Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander (hip) will throw another bullpen session in his rehab, and he's taking steps forward, but he's still not "asymptomatic," according to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. There has been no talk of sending Verlander on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 43-year-old's body just isn't responding the way he'd like it to as he nears the end of his outstanding and likely Hall of Fame career. Verlander doesn't seem much closer to returning from the 15-day injured list. He missed all of April and doesn't have a clear path to a speedy recovery. The former MVP, three-time Cy Young winner, and nine-time All-Star is clearly running out of steam and has had a tough time staying healthy in recent years. In his lone start in 2026 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 30, he allowed five earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out only one in 3 2/3 innings. Verlander is now rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues.

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Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that left-hander Garrett Crochet's (shoulder) MRI exam on his left shoulder came back clean, with just some inflammation in his shoulder, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. Crochet won't resume throwing for a few days and will now focus on rebuilding strength in his arm. The talented southpaw was put on the 15-day injured list by the BoSox on Wednesday, and the hope is that he can have a minimal stint on the IL. The 26-year-old former first-rounder by the Chicago White Sox in 2020 out of Tennessee hasn't been himself so far in six starts for Boston, and his shoulder injury is likely a big reason for that. Crochet landed on the IL with a 3-3 record, bloated 6.30 ERA (4.33 FIP), 37 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 30 innings pitched. The two-time All-Star needs to be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues while he recovers from shoulder inflammation. For now, left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett will take Crochet's spot in the rotation and make his big-league debut on Friday against the Houston Astros.

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The Baltimore Orioles announced on Friday that they recalled left-hander Cade Povich from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned right-hander Cameron Foster to Norfolk in a corresponding move. Povich is slated to start in Friday's series opener in the Bronx against the division-rival New York Yankees. The 26-year-old southpaw will temporarily fill in for the Orioles in place of left-hander Trevor Rogers (illness), but if he pitches well, the O's could be forced to find a permanent spot for Povich in the rotation. The former third-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2021 looked good in two outings (one start) for Baltimore already this year, giving up three earned runs on nine hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out seven in 12 1/3 innings. Povich doesn't have a high-end arsenal as a starter, but he's had a 30% strikeout rate in the minors and should at least deserve some attention off the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues. Unfortunately, his matchup on Friday for his second start of 2026 is not one we would recommend as a streamer in the Bronx.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (hip) will miss the rest of the 2026 season and is scheduled to have hip surgery on May 13, according to Rays sideline reporter Ryan Bass. Pepiot's season will come to an end before it even started due to a right-hip injury. He initially landed on the 15-day injured list before the start of the regular season with what was being called hip inflammation. Pepiot received an injection in his right hip, but it continued to feel unstable, and he'll be forced to go under the knife. It's unclear if his recovery from this injury will spill over into spring training next year or the start of the 2027 season. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues can now safely drop Pepiot to the waiver wire. He's currently rostered in 69% of Yahoo leagues. Pepiot's season-ending injury means that swingman Nick Martinez is safe in Tampa's rotation for now.

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) will not come off the 10-day injured list to join the big-league club for their series opener on Friday in the Bronx against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Volpe is getting very close to making his 2026 season debut for the Yanks, but he's not quite ready and might not return to the team until early next week. The 25-year-old former first-rounder in 2019 is recovering from surgery to fix the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder in the offseason. He's played in 10 minor-league rehab games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and has gone 10-for-33 (.303) with a homer, three RBI, five runs scored, and two stolen bases. When Volpe is back with the Yankees, he'll take over as the team's starting shortstop, which will push Jose Caballero back to a utility role. Volpe is only rostered in 9% of Yahoo leagues, but that number should go up considerably once he's back. Don't expect a high average, but Volpe can be useful for his counting stats in a strong Yankees lineup.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) is throwing a live batting practice session at Fenway Park on Friday, which "suggests he's close to a return," according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Gray's right-hamstring strain was never considered all that serious when they put him on the 15-day injured list on April 21. It's unclear at this time if Boston wants the veteran right-hander to go on a short minor-league rehab assignment. If Gray doesn't require one, he could come off the IL to rejoin the team's starting rotation at some point next week. The BoSox definitely could use the help in their rotation after star left-hander Garrett Crochet (shoulder) recently went on the IL. Gray isn't flashy by any means and is up there in age (36), but the three-time All-Star can still be useful as a backend starter in fantasy and as a matchup-based streamer. In his first five starts before being sidelined, Gray had a 4.30 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 13 strikeouts, and five walks in 23 innings. His 13.1% strikeout rate is currently a career low.

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New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez (elbow) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener in the Bronx against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, according to MLB.com. Ben Rice is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second, while Paul Goldschmidt is at first base and hitting leadoff for the Yanks. Dominguez was hit by a pitch on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers and left early with a left-elbow contusion. He had the day off to rest on Thursday for a travel day. Dominguez remains out on Friday, but it could just be because the Orioles are expected to start left-hander Cade Povich. Fantasy managers should consider Dominguez to be day-to-day and check back on Saturday to see if he's back in the starting nine. The 23-year-old former top prospect has an opportunity for at least regular playing time in New York against right-handers with Giancarlo Stanton (calf) currently on the injured list. Dominguez is currently rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues and has gone 1-for-9 in just three games played at the big-league level this year.

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The Milwaukee Brewers placed right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-shoulder inflammation and recalled right-hander Easton McGee from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Woodruff was pulled from his outing early on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks after recording just four outs due to reduced velocity. The veteran right-hander said he didn't feel any pain on Thursday, and the early reports suggested that the 33-year-old could be going through a dead-arm phase. It's unclear what Woodruff's MRI exam results showed, but for now, he'll miss at least a couple of turns through the starting rotation in Milwaukee. The two-time All-Star didn't look bad before being pulled on Thursday, and he has a 3.60 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 25:7 K:BB in 30 innings over his six starts. However, when considering Woodruff got a late start to 2025 while recovering from shoulder surgery, this news has to be pretty troubling for the Brew Crew and for fantasy managers. Logan Henderson is expected to take Woodruff's rotation spot. The right-handed pitching prospect is worth a pickup now for those looking for starting pitching help.

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Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (neck) left Friday's game early in the second inning against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field with neck tightness, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Before leaving the game, Hoerner doubled and scored a run for the Cubbies before being replaced by pinch-hitter Matt Shaw. Although the 28-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be very serious, fantasy managers will want to keep tabs on his status as the team's series continues on Saturday and Sunday. For now, we'll consider Hoerner to be day-to-day. If he's forced to miss additional time because of his neck injury, Shaw and Nicky Lopez could split time at the keystone in the Windy City. Hoerner, who is in his eighth year with the Cubs in 2026, could easily be in the midst of a breakout season this year after coming into Friday's action with a .291/.370/.449 slash line, .819 OPS, four home runs, 26 RBI, 16 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his first 31 games. He's a must-start in traditional fantasy baseball leagues when he's in the starting lineup.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo (hamstring) is starting in right field and batting leadoff on Friday for the series opener in Detroit against the Tigers and right-hander Jack Flaherty, according to MLB.com. Nimmo is back in action after he left Wednesday's game early against the New York Yankees with right-hamstring tightness, but he's feeling better after having an additional day off for travel on Thursday. Fantasy managers will want to get the 33-year-old left-handed hitter back in their starting lineups against a right-handed pitcher. Nimmo is certainly no stranger to missing time due to injuries, so fantasy managers have to be stoked to have him back so quickly. He's off to a strong start in his first year in Texas, coming into Friday's game slashing .290/.364/.460 with an .824 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, 14 runs scored, and a stolen base in 124 at-bats. He's never faced Flaherty in his MLB career.

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The Boston Red Sox announced on Friday that they recalled left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett from Triple-A Worcester. Bennett will make his major-league debut on Friday and start against the Houston Astros. Boston needs some help in their starting rotation with both lefty Garrett Crochet (shoulder) and righty Sonny Gray (hamstring) on the injured list at the moment. Bennett, the club's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, gets the call to the big leagues for the first time after going 2-1 with a 0.86 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 16 strikeouts, and three walks in 21 innings across five starts for Worcester this year. The 25-year-old southpaw was a former second-round pick by the Washington Nationals in 2022 out of Oklahoma. He's mostly a fastball/changeup pitcher with excellent command, but he'll be a pretty risky fantasy streamer on Friday in his first MLB appearance against an Astros team that ranks third in baseball in OPS (.784). Bennett isn't a bad upside stash in deeper fantasy leagues, though, as he could get more starts in Boston's rotation if he fares well on Friday. He's currently rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues.

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The San Diego Padres announced on Friday that they reinstated right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada (elbow) from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander David Morgan to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move. Estrada didn't look right early in the 2026 season, allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits with five walks and eight strikeouts in his first seven innings pitched, and his velocity was noticeably down as well. The Padres put him on the IL with what they called right-elbow tendinitis, and now he's been cleared to rejoin the big-league bullpen after a couple of minor-league rehab appearances. Now that he's healthy again, Estrada will return to his high-leverage, late-inning setup role in San Diego alongside right-hander Jason Adam and in front of star closer Mason Miller. In the last two seasons with the Friars, Estrada has only four saves, but he's also struck out 202 batters in 134 innings and will be valuable in holds leagues. Estrada is rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.

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Chicago Cubs right-handed closer Daniel Palencia (lat) will make a minor-league rehab appearance on Friday with Triple-A Iowa, manager Craig Counsell told Andy Martinez. If Palencia looks good on Friday and doesn't suffer a setback with his lat, the Cubs could activate him from the 15-day injured list for the final two games of the series in Chicago this weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs said earlier this week that there was a chance Palencia would be reinstated from the IL on Friday. Although he might initially be eased into high-leverage situations when he returns to the Cubs' bullpen, the 26-year-old Venezuelan reliever should return to primary closing duties in Chicago sooner rather than later. Before his lat injury, Palencia threw five shutout innings with five strikeouts and one save. He broke out in 2205 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, a career-high 22 saves, and a 10.4 K/9 in 52 2/3 regular-season innings. Left-hander Hoby Milner picked up the team's last save on Wednesday, but righties Ben Brown and Phil Maton could see a save chance this weekend if Palencia is not ready to return. Palencia is rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues. If he's available in your league, now would be a good time to scoop him up.

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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve has struggled at the plate lately and is underperforming in fantasy baseball. Altuve is hitting just 3-for-28 over his last seven games with zero home runs, zero RBI, two walks, and five strikeouts. The 16.7% strikeout rate over that span suggests he's putting the ball in play at a decent clip, but the BABIP is far from ideal. His power has also been diminishing, as he has only hit one home run in the month of April. All in all, through 29 games this year, he has 110 wRC+, which is his lowest mark since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The Astros as a whole are struggling, so Altuve isn't alone. Still, it's frustrating for fantasy managers who drafted him with the expectation that he'd perform similarly to 2025, when he launched 26 homers, or 2024, when he was an All-Star and received MVP votes. As it stands, he is still holding his ground as the #5 second baseman in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara has pitched deep into games and continues to earn wins, but the process to get there hasn't been flawless. Alcantra was hit hard for seven runs over six innings on April 12, and although he has a respectable 4.24 ERA since then, his hit, walk, and strikeout ratios are far from ideal. During that three-game span since the April 12 game, he has posted 10.59 H/9, 4.76 BB/9, and just 4.76 K/9. He's walking one batter for every strikeout, and he's averaging more than one hit per inning. Even though he's pitching relatively deeper into games, those ratios don't bode well for his fantasy value. We'd like to see him get back to his early-season form; he went 7+ innings in each of his first three starts this year, posting a 1.11 ERA, 6.66 K/9, and 1.48 BB/9 during that span. Managers will have to accept the fact that he's not a major strikeout threat, but still offers innings and a decent ability to limit runs. As it stands, Alcantara is the #48 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

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Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez has offered plenty of value and production in fantasy baseball lately. Valdez experienced an outlier performance on April 8 when he allowed eight runs against the Twins, but he hasn't surrendered more than two runs in an individual start since then. In fact, over his last four games, he has a 2.31 ERA with 6.56 H/9 and 0.77 HR/9. With that being said, there are also areas for him to improve. He hasn't been as sharp in terms of strikeouts and walks. He struck out just one batter over seven innings on April 14, and he walked five batters on April 24. In that aforementioned four-game span of limited runs, he has posted 7.71 K/9 and 3.47 BB/9. As great as it's been to see him pitch deeper into games and limit runs, managers would appreciate more strikeouts to rack up additional fantasy points. He currently ranks #26 among starters in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.

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Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez has struggled at the plate lately, leading to reduced production in fantasy baseball leagues. Over his last seven games, he's hitting just 3-for-24 with three singles, four RBI, four walks, and seven strikeouts. He hasn't homered since April 15, and he has just four total homers this year. To this point in the season, he owns a modest 95 wRC+, which is the lowest mark since his rookie campaign in 2016. It's fair to be concerned about his power output, as his ISO is down to a career-low mark of .163. The 33-year-old is hanging around as the #27 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings, so managers will hope that he can get back on track and produce a spark soon. In an attempt to give him a mental and physical reset, the Dodgers held Hernandez out of the lineup on Wednesday against the Marlins. With the off day Thursday, that gave him back-to-back days off. He should be back in the starting nine on Friday against St. Louis.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers has endured major struggles at the plate so far this year. It's his first full season with the Giants, and it's fair to wonder if his issues are related to playing at Oracle Park, which is far less friendly to left-handed hitters than his previous home, Fenway Park. Learning a new position (first base) could be another reason why Devers' bat hasn't been as hot. Whatever the reason, fantasy managers are hoping he turns things around fast. Through 31 games so far, he's slashing just .207/.248/.289 with two home runs, a 5.4% walk rate, a 31.0% strikeout rate, and 48 wRC+. Obviously, all of those numbers represent career lows for the three-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger. We'd expect him to have some positive regression over a larger sample size -- enough to feel more confident putting him in your fantasy lineups -- but it's fair to question whether he'll ever return to his pre-trade form. Devers has fallen to #16 among first basemen in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for fantasy baseball.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford (forearm) felt something in his right forearm on Thursday and left an extended spring training game in Arizona early as a result, according to Jeff Wilson of All City DLLS. The Rangers are awaiting more information on Langford's injury. He could play again on Friday night in Arizona, but it's also possible that he'll have to restart his swing progression. Langford was playing in his first game action since landing on the 10-day injured list last week with a flexor strain in his right forearm. Although the Rangers think that this could end up being a minor setback, it likely means that Langford won't return to the team's lineup this Saturday as previously expected. With the 24-year-old's return to the MLB roster pushed back, Ezequiel Duran should continue to benefit from more playing time in the outfield for Texas going forward. Despite another injury and a slow start in 2026, Langford should be stashed in all fantasy leagues for his power/speed upside. He was hitting .238/.274/.363 with a homer, four RBI, three steals, and nine runs scored in just 20 games at the time of his forearm injury.

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Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (glute) is back in the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Zac Gallen, according to MLB.com. Swanson is hitting ninth in the batting order. The 32-year-old veteran did not make the start in Wednesday's series finale against the San Diego Padres due to a left-glute cramp, but he's good to go on Friday after an off day on Thursday. Swansby does have six home runs on the year in 98 at-bats, but he's hitting just .214 (21-for-98) with 23 RBI, 23 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 30 games played. The two-time All-Star won't have much DFS appeal batting out of the nine-hole, especially against a pitcher that he hasn't had much success against in his career. In 14 career at-bats versus Gallen, Swansby is hitting .214 with a .553 OPS. Swansby has started to turn things around at the plate of late, going 7-for-20 (.350) with a homer, eight RBI, three runs, a stolen base, and three multi-hit performances in his last six games.

From RotoBaller