Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (oblique) is back in team workouts in camp on Monday, and manager David Bell said that McLain could make his Cactus League debut this week. McLain's right oblique ended his rookie season early in 2023, and he's been held back in spring training with more issues in the same oblique. However, it looks as though he's making nice progress and will attempt to test his oblique out in spring games this week. If he can avoid anymore setbacks, McLain could be ready for Opening Day in late March. Still, the Reds aren't going to rush their primary second baseman along if he's not ready. RotoBaller has McLain ranked as the No. 5 fantasy second baseman entering 2024 after the former first-rounder thoroughly impressed last year with a .290/.357/.507 slash line, an .864 OPS, 16 homers, 50 RBI and 14 stolen bases in his rookie campaign.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks has been working on his split-changeup as he transitions from a relieving to a starting role with the Giants this year. Hicks threw the pitch hardly ever in his relief role at the back of the bullpen, but he's been working on it a lot this offseason and is expected to use it more to help him transition into a starting role in 2024. The 27-year-old hasn't had great results so far in Cactus League games, but he likes the feel he has for the pitch. The hard-throwing right-hander threw a total of 66 2/3 innings in a relief role in 2023 and has never gone beyond 105 frames in a single season, so fantasy managers should expect Hicks' upside to be rather limited in his first year in the Bay Area, even if he sticks in the rotation all year.

San Francisco Giants top prospect Kyle Harrison debuted a new cutter during his Cactus League outing on Sunday against the Texas Rangers. The 22-year-old left-hander struck out four and hit a batter while not allowing a hit in two scoreless innings. Harrison began to develop his cutter last year but has been using it more, and it should become a bigger part of his repertoire heading into his first full season in San Francisco's starting rotation. Before adding a cutter, Harrison was a fastball, slider, and changeup pitcher. In his first seven MLB starts in 2023, he had a 4.15 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 35 K's and 11 walks in 34 2/3 innings. His fly-ball tendencies should be mitigated by his pitcher-friendly home park in San Fran, and a big jump is expected from Harrison in 2024, although a likely innings limit could cap his fantasy upside.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn has been in a slow progression in camp as a matter of personal preference, but he will make his Grapefruit League debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals. Lynn expressed his desire to ramp up on the back fields over the first week of spring games, a practice common throughout baseball. Despite not appearing in any games yet, he's not considered "behind" the team's other starters and is on the same throwing schedule. The 36-year-old veteran isn't going to be on any fantasy radars in mixed leagues after he had the worst season of his career in 2023 with the White Sox and Dodgers, posting a rough 5.73 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 183 2/3 innings while giving up 44 long balls. Lynn could improve with St. Louis this year, but there's virtually no upside here.

St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz is one of two starting pitchers for the team who have yet to pitch in a Grapefruit League game, but Matz is going to make his spring training debut on Monday and throw an inning after starter Sonny Gray. Given Matz's extensive injury history over his first two years with the team, the Cardinals felt it best to take it slow with Matz's spring progression this year. He made 15 starts in 2022 due to a shoulder injury and a torn MCL, and a lat strain ended his 2023 season early. But before his lat strain, the veteran southpaw had a 1.86 ERA over seven starts, his best stretch with the Cardinals since joining them before the 2022 season. The 32-year-old will begin the year in the Opening Day rotation, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to provide much length, at least early on.