Every Friday during Spring Training, I'm going to go through all of the news around the league to make sure you have everything you need to be ready for your draft, and today that means about 4,800 words worth of notes from just about every team in the majors. Yeah, there's a lot you need to keep up with as Spring Training rolls on, and we've got it all for you right here.

There's no need for an extended intro here, given how much news we have to get to, but first: For those of you with drafts this weekend, make sure you bookmark our Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep Guide, which has absolutely everything you need from the Fantasy Baseball Today crew to make sure you're ready for your draft. That means mock drafts, rankings, Salary Cap values, and so, so much more from Scott White, Frank Stampfl, and I. It's not an exaggeration to say everything you need to draft is right there in that one link. 

Alright, now, let's get to the news. There's a ton of actionable information here, and it's all in one convenient place. Aren't you lucky?

If you can't get on the field, you can't contribute to a Fantasy team. Here's the latest injury news, and how it affects each players' value. 

Ronald Acuña (knee) is already doing batting practice. That's a good sign, given how worried we were about his meniscus injury earlier in the week, though there is currently no timetable for his return to Grapefruit League action. That being said, Acuña is still expected to be ready for Opening Day, and should be the No. 1 pick in all formats barring a setback. 

Kevin Gausman (shoulder) is dealing with "general shoulder fatigue". Gausman is going to continue to rest over the weekend, with the hope that he'll be able to throw off a mound Monday. He's very much in question for Opening Day, which is just 17 days away from Monday, but if he can avoid setbacks, he should be ready shortly after, at least. I've moved Gausman down to the bottom of the top 12 of my SP rankings, but if this ends up being a non-factor, he could be a terrific value. 

Justin Verlander (shoulder) will begin the season on the IL . Verlander had an issue in his shoulder during the offseason, but it sounds like he's doing well since – he threw a 60-pitch bullpen session without issue earlier in the week, and the hope is he'll face hitters soon. He'll probably get into a spring game within the next week or two, and at this point, I'm anticipating only a short IL stay to open the season. He could be a terrific value as his price continues to fall. 

Gunnar Henderson (oblique) has returned to spring action. Henderson, who missed the first couple of weeks of the spring with an oblique injury, made up for lost time with four hits in his first five trips to the plate over two games. Assuming Henderson can avoid setbacks, he should have more than enough time to get ready for Opening Day. There's no point in discounting him in drafts at this point. 

Adolis Garcia (oblique) homered in his spring debut. Garcia appeared in a game for the first time in 128 days when he made his spring debut Wednesday, and he got things started off with a homer against the Rockies . It was his first game since suffering the oblique injury during the World Series, which is an awfully long layoff, and there will be some risk of a setback over the coming days and weeks. But assuming he avoids any issues, he's a rock-solid fourth-round pick in Roto leagues. 

Edwin Diaz (knee) is nearing a spring debut. The Mets are slow-playing Diaz's spring as he returns from last year's right patellar tendon tear, but he's been pitching in intrasquad scrimmages and sitting in the high-90s with his fastball, so it looks like all systems go for the elite closer. There's some risk coming off the injury, but I think you can justify taking Diaz as the first closer off the board – he had a 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings in 2022. 

David Bednar (lat) is on a pause. Bednar has not pitched in spring action yet, and at this point it's not clear when he will. All public comments from Bednar and the team have downplayed the injury, but I think you probably need to discount him a few rounds at this point, and if you do draft him, you almost have to draft Aroldis Chapman as insurance in the last few rounds.  

Matt McLain (oblique) is nearing his spring debut. McLain has been swinging and participating in team workouts, and earlier this week, David Bell told reporters that McLain would likely play in games sometime this week. As of Thursday, that hasn't happened yet, but I haven't seen any reason to think there was a setback, so hopefully we'll see him out there this weekend. McLain has plenty of time to get up to speed for Opening Day, barring a setback, though I still think there's plenty of risk at his price even if he's healthy. 

Nate Lowe has side tightness. Lowe was scratched from Thursday's spring game, but it doesn't sound like the Rangers are too concerned right now. We'll see how he reacts to a few days off and some treatment, but I'll admit, it makes me feel a bit worse about spending $5 on Lowe in our Salary Cap draft Thursday night. 

Lucas Giolito (elbow) has a partially torn UCL. Giolito is seeing a specialist for a second opinion before determining whether he will undergo what would likely be season-ending surgery. The Red Sox were hoping for a bounceback from Giolito after signing him this offseason, but now it looks like their rotation depth will already face a significant test. Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Garrett Whitlock are all competing for a roster spot for the Red Sox, and it looks like all three may have an opening. I like Crawford best of that trio, followed by Whitlock and Houck in that order, but all three are intriguing late-round sleeper options. 

Sonny Gray (hamstring) looks unlikely for Opening Day. Gray suffered a hamstring injury in a spring start recently, and while the injury isn't considered serious, it looks like it could delay his season – especially given Gray's history of hamstring issues , which will likely cause him to take an especially conservative approach to his return. I don't think it's likely to extend into May, or anything, but it's an added risk factor for a pitcher who already had plenty of them, so it makes sense to discount him in drafts. 

Lars Nootbaar (ribs) is headed for a CT scan. Nootbaar has been out for most of the past week after an awkward fall during a game, and while his absence was initially reported as a precaution, apparently it hasn't healed as expected. He's going to have a CT scan taken Friday to determine the extent of the injury, and the Cardinals really can't afford another injury with Tommy Edman looking unlikely for Opening Day as he recovers from wrist surgery. If Nootbaar has to miss time in the regular season as well, that could open an opportunity for top-100 prospect Victor Scott, who hit .303/.369/.425 while reaching Double-A last season with – get this – 94 stolen bases. He has significantly better quality-of-contact metrics than someone like Esteury Ruiz, and could be a Fantasy standout if he gets a real chance. And he might be getting a real chance. 

The Rangers hope Corey Seager (hernia surgery) will get some Grapefruit League at-bats. One thing that might be complicating Seager's timetable is that he recently had the flu, which caused him to pause his rehab a little bit. The team would prefer to get him "a few at-bats" in spring, but manager Bruce Bochy also noted that Seager returned from a five-week absence last season without a rehab assignment and hit .324/.382/.630 from that point on. If anyone could hit the ground running without a proper spring training, it could be Seager, though there would be risk of a slow start, to be sure. 

Ian Happ (hamstring) is dealing with a hamstring injury. Happ has been able to get some batting practice in in recent days, so it sounds like the injury may not be too serious. Hopefully he's able to make some more progress this weekend and we see him back out there next week, with plenty of time to get ready for the start of the season. 

Trevor Story (neck) is being held out as a precaution. Story was scratched from Thursday's lineup with neck stiffness, but the hope is it won't be a long-term issue. Given Story's struggles staying on the field over the past few seasons, it's worth noting, but not worth worrying about (yet). 

Jarren Duran (ankle) was back in the lineup Thursday. Duran was back in his typical spot at the top of the Red Sox lineup after a scare Wednesday. He's expected to hit leadoff for Boston this season and is becoming one of my favorite breakout candidates for this season, with 20-40 upside if everything goes right. 

Nick Lodolo (leg) should make his spring debut Saturday. Lodolo's recovery from a stress fracture last season definitely hasn't gone as expected, but he's been throwing simulated games and bullpen sessions since spring started, and he was finally cleared to pitch in games beginning this weekend. The team hopes he'll be able to join the rotation a few weeks into the season, and he still has significant upside – he struck out 11.4 batters per nine as a rookie in 2022 and could be a terrific Fantasy option if he can keep the ball in the yard (and stay healthy). 

Kenley Jansen (lat) is nearing a spring debut. Jansen is aiming for a March 15 Spring Training debut, and looks like he'll be ready for Opening Day at this point. There's still a chance those trade rumors surrounding Jansen will come to fruition, but I'd be surprised if he got traded somewhere he wasn't going to be the closer, so I'm still targeting Jansen for saves whenever there's a discount (as there often is right now). 

Vaughn Grissom (groin) might not be ready for Opening Day. Grissom suffered a groin injury earlier in the week and sounds unlikely to be on the Opening Day roster, though his ultimate timetable is still unknown beyond that. Grissom is still an interesting late-round flier, especially in leagues with IL spots to play with, while Emmanuel Valdez can probably be safely ignored even in deeper leagues while Grissom is out, though he does have a bit of pop and speed. 

Tyler O'Neill (calf) will not travel with the team for an upcoming series in the Dominican Republic. He's dealing with calf tightness, which isn't expected to be a long-term concern at this point, but is worrying given O'Neill's history of injuries, but we won't worry as long as he's back in the lineup when the Red Sox return from the trip Monday. 

Matt Brash (elbow) has been cleared to resume throwing. There was some concern that Brash might have a season-ending elbow injury, multiple doctors confirmed that he didn't need surgery, and he's been cleared to play catch. He threw from 60 feet Tuesday, and while he isn't entirely out of the woods, there's still a path back to the Mariners bullpen for the wicked righty. Andres Munoz will almost certainly open the season as the club's closer, but Brash is still a viable late-round dart throw, especially if you have an IL spot to play with. 

Alek Manoah (shoulder) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. Manoah's injury is considered "minor" at this point, with no structural damage showing up in an MRI taken in recent days. However, he's had his prep for the season stalled, and that likely leaves him without enough time to be ready for the start of the season. Though, with Manoah allowing four runs on three hits, one walk, and three hit batters in 1.2 innings in his only spring outing so far, it's hard to even view him as a late-round dart throw at this point. 

Robert Stephenson (shoulder) still hopes to be ready for Opening Day. Stephenson threw a bullpen session Wednesday and hopes to throw another one Sunday, with the hopes he can return to game action shortly after. He's had his spring delayed due to shoulder discomfort, but if he gets back to game action soon, he could still be back by Opening Day. Stephenson is expected to set up for Carlos Estevez, but he's probably the better pitcher and could step in to the ninth-inning role if Estevez stumbles. 

Yuki Matsui (back) threw his first bullpen session Tuesday. It was his first time throwing off a mound since he suffered a back strain on Feb. 25, and Matsui reported no issues. He might not be ready for the team's March 20 opener against the Dodgers in Korea, but there's a chance he'll be ready when the Padres return to the states shortly after. 

Throwing harder is better, especially during the spring, when most pitchers are still rounding up. It's not everything, but you'd rather see higher velocity readings than lower. Here's what stood out this week: 

Carlos Rodon's velocity is still down. And honestly, that's not even the worst part of it. Rodon's fastball velocity was down 2.1 mph during Wednesday's start against the Rays, but the bigger concern is that he struggled to keep the ball in the yard and just didn't look sharp. Rodon has little to prove to the Yankees this spring, so results aren't as important as staying healthy, but Fantasy players would certainly like to see better results. The movement profile on Rodon's fastball and slider were both a bit off from where they've been in the past, and I'm certainly concerned that he just isn't right mechanically. He can still figure it out, but I'm less excited about the prospect of a Rodon bounceback than I was at the start of spring. 

Garrett Crochet's fastball is up 2.4 mph. Crochet is averaging 98.7 mph with his fastball, and he's introduced a new cutter that he has thrown at 94.4 mph according to Lance Brozdowski, which is pretty nasty. Crochet is transitioning to the rotation for the White Sox, and he's struck out five while issuing no walks in his first 3.2 innings in the spring. There is certainly huge upside here with the former No. 1 pick, though there is also plenty of risk for a pitcher who hasn't been a starter since 2019, when he was at the University of Tennessee. Given the stuff he's flashing right now, I'm willing to throw a late-round dart at Crochet. 

Ryan Weathers  is consistently reaching high-90s with his throws. His initial three spring outings for the Marlins have been dominant, recording 10 strikeouts with three walks and allowing five hits in 8.2 innings. During his lone start in front of the Statcast cameras on Feb. 29, he maintained an average fastball speed of 96.4 mph, a notable increase of 1.3 mph from last season. Weathers is a former top-100 prospect who hasn't really lived up to the hype, and there might not be a rotation spot available for him in Miami. But the Marlins track record developing pitchers makes him an interesting deep sleeper right now. 

Joe Ryan revamped his splitter and slider. Ryan is constantly tinkering, as he looks for the right arsenal to complement his remarkable fastball. He's throwing his splitter five mph harder than he did last season, with his slider coming in 2.9 mph harder and with less movement on both the horizontal and vertical planes. Ryan is also working on a sinker in hopes of limiting the home run issues that plagued him in the second half of last season. He's a polarizing player in Fantasy, but I think Ryan is a viable SP4. 

Want to know which pitchers might break out? The ones who added a new weapon to their arsenals are often a good bet. Here's who is doing some tweaking. 

Bailey Ober has a new cutter. Ober has actually made all kinds of changes in spring , raising his release point a few inches and adding about 2 mph to his four-seam fastball, but he has a new breaking ball that is somewhere between a slider and a cutter – "Whatever you want to call it. Something that's hard and goes to the left," as Ober told reporters after a recent start. Ober releases the ball closer to the plate than just about any other pitcher in baseball, which helped him overcome middling stuff to post a 3.43 ERA last season. How much better could he be if the stuff takes a step forward. He's a very popular pick right now, and while his FantasyPros ADP is 155.2, don't be surprised to see Ober go a lot closer to 100th overall in the final few weeks of drafts. 

Taj Bradley tweaked his cutter and has a new splitter. Bradley made his first spring start against the Yankees this week, and he was pitching in front of the Statcast cameras, so we got to see the state of his arsenal. With another hat-tip to Lance Brozdowski , one of the best pitching minds out there, is fastball velocity was up a tick, his cutter was up 1.3 mph but had more slider-like movement, and had a re-worked splitter that came in 2.2 mph harder than last year's version, but with a spin rate 200 rpm lower – which should lead to more break on the pitch. Bradley still has plenty to work on, especially with his command, but he remains a very interesting sleeper who can be drafted in the final rounds right now. 

Tylor Megill has a new splitter and cutter. Megill threw five splitters against the Yankees in a start Tuesday, matching the number he threw all of last season, while the cutter is entirely new pitch for him. He got three whiffs with each pitch, while using the cutter as his No. 2 pitch and throwing it 24% of the time. Megill still hasn't rediscovered he had early in 2022, but maybe the expanded repertoire can help make up for that – he has 13 strikeouts in eight innings in his first three spring outings. Megill is competing for the fifth spot in the Mets rotation, and you have to think he's in the lead right now. 

Lineups in spring are just snapshots, but they can still tell us something about how a team wants to deploy their hitters. Here are the latest hints. 

Michael Harris is trending up. Right now, Harris is primarily hitting in the leadoff spot for the Braves , but obviously, that probably won't be the case once Ronald Acuña is healthy. However, in one permutation of the lineup earlier this week that featured Acuña in the leadoff spot and most of their projected Opening Day lineup, Harris was hitting sixth – a potentially significant move for Harris, who hit seventh or lower in 113 of his 137 starts last season, including 88 as the No. 9 hitter. Moving from the nine spot to sixth for the whole season could potentially mean 10% more plate appearances for Harris, no small thing. 

Yoan Moncada hitting second? Moncada told manager Pedro Grifol he wants to hit second, and while Grifol was publicly noncommittal , that's where Moncada has spent most of the spring when he's been in the lineup. Moncada hasn't played more than 104 games since 2021, but could give you 15 homers and decent run production numbers if he's hitting near the top of the lineup. As a corner infielder in a deeper league, that's not so bad. 

Trevor Story batting third. I want to give a quick shoutout to Mike Kurland, whose MLBPlayingTime.com site is keeping track of every team's spring lineups right now, and when Story has been in the lineup, he's primarily been the No. 3 hitter, sandwiched between Rafael Devers and Triston Casas. If Story bounces back after a couple of lost seasons while dealing with elbow issues, that could be an incredibly valuable spot in the lineup to be in. There's significant upside here for Story. 

Maikel Garcia hitting leadoff occasionally. This one isn't quite as consistent, with MJ Melendez getting his share of opportunities out of the top of the lineup. However, Garcia has hit leadoff in four of his five appearances this spring, and it's an interesting fit for a player with plenty of speed – Garcia stole 43 bases in 142 games between Double-A and Triple-A, and had 23 in 123 games last season with the Royals. He's an intriguing cheap speed option who could help out in both batting average and runs. 

Tim Anderson hitting 2nd. With one exception, when he hit fifth, Anderson has been in the top-two of the Marlins lineup in every game he has played so far. Anderson was hitting .298/.327/.404 with five steals in 11 games before injuring his knee last April, and I think there's some bounceback potential here at the top of the Marlins lineup. 

DJ LeMahieu hitting leadoff. He's done so in all six of his appearances so far, which is consistent with what the Yankees have been saying since the offseason. LeMahieu needs to bounce back from three straight subpar seasons for it to matter too much, but if he can just hit .275, he's probably going to be a pretty useful Fantasy option hitting in front of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, with legitimate 100-plus run upside. 

Esteury Ruiz in the leadoff spot? Ruiz has been in the leadoff spot in six of his eight starts so far this spring, but there's a significant caveat here, which is that all but one of those six starts has come against a left-handed pitcher; Ruiz has hit eighth in two of three games against a righty. Ruiz was significantly better against lefties last season, so that pattern makes some sense. If he's hitting leadoff against lefties and eighth against righties, that's pretty good, but there's some risk that the A's will sit Ruiz against some righties, as they often did late last season. 

The cream rises to the top. Here's are the position battle updates from this week. 

Gavin Lux's shortstop job is not secure. When the Dodgers got to camp, there wasn't much discussion about Lux's role, but he's struggled defensively in his return from a torn ACL, to the point where manager Dave Roberts wouldn't commit to Lux as his starting SS when asked Thursday, telling reporters, " Performance matters." Lux's bat has been fine, as he is hitting .348/.423/.348 in his first 26 PA, but the team's offense has plenty of firepower, and they might decide some combination of Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, and Enrique Hernandez might give them a better chance. Lux is still a decent late-round sleeper, but one with less job security than expected. 

The Cubs are giving Christopher Morel room to make mistakes at third base . They seemingly want Morel to be the everyday third baseman, after moving him all around the diamond in previous seasons. Morel will probably never be a good defender anywhere on the field, but his bat might be good enough to be worth the experiment. He definitely hasn't been perfect, but with Nick Madrigal dealing with a hamstring injury, Morel has plenty of runway, and is a legitimate 30-homer, 10-steal candidate if he plays everyday. 

Dodgers rotation updates. With Emmett Sheehan's spring off to a delayed start after dealing with shoulder soreness, it seems like Gavin Stone might have an inside track right now. He has allowed one run over 5.2 innings so far, and is a terrific post-hype sleeper – he was awful in the majors, but has a 3.19 ERA and 12.2 K/9 in his minor-league career. Consider him with a late-round pick. 

Marlins rotation updates. With Braxton Garrett looking unlikely for Opening Day, there could be room for all of A.J. Puk, Edward Cabrera, and Trevor Rogers for the Marlins to start the season. That would still likely leave Weathers and Max Meyer on the outside looking in, and I wonder if the Marlins might consider giving Meyer a chance out of the bullpen, where his largely two-pitch mix might play up. They'll have to manage his innings coming back from Tommy John surgery anyway. 

Braves rotation updates. The Braves have Reynaldo Lopez, Bryce Elder, and A.J. Smith-Shawver competing for the No. 5 spot, and all three are pitching well early in the spring. My guess is, they'll default to Lopez, who has been a weapon out of the bullpen the past few seasons, and give him a chance to see if he can transition effectively back to the rotation. If not, they can always move him back to a shorter role, with Elder and Smith-Shawver looming in the minors – that both have options helps Lopez's case.  

Red Sox rotation updates. With Giolito's injury, there should be room for all of Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck in the rotation, and all three are interesting sleepers – target them in the late rounds in that order. 

Padres closer updates. The Padres signed Woo-Suk Go from Korea and Yuki Matsui from Japan this offseason, both of whom have extensive experience closing games out overseas. However, as of right now, it sounds like Suarez is the favorite for the ninth-inning, with MLB.com's AJ Cassavell saying, "all signs point to Suarez as the team's primary closer ." Suarez struggled last season, but has 85 strikeouts and a 2.99 ERA in 75.1 innings over the past two seasons, and could be a decent option in the ninth inning. He's a worthwhile late-round target for cheap saves, though I don't mind stashing Matsui with a reserve pick in case Suarez falters. 

Miguel Sano, starting 3B? He's on the Angels, by the way, where Anthony Rendon is already dealing with a groin injury. Sano lost 58 pounds this offseason as he tries to make his return to the majors, and they're giving him plenty of opportunities in spring – which has so far amounted to an .087/.250/.217 line in 28 plate appearances. I took Sano in the reserve rounds of an AL-only draft last week, and that's about the only place he has any value, but let's not forget that he hit 30 homers as recently as the 2021 season. 

The best prospects make themselves undeniable. Here's who is turning heads on the camp. 

Henry Davis, OF/(C), Pirates – Alright, Davis isn't technically a prospect, but I want to talk about him anyway! He's off to a ridiculous start to the spring, hitting .333/.381/.833 with three homers in his first seven games, and it's going to be hard for the Pirates to keep his bat out of the lineup if he keeps it up. At this point, it looks like Davis is the smaller side of the catcher platoon behind Yasmani Grandal, so the question is whether the Pirates will give him opportunities at DH and outfield after trying him out there. He might be forcing his way into the lineup one way or the other, and should be drafted in all leagues with the expectation that he'll get C eligibility shortly after the season starts. There's huge upside here. 

Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers – Langford tore through the minors last season, and he's doing the same to the Cactus League so far, hitting, .300/.423/.750, in case you're wondering why he's one of the fastest risers in ADP . This is another one where it's not clear what the fit on the Rangers roster is, but he's been so good that it seems like they have to find a spot for him. However, that might just be wishful thinking, especially if Corey Seager and/or Josh Jung need time at DH early in the season. 

Jackson Holliday, SS/(2B), Orioles – The Orioles effectively left second base wide open for Holliday, and he's doing everything he can so far in spring to take the job, hitting .333/.364/.619. If there's one blemish on his record, it's the eight strikeouts to one walk in 22 plate appearances, but given the sample size, it's hard to be too concerned – Holliday struck out just 20% of the time despite making it to Triple-A as a 19-year-old last season. Holliday had 12 homers and 24 steals in 125 games last season, and it's fair to wonder how Fantasy-relevant the profile will be from day one. On the other hand, he's an elite prospect who might make his debut as a 20-year-old on Opening Day, and betting on that profile isn't a bad idea. 

Jackson Merrill, SS/(OF), Padres – As with Holliday, it's fair to ask how Fantasy-friendly the profile is right now, but the Padres are certainly giving Merrill every chance to transition to the outfield and steal an Opening Day job. The 20-year-old has hit .280/.357/.360 this spring, coming off a season where he hit .277/.326/.444 in High-A and Double-A. He's rightly going behind the other top prospects with both more job security and better track records in the high minors, but Merrill is worth a late-round pick if he wins the job. 

Jared Jones, SP, Pirates – The Pirates recently announced that top prospect Paul Skenes , last year's No. 1 overall pick, won't be cracking the Opening Day rotation, but that doesn't mean they have no flamethrowing prospects worth getting excited about. Jones, who can run his fastball up to triple-digits and has done so numerous times this spring, is in contention for the fifth starter spot right now. He struck out 146 batters in 126.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A, but he also struggled with his control at times, and his three walks in 4.2 innings this spring stand out as a red flag. Still, Jones is maybe the only interesting pitcher on the Pirates entire roster outside of Mitch Keller and David Bednar until Skenes gets called up, and we have to be rooting for him to win that job for that reason alone.