Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (quadriceps) is dealing with a minor quad injury. The infielder exited Saturday's contest early due to this injury. However, the team noted that this injury is not considered serious and expects Walls to return to the lineup later this week. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he faces a setback. Walls is expected to have a more significant role in the lineup over the first two months with Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) sidelined. He will likely compete alongside Jose Caballero for starting opportunities. Last summer, the 28-year-old appeared in 84 contests for Tampa Bay and posted a .183/.282/.248 line. He swiped 16 bags and drew walks at an elite 12.3 percent rate. However, he generated a weak .184 xBA. Fantasy managers should only target Walls when looking for speed in deeper AL-only formats.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (illness) is returning to the starting lineup on Tuesday to face the Philadelphia Phillies. He will cover first base and bat in the three-hole. The 25-year-old has missed time due to an illness. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but it appears he will not be in any danger of missing Opening Day. Last season, Casas made just 63 starts as he sustained a rib injury. Across this stint, he held an underwhelming .241/.337/.462 line with 13 home runs. He drew walks at a strong 13.2 percent rate but struck out at a high 31.7 percent rate. In 2023, Casas enjoyed a breakout campaign as he posted a .263/.367/.490 line with 21 doubles and 24 long balls. Fantasy managers should expect Casas to have an everyday role in the Boston lineup, spending most of his time at first base.

Athletics shortstop prospect Jacob Wilson is projected to be the team's Opening Day shortstop. Wilson is viewed as the top prospect in their system. He made his MLB debut last summer and held a .250/.314/.315 line across 28 games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. After being drafted with the sixth-overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft and appearing in just 29 MiLB games later that summer, Wilson flashed elite upside in 2024. He began his season with Double-A and posted a .455/.473/.705 slash line across 22 contests. He then moved up to Triple-A and held a .396/.448/.613 line across 26 contests before reaching the majors. Given his high-quality contact skills, fantasy managers should view Wilson as a strong batting average contributor in the final rounds of the draft. He also carries high sleeper value in points leagues as well given the low 9.7 percent strikeout rate he held in his first taste of the majors.

According to manager Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Dustin May "makes the most sense" to be the fifth starter to open the season. Roberts noted that Tony Gonsolin (back) had a minor "hiccup" which opened the door for May to claim the final spot. Through five innings of work this spring, May has tallied six punchouts while allowing three earned runs, three hits, and four free passes. Last season, May was unable to pitch. He was recovering from a UCL revision surgery but then suffered an esophageal tear which kept him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. In 2023, May logged 48 innings of work with a solid 2.63 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. He tallied just 34 punchouts but generated an elite 5.2 percent barrel rate. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should continue to monitor his status during spring as he could be an intriguing late-round pick in deeper formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitching prospect Mike Burrows has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster. Burrows made his brief MLB debut last summer as he logged three 1/3 innings. He tallied two strikeouts while holding a 3:2 BB:K ratio and allowing one earned run. He missed the entire first half of the season due to Tommy John. At Triple-A, Burrows logged 37 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.06 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. He tallied 45 punchouts and served up 15 free passes. During the 2022 season, Burrows spent most of his time at Double-A and posted a higher 5.31 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP across 42 1/3 innings. In spring training, he has allowed four earned runs across five innings of work. With the Pirates sending Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco to minor-league camp earlier this month, Burrows appears to be in contention for a spot on the roster. If he were to earn a spot, he would likely operate as a low-leverage relief option.