Minnesota Twins starting pitcher David Festa tossed five shutout innings in his first Triple-A start of the campaign. He allowed just three hits and tallied four punchouts. Festa was competing for a spot in the Opening Day rotation but fell short. In spring training, Festa struggled as he posted a high 11.91 ERA with a 1.94 WHIP across 11 1/3 innings of work. However, the Seton Hall product was able to get himself back on track on Friday evening. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should continue to monitor his status at Triple-A, as he could eventually work his way back to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut last summer and posted a 4.90 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. Across 60 1/3 innings with Triple-A St. Paul last summer, Festa held a 4.03 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. For now, Simeon Woods Richardson will operate as the No. 5 starter in Minnesota.

Athletics infield prospect Max Muncy went 1-for-4 with his first career home run during their victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday evening. Muncy would go deep in the eighth off Seattle left-hander Tayler Saucedo. This was also his first career MLB hit. Muncy was able to break camp with the MLB roster due to Zack Gelof (wrist) opening the campaign on the injured list. During the first two games of the season, Muncy has been deployed as the starting second baseman. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his development, but it appears he will continue to see everyday opportunities in the starting lineup. Last season, the former 25th overall pick posted a solid .277/.374/.491 line across 50 games at Triple-A. He is worth monitoring in deeper formats as he could be a viable middle infielder if he continues progressing at the MLB level.

Texas Rangers starting pitching prospect Jack Leiter tossed five innings of one-run ball en route to earning the victory on Friday evening against the Boston Red Sox. Leiter tallied four punchouts and allowed five hits. His lone run allowed came in the fourth inning when outfielder Wilyer Abreu hit an RBI single. This was a strong outing for the former No. 2 overall pick. Last summer, Leiter made his MLB debut and did not find much success as he posted an 8.83 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP across 35 2/3 innings. He tallied 31 strikeouts and served up walks at a high 9.8 percent rate. However, even though his control was an issue in the minor leagues, Leiter flashed elite strikeout upside. At Triple-A, he tossed 77 innings and tallied 110 punchouts. He will look to build off this promising outing on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman logged six innings and allowed two earned runs and three hits en route to earning the victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday evening. He struck out four and served up one free pass. He did not allow a baserunner in the first two innings. His first blemish came in the third, when Jackson Holliday hit a solo shot. Later in the fourth, Gausman would run into some more trouble as he served up a leadoff walk to Adley Rutschman, who would eventually score on a Tyler O'Neill sacrifice fly. Over his final two innings, he would only allow one hit to conclude his outing. This was a strong start for Gausman as he struggled to find consistency throughout the 2024 season, as he posted a modest 3.85 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He will look to have another quality start on Wednesday when he faces the Nationals.

Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Owen Caissie (groin) went 1-for-3 with a solo shot during their victory over Triple-A Omaha. Caissie was on a slower ramp-up program during camp after undergoing offseason core-muscle surgery. He was experiencing groin tightness and was in danger of missing the start of the Triple-A season. However, the No. 3 prospect in the Chicago system covered right field and batted in the two-hole in the season opener. He launched a 426-foot solo blast in the seventh inning. Last season, Caissie spent the entire campaign with Triple-A Iowa. Across 127 contests, the former second-round pick posted a .278/.375/.472 slash line with 29 doubles and 19 long balls. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his production at Triple-A, as he should be in the mix for a promotion early in the 2025 season.