Oakland Athletics right-hander Mason Miller, along with Dany Jimenez and Trevor Gott, could get an opportunity to close out games this season. However, when asked about the possibility of Miller seeing save chances, manager Mark Kotsay indicated he'd like to see Miller succeed in high-leverage spots and gradually move up the ladder rather than anoint him the closer from Day 1. Initially, the 25-year-old is expected to be used in two- to three-innings stints in relief before Kotsay feels comfortable giving him any save opportunities. The A's want Miller to be a starter in the long-term, but his extensive injury history has forced their hand to keep him in a relief role for now to try and keep him healthy. Miller has the best stuff in the A's bullpen, but without many save chances, he might just be a ratios/holds contributor in deeper fantasy leagues in 2024.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (toe) is to be scheduled for his first Cactus League start "within the next week," according to manager David Bell. Meanwhile, left-hander Nick Lodolo's (leg) spring training debut would be a bit behind Ashcraft's. The 26-year-old Ashcraft is returning from surgery on his right big toe last September and is being slow-played in spring training. He has already faced hitters in camp, though, and barring a setback with his toe once he starts pitching in Cactus League games, he should open the 2024 season in the Reds' starting rotation. However, his lack of strikeout upside is a hindrance to his fantasy relevance in mixed leagues. Lodolo, who made only seven starts in 2023 due to a stress reaction in his tibia, has much more fantasy appeal for his high-strikeout upside, but he's also more of an injury risk.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Trevor Stephan (elbow) has a deep bone bruise in his throwing elbow and will be shut down for three weeks. There won't be enough time for Stephan to recover in time to be ready for Opening Day at the end of March, so he'll be forced to open the 2024 season on the injured list. The good news, though, is that the 28-year-old reliever doesn't have any structural damage in his arm, so he should be able to make his season debut at some point in April. Not having Stephan in the back of the bullpen early in the season will be a big blow to the Guardians relief corps. In his third MLB season last year, Stephan had a 4.06 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, two saves, 26 walks and 75 strikeouts in 68 2/3 relief innings. When healthy, Stephan is a solid source of holds in leagues that count points for that statistic.

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said that outfielder Julio Rodriguez (hand) is likely to play in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Oakland Athletics. Rodriguez has been dealing with some left-hand inflammation in recent days, but he has been doing light baseball activities and is feeling better. The 23-year-old All-Star's injury is not serious at all, so fantasy managers considering taking him in the first couple of picks in upcoming drafts shouldn't have anything to worry about. In standard leagues in 2023, Rodriguez was the eighth-best fantasy player in his sophomore season, hitting .275/.333/.485 with an .818 OPS, 32 home runs, 103 RBI, 37 stolen bases and 102 runs scored in 654 at-bats. The Dominican outfielder can do it all.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo (hamstring) is doing some hitting and defensive drills in camp on Wednesday. The Angels are easing Rengifo back into action at spring training after he dealt with some left-hamstring tightness. The 27-year-old still has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day at the end of March, unless he suffers another setback when he starts playing in Cactus League games. Rengifo is most useful to the Angels for his ability to play multiple positions, but when healthy, he's expected to see most of his playing time at the keystone in Anaheim. While he had a solid season in 2023, Rengifo doesn't stand out at all for power or speed, making him merely a versatile depth option for fantasy managers in deep mixed leagues.