The Chicago Cubs are sending outfield prospect Alexander Canario down to Triple-A Iowa to begin the 2024 season. Canario, the team's No. 14 prospect per MLB Pipeline, won't open the season in the big leagues for the first time in his career, but we expect to see the 23-year-old make at the major-league level at some point in 2024. He missed most of last season after having multiple surgeries but was called up to the big leagues in Chicago, going 5-for-17 with a homer and six RBI in six games played. Canario should eventually gain outfield eligibility for fantasy managers in NL-only and dynasty/keeper leagues, but it's hard to envision him finding much playing time in Chicago unless an injury or two strikes. He can be avoided in mixed leagues for now.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) is scheduled to throw one inning of live batting practice in camp on Monday and then repeat the process on Friday. If all of it goes well, Taillon will be looking at a minor-league game after that. Due to a back injury that he picked up in spring training, the 32-year-old former first-round pick will open the season on the injured list and won't be ready to make his 2024 debut until at least the middle of April. We'll have a better idea of when exactly Taillon could rejoin Chicago's starting rotation once he pitches in minor league games. He doesn't walk many hitters, but Taillon hasn't been dominant and is also a fly-ball pitcher, leaving him very little fantasy upside in mixed leagues at this stage of his career.

Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter Justin Steele (knee) said on Monday that he threw a bullpen session in camp and that all systems are go for him to kick off the 2024 regular season on Thursday against the defending World Series-champion Texas Rangers on the road. The 28-year-old southpaw was removed from his final Cactus League start last Friday as a precaution due to a left-knee contusion, but it's obviously nothing serious and he will kick off the Opening Day festivities for the Cubbies later this week. Steele is firmly on the fantasy radar as a low-end No. 2/high-end No. 3 fantasy starter this year after earning his first All-Star selection in 2023 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 36 walks and a career-high 176 K's in 30 starts. The matchup against the defending World champs on the road isn't the best one for DFS purposes, though.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb has had a rough go of it in the Cactus League this spring with a bloated 10.97 ERA in six starts than span over 21 1/3 innings. Webb, 27, is coming off an excellent season for the Giants with his 3.25 ERA being his highest over the past three seasons. Most managers will not argue with that and should not. It is not out of the norm to see players struggle in Spring Training and then turn it on once the numbers actually count. Managers shouldn't worry about Webb as he has appeared healthy and he remains a safe option at the top of managers rotations as we head into 2024.

The Oakland Athletics have acquired veteran reliever Austin Adams from the New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations. The 32-year-old was added to the Athletics' 40-man roster and in a corresponding move, Trevor Gott was placed on the 60-day IL after it was determined he would need Tommy John surgery. Adams made 24 appearances for the D-backs last season before an ankle injury ended his season, posting a 5.71 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 17 1/3 IP. He had a nice 12:1 K:BB this spring for the Mets, although it went along with 5.68 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in six and one-third IP. He figures to pitch in middle relief and it's not a needle-mover for fantasy unless he's thrust into a more high-leverage role.

Oakland Athletics left-hander Sean Newcomb (knee), who has not pitched since March 20, is experiencing irritation in the left knee that he had surgery on last September, and it will put him on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2024 season. Newcomb had a 3.00 ERA in four Cactus League outings this spring and was expected to begin the year in the bullpen as the team's top lefty relief option. In addition to Newcomb, the A's bullpen is also dealing with injuries to Trevor Gott (elbow), who needs Tommy John surgery, and lefty Scott Alexander (ribs), so they could explore the free-agent market for more relief options to start the season. The 30-year-old southpaw wasn't on the fantasy radar to begin with after making just seven appearances (two starts) in his first season with the A's in 2023.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele remains on track to make his Opening Day start this Thursday against the Rangers. The southpaw suffered a knee contusion Friday after being hit by a line drive in a Cactus League contest versus the Giants. By Saturday, Steele said that it was bruised and sore, but that's it. The 2023 All-Star went 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA (3.02 FIP), 1.17 WHIP, and a 19.6% K-BB% in 2023. The 28-year-old's NFBC ADP of 103 overall isn't giving him the credit he deserves with a RotoBaller rank of 84 overall. The lefty is a solid No. 3 starter for fantasy squads, with No. 2 upside.

Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan (back) returned to the mound on Thursday in a Grapefruit League game after a nine-day layoff due to lower-back tightness. He took a comebacker off his right foot in the top of the seventh inning, but it ended up being harmless. "Physically I felt great," Finnegan said. "I would've argued to keep going, finish my inning. But 25 is a good place to land. I was excited to get back out there and come out of it feeling good. That was the most pitches I threw all spring. To feel good after that, after the layoff, is positive." The 32-year-old gave up one earned run on three hits with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning against the Minnesota Twins. Finnegan has fantasy value as the primary closing option for the Nats to open the regular season, but Hunter Harvey is a candidate to surpass him on the depth chart if he struggles in the ninth inning.

According to the Chicago Cubs, left-hander Justin Steele (knee) left his Cactus League start on Friday against the San Francisco Giants with a left-knee contusion after he was drilled by a comebacker in the second inning. It's not a serious injury, so Steele should still be able to make his Opening Day start next Thursday on March 28. The 28-year-old southpaw made his first All-Star team in 2023 by going 16-5 with a career-best 3.06 ERA (3.02 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with 36 walks and career-high 176 strikeouts in 173 1/3 innings over 30 starts. Steele doesn't have eye-opening velocity but still manages to strike out a fair number of batters and has done a good job of limiting home runs early in his MLB career. After his strong 2023 campaign, he's become a nice target as a low-end No. 2 fantasy starter/high-end No. 3.

Chicago Cubs corner infielder Patrick Wisdom (back) will begin the 2024 regular season on the injured list, according to manager Craig Counsell. The hope is that Wisdom will have a minimum stay on the IL to open up the season. The 32-year-old right-handed slugger offers 20-home run power as a corner infielder in deep mixed and NL-only fantasy leagues, but he doesn't provide much else. When he's healthy, he'll be a part-time player for the Cubs against left-handed pitching and can fill in at third base, first base and designated hitter. In the last three years with Chicago, Wisdom has slashed .214/.298/.474 with 76 home runs, 173 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 164 runs scored in 1,211 plate appearances and 337 games. His fantasy stock is obviously down now that he'll open the 2024 season on the IL.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) will be out until at least mid-April. Taillon was scheduled to throw a bullpen session in camp on Friday, but he will need more time to build back up and will open the season on the 15-day injured list. The 32-year-old veteran was scratched from his Cactus League start back on March 9 and is still recovering from back tightness. Taillon has proved to be a league-average starter despite his first-round pedigree and can be avoided in standard 12-team fantasy leagues, especially since he'll be opening the year on the shelf. The former second overall pick went 8-10 last year in his first year with the Cubbies, posting a 4.84 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 41 walks and 140 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings over his 30 outings (29 starts).

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (leg) was forced to exit early during Friday's Cactus League matchup against the San Francisco Giants. The left-hander was lifted after being struck by a ball on the lower left leg. He remained on the ground while grabbing his knee until eventually exiting the contest. This is not good news as Steele is the ace of this staff and a CY Young candidate last season. His absence would be a huge hit to this team. The organization is likely to have Steele undergo further testing and will give an update on his status later in the day.

Oakland A's reliever Trevor Gott (elbow) is set to undergo Tommy John surgery after being diagnosed with a full torn UCL in his right elbow. The 31-year-old will miss all of the 2024 season and likely a good chunk of the 2025 campaign, as well. Gott split the 2023 season between the Mets and Mariners, working to a 4.14 ERA and a 16.5% K-BB% across 64 appearances, also posting a 3.77 SIERA while limiting home runs to just 0.62 HR/9 in that time. He also posted a 3.34 SIERA in the 2022 season across 45 outings with the Brewers. He was unlikely to be in the mix for saves in the 2023 season but was a holds candidate prior to Friday's news.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner has had a rough go of it in the Cactus League thus far. The second baseman has had 41 at-bats, but just two runs and three RBI to go along with six hits. Hoerner, 26, is coming off another strong campaign for the Cubs and finished 2023 with nine homers, 68 RBI and 43 stolen bases in 150 games. He also hit a healthy .283 with a .729 OPS. It's always a risk to read too much into Spring Training results with proven commodities and despite Hoerner's tough time this spring, managers should have no hesitation about grabbing him in upcoming drafts. His ADP of 60 is high, but his position and ability to help across the board provide managers with good value.

Boston Red Sox relievers Kenley Jansen (back) and Chris Martin (groin) are both scheduled to pitch in Thursday night's Grapefruit League game against the Baltimore Orioles. Jansen didn't make his Grapefruit League debut until last Friday due to lat tightness this spring and then was scratched from a spring appearance earlier this week due to lower-back stiffness. While Jansen is running out of time to be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, if he can avoid anymore setbacks with his back, he could still be ready. Martin, who is probably next in line for saves in Boston if Jansen ever misses time, will be making his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday after injuring his groin in early March. Jansen is the active MLB leader in saves, but he's become extremely injury-prone.

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (lat) is making his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 29-year-old reliever came down with lat tightness earlier this month, which is why he hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game until Thursday. Now that he's getting into spring training action, he's optimistic that he'll be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, but there's a chance that the Pirates ease him in early in the year to avoid overworking him on back-to-back days. Regardless, Bednar has proven to be one of the best relievers in the game the last two years and led the league in saves in 2023 with 39. Despite pitching for the Pirates, Bednar should be considered a top-10 fantasy closer.

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar (lat) threw live batting practice on Monday and said that his next step is likely to appear in games. "I'm staying day-by-day as much as I possibly can," Bednar said. "But each day has been feeling good. I'm optimistic." Bednar has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring due to right-lat soreness, but he's optimistic that he'll be ready by Opening Day next Thursday on March 28. When healthy, he's a top-10 fantasy closer, as he's been one of the best relievers in the game the last two years. He was 3-3 with a career-best 2.00 ERA with a league-high 39 saves and 80 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings in 2023. The Pirates could be conservative with Bednar early on, perhaps not using him on back-to-back days, instead using lefty veteran Aroldis Chapman in those spots.

Washington Nationals right-hander Kyle Finnegan (back), who hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since March 12 due to a tight back, is healthy. He was originally going to pitch on Wednesday night, but he and the team decided to push him back to Thursday. When healthy, Finnegan should be the favorite for saves for the rebuilding Nats in 2024, although he could lose some save chances to Hunter Harvey. Finnegan, 32, had a career-high 28 saves in 67 appearances last year for Washington while also posting a career-high 3.76 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 24 walks and 63 strikeouts in 69 1/3 relief innings. He saw the vast majority of save opps for the team but ran out of gas late. Finnegan throws gas but had a below-average strikeout rate (21.7%) and allowed too many home runs, which makes him a fantasy closer to avoid in 2024.

Chicago White Sox right-hander John Brebbia (calf) went through fielding drills in camp on Wednesday after pitching an inning in a minor-league game on Tuesday. Brebbia strained his right calf during fielding drills in spring training in late February and is still working his way back from it. The 33-year-old is up in the air to be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, putting strain an already extremely thin White Sox's bullpen. When healthy, the 33-year-old figures to be in the mix for saves chances in Chicago in 2024 alongside Steven Wilson, Michael Kopech and Jordan Leasure. However, with the acquisition of Wilson and Kopech's move from starter to reliever, Brebbia has become less interesting as a candidate for saves in Chicago's bullpen, especially since he's also hurt.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) threw a 10-pitch, touch-and-feel bullpen session in camp on Wednesday. Taillon is finally starting to work his way back after being shut down with a lower-back injury almost two weeks ago. As a result, the 32-year-old veteran will start the 2024 regular season on the injured list for the Cubbies, and he's unlikely to pitch in a Cactus League game before next week. Barring another setback with his back, though, it seems reasonable that Taillon can make his season debut in late April. The former second overall pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010 has proven to be a league-average pitcher. He isn't dominant by any means but rarely walks batters. Taillon is off the fantasy radar in mixed leagues after posting a career-worst 4.84 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 41 walks and 140 K's in 154 1/3 frames in 2023 in his first year in Chicago.