Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes had his 2025 season cut short after he suffered a partially torn UCL in his elbow in late July. However, the 29-year-old opted against surgery and is reportedly fully healthy and ready to go heading into 2026. Before getting injured last season, Holmes pitched to a 4-9 record with a 3.99 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 123 strikeouts across 115 innings (21 starts). Command was an issue for the right-hander, as he logged an inflated 11% walk rate. However, Holmes showed an ability to miss bats with a 25% strikeout rate, and he's logged 16 strikeouts across 12 1/3 innings so far this spring. With Braves starters Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and Hurston Waldrep (elbow) both going down in Spring Training with elbow injuries, Holmes should be locked into a spot in the Atlanta rotation. Holmes carries significant injury risk himself, but he could be a quality late-round source of strikeouts for fantasy managers to target in drafts heading into 2026.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that shortstop Jeremy Pena (finger) will swing a bat for the second straight day on Saturday, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Pena's status for Opening Day remains up in the air as he works his way back from a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger. However, it appears as though the 28-year-old is progressing well and may not be far off from returning to game action, even if he is not on the field for Houston's opener against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Pena is coming off an excellent 2025 season in which he hit .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 62 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across 543 plate appearances. Once healthy, he will be locked into an everyday role at the top of the Astros' lineup. Should Pena miss time, Houston would likely shift third baseman Carlos Correa over to his natural position at short and insert veteran infielder Issac Paredes into an everyday role at third base.

New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga burst onto the scene in his first MLB season in 2023, recording a 2.98 ERA with 202 strikeouts across 166 1/3 innings pitched. However, the 33-year-old has pitched just 118 2/3 innings in the two seasons since then, missing time with shoulder, calf, and hamstring injuries. Senga was still reasonably effective when on the mound in 2025, recording a 7-6 record with a 3.02, 1.31 WHIP, and 109 strikeouts across 22 starts. Still, he struggled with command (11.2% walk rate), and his strikeout rate dipped to 22.6%, a far cry from the 29.1% mark he posted in 2023. This spring, Senga has avoided health issues and may be showing signs of a return to his peak form. The right-hander reportedly touched 99 mph with his fastball and finished the spring with a seven-inning scoreless streak. If Senga can stay on the mound, he may be an undervalued source of late-round strikeouts for fantasy managers heading into 2026.

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said that starting pitcher Zach Eflin has "checked every box" with his performance in Spring Training to this point, per Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. Eflin dominated the New York Yankees in his most recent Spring Training start on Friday, striking out seven batters over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. The 31-year-old battled injuries and ineffectiveness in 2025, posting a 5.93 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 50 strikeouts across 71 1/3 innings (14 starts) for Baltimore. Still, the Orioles re-signed him to a one-year, $10 million contract, and Eflin looks to have assured himself a spot in the starting rotation with his performance this Spring. With a career strikeout rate of 20.5%, Eflin is unlikely to be a reliable source of whiffs for fantasy managers. However, he's very good at limiting walks and posted three consecutive seasons with a WHIP of 1.15 or lower from 2022 through 2024. If he can stay healthy in 2026, Eflin could emerge as a solid innings-eater who is currently undervalued in fantasy drafts.