The Toronto Blue Jays don't expect to be without closer Jordan Romano (elbow) for an extended period as he recovers from right-elbow inflammation that sidelined him for the final couple weeks of spring training. Once he's cleared to start throwing off a mound, Romano is expected to make a quick transition back to the majors after opening the year on the injured list, along with fellow reliever Erik Swanson (forearm). More patience will be required for Swanson. In their absences, Chad Green and Yimi Garcia are expected to split the Blue Jays' closing duties until Romano returns. Romano will be eligible to come off the IL on April 9, so fantasy managers need to keep him stashed in all formats and hope for a quick return.

The New York Yankees officially placed right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday with right-elbow inflammation. Cole has avoided structural damage in his right elbow, but he's still expected to miss at least one to two months. It remains to be seen if last year's American League Cy Young winner will be able to start a throwing program in a couple of weeks as he slowly begins to build his arm back up. The 33-year-old needs to be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues because he's one of the very best arms in all of baseball when he's healthy, but there's really no telling how much he'll pitch in 2024 or how effective he'll be if he does. And of course the Yankees aren't going to rush their ace back too soon.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz will hit sixth on Thursday on Opening Day versus the Washington Nationals and right-hander Josiah Gray. Cruz had been hitting mostly second for the Reds in spring training action, but outfielder Will Benson will be slotted there for the first regular season game in 2024. It's not exactly what De La Cruz's fantasy managers were hoping for, but it's also just Game 1 of 162 this year. For DFS purposes on Thursday, it makes the intriguing 22-year-old shortstop less attractive towards the bottom of the lineup. De La Cruz's tantalizing power/speed combination makes him one of the top young position-player prospects in baseball, at a premium position no less. With a hot streak at the plate, he could easily supplant Benson in the two-hole for the Reds sooner than later.

The San Francisco Giants optioned shortstop Marco Luciano and catcher Blake Sabol to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. Many folks expected Luciano to open the year as San Fran's starting shortstop, but instead he'll open the year in the minors after missing some time with an injury in spring training. Veteran Nick Ahmed will open the 2024 season as the Giants' starter at the 6. The 22-year-old Luciano should still be considered the team's best long-term option at shortstop, but it remains to be seen when they'll deem him ready to return to the majors. Sabol, 26, is currently the Giants' No. 3 catcher behind Patrick Bailey and Joey Bart, so he'll bide his time on the farm until the team needs another catcher at the big-league level.

The Minnesota Twins placed right-handers Anthony DeSclafani (elbow) and Josh Winder (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list on Thursday. The Twins also put right-handers Jhoan Duran (oblique), Josh Staumont (calf), Justin Topa (knee) and Zack Weiss (shoulder) and left-hander Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) on the 15-day IL to open the year. DeSclafani is dealing with a right-elbow strain and won't be an option for the back end of Minnesota's starting rotation for at least the first two months of the 2024 season. The 33-year-old was acquired in an offseason trade from the Seattle Mariners in January. He went 4-8 with a 4.88 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 20 walks and 79 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings for the San Francisco Giants in 2023. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can leave him to the waiver wire.