Toronto Blue Jays top pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann is off to a wild start, walking nine batters over his first 8 1/3 innings in 2024 for Triple-A Buffalo. Tiedeman has also struggled to keep the ball in the yard in the early going, allowing three home runs over his first three starts. While the 21-year-old has been uneven at the beginning of the Triple-A season, he has ace-like upside and has flashed that with more strikeouts than innings pitched thus far. Look for Tiedeman to right the ship as he settles in to push his way to Toronto at some point this season.

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means (elbow) gave up two runs in three innings in Thursday's rehab start with Triple-A Norfolk, allowing two hits and two walks while fanning three. Means allowed one run in three innings in his last rehab appearance after getting blown up for seven runs back on March 31, so he's starting to show signs of improvement while recovering from a right forearm strain. Manager Brandon Hyde has previously stated Means' rehab assignment will last close to the full 30 days, so the 30-year-old former All-Star won't be available for the O's likely until early May. Means missed most of the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, but he produced a solid 2.66 ERA (5.24 FIP), 0.71 WHIP, and 10:4 K:BB across 23 2/3 innings after returning late last year and is a decent stash in all fantasy leagues. The struggling Cole Irvin is the most likely candidate to be bounced from Baltimore's rotation upon Means' return.

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski has been inconsistent in his first two Double-A starts in the 2024 season. The flame-thrower has gone 7.1 innings, walking six batters while allowing a 4.91 ERA. Misiorowski has still flashed the power stuff that has made him a top prospect as he has 11 strikeouts and is holding opposing hitters to a .192 batting average. The 22-year-old has all the tools to be a front-of-the-rotation starter, however, he must throw more strikes and work deeper into games to reach his lofty ceiling. Misiorowski is still a great fantasy asset, as there are very few pitchers who can match his overall power arsenal.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said on Tuesday that outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) has a check-in MRI this week. Friedl fractured his right wrist on March 16 during a spring training game and was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but he was able to avoid the 60-day injured list to begin the season. The 28-year-old center fielder should be able to rejoin the Reds in early May if all goes well in his recovery, and his progress is something to monitor for those opting not to stash him. Friedl broke out for Cincy last year, slashing a prolific .279/.352/.467 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI, 73 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases across 556 plate appearances. Will Benson is handling the majority of the reps in center for the time being, slashing .209/.277/.512 with eight extra-base hits, four RBI, and two stolen bags over 43 at-bats and carries a decent combination of power and speed for fantasy managers in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.

Mariners outfielder Lazaro Montes has picked up where he left off last season and continues to hit wherever he goes. Montes hit a mammoth home run during the 2024 opening weekend for Modesto and enters Thursday slashing .350/.480/.550 over his first 25 plate appearances. While it is a small sample size, the 19-year-old has also walked more than striking out in the early going. Montes gained a lot of prospect steam over the offseason and could be a big riser on future lists. It is not out of the question for the Cuba native to be a top-ten overall prospect by the end of the season. Fantasy managers will want to get in before the price is too high.