Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) was scratched from Friday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Baltimore Orioles "as a precaution" due to right-knee soreness. While the injury isn't considered serious, it's certainly something to keep an eye on with the best player in baseball, especially after Acuna suffered a torn ACL in the same knee in 2021. The Braves aren't going to take any chances with the 26-year-old reigning National League MVP in spring training. If he's able to return to Atlanta's lineup in a few days, fantasy managers will be able to let out a collective sigh of relief. The Venezuelan outfielder should be the first player off the board in fantasy drafts after breaking records last year and leading the league in stolen bases (73), hits (217), runs (149), on-base percentage (.416), OPS (1.012) and total bases (383) while also hitting 41 homers and driving in 106 in 159 games.

Washington Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin looked better in his second Grapefruit League outing on Thursday while incorporating more of his newest pitch, a cutter. He needed 49 pitches to complete 1 2/3 innings last Saturday, but on Thursday he cruised through three innings on 41 pitches (32 strikes) and didn't allow a run or walk a batter while scattering three hits and striking out four. One of his K's came on his new cutter. Corbin induced swings on six of the seven cutters he threw (three whiffs). The 34-year-old southpaw plans to continue using the cutter to complement his traditional fastballs-slider combo that he has struggled with in recent seasons. It's something to keep an eye on, but most fantasy managers are avoiding Corbin this year after he had a weak 15.7% strikeout rate last year.

Washington Nationals right-hander Tanner Rainey, who returned late last year from Tommy John surgery, had a perfect inning in his Grapefruit League outing on Thursday and threw only nine pitches (six strikes). His fastball topped out at 92 mph, though, which was a bit alarming since he averaged 97 mph on his fastball before his elbow injury. However, the 31-year-old wasn't concerned, pointing out he's never thrown hard in spring training and has no doubts his full velocity will return by the start of the season. Rainey made just one appearance in 2023 and could have a high-leverage role in Washington's bullpen in 2024 if he stays healthy. He might be useful in deep holds leagues, but it's probably going to take an injury to Kyle Finnegan or Hunter Harvey for Rainey to get any save chances for a Nats team that isn't expected to be very good.

Washington Nationals reliever Kyle Finnegan tried out a new sweeper for the first time in a Grapefruit League game on Wednesday. "Finnegan's always been toying around with trying to get a third pitch," manager Davey Martinez said. "Cause everything he throws is hard. So, he wanted to create some kind of deception, more or less." The new pitch has been registering 78-79 mph, and its spin rate, horizontal break, and pitch shape have all been in line with the numbers for a quality sweeper to complement his high-90s fastball, slider and splitter. Finnegan's sweepers registered 84 and 85 mph on Wednesday, and one of them induced a strikeout. The new pitch could help boost the 32-year-old's career-low 21.9% strikeout rate from a season ago as Washington's co-closer.

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor went 1-for-3 on Wednesday in an 8-6 Cactus League loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's now 3-for-7 in three spring games, with all three hits being singles. Although he's been caught stealing once as well, it's good to see he's still running in 2024, as his 10 stolen bases last season were likely an added surprise bonus for anyone invested in him since he's not very fleet-of-foot (15th percentile sprint speed). The former first-round draft pick has superb contact skills, with a Contact% of 82.4% and a low K% of 13.7%. Combined with his power and sneaky speed, he offers managers a safe-floor option with upside for those who miss out on some of the higher-priced first base options.