Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that outfielder Max Kepler (leg) had X-rays come back negative on his injured leg. Kepler left Thursday's Opening Day contest early against the Kansas City Royals after fouling a ball off his leg, but the team will see how he's moving around after an off day on Friday. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Saturday to see if the 31-year-old left-handed hitter will be available to face KC following the off day. If Kepler misses any time this weekend, Matt Wallner would likely get a start in right field. Before leaving the game early on Thursday, Kepler had a rough day at the plate to kick off the 2024 season, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas picked up the win in Thursday's 8-2 Opening Day victory over the visiting Washington Nationals, hurling six scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Montas allowed four harmless singles before his strong 2024 debut ended, and the Reds wouldn't look back after taking a commanding 7-0 lead during the third frame. After missing all but one appearance with the New York Yankees in 2023 following right shoulder surgery, the 31-year-old Dominican right-hander could be ready for a fresh start on a one-year prove-it deal in Cincy. So far, so good for Montas, but the former Oakland Athletics ace will face a much stiffer test in his next scheduled start next Wednesday on the road against Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies. He'll be a complete fade for fantasy purposes in that one.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Griffin Jax secured an Opening Day save in Thursday's 4-1 victory over the division-rival Kansas City Royals, firing a hitless ninth inning to close out the win. Filling in for the injured Jhoan Duran (oblique), Jax did make things somewhat interesting by walking Bobby Witt Jr. before facing the heart of KC's order, but he retired the next three hitters. Duran will be on the shelf for at least the first two weeks of the campaign, so Jax should stay atop the depth chart until at least mid-April. The 29-year-old right-hander was excellent as a setup man for the Twins in 2023, registering a 3.86 ERA (2.86 xERA), 1.17 WHIP, and 68:19 K:BB across 65 1/3 frames a season ago. Currently rostered in 57% of Yahoo leagues, Jax should not be floating around any fantasy waiver wires as the clear-cut favorite for saves out of Minnesota's bullpen in the interim.

New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes hung on for an Opening Day save in Thursday's 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Houston Astros, allowing three hits in the ninth inning. It certainly wasn't easy, as Holmes gave up a leadoff knock to Mauricio Dubon before Yordan Alvarez reached on an infield single. Kyle Tucker then lined one to right field, but Dubon was just gunned down by Juan Soto while trying to score the tying run on a close play that required a review. Holmes got Alex Bregman to ground out to end the game, and fantasy managers were able to breathe a sigh of relief. The 31-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 during his first year as a full-time closer in the Bronx, and he's set to rack up plenty of save opportunities on the contending Pinstripes once again. Without much competition for ninth-inning work at the moment, Holmes is a good bet to post north of 20 saves in 2024.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet fared well in his first major-league start on Thursday, launching six innings of one-run ball on six hits with eight strikeouts, but he took a tough-luck loss in the 1-0 Opening Day defeat to the Detroit Tigers. Crochet didn't allow a single walk, but Andy Ibanez delivered the deciding run of the game on a sacrifice fly to score Javier Baez during the third frame. Once a top prospect in the ChiSox farm system, the hard-throwing 24-year-old lefty was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft and entered the 2024 season with a career 2.71 ERA (3.16 FIP), 1.32 WHIP, and 85:40 K:BB over 73 big-league innings. Crochet's fastball and slider combination clearly poses plenty of swing-and-miss stuff, and he will have streaming appeal in the proper matchup. He's lined up to take the ball next on Wednesday against the visiting Atlanta Braves, however, where Crochet won't be a recommended fantasy option in such a scary matchup.

The Arizona Diamondbacks officially placed outfielder Randal Grichuk (ankle) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to March 25) on Thursday. Grichuk is recovering from right-ankle surgery to remove bone spurs in January, but he is with Triple-A Reno and will play center field for the first time in his recovery process at some point this weekend. It sounds like he won't need much time before being ready to go. The 32-year-old didn't take part at all in any spring training games but will get some work in the minors before eventually being activated from the IL and brought to Arizona as outfield depth. Grichuk is first eligible to come off the IL on April 5. Because the veteran outfielder won't see much playing time, he's only a bench asset in NL-only fantasy leagues.

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) could throw off a mound within the next five to seven days. Lovullo called Rodriguez's progress so far "very encouraging." A strained left shoulder landed E-Rod on the injured list to begin the year in his first season with Arizona, but it's looking like he may not be out for long. Still, there's a good chance that the 30-year-old veteran southpaw will miss most, if not all, of April. His injury allowed both Tommy Henry and Ryne Nelson to make the club's Opening Day roster, although the Snakes also recently added lefty Jordan Montgomery in free agency. After fortunately posting career-bests in ERA (3.30) and WHIP (1.15) in 2023 with the Detroit Tigers, fantasy managers should be expecting some regression from the oft-injured Rodriguez.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (leg) left Thursday's Opening Day contest early against the Kansas City Royals after fouling a ball off his right leg. Matt Wallner entered the game to replace Kepler in right field. Before leaving the game, Kepler went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger was at least able to finish out his at-bat after fouling the ball off his leg, but fantasy managers will have to check back for more information on Kepler's injury. It's not the start that he was looking for after a strong season in 2023 in which he hit .260/.332/.484 with an .816 OPS, 24 home runs and 66 RBI in 130 games. Injuries have been an issue for Kepler before, but hopefully this one doesn't keep him out for long, if at all. If Kepler misses extended time, Wallner would be in line for more playing time in right field.

Detroit Tigers reliever Jason Foley picked up the save in a 1-0 win over the White Sox on Thursday. It was Foley who entered the game with one out in the bottom of the ninth, not the team's projected closer Alex Lange, with Foley striking out the only two batters he faced. Lange had his share of struggles last season and his grip on the closer role was tenuous, but neither pitcher had much success this spring. It's unclear at this point why Lange didn't pitch, as offseason additions Shelby Miller and Andrew Chafin also got work in Thursday's game. Regardless, it seems Jason Foley could be in line for additional save opportunities after Thursday's performance and will be a popular waiver wire add.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal earned the win in Thursday's 1-0 Opening Day victory over the White Sox. Skubal allowed three hits and no walks while striking out six batters in six innings of work. After a dominant 2023, expectations for the 27-year-old were sky-high, and the lefty delivered in his first outing of the 2024 season. His next turn could come next Wednesday against the Mets in New York as he looks to make good on his NFBC ADP of 50th overall.

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (quadriceps) was taken out of the game in the third inning of Thursday's Opening Day matchup against the division-rival Kansas City Royals. The 24-year-old came up limping as he rounded third on a Carlos Correa double. At least it's not his surgically repaired knee, but this is certainly not good news, especially for someone with his injury history. Lewis ended last season on a roll and started 2024 off with a bang, hitting a home run in his first at-bat of the season and followed that up with a single before being pulled from the game. We'll expect to find out the extent of the injury after the game.

Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (back) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. He said his arm is feeling good and described this period as "early February" for him if he didn't have the rehab for his back injury. Scherzer said there are still hurdles to jump through, but he said he respects the process of the rehab he's currently going through. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer underwent back surgery in December to fix a herniated disc in his back, which is why he's not ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. The Rangers don't have plans to put Scherzer on the 60-day injured list, which means that he could make his return to Texas' rotation before the end of May. That would be a best-case scenario. While Scherzer can still be an asset in fantasy, his days of being an ace are likely behind him at this point, especially coming off injury.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (hernia) is starting at shortstop and batting second on Opening Day on Thursday versus left-hander Justin Steele and the visiting Chicago Cubs. It was uncertain earlier this spring if the two-time World Series MVP would be ready for Opening Day, but those concerns were mostly put to rest when he started at shortstop and went 0-for-3 in Monday's exhibition game at Globe Life Field against the Boston Red Sox. The 29-year-old missed most of spring training after having sports-hernia surgery in the offseason, but all that matters now is that he's available for fantasy managers in Game 1 of the 2024 season. Seager is a must-start on a daily basis in single-year fantasy leagues, but don't be surprised if he gets off to a slow start given his lack of spring training activity.

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman will be batting cleanup on Opening Day as he faces southpaw Nestor Cortes and the New York Yankees. Bregman was a popular target in drafts this offseason with an ADP of 59.0. The 29-year-old has been a staple in the Houston lineup for several seasons and should once again be counted on to produce as a strong source of counting stats and great on-base skills. Bregman is an excellent play in DFS, as he should see ample opportunities to be on the score sheet.

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia is slotted in the lead-off spot as he faces the Minnesota Twins and Pablo Lopez on Opening Day. This is a promising sign for the young 24-year-old as he will have plenty of opportunities to score as Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez are batting behind him. Garcia is also a threat on the base paths, as he stole 23 bases last season. The right-handed bat is a contrarian option in DFS option today, as he should see a decent number of at-bats and might not be a popular play due to his pitching matchup.

First baseman Mike Ford officially signed a deal with the Cincinnati Reds after agreeing to a minor-league deal earlier this offseason. Ford is slotted to be in a bench role while Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jeimer Candelario hold down first and third base, respectively. The veteran could slot into the lineup to provide injury relief throughout the season, but he is not expected to be a major fantasy contributor.

Minnesota Twins second baseman Edouard Julien will have to wait to make his 2024 debut as Kyle Farmer will man second base. The left-handed bat looks to be on the strong side of a platoon role for now as the Twins are facing southpaw Cole Ragans today. However, with the talent that Julien flashed last season, he may be able to play himself out of it as the season progresses.

Minnesota Twins infielder Kyle Farmer, not Edouard Julien, is starting at second base and batting seventh on Opening Day on Thursday with the team facing left-hander Cole Ragans and the Kansas City Royals. In addition to Julien starting on the bench, which was common last year against lefties, too, Alex Kirilloff and Matt Waller will also grab pine on Opening Day. Farmer hit .290/.352/.430 against left-handers last year in 128 plate appearances, but it came with only two home runs and 16 RBI. In total in 120 games in his first year in Minnesota last year, Farmer slashed .256/.317/.408 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI in 369 trips to the plate. He'll be a low-upside DFS sleeper in fantasy lineups to kick the 2024 season off.

The Toronto Blue Jays don't expect to be without closer Jordan Romano (elbow) for an extended period as he recovers from right-elbow inflammation that sidelined him for the final couple weeks of spring training. Once he's cleared to start throwing off a mound, Romano is expected to make a quick transition back to the majors after opening the year on the injured list, along with fellow reliever Erik Swanson (forearm). More patience will be required for Swanson. In their absences, Chad Green and Yimi Garcia are expected to split the Blue Jays' closing duties until Romano returns. Romano will be eligible to come off the IL on April 9, so fantasy managers need to keep him stashed in all formats and hope for a quick return.

The New York Yankees officially placed right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday with right-elbow inflammation. Cole has avoided structural damage in his right elbow, but he's still expected to miss at least one to two months. It remains to be seen if last year's American League Cy Young winner will be able to start a throwing program in a couple of weeks as he slowly begins to build his arm back up. The 33-year-old needs to be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues because he's one of the very best arms in all of baseball when he's healthy, but there's really no telling how much he'll pitch in 2024 or how effective he'll be if he does. And of course the Yankees aren't going to rush their ace back too soon.