A right-oblique strain ended Cincinnati Reds middle infielder Matt McLain's impressive rookie season early. Had he not missed the final month of the season, he might have finished higher than fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. The 24-year-old slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI in only 89 games and was second among NL rookies in batting and third with an .864 OPS. "I'm back to 100%," McLain said. "I've been swinging and stuff. I think we've gotten up to 100 swings at this point in the offseason. I'm full-go. I'm 100%, doing everything. It's going well." The impressive young infielder is making adjustments this offseason and hopes to improve on hitting fastballs at the top of the strike zone in Year 2 in 2024. There's a lot to like about McLain, and he'll have eligibility at both second base and shortstop.

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Tuesday that newly-signed pitcher Chris Flexen is expected to be part of the team's starting rotation and provide a starter's workload in 2024, per MLB.com's Scott Merkin. The 29-year-old has served as both a starter and a bulk reliever throughout his career, functioning as both in 2023 with the Mariners and Rockies. While Flexen has produced serviceable ERA marks at times in his career, he offers little strikeout upside and pitches to contact, resulting in high WHIP marks. Flexen went 2-8 with a 6.86 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 15.9% strikeout rate in 29 appearances (16 starts) and 102 1/3 innings pitched in 2023. While he should be able to provide innings for the White Sox, fantasy managers may not want to turn to him for value to their teams.

Newly-signed catcher Tucker Barnhart will reportedly compete with 26-year-old Jose Herrera to serve as the backup catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, per MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. While Gabriel Moreno has the starting spot, it is not yet determined who will serve as the backup, and the team could even bring in another backstop to add into the mix. Neither player offers much offensive upside, but the 32-year-old Barnhart is known for his defensive prowess. Regardless, it sounds as though both players will have the opportunity to win the role.

Los Angeles prosecutors declined to file felony charges against free-agent starting pitcher Julio Urias in connection with his September arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, per the Orange County Register. Urias was placed on administrative leave by MLB shortly after the incident while he was on the Dodgers. The case has instead been referred to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office for consideration as a possible misdemeanor case. This is his second domestic violence offense, as he was suspended for 20 games after the first incident in 2019. While Urias has been a higher-end fantasy option throughout his career, it remains to be seen if any MLB teams will be willing to offer him a contract.

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said that left-hander Garrett Crochet is preparing to work in a starting role in 2024. "It's going to take a little bit of time to appropriately stretch him out, but we're going in with the intention of him to be a starter in 2024," Getz said. The rebuilding White Sox are going to need all the help they can get in their starting rotation, especially with it being likely they'll trade Dylan Cease before the start of the regular season. Injuries have limited the 24-year-old southpaw in recent years, as he didn't pitch at all in 2022 due to Tommy John surgery and made 25 appearances in total last season due to a shoulder issue. A starting role could make him more attractive in fantasy if he can stay healthy, but he's going to need to show better command and will almost certainly be on an innings limit.