In his second Grapefruit League start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon didn't look very good, allowing three earned runs on five hits (two home runs allowed) while walking one and striking out one in three-plus innings. The 31-year-old southpaw was pumping high-90s heaters early in camp and had five strikeouts in his first spring outing, but Wednesday's performance looked more like his frustrating 2023 season in the Bronx in which he was mostly injured. "I'm trying to build it back up," Rodon said after his 60-pitch outing on Wednesday. A lighter Rodon is mixing in changeups, cutters, and curves into his fastball/slider combination. The early returns aren't exactly exciting, but Rodon's strikeout upside still makes him worth a flier as rotation depth in mixed fantasy leagues.

Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (leg) threw a two-inning simulated game in camp on Wednesday that went great, and he said his next step is pitching in a Cactus League game. "I'm good. That was another progression that I hit I'm excited," Lodolo said. A stress reaction in the 26-year-old southpaw's left tibia last year limited him to only seven starts, and he's still feeling it in his leg in spring training. However, it sounds like Lodolo is starting to turn a corner in his recovery. The Reds haven't ruled him out of being in the Opening Day rotation, but fantasy managers shouldn't get their hopes up, and the Reds will likely be cautious here. Although he's an obvious injury risk, Lodolo deserves to be stashed in deep-mixed leagues, at the very least, for his strikeout upside.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (hamstring) is taking batting practice in camp on Wednesday, which is a promising sign. Happ is recovering from a left-hamstring strain in spring training and is slowly working his way back. The Cubs are optimistic that the 29-year-old outfielder will still be ready for Opening Day on March 28, though, so fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried. The former first-round pick in 2015 out of Cincinnati was a first-time All-Star in 2022 and slashed .248/.360/.431 with 21 home runs, 35 doubles, four triples, a career-high 84 RBI, a career-high 14 stolen bases and a career-high 86 runs scored in 158 games for the Cubbies in 2023. It was a good sign that Happ was more patient last year, and although he's not a standout in any fantasy categories, he makes for a solid No. 3 outfielder.

San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (back) began experiencing back spasms on Tuesday in camp while doing drills and will take advantage of the team's off day on Thursday to get some extra rest this week, according to multiple sources. Kim's rest this week is being described as "precautionary" and "preventative." He didn't take part in drills on Wednesday but was said to have been virtually pain-free by Tuesday night. The expectation is that he'll return to Cactus League action on Friday night against the San Francisco Giants. The Padres don't seem concerned at all by the 28-year-old's injury, so he should be ready for two-game series in Korea against the Dodgers on March 20-21 to kick off the 2024 season. Kim's fantasy stock is on the rise after a breakout 2023 campaign, and he's also gone 6-for-15 with a home run and two steals in spring training.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Isaac Paredes is off to a slow start to his spring in Grapefruit League action. The 25-year-old went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in Wednesday's contest against the New York Yankees and is now just 1-for-10 with a pair of walks against three strikeouts across his first 12 trips to the plate this spring. Paredes is coming off a big 2023 season that saw him hit .250 with 31 home runs, 98 RBI, and an .840 OPS across 143 appearances. While he is an attractive option at the hot corner for fantasy managers in 2024, it's worth noting that Paredes' .314 xwOBA was well below his .362 wOBA and he ranked in the 26th percentile or worse in xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate a season ago. In other words, prepare for some regression.