

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) is slated to return to Grapefruit League action on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The reigning MVP will serve as the designated hitter and bat in his usual leadoff spot in his first spring game back after he experienced soreness in his right knee last week. Obviously, this is a welcome development, and hopefully he'll come away from the game without any soreness. Assuming so, he should continue to be the top overall pick in fantasy drafts with his unrivaled production across all categories.


St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Edman (wrist) will begin the season on the injured list, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Edman has been recovering from wrist surgery he had in October of last year, but with lingering pain in the wrist, he's yet to make a Grapefruit League appearance. This announcement seemed like it was coming, but with Edman now being shut down for at least a week, it is official. It's unclear when exactly he'll be ready, but for now it seems like Dylan Carlson or speedy prospect Victor Scott II would be the front-runners for replacing him. The 28-year-old now appears to be pricey at pick 171 overall, but he should be counted on for plenty of steals and runs whenever he does debut.


The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-hander Blake Treinen (lung) on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday due to a bruised lung. In a corresponding move, Landon Knack was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 35-year-old veteran reliever missed all of 2023 as well after having right-shoulder surgery in November of 2022. Treinen should be able to make his 2024 debut in April after a minimum stay on the injured list, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to stay healthy the rest of the year. When he's healthy, the Dodgers like using Treinen in high-leverage situations out of their bullpen, but he's only going to be worth a look in deeper holds leagues since he's probably not going to see many save chances, if any. In 72 appearances in 2022, Treinen was great with a 1.99 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, seven saves and 85 K's in 72 1/3 innings.


Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) was removed from his Cactus League start against the Chicago Cubs after one inning on Tuesday due to left-lat tightness. Lat injuries usually are bad news for pitchers, but we'll have to wait and see what the Diamondbacks say about E-Rod's status on Wednesday. But with Opening Day just nine days away, the 30-year-old is now in danger of having to miss his first turn through the team's starting rotation. The Venezuelan hurler isn't a stranger to injuries in his career, as he's exceeded 160 innings just once in eight big-league campaigns. He's coming off career-bests in ERA (3.30) and WHIP (1.15) in 26 starts for the Detroit Tigers in 2023 while striking out 143 hitters in 152 innings, but regression should be expected, especially in a tougher division and if he's forced to start the year on the injured list.

Baltimore Orioles second base prospect Connor Norby went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Norby was the designated hitter on Tuesday, but the second baseman has also seen time all over the infield this spring. The 23-year-old had a late start to spring with side soreness, but has been productive over his 24 at-bats with a healthy .292 batting average and three RBI. Norby spent 2023 in Triple-A Norfolk where he hit .290 with 21 homers, 92 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 138 games. Norby is another impressive prospect that the Orioles have in their franchise, but with no clear opening for him on the diamond, he is likely to open 2024 in Triple-A. Even with an injury to a member of the O's infield, it would be no guarantee he'd be the first man up. Although he offers good power at second base, he may need to be dealt to have value in 2024.
