Milwaukee Brewers infielder Joey Ortiz will start the season at shortstop. During camp, Ortiz began to take reps at shortstop to fill the void left by Willy Adames. There was speculation that Brice Turang could also move to this position, but Ortiz was able to earn the job. Last season, the 26-year-old spent the vast majority of his time at the hot corner. Across 142 contests, Ortiz held a .239/.329/.398 slash line with 25 doubles, six triples, and 11 home runs. He drew walks at an elite 11.0 percent rate but generated a low .305 xwOBA. However, Ortiz was graded as an elite defender as he placed in the 96th percentile in range, according to Statcast. He also swiped 11 bags and placed in the 85th percentile in sprint speed. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should view Ortiz as a reliable depth infielder, as he should have an everyday role in the lineup and will carry multi-positional eligibility.

The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports that an MRI exam showed no structural damage for San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (back), and he will continue to rehab from back discomfort that he experienced in camp. Although it's great news for the Giants and for Lee, there's still a pretty good chance he won't be ready for Opening Day next Thursday as he tries to recover from a back injury that has been he's been dealing with since last weekend. Hopefully if the 26-year-old second-year outfielder is forced to the injured list to begin the year, it will end up being a minimal stay. But it's bad news altogether for his fantasy appeal in the final week of spring training, especially after Lee only played in 37 games in his rookie season in 2024 before needing season-ending surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) felt "probably a little bit better than I think I expected" on Tuesday, but that the veteran hurler is still very much day-to-day as the team manages his thumb issue. Toronto is holding out hope that Scherzer can pitch in a game this weekend. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has been dealing with a right-thumb injury and is working with a hand specialist as he tries to prepare for the start of his first year with the Blue Jays. The three-time Cy Young winner, eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion can still be useful as rotation depth in fantasy leagues, but durability has become a big factor for him as he nears the end of his fantastic career. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 93 fantasy starter, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him open the year on the injured list.

The plan right now is for New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) to throw live batting practice in camp on Thursday, according to manager Aaron Boone. The skipper said on YES Network that Schmidt could be ready on Opening Day next Thursday, but that he "obviously wouldn't be built up" in terms of his pitch count. The Yankees will have to decide if they think it would be more beneficial for the 29-year-old to stay behind in Florida to build up his arm. Schmidt has been hoping to still make his 2025 debut on April 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but even if he does, he wouldn't be recommended in starting fantasy lineups in single-year or DFS formats. He also missed three months with a right-lat strain in 2024, but otherwise he took a big step forward in the Yankees' rotation. Schmidt is nothing more than a late-round flier in deep fantasy leagues, but he could end up being an excellent value pick if he's healthy.

The New York Yankees will give first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (back) as much time as he needs, but manager Aaron Boone expects him to return to a Grapefruit League game on Thursday or Friday. A sore back caused Goldschmidt to be pulled early from Monday's spring training game against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, but it appears it was just a precaution and that the 37-year-old veteran will be fine for Opening Day next Thursday as long as he doesn't have a setback with his back this weekend when he returns to game action. A back ailment with just over a week until Opening Day isn't what fantasy managers want to hear from an aging slugger that has shown signs of decline since winning the National League MVP award in 2022. The seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner had a career-high strikeout rate and career-low walk rate in 2024, although he could bounce back somewhat in the Bronx if he can stay healthy.