Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Matt Strahm (shoulder) will be re-evaluated on Saturday. Manager Rob Thompson noted that he is feeling better. Strahm has been dealing with an impingement in his left shoulder and could be in danger of missing Opening Day. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team will likely provide clarity on his status after his evaluation on Saturday. Last season, the southpaw was one of the most reliable arms in the Philadelphia bullpen as he held a strong 1.87 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP across 62 2/3 innings. He tallied 79 punchouts and had elite control, serving up walks at a 4.6 percent rate. He tallied three saves and 18 holds. If Strahm were to miss time, fantasy managers should expect Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado to be deployed primarily as the setup options.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (illness) was unable to play on Wednesday due to an illness. The 33-year-old has not been in the lineup since Sunday. Fantasy managers should monitor his status as the Phillies may continue to keep him sidelined for the time being. When healthy, he is expected to be their everyday right fielder. Last season, the 33-year-old held a .254/.311/.431 slash line with 30 doubles and 23 home runs. He tallied 86 RBI with 80 runs. He generated an elite .271 xBA with a 39.0 percent launch angle sweet spot rate, which suggests he should see some positive regression during the 2025 campaign. During the 2023 campaign, he held a .272/.311/.476 line. Fantasy managers should view Castellanos as a reliable No.3/No.4 outfielder who should provide a high floor of counting stats batting in a potent Philadelphia lineup.

The Detroit Tigers have acquired left-handed pitcher Bailey Horn from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations. He was later optioned to Triple-A Toledo. The 27-year-old made his MLB debut last season in Boston and logged 18 innings to the tune of a high 6.50 ERA with a 1.78 WHIP. He held a 10:13 BB:K. After allowing a hefty 13 earned runs across his first 10 1/3 innings at Triple-A, Horn turned the corner as he posted a strong 2.15 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP over his final 29 1/3 frames. During this stretch, Horn tallied 35 punchouts and served up 14 free passes. Given his inconsistent performances at Triple-A, fantasy managers should expect Horn to spend most of the season at the level to continue his development. He may return to the majors when the Tigers need additional depth in their bullpen.

The Chicago Cubs have entered into contract negotiations with veteran free-agent right-hander Lance Lynn on a one-year, big-league contract, according to USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale. The Cubs are looking for rotation depth, and Lynn has plenty of experience in the National League Central, having pitched seven seasons with the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals. The 37-year-old veteran went 7-4 a year ago with a 3.84 ERA (4.31 FIP), a 1.34 WHIP, 109 strikeouts and 44 walks in 117 1/3 innings over 23 starts for the Red Birds. Unsurprisingly at this point in his career, Lynn has missed large chunks of time over the last several seasons, including in 2024 due to a knee injury. Even though his ERA was under 4.00, his xERA of 4.93 told a different story, and Father Time is surely catching up with him. If Lynn lands in Chicago and ends up in the rotation at some point, he'll be a low-upside DFS streamer.

Texas Rangers right-handed pitching prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, who were teammates at Vanderbilt, are both competing for the open spot in the starting rotation now that it's confirmed that left-hander Cody Bradford (elbow) will open the year on the injured list. If we had to bet, Leiter would be the favorite -- not only because he's looked better this spring, but because he has more big-league experience. The 24-year-old has shown increased velocity in camp and has allowed only three runs on seven hits while walking six and striking out 13 in four games (one start) covering 10 2/3 innings. Although he had an ERA over 8.00 and a 1.71 WHIP, Leiter pitched in nine games (six starts) in the big leagues in 2024. Rocker, meanwhile, made three starts last year but has allowed eight earned runs while walking two and striking out only two in just two Cactus League innings in his two starts.