Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said he pulled third baseman Josh Jung (hamstring) from the Cactus League lineup on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox as a precaution because he "felt something" in his hamstring, according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Schumaker said that Jung "wasn't thrilled that I pulled him." Jung is likely to be back in the lineup on Friday, so it's obviously nothing serious. The 28-year-old should be fine, but it's worth noting for a player who has struggled to stay on the field early in his career due to injuries. Jung played a career-high 131 games in 2025 and slashed .251/.294/.390 with a .684 OPS, 14 home runs, 61 RBI, 53 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 511 plate appearances. Injuries in the last two seasons have caused his batted-ball metrics to dip and his draft stock to slide. Jung still has plenty of power from the right side, though, and isn't a bad depth option at the hot corner if you're looking for home runs.

New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea performed like an ace in the second half of 2024 after lowering his arm slot to emulate Chris Sale. In 2025, Manaea went even lower with his arm slot, but it didn't work, and he also dealt with elbow and oblique injuries before finishing with a 5.64 ERA in just 60 2/3 innings. The Athletic's Will Sammon writes that Manaea is "one of the Mets' biggest X-factors" in 2026, and while working with Tread Athletics over the offseason, he is "closer to where he was at his best in 2024" in terms of his revised arm slot. The 34-year-old veteran southpaw is also feeling totally healthy this spring. Pitching coach Justin Willard describes Manaea's fastball as "elite" because it's "a different pitch than hitters are used to seeing." Manaea has relied mostly on his fastball and sweeper in recent seasons, but he's working more on his changeup to potentially bring it back. Manaea isn't a bad late-round flier in fantasy drafts to mitigate the risk of an aging pitcher with two above-average seasons since 2020.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Cody Ponce made his Grapefruit League debut on Wednesday and threw a clean inning with no walks, no hits, and two strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. Ponce is an interesting arm going into the 2026 season in the middle of Toronto's starting rotation. The Jays signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract in December after he was named the MVP of the Korean League last year with the Hanwha Eagles, where he had an impressive 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 252:41 K:BB in 180 2/3 innings pitched. Ponce won't have it easy as he returns to the majors in the tough American League East and in a hitter-friendly home ballpark, but he's returning with a better splitter and the addition of a kick-change. The 31-year-old had a 5.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 48:17 K:BB in 20 outings (five starts) in 2020 and 2021 with the Pirates. Ponce will be one to watch in deep-mixed leagues and a sleeper for those in AL-only leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler (shoulder) threw his first bullpen session this spring on Thursday since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery on Sept. 23 of last year, which involved the removal of a rib, according to Corey Seidman of Sports Illustrated. Wheeler felt great after throwing 21 fastballs on Thursday. When asked if Wheeler could be ready to pitch in a big-league game six weeks from Thursday, manager Rob Thomson said, "Possibly." It's also possible that he could pitch in a Grapefruit League game, but it's still unclear. Barring soreness or a setback, Wheeler should be expected to throw another bullpen on Sunday. Wheeler will begin the 2026 season on the injured list, but if he continues to progress at this pace, it's possible he could make his season debut in April. Still, the 35-year-old veteran isn't a lock to return to his ace form, which is why he's dropped in the starting pitching rankings to No. 48 overall at RotoBaller.