Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (oblique) said the oblique soreness he's dealing with is on his left side and he felt it during long toss. However, he's not concerned about it and said he should be fine in a few more weeks. The Orioles are going to slow-play him, so the 22-year-old probably won't be ready for the start of Grapefruit League games, but all indications are that he'll be completely fine by the time Opening Day rolls around. Heading into his second MLB season in 2024, Henderson has planted himself inside the top-10 fantasy shortstops after winning the American League Rookie of the Year in 2023. The left-handed hitter batted .255/.325/.489 with an .814 OPS, 28 home runs, 82 RBI, 100 runs scored and 10 stolen bases in 560 at-bats, and his average could improve if he shows better plate discipline as he matures.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) "walked in today feeling good about how the arm feels" after throwing off a mound on Thursday in spring training. Verlander wasn't going full speed on Thursday, but it's a positive sign regardless as he looks to bounce back after having a setback with his right shoulder this offseason. The 40-year-old is a bit behind the other pitchers and probably isn't going to be ready for the start of Grapefruit League action, but as long as he doesn't have any further setbacks, he could still be ready for Opening Day. The 40-year-old three-time Cy Young winner is an extreme injury risk at this point in his career and is no longer a fantasy ace. He'll even be somewhat risky as a No. 3 starter for fantasy rotations since it would be more of a surprise if he didn't miss time due to injury in 2024.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is on the scheduled to face live pitching against left-hander Alex Vesia at spring training on Friday. Manager Dave Roberts said on Thursday that Ohtani would start facing live pitching at camp "soon," and he wasn't lying. It's another encouraging sign that Ohtani will be ready for Opening Day in his first year in LA after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery last year. The Japanese superstar isn't going to pitch for the Dodgers in 2024, but he'll be their full-time DH and is considered a top-15 overall fantasy player by RotoBaller. There's a chance Ohtani might not fully be himself at the plate early on this year, but that really shouldn't influence drafters when deciding whether to add him to your team in the early rounds.

Updating a previous report, free-agent veteran third baseman Eduardo Escobar has agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night, pending a physical. Escobar will give the Blue Jays even more infield depth at the hot corner for the 2024 season after hitting a combined .226/.269/.344 with six home runs, 31 RBI and 32 runs scored in 99 games with the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels a year ago. The 35-year-old Venezuelan switch-hitter has 13 years of major-league experience but didn't look like he had much left to offer in 2023. In Toronto, he'll be competing for playing time at third base with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal. More often than not, Escobar will most likely come off the bench in his new digs.

Texas Rangers veteran left-hander Danny Duffy is a bona-fide contender to make the Opening Day roster and is being evaluated for the fifth starting rotation spot in spring training, alongside fellow lefty Cody Bradford and at least six other pitchers. The 35-year-old southpaw has had three straight injury-plagued seasons, including last year with the Rangers on a minor-league deal, but he didn't allow a run in 15 2/3 innings in the Puerto Rican winter league. If he doesn't make the rotation, he'll be happy to work in a multi-inning relief role. Duffy said he hasn't felt as good as he does now since May of 2021, when he had a 2.51 ERA after 13 games before his elbow started barking. He has experience, but if he is pitching in the majors in 2024 for Texas, he'll be a very risky fantasy option in AL-only leagues.