Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (triceps) made his first Grapefruit League start on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies and pitched well, throwing two scoreless innings while allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out one. McClanahan, a two-time All-Star, has not pitched since 2023, first having Tommy John surgery and then missing all of last year with a nerve-related issue in his left triceps muscle. The 28-year-old southpaw is back, though, and he was able to hit 96.7 mph with his fastball on Tuesday while throwing 16 of his 23 pitches for strikes. McClanahan was showing ace potential for the Rays before the injuries started, so there is upside here. However, after missing the last two seasons, workload restrictions will likely limit McClanahan's ceiling in 2026. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 67 fantasy starting pitcher as a late-round flier with upside. His ADP will only continue to rise if he looks good and stays healthy in spring training.

Veteran right-handed reliever Kirby Yates signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels for the 2026 season, and he could be a favorite for save chances to begin the year. Yates will have to earn it this spring, but there is a potential opening at the back end of the Halos' bullpen with both right-handers Ben Joyce (shoulder) and Robert Stephenson (elbow) recovering from injuries. The two-time All-Star has 98 saves in his 11-year big-league career. He was an All-Star as recently as 2024 with the Texas Rangers, when he had a 1.17 ERA and 33 saves in 61 2/3 innings pitched. Yates had a career-high 41 saves for the San Diego Padres in 2019 as well, so he has plenty of experience being the guy in the ninth inning. It makes him a sleeper target for saves speculators, but he's coming off a 5.23 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and only three saves with the Dodgers last year, and once Joyce and Stephenson are ready, manager Kurt Suzuki will potentially be looking at a four-reliever committee for saves.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel turned in his second strong spring performance this past Sunday, allowing no earned runs on one hit and no walks while striking out six over three innings of work. Combined with his spring debut, the right-hander has yet to allow a run and just three hits while walking none so far and striking out a total of 11 through six innings pitched. The former-first round draft pick was consistently throwing his four-seamer over 97 mph in his latest outing, topping out at 98.9 mph and generating six whiffs (55 percent) on 11 swings on that pitch in the process. Abel had a rough go of it during his first taste of the majors last year, posting a gaudy 6.23 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 10 appearances (eight starts) between Minnesota and Philadelphia, although his last start of the 2025 showed what he is capable of, when he struck out nine in six innings of shutout ball. The 24-year-old will likely begin the season with Triple-A, but if he continues to show well, he could be the first name called when the Twins need rotation help. Although he's not draftable in most leagues, Abel is a name to monitor as he's shown flashes of dominance in the minors with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A in 2025.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (hand) has progressed from swings off flips/tee toss to more typical batting practice swings, manager Torey Lovullo told Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Carroll is recovering from surgery for a broken hamate bone in his right hand, but he appears to be getting close to facing live pitching in camp. If the 25-year-old continues to make good progress and avoids any setbacks, there's still a chance he could be ready to play on Opening Day on March 26 against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time All-Star and former National League Rookie of the Year bounced back in 2025 after a down year in 2024, slashing .259/.343/.541 with an .883 OPS, career-high 31 home runs, a league-leading 17 triples, 107 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases in 143 games. Carroll's hand injury isn't ideal going into the regular season, and it could sap him of some power, but he's still considered a top-10 fantasy outfielder at RotoBaller.