Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will start the 2024 regular season on the injured list, manager Joe Espada confirmed on Tuesday. Verlander's right shoulder didn't respond the way he'd hoped this offseason, which caused him to come to spring training behind all the other starting pitchers. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner has been throwing bullpen sessions in camp but has yet to be cleared to face live hitters. It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, but the Astros aren't going to rush an aging pitcher who has had injury issues in recent seasons. There's no guarantee that Verlander will be ready to go when he's eligible to come off the injured list on April 11. The future Hall of Famer is no longer a fantasy ace and comes with plenty of injury risk as a No. 3 or 4 starter for fantasy managers.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen (Achilles) could see Grapefruit League action the week of March 4. The 37-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal this off-season to return to the Pirates after slashing .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs, 55 runs scored, 43 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 473 plate appearances. He was forced to miss the last month of the season due to a partial tear of his left Achilles. At this point in his career, while recovering from a leg injury, it is difficult to expect much from McCutchen fantasy-wise, particularly in terms of stolen base potential.

Veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson has decided to retire from professional baseball. The 38-year-old played 13 seasons in the big leagues and enjoyed a wildly successful career. Donaldson was a two-time Silver Slugger winner, appeared in three All-Star games, and took home the 2015 AL MVP Award. He put forth a .261 average with 279 home runs and a .847 OPS across 1,384 games played. Interestingly, his runs and RBI figures were identical at 816 apiece. Most recently, Donaldson appeared in 51 games between the Yankees and Brewers in the 2023 season but limped to a .152 average, although he did slug 13 home runs in just 189 trips to the plate. He spent his 13 years in the majors with the Athletics, Blue Jays, then-Indians, Braves, Twins, Yankees, and Brewers.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale has looked sharp through two starts with his new team this spring. The left-hander has struck out nine batters with only three hits allowed in 5 2/3 innings of work. It's a small sample size but it's great to see Sale looking like himself again. The seven-time All-Star was traded to Atlanta from the Boston Red Sox in December. Sale has struggled to stay healthy over the last few seasons. He made 20 starts with the Red Sox last season but didn't look like himself. Fantasy managers shouldn't get too eager but possibly the old Sale is back with his new team.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have brought in shortstop Elvis Andrus on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. On paper, Andrus doesn't exactly fit in the overcrowded D-Backs infield. Geraldo Perdomo has already been named the starting shortstop. It won't be long before top prospect Jordan Lawlar is in the mix as well. At best, Andrus will have a bench role but that likely wouldn't be enough to provide consistent fantasy value. He slashed .251/.304/.358 with six homers and 12 steals during his time with the Chicago White Sox last season.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw around 60 pitches during his bullpen session on Sunday morning. Verlander worked out of both the stretch and from the windup and appeared to throw some breaking pitches. The Astros are expected to determine if he's ready to face hitters next in camp. The 41-year-old's shoulder didn't respond the way he would have hoped this offseason, so he entered spring training behind the team's other pitchers. Even if Verlander moves to live batting practice sessions next, there's no guarantee he won't open the 2024 regular season on the injured list as a precaution. The future Hall of Famer was still productive for fantasy managers last year, but injuries aren't going to go away, making him more of a No. 3 starter than a fantasy ace now days.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said the team is looking at "June" for right-hander Max Scherzer (back) to return in 2024. He underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back in mid-December. Scherzer initially had a timeline to return around the All-Star break, but the veteran will continue rehab and could potentially come back in June. "With Max, we are now looking at June. That's a little bit earlier than we thought," said Bochy. The 39-year-old owned a 3.77 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 174:45 K: BB across 152 2/3 innings in 2023. With the latest news, Scherzer could see a bump in his NFBC ADP of 319 and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues.

The Texas Rangers are hoping to get right-hander Max Scherzer (back) back from his injury in June. "With Max, we are now looking at June. That's a little bit earlier than we thought," manager Bruce Bochy said. Scherzer is around three weeks away from resuming workouts six weeks after having surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer is hoping to make his 2024 season debut in June or July, barring any setbacks with his rehab. Not only was Scherzer injured last year, but he had trouble keeping the ball in the yard and is starting to look less dominant as he approaches 40 years old. The three-time Cy Young winner is only going to pitch around half a season in 2024, too, so fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting much out of him in his first full season in Texas.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session in camp on Sunday, and the Astros will determine Verlander's next step after that. The next step in his progression will be to get cleared to face live hitters, but the Astros aren't going to rush the 41-year-old, especially given all of his injuries in recent seasons. The future Hall of Famer had a late start to the 2023 campaign due to an injury but ended up finishing 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA (3.85 FIP) and 1.13 WHIP with 45 walks and 144 strikeouts in 162 1/3 innings over 27 starts. Houston isn't ruling out Verlander for Opening Day, but it's more likely than not that he'll open the year on the injured list as a precaution. Verlander can still be useful as a No. 3 or 4 starter for fantasy managers, but he's become a pretty big injury risk at the tail end of his career.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) felt good after his bullpen session on Tuesday, but manager Joe Espada said that the future Hall of Famer is not ready to face hitters yet. However, Espada still isn't ruling Verlander out for Opening Day, but he acknowledged "obviously we're kind of running out of days here." The 41-year-old veteran had a setback with his shoulder this offseason and came to spring training behind the other pitchers. Given Verlander's age and recent injury history, it makes sense for the Astros to slow-play him and give him extra time before throwing him out there, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be in the team's Opening Day rotation. Verlander still has the potential to be useful in fantasy despite his age, but he's a big injury risk and is no longer a fantasy ace.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale made a great first impression with his new team in Tuesday's 13-4 Grapefruit League loss to the Pirates. The 34-year-old pitched two scoreless innings with no hits or walks and four strikeouts. His velocity was up over the outing, with his fastball touching 97.1 MPH. This is encouraging for fantasy managers, as injuries have prevented Sale from turning in a strong, complete season for some time. Sale managed 20 starts and 102 2/3 innings pitched with the Red Sox last season, posting a 4.30 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 29.4% strikeout rate. The signs are still there of a fantasy contributor, and a strong spring would help convince fantasy managers further.

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel (quadriceps) threw a live batting practice session on Monday at camp and said he felt great. Kimbrel expects to make his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday. Kimbrel dealt with quadriceps soreness over the weekend and was shut down for a few days as a precaution. The 35-year-old veteran reliever is feeling good again now, though, and has plenty of time to get himself right before Opening Day at the end of March. Kimbrel joined the Orioles in the offseason on a one-year deal to serve as the team's closer in 2024 with Felix Bautista (elbow) out for the year. He led the Phillies with 23 saves in 2023 and had a 3.26 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 94 strikeouts in 69 innings. Injuries are a concern, but as long as he's healthy, he should receive plenty of save opportunities in Baltimore.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday with more intensity to move him forward in his rehab, according to manager Joe Espada. Verlander came into spring training behind the team's other pitchers after his right shoulder didn't bounce back properly in the offseason, but he's been throwing low-intensity bullpen sessions in camp, consisting of only fastballs. The Astros haven't ruled the 41-year-old out for the start of the regular season, but it seems more likely than not that he'll open the year on the injured list. Even if Verlander is ready for Opening Day at the end of March, fantasy managers should expect the future Hall of Famer to miss some time at some point in 2024 due to injury. He's a poor bet to stay healthy all year at his age and is no longer the fantasy ace that he once was.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman went 1-for-2 with a homer, sacrifice fly, two RBI and a run scored in Friday's 4-1 Cactus League win over the Padres. Freeman was batting in his usual second spot in the order and picking right where he left off last season. He ambushed the first pitch he saw from Padres right-handed starter Jhony Brito, sending it over the left-centerfield wall for his first home run of the spring. In his third at-bat, the perennial All-Star nearly had another HR when he sent the first pitch he saw to the warning track in right-center, but it resulted in a sac fly instead, driving in his second run of the game. As one would expect, Freeman hasn't missed a beat, and after hitting .331-29-102-131-23 last season, the veteran appears primed for another strong campaign. Now projected to hit in front of last year's AL MVP, Shohei Ohtani, his run totals could see a bump, and he had 12 more SB than any first baseman in 2023. Going around eighth overall, the 34-year-old is a fine foundational piece and multi-category contributor for any 2024 fantasy baseball team.

Baltimore Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel (quadriceps) said he cut his live batting practice session in camp on Saturday shorty by around five pitches because he felt some tightness in his lower body. However, Kimbrel isn't concerned after getting treatment from trainers. He's scheduled to throw again on Monday. Manager Brandon Hyde later said Kimbrel was dealing with quadriceps soreness. While it doesn't appear to be a serious injury, it's something to watch for the 35-year-old right-hander as we get close to Opening Day in late March. If healthy, Kimbrel, who is the active MLB leader in saves, will operate as Baltimore's full-time closer with Felix Bautista (elbow) out for the whole year.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Saturday, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Verlander hasn't progressed to facing live batters yet, but he is on track and still figures to be ready for Opening Day. The veteran remains a key piece of Houston's entering his age-41 season, just one year removed from a campaign in which he went 13-8 through 27 starts with the Mets and Astros. He was effective at retiring batters once again last year, tallying 7.98 K/9 and 2.49 BB/9 while posting a 3.85 FIP. Barring any sort of injury setback, Verlander continues to be an appealing fantasy baseball option for 2024.

Cleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco (finger) is expected to start Saturday's Spring Training game against the Cincinnati Reds, according to Nick Camino of WKYC. Carrasco inked a minor league deal this season with the Guardians, for whom he played 11 seasons from 2010 through 2020. He most recently pitched for the New York Mets, posting a 4.93 xFIP, 6.60 K/9, and 3.80 BB/9 through 20 starts last year before a 50-pound barbell fell on his finger and prematurely ended his season. A trusted veteran presence familiar with the Cleveland system, Carrasco will compete for a back-of-the-rotation role in camp.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander's (shoulder) bullpen session went well on Wednesday. "I am encouraged where he's at right now," according to manager Joe Espada. Verlander is behind the other pitchers at spring training after having a setback with his right shoulder during the offseason. The good news, though, is that the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer continues to throw. However, it remains to be seen if he'll need to open the 2024 season on the injured list. It's been amazing to see how well the three-time All-Star has pitched late in his career, but fantasy managers should expect more decline from Verlander this year, as well as more time missed due to injury. But when he's healthy, Verlander still has the ability to be a decent No. 3/4 fantasy starter.

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is noticeably slimmer at camp and said his offseason workouts were aimed at allowing him to "be a baseball player again." Stanton said he needs to be more mobile, which is why he did more running during the offseason. In addition to focusing on his conditioning, Stanton made some slight changes to his swing over the winter in hopes of bouncing back in 2024 after hitting just .191/.275/.420 with 24 home runs, 13 doubles, 60 RBI and 43 runs scored in 415 trips to the plate over 101 games played. The 34-year-old veteran slugger's injury history is well-documented and has caused his fantasy stock to fall considerably in recent years. It will drive his draft-day cost down, but with better health in 2024, Stanton could be a nice value play for those looking for elite power.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (lat), who arrived to camp last Wednesday with lat soreness and was shut down for several days, is throwing on Monday against a ploy wall at spring training. While Jansen is a bit behind the other pitchers in camp, as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks, he should still be ready for Opening Day. The 36-year-old veteran has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but his lat injury may cause interested teams to reconsider. As long as he's healthy on Opening Day, Jansen should be Boston's primary closer for 2024. He's the MLB's active leader in saves and had 29 saves in 2023, but his lengthy injury history and age make him a risky target for saves in fantasy drafts this spring.