New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz (knee) looked good while facing batters for the first time on Thursday since suffering a season-ending knee injury last March in the World Baseball Classic. He kept his fastball in the mid-90s by design on Thursday. The hard-throwing 29-year-old also had no issues during a bullpen session at camp on Monday and said he's "finally back." We'll continue to monitor his progress throughout spring training, but barring any setbacks, Diaz will most likely be the first closer off the board in fantasy drafts. He had 32 saves in both 2021 and 2022 before tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee last March. Diaz struck out an absurd 118 hitters in just 62 innings in 2022 for the Mets.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't give an exact timeline, but he said that designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (elbow) will take part in live batting practice "soon." The skipper also added that it is going to be hard to eventually keep Ohtani out of Cactus League games. The 29-year-old two-way superstar isn't going to pitch in his first year with the Dodgers following his second Tommy John surgery, but he's coming along nicely as a hitter, has already been hitting on the field and should be completely ready to go as the team's regular DH once the 2024 regular season kicks off. Even though Ohtani might not be at full strength as a hitter early on, RotoBaller still has him ranked as the No. 13 overall player this spring.

Free-agent infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield is moving closer to making a decision on where he will play next, according to a source, and he's expected to agree to terms with a team by the end of the weekend. Merrifield's market has picked up in recent days, with five teams showing varying levels of interest in him. The 35-year-old veteran became a free agent when both he and the Toronto Blue Jays declined his mutual option for 2024 worth $18 million. He lost playing time down the stretch in 2023 while posting a .700 OPS, 11 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 592 plate appearances. Merrifield's production began to fall off in 2022, and he's no longer as much of a threat for fantasy managers in the batting average and steals departments.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager stopped short of naming right-hander Evan Phillips the team's closer, but he said that Phillips will get "the brunt" of the save chances in the ninth inning this year. The Dodgers have been rumored to be considering bringing back Kenley Jansen in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, but for now, they appear to be leaning with the 29-year-old Phillips as their primary closer in 2024. He deserves it after a dominant 2023 campaign, when he recorded a 1.74 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with a career-high 24 saves in 27 chances and 152 strikeouts over 134 2/3 innings for the Blue. Unless the Dodgers bring in someone else before Opening Day for the back end of their bullpen, Phillips will be a high-end closing target for fantasy managers on one of the best teams in baseball.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that infielders Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal and Isiah Kiner-Falefa will be in the mix at both second and third base this spring, calling it "a cool puzzle to solve." Meanwhile, Davis Schneider is going to focus on playing left field in camp as well as the keystone. The Blue Jays are going to have some options to mix and match at second and third, and the 28-year-old Biggio should see regular playing time at one of the spots against right-handed pitchers in 2024. He became the team's everyday player at second down the stretch in 2023 and finished by hitting .235 (68-for-289) with nine home runs, 40 RBI, five steals and 54 runs scored in a career-high 111 games. Biggio has proven to be a below-average hitter, but he can be useful in deeper fantasy leagues for his on-base percentage.