Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah is still experiencing shoulder soreness. He is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday but is not yet ready to work off of a mound. The 26-year-old was roughed up by the Tigers in his lone spring outing to this point as he allowed four earned runs on three hits, one walk, and most concerningly three hit batters. His struggles with control were at the root of his disastrous 2023 season as he posted a 5.87 ERA on the back of a bloated 14.2% BB% across 19 starts in the big leagues. He was sent to the team's Dunedin, Florida complex to find his game before unsuccessfully returning. He also refused to report to Triple-A Buffalo. He currently lines up as the team's fifth starter but his fantasy value has obviously taken a massive hit despite a projected bounce-back to decent form by ATC in 2024.

Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz is off to a solid start this spring as he look to bounce back from what was, overall, a down season at the plate. The 27-year-old is 4-for-12 (.333) with a pair of doubles and five RBI across 12 trips to the plate to begin his Grapefruit League action. In his age-26 season, De La Cruz hit .257 with 19 home runs and 78 RBI, alongside a .715 OPS, across 153 games played in 2023, production that graded out 8% inferior to the league average, as per his 92 wRC+. However, his .330 xwOBA was well above his .309 wOBA and he generally posted strong Statcast metrics. ATC projects 20 home runs and 69 RBI for De La Cruz in the 2024 season, making him a decent, yet unspectacular fantasy asset.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy is set to return to action on Friday after dealing with a stomach bug over the last few days. The 29-year-old was off to a solid start to Grapefruit League action, going 2-for-6 with a pair of RBI across a tiny six-plate-appearance sample size. It was a tale of two seasons for Murphy at the plate in the 2023 season, his first with the Braves following a trade from the Oakland A's. Murphy hit .306 with 17 home runs and a massive .999 OPS in the first half of the season but limped to a minuscule .159 average with just four HR and a .585 OPS following the All-Star break. Nonetheless, he was still one of the better catchers in fantasy baseball and remains a high-upside play in what will be just his fourth full season in the majors in 2024.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. took batting practice on Thursday and worked out on the field with the players who did not travel for the club's contest against the Boston Red Sox. The reigning NL MVP has been slowed by a knee injury this spring, and while he is still without a firm timetable to return, Braves skipper Brian Snitker is on record saying he doesn't believe the injury is anything to worry about while the superstar has been checked out by a doctor. The 26-year-old enjoyed a historic 2023 campaign that saw him become the first 40/70 hitter in MLB history with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. He also hit a hefty .337, finishing as the runner-up for the NL batting title. He remains the No. 1 player in fantasy baseball in all formats.

The Boston Red Sox and right-hander Brayan Bello have officially agreed to a six-year, $55 million contract that includes a seventh-year club option for $21 million. The sixth year of the contract covers what would have been Bello's first year of free agency. The 24-year-old, who was mentioned as a candidate to start on Opening Day by manager Alex Cora, posted a 4.24 ERA across 28 starts in the 2023 season, his first full big-league campaign. He managed only a 19.8% K% on the season but he also walked just 6.7% of the batters he faced. ATC projects a 4.28 ERA and a similar 20.2% K% for Bello across 28 starts in the 2024 season. He does have a track record of far superior strikeout rates in the minors but he has yet to find a way to put hitters away consistently in the big leagues, putting a damper on his fantasy value, for now.