Minnesota Twins infielder Brooks Lee (back) was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup due to lower-back tightness, according to the St. Paul Pioneer's Betsy Helfand. Lee is being considered day-to-day for now. Jose Miranda replaced him at third base against the Boston Red Sox. While the 24-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be serious, it's a bit more concerning with Opening Day just a week away. The former first-rounder (eighth overall) in 2022 out of Cal Poly made his big-league debut a year ago and hit .221/.265/.320 with a weak .585 OPS, three home runs, 27 RBI, three steals and nine runs scored in 50 games. It wasn't exactly pretty, but Lee displayed strong contact skills in the minors and has good plate discipline. With Royce Lewis (hamstring) starting the year on the injured list, Lee should see solid playing time between second and third base for the Twins as long as his back injury doesn't linger.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that left-hander Ranger Suarez (back) "felt a lot better today" and will play catch in camp on Friday. Suarez had tests done on his ailing back this week, but the 29-year-old southpaw has been cleared to resume playing catch on Friday and will hopefully be able to avoid being placed on the injured list to start the 2025 regular season. It's something to watch early on in the season after Suarez dealt with back issues last year as well. Suarez was one of the best pitchers in baseball early on in 2024, but things fell apart for him and he finished with a 6.17 ERA in his final 12 starts before and after his back injury. While his back injury this spring may not be as bad as what he dealt with last year, it should make fantasy managers hesitant. Even if his back injury doesn't affect him at all, we wouldn't bank on Suarez being as good as he was early on in 2024.

The San Diego Padres announced on Thursday that they selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Gavin Sheets to their 40-man roster and placed right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Because of Sheets' strong showing in Cactus League action -- he's hitting .311/.367/.756 with six home runs and 12 RBI in 19 games -- he appears likely to open the 2025 campaign on the big-league roster as an extra bat for the Friars. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger shouldn't be ignored in NL-only leagues, as he could be put in the strong side of a platoon at designated hitter against right-handed pitching to start the year. Sheets, a former second-rounder in 2017 by the Chicago White Sox out of Wake Forest, has had double-digit home runs in all four of his big-league seasons.

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday. Martinez missed a few games after getting hit by a pitch in the hip earlier in the week. He has since returned to action, but didn't make the big league club. Martinez did everything right this spring with a .320/.393/.480 slash line across 28 plate appearances. The Jays want Martinez to get everyday at-bats in the minors until they have a full-time role for him in Toronto. Dynasty managers should continue to hold Martinez as he should make a big impact once he's ready to play in Toronto.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Dillon Tate has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. This isn't shocking considering Tate didn't sign with the Jays until March 10. The right-hander hasn't pitched yet this spring, so he'll build up in the minors. Tate was a fairly reliable bullpen arm for the Baltimore Orioles for the past few seasons. In 2024, Tate registered a 4.66 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 27/12 K/BB ratio across 33 appearances. He figures to pitch in high leverage spots once he's ready to pitch in the big leagues.