The San Diego Padres have optioned outfield prospect Tirso Ornelas to Triple-A El Paso. Ornelas was in contention to make the Opening Day roster. During camp, he performed quite well, tallying 15 hits across 23 contests with a .294/.368/.451 slash line. He tallied five doubles with a home run and a 6:6 BB:K. Last summer, Ornelas spent the entire campaign at the Triple-A level. Across 128 contests, the 25-year-old posted a strong .297/.367/.497 slash line with 24 doubles and 23 home runs. He swiped seven bags and held a 53:88 BB:K. This was a steady increase from the .285/.358/.425 line he held across 53 contests at Triple-A in 2023. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should continue to monitor Ornelas, as he could be on the verge of his MLB debut. With Ornelas opening the season at Triple-A, Connor Joe and Jason Heyward will split time in left field while Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. cover center and right field, respectively.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell is getting the nod to start their home opener on Thursday, March 27, as the Dodgers face off against Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers. The matchup is poised to be good, as two outstanding southpaws and Cy Young-winning pitchers will face off. Last season, Snell went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 104 innings pitched with the Giants. It was a solid campaign for Snell, who owned an incredible 12.55 K/9. He will look to stay healthy this year, as he dealt with a handful of injuries last year, preventing him from getting his full workload. Snell's metrics are off the charts, with most ranking in the 80th percentile or higher, but his 10.5% walk rate always leaves room for improvement. Fantasy managers can confidently start Snell. He is one of the most electric pitchers in the game and is backed by a potent offense.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned infield prospect Nick Yorke to Triple-A Indianapolis. Yorke was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster but will instead continue his development at the top level of the minor leagues. During camp, Yorke held a modest .206/.310/.265 slash line. Even with infielder Spencer Horwitz (wrist) expected to miss time early in the season, Yorke was unable to crack the Opening Day roster. Last season, Yorke received a brief taste of the majors and held a .216/.286/.378 slash line across 11 contests. He spent most of the campaign at the Triple-A level and performed quite well. Across 78 games at the level, split between time in Worcester and Indianapolis, the former 17th overall selection posted a strong .222/.420/.498 slash line with 25 doubles and 13 stolen bases. If he continues to perform at this level at Triple-A, he should push for an early return to the majors.

St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Michael McGreevy was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. McGreevy was competing for a spot in the starting rotation but ultimately fell short. During camp, McGreevy was one of St. Louis' best pitchers as he held a stellar 1.08 ERA with a 0.60 WHIP across 16 2/3 innings. McGreevy tallied 12 punchouts during this stint and did not serve up a free pass. Last summer, the Santa Barbara product made his MLB debut and performed quite well, as he posted a 1.96 ERA with a 0.78 WHIP across 23 frames. He tallied just 18 punchouts but showed elite command as he held a strong 2.3 percent walk rate. Earlier in the campaign, McGreevy posted a 4.02 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP across 150 innings at Triple-A. Fantasy managers in deeper formers should consider monitoring his progression at Triple-A, as he should contend for an early return to the big leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (illness) has said he is down to 157 pounds due to the illness he is experiencing that kept him from traveling with the team on March 18 and 19 to Tokyo, Japan, where the Dodgers took on the Chicago Cubs in a two-game series. The 32-year-old veteran has mentioned his frustration with the illness, stating that he is fine but is struggling to keep food and drink down. The loss in weight is undoubtedly concerning, and fantasy managers will want to continue to monitor his progress as Opening Day begins in a few days. The Dodgers may want to play this slowly and allow him to continue to rest and get his strength up before having him return to the lineup. In Betts' absence, Miguel Rojas was filling in at shortstop for the Dodgers in their two-game series against the Cubs. Expect Rojas to continue to see action at shortstop if Betts continues to miss time.