Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Orion Kerkering (forearm) pitched on Thursday in Florida, touching 98 mph with his fastball. Kerkering's strained right forearm is healed now, but he is rebuilding arm strength after missing weeks of spring training because of an illness. Expected to be activated as soon as he's eligible on April 9, the 22-year-old right-hander will probably serve as a middle reliever out of Philly's bullpen upon his 2024 debut. But Kerkering is the No. 6 Phillies prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and their likely closer of the future after being tasked with critical innings during the 2023 playoffs, holding his own with a 3.38 ERA (3.07 FIP) and five strikeouts covering 5 1/3 frames last postseason. After Jose Alvarado gave up five runs in Friday's Opening Day loss to the Atlanta Braves, it can't help but feel like Kerkering's fantasy stock rose a bit. He belongs on all watchlists.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (shoulder), who started the season on the 15-day injured list, inched closer to going out on a minor-league rehab assignment when he threw a bullpen session before Friday's game versus the New York Yankees. On March 5, the Astros decided to have Verlander begin the season on the IL because there wasn't enough time to get him fully ready before Opening Day. Although he showed up to camp a couple of weeks behind schedule due to right shoulder inflammation, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer's absence isn't likely to extend very deep into the regular season. If all goes well in his recovery, Verlander should be able to return to Houston's rotation by the end of April. Until the veteran right-hander is ready to make his 2024 debut, Ronel Blanco will occupy a rotation spot and carry short-term fantasy streaming appeal in favorable matchups.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora called third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) day-to-day after Friday's 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Cora says Devers is experiencing shoulder soreness following batting practice, and the team will see how he feels ahead of Saturday's game against Seattle and right-hander Logan Gilbert. The 27-year-old two-time All-Star's status remains up in the air for that one, but he doesn't sound to be facing any kind of extended absence with the issue. Bobby Dalbec took over at the hot corner for the BoSox on Friday, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He isn't worth adding in any fantasy leagues at the moment, but Devers' absence did allow Tyler O'Neill to move up the two-hole of Boston's lineup, which could amplify his upside for the time being after he went yard from the fifth spot on Opening Day.

Updating a previous report, the Seattle Mariners have announced that catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver (back) was scratched ahead of Friday's 1-0 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox due to back spasms and is day-to-day. Garver is not dealing with a serious injury, and his next chance to return to the lineup comes in Saturday's matchup against Boston and right-hander Kutter Crawford. After rapping a double in Thursday's loss, Garver is set to function as the everyday DH in the heart of Seattle's order and should be held in the majority of fantasy leagues. In the 33-year-old backstop's absence on Friday, Mitch Haniger moved to the cleanup spot of the Mariners' lineup as the DH and figures to operate as their primary DH until Garver is cleared to play. With that said, Haniger is worth a look on waiver wires after slugging a home run on Opening Day.

New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (thumb) exited Friday's eventual 7-1 win over the Houston Astros after being hit in the hand by a pitch in the seventh inning, and X-rays on his injured right thumb came back negative following the game. Torres was able to stay in the contest and run the bases, but he couldn't continue thereafter and was replaced by Jahmai Jones in the bottom half of the seventh. He went 0-for-3 before departing. Consider Torres day-to-day ahead of Saturday's tilt against the Astros, as he appears to have avoided a more significant setback. With DJ LeMahieu (foot) already sidelined for New York, the 27-year-old two-time All-Star's injury opens the door to additional playing time for the recently-acquired Jon Berti at the keystone. Berti is worth a speculative add off fantasy waivers for his positional versatility and stolen base upside until Torres is back healthy.