Internal concern is growing from the St. Louis Cardinals that outfielder Tommy Edman (wrist) won't be ready for Opening Day as he continues to progress from arthroscopic surgery he had in October to address an achy right wrist that plagued him for most of last year. He has yet to be cleared to face live pitching in camp, although he's been active in some infield drills on the back fields. The current priority is for the switch-hitting Edman to even out his swing, as his left side is ahead of his right side. The team has around three weeks left of spring games, and the Cardinals would prefer that Edman see game action before clearing him for the regular season. If he isn't ready for Opening Day on March 28, all signs point to Dylan Carlson taking over in center field, as the team prefers Lars Nootbaar in left. When healthy, Edman is expected to be the team's primary center fielder and will no longer be a backup in the infield.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and closer David Bednar (lat) are playing it safe in spring training and he's currently not throwing, but the good news is he doesn't seem too worried about the severity of his injury. "Hopefully will be back soon," Bednar said. Manager Derek Shelton said on Sunday that Bednar is dealing with right-lat tightness after feeling it the other day in his throwing program. The Pirates will continue to monitor it, and fantasy managers should do the same. There's still several weeks before Opening Day, but as a precaution, Bednar may be forced to open the season on the injured list, which would pave the way for veteran left-hander Aroldis Chapman to take over closing duties in his first year with the club. Despite pitching for the lowly Pirates, Bednar has easily been a top-10 fantasy closer the last two seasons.

The Baltimore Banner's Andy Kostka said that outfielder Colton Cowser made some changes to his swing this offseason in order to help him hit the fastball better. Kostka also said that Cowser "is an (early) front-runner to make the (Orioles) Opening Day roster." So far in spring training, the 23-year-old's swing changes have paid off, as he's gone 4-for-11 with three home runs and three walks. As things stand now, Cowser could be Baltimore's fourth outfielder to open the 2024 regular season. He obviously doesn't have any appeal in mixed fantasy leagues, but Cowser could be worth a look in AL-only formats if he continues to hit well and earn more playing time for the reigning American League East champions. Cowser struck out almost 30% of the time with the O's in 2023 but did hit 17 home runs at Triple-A Norfolk.

Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson (oblique) said he will be in the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Monday against the Minnesota Twins for his spring training debut. Henderson has been held back in camp as a precaution due to a sore oblique, but he's ready to roll now and will be fine for Opening Day at the end of the month. It was also announced on Monday by manager Brandon Hyde that Henderson will spend the majority of his time at shortstop this season, although the skipper did say third base is "still an option." The 22-year-old played more third base than short last year, but Baltimore plans to use Henderson as more of a shortstop in 2024, meaning Jorge Mateo will be shifted to more of a utility role for the O's. Jackson Holliday may have to focus more on second base, while Jordan Westburg should be more of an option at the hot corner.

Keegan Matheson of MLB.com is reporting that Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (shoulder) will not throw his scheduled bullpen on Monday. The veteran has been dealing with "general shoulder fatigue", but a recent MRI has shown no structural concerns or injury. In other words, the best news the Blue Jays could have hoped for with their veteran ace and former Cy Young candidate. Managers should continue to monitor Gausman, but expect the Blue Jays to be cautious with him this spring. As long as he can stay healthy, Gausman is one of the best pitchers in the game.