Oakland Athletics reliever Dany Jimenez pitched the ninth inning of the team's 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels Thursday night. He allowed no runs, walked one, and struck out one en route to his first save of the season. It wasn't certain who the closer would be coming into the year, with Jimenez, Jeurys Familia, and Trevor May all candidates for the ninth inning. But after posting a 3.41 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 11 saves over 34.1 innings in 2022, the 29-year-old might be in line for the bulk of save opportunities moving forward. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on this situation for the time being.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole had an immaculate Opening Day start on Thursday, tossing six shutout innings in a win over the San Francisco Giants. Maybe even more impressively, he struck out 11 Giants while allowing just three hits and two walks. Cole is looking to improve on his already great 2022 season, as he pitched to a 3.50 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and had a 257:50 K:BB ratio over 200 IP. If he can limit runs a little bit better, he has a very good shot at being the best pitcher in fantasy baseball.

Chicago White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was called on to close out Thursday's 3-2 Opening Day victory over the Houston Astros. He gave up one run on one hit but did enough to earn the first save of his seven-year career. Lopez is coming off his best campaign in the majors, where he posted a 2.76 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 24.8% strikeout rate with nine holds across 61 games. With Liam Hendriks out for the time being, it isn't clear who the White Sox's main arm is for the ninth inning, but cearly, Lopez will be in line for his fair share of opportunities. The 29-year-old might not rack up too many saves if they go with a committee, but fantasy managers should be able to count on a handful from him going forward.

Minnesota Twins right-hander Jhoan Duran threw a scoreless ninth inning to nail down a 2-0 Opening Day win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. Duran struck out one, walked one, and did not allow a hit while earning the save. The 25-year-old reliever showed off his elite fastball in the frame with six of his 17 pitches topping 100 MPH. The Twins could take a committee approach in the ninth inning this season but Duran has the potential to emerge as the lead guy for save chances. He should be rostered in all leagues as a source of saves and strikeouts.

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez is absent from Thursday's Opening Day lineup against the Seattle Mariners with right-hander Luis Castillo on the mound. The sophomore had a solid debut season in 2022, slashing .296/.327/.461 with 11 homers, 39 RBI, 43 runs, and one stolen base across 91 games. However, despite his strong numbers, it seems the Guardians are opting to use Gonzalez in a platoon role, with him playing against lefties, severely hurting his fantasy value. Will Brennan will get the start in right field and bat seventh and looks to be the 25-year-old's platoon mate. Brennan only played in 11 contests last year, posting a .900 OPS, but was great in Triple-A, registering a .316 average with 15 steals in 93 games. Fantasy managers can ignore him in most leagues due to his part-time status, but he can provide some batting average and speed in deep formats.

Oakland Athletics pitcher JP Sears will get the call to begin the season as the No. 5 starter. Paul Blackburn and Drew Rucinski will open the season on the IL, opening the spot for Sears. The lefty pitched to a 3.86 ERA over 70 innings pitched for the Yankees and A's last season. He started 11 games, pitching in 17 total. His ERA+ of 99 and FIP of 4.21 were more telling of his abilities. It's not known how long he'll keep a spot in the rotation, but he shouldn't be rushed to grab.

Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (back) said he is starting on Monday against the Detroit Tigers. General manager Dana Brown said that Brown was sitting at 94-98 mph with his fastball during his simulated game on Wednesday. "His cutter was back," Brown said. The 24-year-old has been dealing with lower-back tightness, but the injury wasn't serious and he'll be able to take his first turn in the rotation for the regular season. The team's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, should be rostered in all fantasy formats with a full-time role in Houston's starting rotation despite posting a 5.00 ERA in four Grapefruit League starts this spring. Brown has the potential to be a dominant young starter with premium velocity on his fastball and a power curveball.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) and outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder) are both starting the 2023 season on the 10-day injured list. Pitchers Blake Taylor, Parker Mushinski and Lance McCullers Jr. are also starting on the 15-day injured list. The Astros are optimistic that Altuve can make his season debut before June after fracturing his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic. With the All-Star second baseman on the shelf, Mauricio Dubon is starting at the keystone on Opening Day and is batting ninth. Altuve needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues. Brantley missed all of spring training after having shoulder surgery late last year, and he's expected to miss all of April.

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said on Thursday that outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (hand) won't play every day to start the 2023 regular season. Alvarez is starting in left field and is hitting third in the batting order on Opening Day on Thursday against right-hander Dylan Cease and the Chicago White Sox, but he'll be eased into action after missing most of spring training with soreness in his left hand. The Astros would prefer to have the 25-year-old left-handed slugger healthy all year, and it makes sense for them to play it safe with star second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) already sidelined. Alvarez needs to be in all starting fantasy lineups on Thursday.

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena is starting at the 6 and is hitting leadoff on Opening Day on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Dylan Cease. Pena should serve as the team's leadoff hitter until second baseman Jose Altuve (thumb) is able to return from a fractured right thumb. Batting in the leadoff spot will give Pena a slightly higher fantasy ceiling with more chances to get on base and score runs in a strong Astros lineup. The 25-year-old Dominican will be hoping to carry his hot spring hitting into the regular season, as he went 11-for-34 (.324) with two doubles, a triple, three home runs, nine RBI, nine runs scored and a stolen base in 11 Grapefruit League games.

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung will hit fifth in the batting order on Opening Day against right-hander Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies. It's a big season upcoming for the former eighth overall pick as Jung should see nearly everyday action at third base if his bat can show up as advertised. The 25-year-old hit just .204 in his big-league debut last season but also slugged five homers while posting a strong .214 isolated power across 102 trips to the plate. Jung's 0.10 BB/K will need to gain significant improvement moving forward but he should get plenty of leash to show off his raw power for a Rangers team looking to jump back into contention in the 2023 campaign.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is hitting second for the club in their Opening Day contest versus the visiting Detroit Tigers. There was some worry late in camp the young phenom might not be ready to open the season on time after he dealt with right quad soreness but Franco is good to go for Thursday's opener. The 22-year-old's power continues to be developed, but he hit .277 with eight steals and a .745 OPS across 83 games in the 2021 campaign. Most impressively, Franco struck out in just 9.6% of his plate appearance as a 21-year-old big leaguer after punching out in just 12% of his plate appearances in the 2021 campaign. The plate discipline and contact skills are already elite while the power should ramp up some in the 2023 campaign.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson will open the 2022 season out of the team's five-hole as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Shane McClanahan on Thursday. Plenty of eyes will be on the 2020 No. 1 overall pick this season after a vastly underwhelming MLB debut that saw him hit just .203 with eight home runs and a .604 OPS across 110 games with the Tigers last season. Despite making plenty of hard contact, Torkelson hit just .268 with one HR and three doubles alongside a .692 OPS across 20 Grapefruit League games this spring. Nonetheless, he should get every opportunity to bounce back with a strong sophomore season in 2023.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene is scheduled to hit third in the club's lineup on Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays. Green debuted at the age of 21 with five home runs, one stolen base, a .683 OPS, and 98 wRC+ in the 2022 season but expectations are much bigger this time around. The lefty-swinging Greene enjoyed a big spring that saw him hit .308 with four HR, two doubles, a triple, and a .960 OPS across 52 Grapefruit League at-bats. Green routinely hit for plenty of average and power throughout his rise to the big leagues after being taken with the fifth overall pick of the 2019 draft. He could move into the two-hole against righties but will settle into the third spot as the Tigers take on Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan Thursday.

New York Mets pitcher Justin Verlander has been placed on the injured list with what is being described as a low-grade teres major strain. The issue won't shut him down from throwing at moderate intensity but he will not be rescanned for a week. Signed to a mammoth two-year deal this winter, the 40-year-old posted a 3.00 ERA in five spring outings, striking out 22 with 10 walks across 21 innings of work. The right-hander took home his third career AL Cy Young Award in 2022 and his second in three seasons. Verlander worked to a 1.75 ERA and a 23.4% K-BB% across 28 starts in 2022, going 18-4 in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jesse Winker is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second in the lineup on Opening Day on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs and right-hander Marcus Stroman. Christian Yelich is hitting in the leadoff spot for Milwaukee to kick off the 2023 season. Winker was mostly hurt in a disappointing season in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, but he could bounce back in a nice situation for the Brew Crew. Shortstop Willy Adames is hitting third, with Rowdy Tellez in the cleanup spot. The 29-year-old left-handed-hitting Winker struggled in spring training by hitting .200 (5-for-25) with two doubles and one RBI, but he walked six times and struck out only three times in 10 Cactus League games.

The Boston Red Sox placed shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (knee) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday. Mondesi is still recovering from a torn left ACL suffered last year, and now he won't be able to make his 2023 debut with Boston until at least May. The 27-year-old hasn't been able to stay healthy in his career, but he's worth stashing in deeper mixed leagues for his speed. He should see plenty of playing time at shortstop in his first year in Boston when he's healthy enough to return. Until then, Enrique Hernandez should see most of the playing time at the 6, with Christian Arroyo serving as Boston's primary second baseman.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Kaleb Ort has earned the final spot in the club's bullpen, Ian Browne reports Thursday. The 31-year-old had a horrific Spring Training, where he produced a 9.58 ERA across 10.1 innings. Over his career, Ort has found zero success, as he owns a 6.28 lifetime ERA. In 2022, he appeared in 25 games for the Red Sox and posted a 6.35 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 20.1% strikeout rate, and an 11.2% walk rate. Ort has no fantasy value in even the deepest leagues. Boston's bullpen has enough arms at the top that he'll be limited to low-leverage spots and almost no chances for saves or holds during the season.

Seattle Mariners outfielder Dylan Moore (oblique) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. This move isn't a surprise, considering he was expected to miss up to four weeks because of an oblique strain. The 30-year-old appeared in 104 games in 2022, ending the season with a miserable .224 average in 205 at-bats. That said, Moore isn't anticipated to have a routine spot in the lineup this season, so fantasy managers should distance themselves from him even more.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton will serve as the designated hitter and bat third in the lineup on Opening Day on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals and right-hander Zack Greinke. The Twins plan to ease the oft-injured outfielder in as their DH to begin the season after he had arthroscopic knee surgery late last September. Michael A. Taylor will start in center field and bat ninth on Thursday. It remains to be seen how much the 29-year-old Buxton will run in 2023 and how often he'll receive maintenance days, but when he's in there, he needs to be in all starting fantasy lineups. Buxton is still one of the most intriguing power/speed outfielders in baseball, but his problem has been staying on the field.