MLB News

Josh Hader • RP • Astros

Josh Hader "Feeling Strong" After Live BP Session, a Month From Debut?

Houston Astros left-handed closer Josh Hader (biceps) said he's "feeling strong" after throwing 20 pitches to teammates Taylor Trammell and Brice Matthews on Tuesday at Daikin Park, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Hader missed the final two months last year with a left-shoulder capsule strain and was then diagnosed with biceps tendinitis at the start of February. He's been working his way back ever since and landed on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2026 regular season. Hader was sitting at 91-93 mph with his fastball on Tuesday. Barring a setback, he's about a month away from making his season debut for the Astros. With Hader on the shelf, right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu has not taken advantage of the opportunity to lock down Houston's closing role, which has led to Enyel De Los Santos picking up some saves in the last couple of days. Even though Hader is getting older and is more of an injury risk now, he was dominant when healthy in 2025 and should still be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues.

Apr 16

Jesús Luzardo • SP • Phillies

Jesus Luzardo Pummeled by Cubs on Wednesday

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo had a start to forget on Wednesday night in the team's 11-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. Luzardo lost his third game of the year, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out four in 5 1/3 innings of work. He allowed six earned runs in six innings in his first start of the year on March 29 against the Texas Rangers, and he also gave up five earned runs in 4 2/3 frames in his last start versus the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 10. The 28-year-old southpaw now has an ugly 7.94 ERA (2.89 FIP) and 1.45 WHIP with 30 strikeouts and only five walks in 22 2/3 innings over his four starts in 2026. Luzardo has allowed a league-high 20 earned runs, but with a 2.89 FIP, it looks like he's dealt with some bad luck early on. Fantasy managers might want to consider benching him in a rematch with the Cubs next week at Wrigley Field, but they shouldn't panic just yet with Luzardo.

Apr 16

Nico Hoerner • 2B • Cubs

Nico Hoerner Homers, Drive in Five in Win Over Phillies

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner continued to swing the bat well in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, going 3-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored as the Cubs' leadoff hitter. Hoerner is one of the hottest hitters in baseball at the moment in the first month of the season, as he's now slashing .324/.410/.507 with a .917 OPS, two home runs, 18 RBI, six stolen bases, 12 runs scored, nine walks, and nine strikeouts in 83 plate appearances over 18 games played. He has five multi-hit games in his last eight games since April 7. Hoener's home run was a two-run shot off left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo in the fifth inning to put the Cubs up 5-1 at the time. It goes without saying that Hoerner should be started in all fantasy formats right now while he's scorching hot. Hoerner is one of the toughest hitters to strike out in the big leagues, giving him a stable batting-average floor since he makes so much contact.

Apr 16

Shota Imanaga • SP • Cubs

Shota Imanaga Strikes Out 11 in First Win of the Season

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga was on point in Wednesday's 11-2 blowout win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark. Imanaga was dominant, allowing only one earned run on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 11 in six innings to win his first game of the 2026 season. His 11 strikeouts matched a career-high, and he also had a head-turning 26 swinging strikes and threw 67 of his 97 pitches on the night for strikes. The only run that Imanaga allowed was on a solo shot to shortstop Trea Turner in the first inning. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw settled in from there and didn't allow much of anything else for the rest of his outing in Philly. Imanaga is now 1-1 on the year with a 2.45 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts in his 22 innings pitched over four starts. While it will be difficult for Imanaga to repeat this outing in a rematch with the Phillies next week at Wrigley Field, fantasy managers shouldn't be benching him with his fastball velocity up a few ticks this year.

Apr 16

Sal Stewart • 1B • Reds

Sal Stewart Continues to Hit, Goes Deep Twice on Wednesday

Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart is in the midst of a breakout season early on in 2026 in his first full year in the big leagues. In the team's 8-3 win over the visiting San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, Stewart went 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, six RBI, and a strikeout. Stewart hit two three-run home runs early in this game against Giants right-hander Tyler Mahle, and the Reds never looked back. It was Stewart's first multi-homer game of his career, and most likely the first of many to come. The 22-year-old former first-rounder in 2022 is hitting .323/.434/.726 with a 1.160 OPS, seven home runs, 17 RBI, three stolen bases, 13 runs scored, 13 walks, and 13 strikeouts in 76 plate appearances over his first 18 games in 2026. Stewart's seven home runs lead all rookie hitters, and he also leads the league with his .726 slugging percentage in the early going. His ownership in fantasy baseball has taken off since the start of the regular season, and he's now rostered in 88% of Yahoo leagues.

Apr 16

Shohei Ohtani • DH • Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani Strikes Out 10 in Win Over Mets

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was focused only on pitching in his start on Wednesday against the New York Mets at Dodgers Stadium, and he delivered. Ohtani picked up his second win of the season in an 8-2 win, allowing only one earned run on two hits while walking two and striking out 10 in six innings of work. The 31-year-old Japanese superstar and four-time MVP was mowing hitters down, and he generated a whopping 22 swings and misses on the night. Ohtani mixed all of his pitches well and displayed his elite heater (he hit 100 mph several times) to befuddle the struggling Mets lineup. We all know how good Ohtani is with a bat in his hands, but Wednesday night served as a reminder that he's also pretty elite as a starting pitcher, too. Through his first three starts in 2026 (18 innings), Ohtani has allowed only two runs (one earned) on seven hits) while walking six and striking out 18. He'll be a must-start in fantasy lineups for his next scheduled start on the mound next week in San Francisco against the division-rival Giants.

Apr 16

Lenyn Sosa • 2B • Blue Jays

Lenyn Sosa Back at Second Base on Thursday for Toronto

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Lenyn Sosa will make the start at second base again on Thursday for the second straight day in the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Brandon Sproat at American Family Field, according to MLB.com. Sosa, who was recently acquired in a trade from the Chicago White Sox, made his first start with the team on Wednesday and went 1-for-3 at the plate in the team's 2-1 loss to the Brew Crew. He will hit fifth in the batting order on Thursday. Sosa will get a shot to be the team's primary second baseman against right-handed pitchers. So far in 14 games in 2026, he has gone 9-for-37 (.243) at the plate with no homers, three RBI, and three runs scored in 37 plate appearances. Sosa is a career .246/.273/.387 hitter with a .661 OPS, 37 home runs, 128 RBI, and five stolen bases in 317 games played.

Apr 16

Ben Rice • 1B • Yankees

Ben Rice Back in the Lineup in Series Finale Against Angels

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who started on the bench in the last two games with left-handers on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels, is back at first base and is hitting fifth for Thursday's series finale against the Halos and left-hander Brent Suter at Yankee Stadium, per MLB.com. Manager Aaron Boone said during spring training that Rice would see more starts against left-handed pitchers in 2026, so it was disappointing for fantasy managers to see him on the bench for the first couple of games of the series. The 27-year-old left-handed slugger is hitting a cool .333 (17-for-51) with four home runs, 13 RBI, one stolen base, and 15 runs scored in his first 17 games this year after slashing .255/.337/.499 with an .836 OPS, 26 homers, and 65 RBI in 138 games in 2025 in his first full season in the majors. Rice has work to do against southpaws, as he's hit just .194 (30-for-155) against them with a .673 OPS and eight of his 37 career home runs.

Apr 16

Heliot Ramos • LF • Giants

Heliot Ramos Heading to the Bench Against Reds

San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos is not in the team's starting lineup on Thursday in the series finale on the road against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark, according to MLB.com. It's the second straight game that Will Brennan, who bats left-handed, will get the start over Ramos. Brennan is starting in left field and is hitting sixth against Reds right-hander Chase Burns. The 28-year-old Brennan could start to see more playing time if he handles himself well at the plate and Ramos continues to struggle. In Brennan's first four years in the big leagues with the Cleveland Guardians, he hit .267/.307/.373 with a .680 OPS, 14 home runs, 79 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and 84 runs scored in 866 plate appearances across 269 games played. Ramos is currently striking out over 35% of the time in his first 66 plate appearances in 2026 and has a .234 average (15-for-64) with no homers, seven RBI, two walks, and 24 strikeouts in 17 games.

Apr 16

Bryan Reynolds • LF • Pirates

Bryan Reynolds Taking a Seat on Thursday

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Washington Nationals at PNC Park, according to MLB.com. Billy Cook is making the start in left field for the Bucs and will bat ninth against Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin. It appears to be a normal rest day for Reynolds, a switch-hitter who typically fares better from the left side against right-handed pitchers. The 31-year-old veteran and two-time All-Star should be back in the starting lineup for the team's series opener on Friday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Reynolds is off to a strong start in 2026, going 19-for-66 (.288) at the plate with three home runs, a double, a triple, 12 RBI, 14 runs scored, and a stolen base in 80 plate appearances over 18 games played. Fantasy managers in daily leagues will want to remove him from their starting lineups on Thursday. Cook will be playing in just his 30th big-league game since debuting in 2024 with Pittsburgh. He has one hit in his four plate appearances so far in 2026 in 10 games.

Apr 16

Bryan Abreu • RP • Astros

Bryan Abreu Pitches in Setup Role on Wednesday, Officially Out of the Closer Job?

Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu earned his second hold of the season and pitched 1 1/3 innings without giving up a hit or a run. Even though he was effective, it was not a good sign for the 28-year-old's fantasy value that he entered the game in the seventh inning with two outs. He worked a scoreless eighth inning as well but gave the ball to Enyel De Los Santos to close out the game. Abreu hasn't earned a save in any of his last five appearances, giving up five runs on five hits with eight walks and six strikeouts. He seems to have been passed by De Los Santos as the preferred option for save chances, while the team awaits the return of Josh Hader (biceps) later this season. Abreu could work his way back into that role, but for now, he doesn't carry enough fantasy value for a roster spot in standard-sized mixed leagues.

Apr 16

Drew Pomeranz • RP • Angels

Drew Pomeranz Emerging as Priority Closer Handcuff

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz is a very intriguing speculative pickup in deep leagues, since he could be next up for the Angels after Jordan Romano has blown two save chances in New York. Pomeranz has allowed four runs on six hits in eight games this season, but he has only allowed one run in six innings over his last six appearances. He has four holds in those six games, but has not been brought into a save opportunity. Pomeranz retired four in a row before giving the ball to Romano for the ninth inning, and since that went so poorly, the Angels could be forced to shake up the roles for the end of the game in their high-leverage situations even before Kirby Yates (knee) joins the mix later this season.

Apr 16

Joel Kuhnel • RP • Athletics

Joel Kuhnel Sharp En Route to Third Save, Settling in as Priority Waiver-Wire Target

Athletics relief pitcher Joel Kuhnel got a four-out save on Wednesday night, picking up two strikeouts and retiring all four Rangers he faced to secure his third save of the year. The 31-year-old righty has given up just one hit and no runs in 4 2/3 innings this season and is a very solid option at the end of the game for the A's. With such a strong start to the year, he's a great addition from the waiver wire if you are searching for saves, even though there's no apparent reason the journeyman has been so effective after joining the team on a minor-league contract. He has been so effective, though, that he's a great grab for as long as he keeps the closer role for the Athletics.

Apr 16

Abner Uribe • RP • Brewers

Abner Uribe Slides Into Closer Job on Wednesday, Earns Save for Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Abner Uribe stepped into a ninth-inning role on Wednesday night and pitched a perfect inning to secure his team's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays. Uribe retired the Jays in order with a strikeout to earn his first save of the season, and his velocity was back to where it was last season. Uribe's velocity had been down, and he gave up four runs in 6 1/3 innings in his first seven appearances before stepping up on Wednesday. The Brewers have been contemplating a closer change with Uribe and Trevor Megill both struggling, and Uribe delivered in this contest. He could secure the role going forward with more outings like this one, and if he does, he'll be a great closer option in all formats. If he's available in your league, he's a great pickup if you're searching for saves.

Apr 16

Jordan Romano • RP • Angels

Jordan Romano Blows Second Save, Seeing Fantasy Value Plummet

Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jordan Romano let another game slip away in New York on Wednesday night. He came on in the ninth inning with a one-run lead and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk, while recording just one out. Romano gave up a walk-off double to Jose Caballero, taking his second blown save of the three-game series against the Yankees. Before the double, though, Romano's defense let him down when a routine pop-up dropped between Zach Neto and Oswald Peraza to start the meltdown. The 32-year-old had been perfect in four save opportunities before this series, and it will be interesting to see if he gets another chance or if the team goes another direction. Kirby Yates (knee) is nearing a return and could be part of the solution if Romano continues to struggle.

Apr 16

Enyel De Los Santos • RP • Astros

Enyel De Los Santos Tallies Second Save, Emerging as Closer to Own in Houston?

Houston Astros relief pitcher Enyel De Los Santos worked a perfect ninth in his team's 3-1 win on Wednesday night. He picked up a pair of strikeouts against pinch-hitter Brett Sullivan and Brenton Doyle to preserve the win for Spencer Arrighetti. De Los Santos earned his second save of the season and has allowed only one run on four hits across 6 2/3 innings with six strikeouts. Josh Hader (biceps) is working his way back, but since he is likely at least a month away, De Los Santos will likely remain in the mix for a few saves along with. Bryan Abreu over the next few weeks. In deep or AL-only leagues, De Los Santos is definitely worth owning if you're searching for saves, although his long-term outlook is in more of a setup role.

Apr 16

Junior Caminero • 3B • Rays

Junior Caminero Shaking Off Slow Start to 2026

Across his first 77 plate appearances of 2026, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is hitting .234/.351/.406 with three home runs, six RBI, and nine runs scored. Fresh off a 45-homer season as a 21-year-old in 2025, Caminero hasn't been quite as dynamic early on this year. Still, Caminero's 19.5% strikeout rate is right in line with the 19.1% mark he posted last season. Opposing pitchers are being extra cautious this year with Caminero, as his 15.6% walk rate is nearly 10 percentage points higher than his 6.3% rate from 2025. Caminero has consistently shown the ability to make hard contact throughout his MLB career to this point, which should help him regain his power stroke over a larger sample size of at-bats. Fantasy managers should be patient with Caminero through the early portion of the season.

Apr 15

Ronald Acuña Jr. • RF • Braves

Is Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Early-Season Power Outage a Cause for Concern?

Across his first 85 plate appearances of 2026, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is hitting .247/.341/.384 with one home run, five RBI, six runs scored, and four stolen bases. While Acuna Jr. hasn't quite gotten his power stroke going yet, his 16.4% barrel rate suggests that it's only a matter of time before his fly balls start leaving the yard with more regularity. Acuna Jr.'s four stolen bases are also a positive sign for fantasy managers. The 28-year-old recorded just nine steals in 95 games while returning from a torn ACL in 2025, but the early push in 2026 could be a sign he has more confidence in his surgically repaired knee. While Acuna Jr.'s top-line numbers haven't been quite what fantasy managers might have hoped for so far, it's too early to panic.

Apr 15

Gerrit Cole • SP • Yankees

Gerrit Cole Slated to Make Rehab Start on Friday

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (elbow) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Friday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. The return to live game action represents a big step in Cole's recovery from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the entire 2025 season. Across 95 innings (17 starts) in 2024, Cole posted an 8-5 record with a 3.41 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts. The 35-year-old should not be expected to be the pitcher he once was at his peak, but Cole still carries clear fantasy upside once healthy. Given the long layoff, Cole will almost certainly need to make multiple rehab starts in the minor leagues. Still, he could be tracking towards an MLB return in May, barring any setbacks.

Apr 15

Landen Roupp • SP • Giants

Landen Roupp Emerging as an Early-Season Waiver Wire Target

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp has gotten off to a strong start to his 2026 season. Across 16 2/3 innings pitched (three starts), the 27-year-old owns a 2-1 record with a 3.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts. Roupp emerged as a capable option for the Giants in 2025, recording a 3.80 ERA across 106 2/3 innings (22 starts). However, he posted an underwhelming 21.4% strikeout rate and a brutal 1.48 WHIP. Early in 2026, Roupp has upped his strikeout rate to 26.1% and has issued just five walks. If his current strand rate of 57.9% regresses closer to his career mark of 71.6%, Roupp could actually be in line to improve on his current 3.24 ERA. Based on the improvements he has shown so far this season, Roupp could be an intriguing target on the waiver wire for fantasy managers. His next start is scheduled for Thursday in Cincinnati against the Reds.

Apr 15

MLB News

LEGEND