate in '23) to be an upper-echelon fantasy starter in 2024, but he will have an outstanding defense behind him in the desert. Although it's unclear if he'll be ready for Arizona's opening series of the regular season starting on Thursday, Montgomery should not be lingering on any waiver wires ahead of Opening Day.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that catcher Ben Rortvedt and outfielder Jahmai Jones remain in the mix for Opening Day roster spots. Austin Wells has already made the team, but the Yankees could carry Rortvedt as their third catcher to begin the season. Jose Trevino is the club's other backstop. The 26-year-old Rortvedt is out of minor-league options, so the Yankees may not want to risk losing him to another club. He hit just .118/.241/.221 with two homers in 32 games for the Yanks in 2023 and is unlikely to see much playing time in 2024 for the Bombers. Jones, 26, has looked overmatched in 36 big-league games over three seasons after he was a second-round pick by the Angels in 2015. However, he's intrigued the Yankees as a bench option this spring by hitting .286 with a home run, four RBI and a steal in 14 Grapefruit League games.

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington confirmed on Tuesday that first baseman Miguel Sano has made the team's Opening Day roster. "He's very deserving," Washington said. Sano is looking to bounce back in the big leagues with the Angels in 2024 after not playing at all in 2023. The former All-Star with the Minnesota Twins in 2017 reportedly lost 58 pounds in the offseason after playing just 20 games in his final year in Minnesota in 2022 due to a knee injury. The 30-year-old right-handed slugger has reached the 30-homer mark twice in his career, including his last full season in 2021, but he's never hit for average and is a pretty big injury risk as he looks to help fill some of the Halos' designated hitter at-bats this year. At best, he's an AL-only flier for some power to begin the year.

The Oakland Athletics acquired minor-league left-hander T.J. McFarland from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations and selected his contract from Triple-A Las Vegas to their 40-man roster. The 34-year-old southpaw was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth round in 2007 and he has 11 years of major-league experience with five different teams, including the A's back in 2020. McFarland made three appearances out of the New York Mets' bullpen in 2023 and has a career 4.14 ERA (4.20 FIP), a 1.47 WHIP, one save, 154 walks and 279 strikeouts in 474 innings in his 11 major-league seasons. Now with the rebuilding A's, McFarland certainly has a much better chance at contributing at the big-league level again in 2024 now that he's out of LA.

The Baltimore Orioles signed infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp to an undisclosed major-league contract on Tuesday and designated third baseman Nick Maton for assignment in a corresponding move. Kemp was in spring training with the Cincinnati Reds but opted out of his minor-league deal and is now headed back to the American League after slashing just .209/.303/.304 with five home runs, 27 RBI and a career-high 15 stolen bases in 124 games with the Oakland Athletics in 2023. In addition to being able to play the outfield, the 32-year-old left-handed-hitting veteran can also fill in at second base for the Orioles. At best, Kemp is going to fill a reserve role for the O's in 2024 and isn't much of a fantasy asset. The former fifth-round pick of the Houston Astros in 2013 out of Vanderbilt is a career .238/.325/.352 hitter with only 35 homers in eight big-league seasons.

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi (shoulder) was scheduled to pitch in Tuesday's exhibition game at Tropicana Field against the Detroit Tigers rather than in a minor-league game on Wednesday. Odorizzi sees it as a truer test of his progress in what will be his first game pitched since Oct. of 2022 due to arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. The 33-year-old veteran signed with the Rays late in spring training this year and will begin the 2024 campaign in the minor leagues as a result. If Odorizzi doesn't have any setbacks with his shoulder, he should have a spot open for him in the rotation with both Shane Baz (elbow) and Taj Bradley (pectoral) recovering from injuries. Even in deeper fantasy leagues, managers will probably want to wait and see before trusting Odorizzi in starting lineups whenever he makes his 2024 debut.