New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) took a step forward in his fifth minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Double-A Somerset, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out eight in five innings of work. Cole got up to 77 pitches in his latest outing and didn't give up a home run for the first time as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery that he had last March. It was an encouraging performance from the former Cy Young winner and six-time All-Star, although he will probably require another rehab start or two before the Yankees reinstate him from the 15-day injured list. But barring a setback with his right elbow, Cole should rejoin New York's starting rotation before the end of May. In his five rehab starts, he's posted a 5.32 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and only two walks in 23 2/3 innings pitched. Home runs have been an issue, but his control has been a bright spot. Fantasy managers will want to temper expectations for Cole initially when he returns to the Bronx, but he should be scooped up if he's available on your league's waiver wire. He's rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues.

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Los Angeles Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) turned some heads in his second minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 26-year-old allowed two earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out 11 in just 4 2/3 innings pitched. Rodriguez also had a wild pitch and hit a batter, but he got up to 94 pitches in the outing, so he may not need another rehab start before being activated from the 15-day injured list. He threw 63 of his 94 pitches for strikes. In his first rehab outing in the Arizona Complex League last week, Rodriguez allowed just one earned run with seven strikeouts and no walks in five innings. He has looked sharp down on the farm, but it has also come against weak competition. The former Orioles top prospect is nearing his Angels regular-season debut and is worth a look for fantasy managers in deeper leagues who need rotation arms. Right now, Rodriguez is only rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Braves that he expects shortstop Mookie Betts (oblique) to be in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener versus the division-rival San Francisco Giants, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. The Dodgers will activate Betts from the 10-day injured list to kick off Week 7 of the 2026 season after he was placed on the IL back on April 5 with a strained right oblique. In two minor-league rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Betts went 2-for-5 at the plate with a run scored, a walk, and two strikeouts. The 33-year-old former MVP and eight-time All-Star will return to starting duties at the 6 in L.A., pushing Hyeseong Kim back into a utility role for the Dodgers. Betts hit .179 (5-for-28) with two homers, seven RBI, and seven runs scored in eight games before his injury, but he needs to be returned to all starting lineups in traditional fantasy leagues now that he's on the cusp of activation. He's set to face Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald in his first game back on Monday.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been tearing the cover off the baseball in 2026, leading the league in home runs with 16 and sixth in RBI with 30. His Baseball Savant Page is covered in red with most of his underlying hitting metrics ranking in the 93rd percentile or better. Judge is delivering for fantasy managers on his consensus top 3 pick in most fantasy drafts earlier this spring, and is on pace for delivering north of 50 home runs, 100 RBI, and 100 runs scored once again. The one area where he has been struggling a bit compared to years prior is his strikeout rate, which is up to 29.3 percent this year, up from 23.6 percent in 2025 and 24.3 percent in 2024. That said, he still makes up for it with a 17.7 percent walk rate, which is in the 96th percentile in all of MLB. At 34-years-old, Judge remains the best outfielder in the game and is showing no signs of slowing down.

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Miami Marlins pitching prospect Thomas White carries high-end stash upside ahead of Week 7 of the fantasy baseball season. With his teammate, Robby Snelling, recently earning the call to the majors this past weekend, White now stands as one of the clear top pitching prospects to stash. White is considered the team's top prospect and overall No. 14-ranked prospect in the sport according to MLB.com. The former 35th overall selection nearly made the Opening Day roster out of camp but suffered an oblique injury, which hindered his chances. However, White has since been activated off the 7-day injured list and is showing his raw talent at Triple-A. Over his first 14 2/3 innings of the young season, the lefty has struck out 22 hitters while carrying a 3.07 ERA. While White will still have to showcase more sustained success at Triple-A, he is quickly approaching his MLB debut and is on track for a late first-half promotion.

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Seattle Mariners infield prospect Colt Emerson remains an elite option to stash among hitting prospects ahead of Week 7 of the fantasy baseball season. The team's top hitting prospect has continued to swing a hot bat at the Triple-A level and is inching closer toward his eventual MLB debut. Over his last 13 games with Triple-A Tacoma, the former 22nd overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft has posted an elite .273/.328/.545 line with a double, four home runs, and two stolen bases. Overall, the 20-year-old has enjoyed a stellar start to the Triple-A regular season, holding a .254/.338/.475 slash line with seven doubles, six home runs, and eight stolen bases. Even though there is no clear opening for Emerson on the MLB roster, he remains an elite stash option given his five-category upside.

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Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber is starting to heat up at the plate of late after a slow start to the season. Over the past seven games, he has been slashing .258/.281/.774 with five home runs and seven RBI. He has now improved his overall season line to a .227 average with a .950 OPS. The power has never been the issue for Schwarber; it's mostly been his average and strikeout rate, as it normally is with him, but he was pacing to revert back to his 2023 numbers, where he hit .197 prior to this nice stretch. Schwarber sitll remains one of the best power hitters in the game, and must-start in all formats, but fantasy managers should know that the highs will be high and the lows can be low, making him a better player in rotisserie formats over head to head formats, and especially points leagues, considering he is normally known as someone with around a 30 percent strikeout rate (28.5 percent career strikeout rate and 32.8 percent in 2026). That makes him liable in some points leagues that take points away for strikeouts. Up next for Schwarber and the Phillies are a few road matchups in Boston and Pittsburgh in Week 8.

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New York Mets infield/outfield prospect A.J. Ewing has looked very comfortable in his first taste of Triple-A and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. Ewing, the team's No. 3-ranked prospect according to MLB.com, opened the 2026 campaign with Double-A Binghampton but has already earned the call to Triple-A Syracuse. With Double-A, Ewing has posted an elite .349/.481/.571 slash line with two home runs and an impressive 12 stolen bases over a short 18-game stint. Throughout his first 11 games at the Triple-A level, Ewing has looked just as comfortable, posting a dominant .317/.391/.415 line with four stolen bases. Even though his power has yet to translate against Triple-A pitching, he continues to showcase elite speed. With the Mets having numerous hitters on the shelf, such as Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., and Francisco Lindor, Ewing could debut in the big leagues much sooner than anticipated.

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New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger is slashing .292/.393/.507 with five stolen bases, 28 RBI, five home runs, three triples, 10 doubles, and 25 runs scored through 173 plate appearances. His plate discipline also remains strong, as evidenced by his 13 percent strikeout rate, 14.2 percent walk rate, and 18.1 percent whiff rate. To go along with his surface line numbers, he also has a .299 xBA and .385 xwOBA, suggesting that what he is doing at the plate is not just luck. At 30 years old, batting in the center of this potent Yankees lineup, Bellinger is positioned to have one of the best seasons of his career, even dating back to his 2019 MVP season, where he hit .305 with a 1.035 OPS. The home run numbers may not be pacing compared to that MVP season, but most of his other numbers are. Bellinger remains a must-start in all fantasy formats moving forward, and looks like a steal based on his ADP during draft season.

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Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is putting together one of the better seasons of his 11-year career so far in 2026, with a 2.25 ERA and 1.21 WHIP through eight starts, 48 innings pitched, with 33 strikeouts. In his recent start on Sunday, he went 8 1/3 innings and held the New York Mets to one run. While Rodriguez has had an impressive run, most of his underlying metrics suggest series regression, as evidenced by his 4.70 xFIP, 4.59 xERA, and 5.02 SIERA. Now, that is not to suggest he can't be useful in fantasy; however, it should also suggest that fantasy managers who are viewing him as one of the best fantasy arms in baseball should temper expectations. His 5.9 percent SwStr% and 17.2 percent strikeout rate are very concerning as well, as he clearly doesn't have any of his swing-and-miss stuff going right now, limiting his overall upside in the long run. Up next for Rodriguez is a start at Coors Field over the weekend, making him a risky start in Week 8.

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Chicago White Sox ninth overall-ranked prospect Sam Antonacci has been very consistent throughout his first 87 plate appearances at the MLB level, slashing .268/.376/.394 with two stolen bases, six walks, nine RBI, one home run, two triples, and 12 runs scored. More impressively, his plate discipline has been rock solid, striking out only 10.8 percent of the time (95th percentile), whiffing 17.1 percent of the time (85th percentile), and chasing 23.7 percent of the time (82nd percentile). His xBA is also .322, which showcases that even after the impressive start, he could be in line for additional positive regression. Additionally, Antonacci hit .291 in the minors last year and has hit at nearly every stop of his career, showcasing an overall track record of success that should give fantasy managers confidence he will provide value in most categories. Due to his lack of power, Antonacci remains a better points player than a categories player, but is still useful in all formats and should be rostered across all types of leagues.

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Rangers' SP Jacob deGrom recorded 10 strikeouts in 7 innings getting the win in a 3-0 win over the Cubs on Sunday, May. 10.

Washington Nationals right-hander Gus Varland has struggled in recent outings, posting a 7.11 ERA across his last seven appearances. His season ERA has climbed to 4.80 during his first year in Washington, and his role in the back end of the bullpen may begin to shrink. Varland is still 4-for-6 in save opportunities and has added four holds this season, showing the confidence the Nationals coaching staff initially placed in him during high-leverage situations. The 28-year-old is now on his fourth MLB organization after not appearing in a major league game during 2025. Varland will need to limit damage more consistently if he hopes to maintain a steady role in the struggling Nationals bullpen.

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Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger has struggled through the early portion of the 2026 season, slashing .208/.242/.362 with a .604 OPS across 38 games. The power remains present for Burger, as he has already launched six home runs, but his 27.4 K% has continued to hurt his overall offensive production. Burger has not appeared in a game since Friday and could be receiving additional time away from the lineup to reset at the plate. The 30-year-old is now in his second season with Texas and has yet to fully recapture the form he showed in 2023, when he posted a .827 OPS with 34 home runs.

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Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith has cooled off after a strong start to the season, slashing .151/.237/.226 across his last 15 games. Smith now owns a .642 OPS with four home runs through 40 games in 2026. The 23-year-old has flashed the offensive tools needed to succeed at the major league level, but consistency has remained an issue during his second MLB season. Smith could also face increased competition for playing time, with Joey Loperfido, Jake Meyers, and Taylor Trammell all targeting returns later this month. The former first-round pick still carries intriguing upside, but he will need to rediscover his early-season rhythm moving forward.

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Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday has enjoyed an early breakout in his first season with the Reds. Bleday, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins, has bounced around the majors after struggling to find the consistent success many expected early in his career. He appears to have found his stride in Cincinnati, slashing .262/.392/.643 with a 1.035 OPS and four home runs through 13 games. Bleday was called up from Triple-A Louisville on April 25 and has made the most of his opportunity, flashing impressive power in early action with the Reds. The 28-year-old is quickly gaining attention as a strong fantasy source for power production.

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San Francisco Giants right-hander Caleb Kilian could be in line for increased save opportunities after the club optioned struggling reliever Ryan Walker to Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday. Walker opened the season with inconsistent results and was unable to secure the closer role for San Francisco. Kilian has emerged as one of the Giants' most dependable bullpen arms, posting a 1.50 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 17 appearances. He also earned the first save of his MLB career earlier this season. The Giants have recorded just seven saves through 40 games, leaving the ninth inning unsettled as Kilian's consistency makes him a strong speculative add for fantasy managers searching for saves.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Kyle Finnegan has gotten results so far in 2026, pitching to a 1.53 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 13 strikeouts and one save across 17 2/3 innings (18 games). Finnegan is currently blocked off from save opportunities in Detroit by veteran Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, who remains the team's preferred option in the ninth inning. However, Jansen has pitched to a 5.40 ERA with three blown saves across 11 appearances so far this season. Should Detroit choose to alter its late-inning mix, Finnegan could step in as the new closer. The 34-year-old has 113 career saves across 365 MLB appearances. While Finnegan's 0.0% K-BB rate does not exactly scream typical closer dominance, he's proven the ability to close games in the past. For fantasy managers in need of saves, Finnegan could be worth stashing off the waiver wire.

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Across 157 plate appearances so far in 2026, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jorge Soler is hitting .226/.325/.451 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, and 19 runs scored. With a 31.2% strikeout rate, Soler is unlikely to help fantasy managers in the batting average category. However, the 34-year-old remains a legitimate power bat even as he enters his mid-30s. Soler currently owns a 12.9% barrel rate, marking his eighth consecutive season with a barrel rate north of 12%. He's also managed to stay healthy this season after groin and back injuries limited him to just 315 plate appearances in 2025. As long as Soler can stay on the field in 2026, he should see every day playing time in the middle of the Angels lineup and could threaten 30 home runs. For fantasy managers searching for power on the waiver wire, Soler could be worth targeting.

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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez turned in another strong performance in his team's 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, throwing six innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts and picking up the win. The 27-year-old has been excellent so far this season for San Diego, recording a 4-1 record with a 3.05 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts across 44 1/3 innings. Vasquez's strikeout rate currently sits at a career-best 23.2%, and his walk rate is down from 9.1% in 2025 to 7.2%. Vasquez's 80.6% strand rate may not be fully sustainable, but his strong 0.81 HR/9 helps him avoid blow-up innings and keeps his ERA down. Vasquez's average fastball velocity is also up to 94.8 miles per hour, a significant increase from his mark of 93.5 miles per hour in 2025. Particularly in deeper leagues, Vasquez should be scooped up off the waiver wire by fantasy managers.

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