There is no reason to panic about Josh Beckett.

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

If you are looking for a sleeper outfielder this season, look no further than outfielder Luke Scott. I would not draft him; in nearly all leagues, he is going undrafted. However, I would not be the least bit surprised if he started hot; this guy has a sweet swing, a decent amount of power, and he will be batting fifth for the Orioles this March. Second baseman Brian Roberts and right fielder Nick Markakis will be on base enough plenty enough to give Scott all the chances he needs to drive in runs. Thirty home runs and 90 knocked in are definitely possible.

Boston Red Sox

As expected, Daisuke Matsuzaka made the season-opening debut for the Red Sox in Japan on Tuesday. No. 1 starter and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Josh Beckett was placed on the Disabled List. There is not much about which to panic because his back problems are muscular and not the skeletal type. He will likely come off the Disabled List to make a start on April 4 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The team is being especially careful with their ace, as they should. There is no reason to rush Beckett back. Missing one start is no big deal.

New York Yankees

Starting pitcher Andy Pettitte is suffering from back spasms, and is undergoing treatment but still cannot do so much as play catch. He was scratched from his Saturday start in the Grapefruit League, but as on Monday, team officials still claimed he was in line to make his scheduled regular season debut against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 2. The rehab must not be working as well as they thought, and it is now believed that Pettitte will miss his regular season debut. More pressure will now be put on young pitchers Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes.

Tampa Bay Rays

Top Prospect third baseman Evan Longoria will begin the season in Triple-A Durham. He posted a .299 batting average this spring, but the coaching staff still thinks he needs a little more seasoning in the minor leagues. I would expect a Ryan Braun-type scenario in which Longoria hits well in the minors for a month or so and the parent club calls him up. I would not expect Longoria to put up the power numbers Braun posted after his May call-up last season however. Longoria is a bit more of a patient hitter who hits the gaps more than Braun.

Toronto Blue Jays

Third baseman Scott Rolen will be out for at least two weeks. He broke a finger in a freak accident while he was fielding a ground ball. Counted on to be a regular run producer as the No. 5 hitter in the Jays' batting order, Rolen has not been a productive hitter since he hurt his shoulder a couple years ago, but he was proclaimed healthy this spring until this setback. That being said, the team will sorely miss a third baseman who could be the best ever at the position.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

Look for starting pitcher Lance Broadway to see some time in the rotation at some point this year. The right-hander is the top pitching prospect in the organization after the team traded Gio Gonzalez to the Oakland Athletics in the Nick Swisher deal this offseason. Gavin Floyd and John Danks are two unproven pitchers but are scheduled to be in the rotation. Broadway has more talent than both of those pitchers, so if either gets beat around a bit do not be surprised if Broadway gets the call.

Cleveland Indians

No. 2 starter Fausto Carmona looked very sharp in the six innings he pitched this weekend against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed a laser beam first inning home run to Gary Sheffield but settled down after that. He allowed just those two runs on six hits and struck out two batters, and his sinker was diving through the strike zone like it did much of last season. As long as this guy is pounding the strike zone there is no reason to expect anything other than a solid season from him.

Detroit Tigers

When center fielder and leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson sustained a broken finger when he was hit by a pitch on Saturday it threw the entire lineup into disarray. Shortstop Edgar Renteria, once slated to bat seventh in the order, will likely slide up to the top of the lineup, a spot with which he is very familiar. Brandon Inge should be the major beneficiary in terms of playing time. Inge, the unquestioned best athlete on the team, should be able to hold down the center field job for the couple of weeks that Granderson is on the shelf. He will bat ninth in the order.

Kansas City Royals

Third starter Zack Greinke bounced back from off field issues last season to finish rather strong. He came back in the bullpen and showed how dominant he can actually be. The 24-year-old righthander topped out at 98 miles per hour on his fastball in short relief, but as a starter he will likely throw that pitch in the low-to-mid 90's. He has appeared to overcome his depression and should post solid yet unremarkable numbers considering he pitches for the Royals. This may be the year he finally lives up to his potential. There is still plenty of time.

Minnesota Twins

Closer Joe Nathan has agreed to a four-year deal worth a reported $47 million. It begs people to wonder why the team did not use some of that money on the departed ace pitcher Johan Santana and name setup man Pat Neshek the heir-apparent to the closer throne. Either way, Nathan is locked up; this is a huge signing for the team. He has been a top-5 closer in baseball the past few years and will be counted on to once again be a rock at the end of games.

American League West

Los Angeles Angels

In his first 14 innings of Spring Training, starting pitcher Jered Weaver had allowed just five hits. The team will either name him or offseason acquisition Jon Garland as the opening day starter due to the triceps injury to John Lackey. Many people think they would tend to lean in the direction of Garland since he is the veteran of the staff now that Lackey is out. Also, the team may not want to put any undue mental or physical pressure on the young Weaver.

Oakland Athletics

When the A's played the Red Sox for their two game-series in Japan it was without third baseman Eric Chavez. He is currently rehabilitating his cranky back; this guy can just not stay healthy. One of the best defensive third basemen in recent years, Chavez has been battling injuries in for a while now, and the injuries have hurt him so much that hitting batting average has dropped in each of the past four seasons. He missed a good chunk of last season with sore forearms. Look for backup Jack Hannahan to fill in why Chavez is out; the timetable for his return is unclear, but he is said to be on schedule to start in the April 1 season opener.

Seattle Mariners

The third best starting pitcher on the team may be Brandon Morrow, and we just do no know it yet. For now he will be used in the setup role and in middle relief, but he will likely be one of the first to be considered for a spot in the starting rotation should any of the five sustain an injury. Morrow would have likely been named the No. 5 starter had the team not traded for Erik Bedard. He has a plus fastball that can get anyone out, but he must work on his secondary pitches in order to cut down on his walks.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have been experimenting with batting center fielder Josh Hamilton second in the order, between second baseman Ian Kinsler and shortstop Michael Young. He has hit over .500 for much of the spring, and he would provide plenty of speed and power at the top of the lineup. Everyone knows he can play; the only question is whether the years of substance abuse has sapped the ability of his body to fight off and recover from injuries. If he is healthy, he could have a monster year in this lineup.