New York Mets right-hander Tylor Megill has won an Opening Day starting rotation spot due to Kodai Senga's (shoulder) injury, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. As a result, Jose Butto will open the year in the minor leagues, although he'll likely be the next starter up, potentially as early as the team's 13-day stretch of no off days in April. The 28-year-old Megill earned his rotation spot in New York by posting a 3.45 ERA and 1.02 WHIP while walking four and striking out 16 in 15 2/3 Grapefruit League innings this spring. The former eighth-round pick by the Mets in 2018 out of Arizona went 9-8 last year with a 4.70 ERA and 1.57 WHIP while walking 58 and striking out a career-high 105 hitters in 126 1/3 innings over 25 starts. Megill now becomes a rotation option for fantasy managers in NL-only leagues.

Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said right-hander Edward Cabrera (shoulder) and left-hander Braxton Garrett (shoulder) both threw bullpen sessions in camp on Wednesday. Cabrera's bullpen consisted of around 20 pitches (all fastballs), while Garrett got up and down three times and is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Sunday. Cabrera, 25, threw for the first time since being diagnosed with a right-shoulder impingement last week. He is going to start the season on the injured list and will need several more bullpens before facing live hitters again. Garrett, 26, also won't be ready for Opening Day but could make his 2024 debut before the end of April. The Marlins' starting rotation is really limping to the starting line this year with Cabrera, Garrett and Eury Perez (elbow, finger) all ailing.

Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington said that he's experimenting with leadoff hitters, which is why third baseman Anthony Rendon was hitting first in the order in the Cactus League game on Wednesday versus the San Francisco Giants. Washington said that the team doesn't have an ideal leadoff hitter, but Rendon does have a knack for getting on base with a career on-base percentage of .367 and 11 percent walk rate in 11 big-league seasons. The 33-year-old has mostly hit third or fourth in his four years with the Angles, which have been marred by injuries. Rendon hasn't played more than 58 games in any of his four years in Anaheim, which has basically made him avoidable in all mixed fantasy leagues going into 2024.

Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) was still feeling some tightness in his left lat on Wednesday after being pulled from his Cactus League outing on Tuesday night, although the tightness wasn't as bad as Tuesday evening, according to manager Torey Lovullo. The D-backs have talked about the possibility of having Rodriguez undergo an MRI exam. The 30-year-old southpaw will probably go for an MRI if he's still feeling tightness in his lat on Thursday, and his availability for Opening Day is certainly up in the air right now. E-Rod managed career-highs in ERA (3.30) and WHIP (1.15) in 26 starts for the Detroit Tigers in 2023, but regression is likely coming for a pitcher that has had plenty of durability issues in his career -- he's gone over 160 innings pitched in one of his eight big-league seasons.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (neck) returned to the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Wednesday versus the Philadelphia Phillies and started at first base and hit fifth in the batting order. Neck stiffness kept Mountcastle out of the spring lineup since last Friday, but he's back in there on Wednesday and should be fine to play on Opening Day next Thursday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. The 27-year-old's fantasy arrow is pointing up after hitting .270/.328/.452 with 18 home runs and 68 RBI in 115 games in 2023 despite missing time with vertigo and a shoulder injury. He's never played in more than 145 games in his four seasons in the big leagues, but he did hit 33 homers in 2021 and could be an excellent value pick in fantasy leagues if he can stay healthy in 2024. Mountcastle is RotoBaller's No. 24 ranked first baseman.