Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene (elbow) said he's feeling good after starting to swing a bat for the first time since having Tommy John surgery. "The first couple of swings I took when I started my hitting progression went really good. Didn't feel a thing. It really feels normal now," Greene said. The 23-year-old has been swinging a bat now for around a month and is almost five months removed from the surgery on his right elbow. Expect him to be eased into action in spring training, but barring any setbacks, the young outfielder should be ready to go for Detroit on Opening Day. Greene hit .288/.349/.447 with 11 home runs, 37 RBI, seven stolen bases and 51 runs scored in 99 games in 2023 before going under the knife. There is a lot of swing and miss to his game, but all his other metrics look solid and he should be Detroit's starting center fielder in 2024 with plenty of upside.

The Los Angeles Dodgers plan for right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start a game in their season-opening, two-game series against the division-rival San Diego Padres in South Korea, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke under the condition of anonymity. The 5-foot-10 Japanese pitcher with a less-than-imposing frame will be transitioning from pitching once a week in Japan to pitching once every five or six days in his first year in LA. He'll also have to get used to a slicker ball, and he said he encountered trouble throwing his splitter on Sunday in his second bullpen session of the spring. "I think I'll adjust quickly," Yamamoto said. The Dodgers are expected to use a modified version of a six-man starting rotation, which should afford the 25-year-old rookie a little extra rest here and there. Given the hype and his big contract, Yamamoto is going to be drafted as a fantasy ace.

Free-agent right-hander Spencer Turnbull signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday that includes $2 million in incentives. Turnbull missed all of the 2022 season due to injury and only made seven starts for the Detroit Tigers in 2023 because of another injury. The 31-year-old will head to camp with the Phillies this year hoping to win a back-end starting rotation spot in spring training. He has a minor-league option remaining as well, so there's a chance he could find himself opening up the 2024 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley as rotation depth in the minors. In his five big-league seasons with the Tigers, Turnbull has been decent with a 4.55 ERA (3.82 FIP), a 1.36 WHIP and a 21.3 percent strikeout rate in 302 1/3 innings over 61 outings (60 starts). If he ends up starting for the Phils, he'll be an option in NL-only leagues for pitching depth.

Free-agent outfielder Jurickson Profar and the San Diego Padres agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal on Monday. He can earn an extra $1.5 million in incentives in 2024 based on plate appearances. Profar was with the Padres from 2020 to 2022 before joining the Colorado Rockies as a free agent for the start of last year. The 30-year-old switch-hitter batted just .236 (98-for-415) with eight home runs and 39 RBI in 111 games for the Rockies in 2023 before going 13-for-44 (.295) with a homer and seven RBI in 14 games to close out the season with San Diego. He'll now return to the Friars, who were in desperate need of outfield help after trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees in the offseason. As things stand now, Profar should have the leg up on a starting spot in left field to open the 2024 season, but his bat lacks any real upside for fantasy managers.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and free-agent catcher Yasmani Grandal agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal on Sunday, according to a source. Grandal heads back to the National League for the 2024 season, where he should be expected to serve as Henry Davis' primary backup. The 35-year-old left-handed slugger slashed .226/.343/.375 with 44 home runs and 149 RBI in the last four seasons with the Chicago White Sox. The two-time All-Star is nearing the end of his career and will no longer be attractive in single-catcher leagues because his expected lack of regular playing time in one of the worst offenses in baseball. Grandal hit .234 (85-for-363) with only eight home runs and 33 RBI in 118 games in his final season in Chicago last year. Although he won't be much of a fantasy asset, he should be a good veteran presence in Pittsburgh's clubhouse.