Colorado Rockies first baseman Elehuris Montero went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer during Thursday's Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs. MLB.com's Thomas Harding relayed that manager Bud Black sees Montero as a candidate to play first base or designated hitter in 2024. The veteran skipper also mentioned the club could occasionally play Kris Bryant in right field in order to get Montero's bat in the lineup. This is high praise for the 25-year-old right-hander as he looks to improve on a 2023 campaign in which he slashed .243/.290/.426 with 11 homers, a 4.9 K%, a 36.2 BB%, and a 76 wRC+.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Dakota Hudson is competing for a spot in the starting rotation at the MLB level, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. He worked around two walks and one hit to toss a shutout inning on Thursday. Cut loose by the St. Louis Cardinals this past offseason, Hudson posted a 5.06 FIP, 4.98 K/9, 3.76 BB/9, and 51.5 GB% last year. The former first-round pick hasn't quite lived up to his potential, but he's still in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot. He has logged at least two MLB outings in each of the last six seasons and should extend that streak to seven in 2024.

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has been working to add more power to his game this offseason, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Earlier this offseason, Bregman was approached by hitting coach Troy Snitker who had an "intriguing proposition [...] aimed at helping the third baseman produce more power in the upcoming year." Bregman has since adopted a new hitting program in which he uses differently weighted bats, which is intended to improve bat speed, produce higher exit velocities, and combat faster pitching. The third baseman slashed just .262/.363/.441 last year but still contributed 25 homers. Adding additional power to his game could bring Bregman back to an All-Star level.

Chicago Cubs corner infielder Patrick Wisdom (quadriceps) was scratched for precautionary reasons in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Colorado Rockies due to right-quadriceps tightness, according to the team. Wisdom's injury doesn't sound very serious, but Chicago could choose to hold him back for another day or two just to be safe early in spring training. In his first three Cactus League contests, the 32-year-old veteran has gone 1-for-8 with a double. Wisdom hit .205/.289/.500 with 23 home runs, 46 RBI and four stolen bases in 97 games in his fourth year with the Cubbies in 2023 over 302 plate appearances. He's recorded 20-plus long balls in each of the last three campaigns, but the one-dimensional power bat doesn't do much else and is a career .214 hitter. Target him as a modest power/corner-infield option late in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander Emmet Sheehan should be starting to throw around plyo balls soon at camp. There's a chance that he's not ready to go for the two-game series against the San Diego Padres in Korea on March 20-21, but Sheehan shouldn't be behind schedule for domestic Opening Day on March 28 in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old is dealing with general soreness at spring training and is a bit behind, but he should be part of the team's Opening Day starting rotation with Walker Buehler (elbow) still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Sheehan went 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 26 walks and 64 K's in his first 13 MLB games (11 starts) last year. He has an electric fastball but struggled to keep the ball in the yard. There's clear upside here, especially in LA, but Sheehan may need a bit more development.