If Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (shoulder) isn't ready to break camp with the team on Opening Day next week, manager John Schneider mentioned pitchers Mitch White, Yariel Rodriguez, Wes Parsons, Paolo Espino and Ricky Tiedemann as options to start the year in the rotation. "There are a lot of guys kind of in that conversation," Schneider said. Tiedemann, the team's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, is the most intriguing of the bunch, and he impressed Schneider with five strikeouts in three-plus innings in his Grapefruit League start on Thursday. Although it's probably still unlikely the Blue Jays push the 21-year-old southpaw to make his big-league debut at the start of 2024, it's another reminder that one of baseball's best overall pitching prospects should be stashed in all fantasy leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman has been healthy in camp this spring training and hasn't had any issues with his balky back. The 23-year-old worked to improve his already elite bat-to-ball skills and radically changed his diet this offseason to eliminate any inflammation that had caused his back to stiffen up on him in the past. He dropped eight pounds and is no longer feeling pain in his back after it bothered him for years. The Cardinals are confident that good health could be the only thing keeping Gorman from a 40-homer season. He has enormous power and could break out in 2024 if he can stay healthy. Despite being limited to 119 games and 406 at-bats in 2023 due to back and hamstring issues, Gorman hit a team-best 27 home runs. He also ranked in the top 3% in barrel rate and in the top 9% in hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the bat.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) won't pitch in a minor-league game as scheduled on Friday due to heavy rain in the forecast. The Cardinals aren't going to take any chances with their free-agent acquisition as he returns from a strained hamstring on a wet field. The 34-year-old will likely pitch two innings in a minor-league game on Saturday instead. Because of his hamstring injury, Gray won't start on Opening Day for the Red Birds in his first year with the club, but manager Oliver Marmol hasn't ruled out Gray starting at some point on the team's opening day road trip that starts on March 28 and ends on April 3. The runner up in the American League Cy Young voting in 2023 comes to the Cardinals as a solid veteran rotation option and should also be a solid No. 3 starter for fantasy managers in his first year in St. Louis.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer against the Chicago Cubs in Thursday's Cactus League matchup. The veteran is entering his 14th season, all with Colorado and has looked good this spring with a .333 batting, two homers and six RBI in 39 at-bats. At age 37, Blackmon may have to succumb some playing time to younger players on a rebuilding Rockies team, but he can still be useful during long stretches at Coors Field. Even with a nice spring, there should be players with bigger upsides towards the end of deep league drafts.

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League action against the New York Yankees. Arcia now has four homers to go along with a healthy .286 batting average this spring. The 29-year-old has always had a great glove, but broke out offensively last season to make his first All-Star team. Arcia hit .264 with a career-high 17 homers and 65 RBI in 488 at-bats. It is always wise to draft players in strong offenses and Arcia fits that bill, but managers should not be surprised if there is a little regression out his bat in 2024. He is best served as infield depth in deeper formats.