MLB News

Will Smith • C • Dodgers

Will Smith Missing Second Straight Game With Back Tightness

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (back) will miss his second straight game on Sunday in the series finale against the visiting Chicago Cubs due to back tightness, according to MLB.com. Dalton Rushing will be behind the plate to catch left-hander Justin Wrobleski while batting seventh against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga. Smith was originally expected to return on Sunday, but it appears the Dodgers will give him another day to recover before potentially returning for Monday's series opener against the visiting Miami Marlins. He'll be available off the bench on Monday and should avoid a stint on the injured list. The 31-year-old veteran backstop continues to be a great multi-category contributor at the weak catching position in fantasy, slashing .266/.337/.392 with three homers, 14 RBI, and 11 runs scored in his first 79 at-bats this year. Rushing has really turned it around at the plate so far in 2026 after struggling in 53 games as a rookie. He's gone 14-for-35 (.400) with seven home runs and 15 RBI. Despite the strong start, he's a tough sell for DFS lineups on Sunday in a tough lefty-on-lefty matchup against Imanaga.

4 hours ago

Geraldo Perdomo • SS • Diamondbacks

Geraldo Perdomo Out After Spraining his Ankle on Saturday

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (ankle) is not in the starting lineup in Mexico City on Sunday against the San Diego Padres, according to MLB.com. Perdomo is out of action for the two-game series finale in Mexico City after spraining his left ankle on Saturday. The D-backs aren't expecting Perdomo to land on the 10-day injured list, so he should have a very good chance of returning after an off day on Monday to face the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. Jose Fernandez is making the start at shortstop and will hit sixth on Sunday against Padres right-hander Michael King. When active, the 26-year-old Perdomo is a must-start in fantasy baseball lineups. He's off to a .250/.350/.393 start with a .743 OPS, a homer, six RBI, 11 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his first 84 at-bats in 2026. Fernandez has looked even better at the plate in his first 21 MLB games, going 23-for-72 (.319) with two long balls and 11 RBI in 74 plate appearances.

5 hours ago

Maikel Garcia • 3B • Royals

Maikel Garcia Remains Out for Series Finale on Sunday

Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (elbow) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, according to MLB.com. Nick Loftin will make another start at the hot corner and bat seventh for the Royals against Angels left-hander Reid Detmers. It will be the third straight missed game for Garcia after he left Wednesday's game early with an elbow injury. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Garcia's status for the start of a new week on Monday, but we may not know more about him until Tuesday's series opener in Sacramento against the Athletics. The Venezuelan infielder had a breakout season in 2025 with a .286 average, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 160 games, and he's stolen 83 bases since the start of the 2023 season, his first full year in the majors. Keep Garcia stashed in all fantasy formats for now. Loftin has faced Detmers only twice in his career and has gone hitless.

5 hours ago

Logan O'Hoppe • C • Angels

Logan O'Hoppe Placed on 10-Day Injured List Due to Left-Wrist Fracture

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (wrist) has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left-wrist fracture. The 26-year-old was forced to exit early from his team's game on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals after being struck by a foul tip, and it now appears as though he could miss significant time. O'Hoppe was off to a slow start to the 2026 season before getting injured, hitting .205/.323/.256 with one home run, eight RBI, and nine runs scored across 93 plate appearances. However, O'Hoppe had lowered his strikeout rate to a career-low 24.7% while raising his walk rate to a career-high 11.8%, so he may have been suffering from some poor luck at the plate. With O'Hoppe sidelined, veteran catcher Travis d'Arnaud looks like the favorite to see the majority of the playing time behind the plate for the Angels. Through 19 plate appearances so far in 2026, D'Arnaud is hitting .125 with just one extra-base hit.

5 hours ago

Chase Dollander • SP • Rockies

Chase Dollander Emerging as a Streamer to Target on the Waiver Wire

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander struggled in his first taste of big-league action in 2025, recording a 6.52 ERA across 98 innings (21 starts). However, the former top prospect appears to be putting things together in his second MLB campaign. Across his first six appearances (25 innings) of 2025, Dollander is 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts. The Rockies have largely utilized Dollander in a bulk-relief role, allowing him to follow an opener. The new strategy is working for the 24-year-old, as he owns an elite 24% K-BB rate. Trusting Rockies' pitchers in their home starts at Coors Field is always risky for fantasy managers. However, Dollander's production and his prospect pedigree give him clear appeal as a matchup-based streamer to target off the waiver wire.

5 hours ago

Ildemaro Vargas • 2B • Diamondbacks

Ildemaro Vargas Carries Waiver-Wire Appeal Amidst Red-Hot Start to 2026

Arizona Diamondbacks utility man Ildemaro Vargas has been one of the biggest surprise success stories of the 2026 season so far, hitting .351/.368/.649 with five home runs, 16 RBI, and 15 runs scored across 77 plate appearances. The 34-year-old has worked his way into everyday playing time with Diamondbacks first basemen Pavin Smith (elbow) and Carlos Santana (thigh) both currently on the injured list. Vargas has spent the majority of his MLB career to this point in a utility role, including his 38-game stint with Arizona in 2025. His .350 batting average on balls in play is likely to regress to his career average of .271 over a larger sample, and his 7.6% barrel rate does not support a full-scale power breakout. Still, Vargas is taking advantage of his opportunity with the Diamondbacks and should not be ignored as a potential waiver-wire target for fantasy managers.

5 hours ago

Phil Maton • RP • Cubs

Is Phil Maton a Sneaky Injured Stash Option for Saves?

Chicago Cubs reliever Phil Maton (knee) is currently on the 15-day injured list as he makes his way back from a knee injury. However, the 33-year-old began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Friday and could be nearing a return to the big leagues. Maton has been an effective reliever throughout his MLB career, most recently posting a 2.79 ERA with 81 strikeouts and five saves across 61 1/3 innings split between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers in 2025. With Cubs closer Daniel Palencia (lat) currently on the injured list due to a strained lat, Maton could emerge as Chicago's preferred ninth-inning option. In deeper fantasy leagues, managers in need of saves may want to consider stashing Maton off the waiver wire ahead of his impending activation off the injured list.

6 hours ago

Landen Roupp • SP • Giants

Landen Roupp a Must-Roster Waiver-Wire Target Amidst Hot Start to 2026

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp is off to an excellent start to the 2026 season, as he's posted a 4-1 record with a 2.28 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts across his first five starts (27 2/3 innings). In his two most recent outings combined, Roupp has allowed just two hits and one earned run across 11 innings against the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers. While the 27-year-old's elevated 10.9% walk rate is less than ideal, he's raised his strikeout rate from 21.4% in 2025 to 28.2% so far this season. Roupp has also yet to allow a home run in 2026 and owns a 50.8% ground-ball rate. Particularly given his pitcher-friendly home environment in San Francisco, Roupp looks like a potential breakout starting pitcher in 2026. In any fantasy league where he's not already rostered, Roupp profiles as a high-priority waiver-wire target.

6 hours ago

Abner Uribe • RP • Brewers

Abner Uribe Emerging as a Waiver-Wire Priority

Across 12 games (10 1/3 innings) so far in 2026, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Abner Uribe has posted a 4.35 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and two saves. While the 25-year-old's numbers are down across the board from his dominant showing in 2025, he may still be emerging as the team's preferred ninth-inning option. Uribe has earned two saves and a win over his last five appearances, all of which came in the ninth inning. Uribe's main competition for the closer job in Milwaukee is right-hander Trevor Megill, who currently owns an 8.00 ERA through his first 10 games of 2026. Although Uribe hasn't been perfect this season himself, he looks like the current favorite for saves in Milwaukee and profiles as a clear waiver-wire target in most fantasy formats.

6 hours ago

Tatsuya Imai • SP • Astros

Tatsuya Imai to Make Rehab Start on Tuesday

Houston Astros rookie right-hander Tatsuya Imai (arm) will make his first minor-league rehab start on Tuesday with Double-A Corpus Christi, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Imai has gotten off to a rough start in the big leagues with the Astros and was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 13 with right-arm fatigue. The good news is that the Japanese native doesn't have any structural damage in his arm. The 27-year-old will be eased back into the Astros' starting rotation at some point in early May after his arm is built up some more in the minors. In his first three starts covering 8 2/3 innings in major-league baseball, Imai allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while walking 11 and striking out 13 batters. Imai is worth holding in deeper-mixed fantasy leagues -- he's rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues -- but fantasy managers may want to play it safe with him upon his return to Houston's starting rotation.

7 hours ago

Josh Naylor • 1B • Mariners

Josh Naylor Absent on Sunday With Quad Tightness

Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (quadriceps) is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals due to quadriceps tightness, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. With Naylor sidelined at Busch Stadium, Connor Joe will make the start at first for the M's and will bat seventh against St. Louis right-hander Michael McGreevy. Until we know more about Naylor's injury, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day as the team heads into their series opener on Monday in Minnesota against the Twins. Although Naylor is barely over the Mendoza Line early on in the 2026 campaign, he's been carrying Seattle's offense of late and has gone 12-for-25 (.480) with a homer, two doubles, four RBI, four stolen bases, and three runs in his last seven games, dating back to April 17. Hopefully, Naylor's quad injury won't interrupt his recent hot streak at the plate. Joe has just two hits in 10 at-bats so far in 2026 and has never faced McGreevy in his career.

7 hours ago

Giancarlo Stanton • DH • Yankees

Giancarlo Stanton Still Out Sunday Versus Astros

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (calf) is out of the starting lineup for a second straight game on Sunday in the series finale against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, according to MLB.com. Ben Rice will serve as the DH and bat second, while Paul Goldschmidt will play first base and hit sixth against Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti. Stanton will miss a second straight game after he was pulled from Friday's contest early in Houston with right-calf tightness. For now, the right-handed slugger is considered day-to-day, but with manager Aaron Boone saying on Saturday that Stanton's injury is "not ideal," we wouldn't be surprised if the oft-injured DH goes on the 10-day injured list at some point. If Stanton lands on the IL, Goldschmidt would benefit from more playing time in the Yankees' lineup. The 36-year-old Stanton remains a great source of power when he's healthy, and he came into Sunday's game with three homers and 14 RBI while slashing .256/.302/.422 in 90 at-bats. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if Stanton is cleared to play in Monday's series opener against the Texas Rangers.

7 hours ago

Willi Castro • LF • Rockies

Willi Castro Still Out on Sunday for Rockies in Game 1 of Doubleheader

Colorado Rockies infielder Willi Castro (knee) remains out of the starting nine for Sunday's first game of a doubleheader at Citi Field against the New York Mets, according to MLB.com. Edouardo Julien is starting at second base and batting leadoff against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean. Castro left Thursday's game early with knee soreness and hasn't played since, and it's unclear if he'll be ready to return to the lineup for Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader. The 29-year-old switch-hitting Puerto Rican utility man is quickly losing value in deeper fantasy leagues due to poor performance and injuries early on in 2026. He has hit .246 (17-for-69) with a homer, nine RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases in his first 21 games, and he could continue to lose playing time at the keystone to both Julien and Tyler Freeman, even when fully healthy. Castro is only rostered in 12% of Yahoo leagues currently.

7 hours ago

Ryan Helsley • RP • Orioles

Ryan Helsley Returns From Bereavement List on Sunday

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Sunday that they reinstated right-handed closer Ryan Helsley from the bereavement/family medical emergency list and designated right-hander Albert Suarez for assignment in a corresponding move. Helsley was away from the team for four days. With the 31-year-old veteran away for personal matters, Anthony Nunez picked up the team's last save on Wednesday. Helsley is so far having a bounce-back season in 2026 in his first year with Baltimore, posting a 2.79 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 15 strikeouts, seven walks, and six saves in 9 2/3 innings over his first 11 appearances. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their starting lineups to close out the week now that he's back with the big-league club as their primary ninth-inning option. Helsley is a two-time All-Star and led baseball with 49 saves in 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals.

7 hours ago

Clayton Beeter • RP • Nationals

Nationals Place Clayton Beeter on Injured List With Forearm Soreness

The Washington Nationals announced on Sunday that they placed right-handed reliever Clayton Beeter (forearm) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 23) with right-forearm soreness and recalled right-handers Paxton Schultz and Andre Granillo from Triple-A Rochester in corresponding moves. Beeter has not appeared in a game for the Nats since Tuesday, and it's unclear how long he might be sidelined with his forearm injury. The 27-year-old Texas native already has a career-high two saves for Washington in his 10 relief appearances so far in his third year in the big leagues, to go along with a 3.48 ERA (6.54 FIP), 1.26 WHIP, nine strikeouts, and eight walks in 10 1/3 innings pitched. Beeter has been fortunate to have an ERA under 4.00, as he's been pretty wild. He leads the league with five wild pitches. The Nats will continue a closer-by-committee approach late in games with Beeter sidelined, with Gus Varland being the favorite for most of the save chances in D.C. Varland is currently rostered in only 3% of Yahoo leagues.

7 hours ago

Steven Kwan • LF • Guardians

Steven Kwan Back in Sunday's Lineup

Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (neck) is starting in center field and batting in his customary leadoff spot for the Guards on Sunday in the series finale against the hosting Toronto Blue Jays and left-hander Patrick Corbin, according to MLB.com. Kwan was held out of the first two games of this series in Canada on Friday and Saturday with neck stiffness, but he's feeling good enough to return for the third game of the series on Sunday. Fantasy managers will be hoping that Kwan can snap out of his recent slump, as he's gone just 2-for-18 in his last seven games. The 28-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2018 out of Oregon State is hitting just .227/.315/.289 with a .604 OPS, one home run, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 112 plate appearances across 26 games in the early going in his fifth year in the big leagues. The two-time All-Star has faced Corbin eight times in his career and has had some success, batting .375 against him with an .819 OPS and an RBI.

7 hours ago

Brent Rooker • RF • Athletics

Brent Rooker Activated and Starting on Sunday Against Rangers

The Athletics announced on Sunday that they reinstated outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker (oblique) from the 10-day injured list and designated infielder Andy Ibanez for assignment in a corresponding move. Rooker is serving as the DH and is batting cleanup in his return on Sunday in Texas against the Rangers and right-hander Kumar Rocker. The 31-year-old veteran right-handed slugger is back after originally landing on the IL on April 10 with an oblique strain. Rooker has game-changing power in a hitter-friendly home ballpark in Sacramento, but he had been struggling mightily at the plate early on in 2026 before his oblique injury, batting just .146 (6-for-41) with two home runs, eight RBI, four runs scored, two stolen bases, six walks, and 17 strikeouts in 12 games played. It's still early, though, so nobody should be giving up on Rooker just yet. He is 96% rostered in Yahoo leagues and should be returned to starting fantasy lineups on Sunday. Rooker is hitting .400 with an .800 OPS in just five career at-bats against Rocker.

8 hours ago

Roman Anthony • RF • Red Sox

Roman Anthony Returns as DH on Sunday

Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (back) has returned to the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the hosting Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Kyle Bradish at Camden Yards, serving as the designated hitter and batting third in the order, per MLB.com. Anthony missed a fourth straight game on Saturday after feeling upper-back tightness on a swing in Tuesday's game against the division-rival New York Yankees. Anthony ended up missing a little more time than originally expected, but he's now back in the starting lineup on Sunday in Baltimore. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the 21-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 can get things going at the plate after a quiet start to his first full season in the big leagues in 2026. Anthony comes into Sunday's tilt with a .225/.361/.325 slash line with a homer, four RBI, 11 runs scored, and two steals in his 80 at-bats. Despite the slow start, Anthony has high-end power/speed potential in all fantasy formats. He's gone 1-for-3 in his career against Bradish.

8 hours ago

Miguel Vargas • 3B • White Sox

Miguel Vargas is Worth a Look During Hot Streak

Chicago White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas has been putting together a nice stretch of play at the plate recently. Vargas is currently riding a six-game hitting streak heading into Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals. During this stretch, Vargas is hitting over .400 with three home runs, five RBI, and seven walks. His overall numbers aren't pretty, but it seems like Vargas is finally turning a corner. The plate discipline is great to see with Vargas already having 19 walks on the season. Fantasy managers looking for help with walks or just need a batter right now should consider adding Vargas during his hot stretch.

10 hours ago

JR Ritchie • SP • Braves

JR Ritchie is Gaining Value After Excellent First Start

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie looked fantastic on the mound during his first start on Thursday. The rookie right-hander tossed seven innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits, while striking out seven batters in the win. Afterwards, Braves manager Walt Weiss said Ritchie will remain with the big league club for now. Ritchie was sharp against the Nationals and is now looking like a solid waiver wire addition with the news that he's sticking around. It's worth noting that Spencer Strider (oblique) is supposed to rejoin the Braves within the next week. It's unclear if Ritchie will move to the bullpen or if the Braves will operate with a six-man rotation. Ritchie is worth a look in deep leagues at the minimum right now.

10 hours ago

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