Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal said he's been tinkering with his slider and curveball while maintaining his fastball and changeup as he prepares for the 2024 season. Skubal had a strong 2023 campaign, but he'd like to generate more whiffs with his slider. The 27-year-old was a front-line starting pitcher for Detroit last year, going 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA (2.00 FIP) and 0.89 WHIP with 14 walks and 102 strikeouts in 15 starts over 80 1/3 innings pitched. He got a late start to the year while recovering from left flexor-tendon surgery, but he was excellent when he eventually returned. Fantasy managers should expect some regression from Skubal with more innings pitched in 2024, but if he can induce more swings and misses from his slider, his overall skillset is pretty enticing for fantasy managers in a weak division.

New Minnesota Twins pitchers Josh Staumont (shoulder) and Anthony DeSclafani (elbow) have both been throwing for months after ending last year on the injured list and are full-go entering spring training. Staumont had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last July but should be good to go for Opening Day with his new club. The 30-year-old could struggle to be effective after the surgery, though, especially since he hasn't very good to begin with the last two years for the Kansas City Royals (6.09 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 57 2/3 innings). DeSclafani made just 18 starts with the San Francisco Giants in 2023 due to a right flexor strain. The 33-year-old went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 79 K's in 99 2/3 innings last year. DeSclafani will be competing for the fifth spot in Minnesota's starting rotation in camp.

The New York Mets moved infielder Ronny Mauricio (knee) to the 60-day injured list on Wednesday to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, whose deal became official. Mauricio will most likely miss all of the 2023 season after he tore the ACL in his right knee in early January while playing winter ball. It's a tough break for the 22-year-old infield prospect, who was going to have a legitimate chance to earn playing time at third base for the Mets in 2024. He is facing a six- to eight-month recovery and will be hoping to earn regular playing time in New York in 2025. Mauricio's long-term defensive position is a bit of a mystery right now, but he impressed at the plate in his first 26 big-league games last year, going 25-for-101 (.248) with two home runs, nine RBI and seven RBI.

New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga said that he's working on adding a new pitch to his arsenal as he enters his second year in the big leagues. "Yes, but it's still a work in progress so maybe we'll find out soon," Senga said when asked if he was developing a new pitch this spring. The 30-year-old displayed a nasty forkball in his rookie season with the Mets in 2023 and was a big success in his first season, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA (3.63 FIP) and 1.22 WHIP with 77 walks and 202 strikeouts in 166 1/3 innings over his 29 starts. The Japanese hurler finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting and could be even harder to hit with a new pitch added to his arsenal. The one knock on Senga last year was that he had a concerning 11.1 percent walk rate and led the league with 14 wild pitches.

San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (elbow) has been cleared to throw three times a week and is on schedule in his recovery from Tommy John surgery that he had in May of last year. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw and former American League Cy Young winner in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays only made one start for the Seattle Mariners last year before going under the knife. As a result, he's not expected to make his debut with the Giants in 2024 until sometime after the All-Star break this summer. When he does return, it might take him a bit to get his bearings to close out his first year in San Francisco, so fantasy managers should temper expectations. In 2022 with the M's, Ray was decent, posting a 3.71 ERA with 212 K's and 67 walks in 189 innings. When healthy, he's one of the better left-handed strikeout artists.