Minnesota Twins right-hander Mick Abel (elbow) has started playing catch, and "all signs have been encouraging," manager Derek Shelton told Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Abel is unlikely to be ready to come off the 15-day injured list when he's first eligible, but the Twins still think his injury is "relatively minor." Fantasy managers probably won't have Abel back from the IL when he's eligible to be reinstated this Saturday, but it might not be that long of a wait after that. He initially went on the IL with right-elbow inflammation, which has allowed left-handed rookie Connor Prielipp to get his first couple of starts in the big leagues for the Twins. The 24-year-old former 15th overall pick in 2020 by the Philadelphia Phillies is still rostered in 20% of Yahoo leagues despite his elbow injury. Abel allowed nine earned runs on 22 hits while walking 10 and striking out 23 in 20 1/3 innings over his first four appearances (three starts) in 2026 for the Twins. Abel should absolutely have a starting rotation spot waiting for him in Minnesota when he returns from the IL.

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The Cleveland Guardians are calling up former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana from Triple-A Columbus, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 23-year-old Australian hit .287/.422/.511 with two home runs, 11 doubles, two triples, 10 RBI, eight stolen bases, and 18 runs scored in 24 games for Columbus to earn his first big-league call-up. Passan writes that Bazzana will take over at second base for a Guardians team that is a half-game out of first place in the American League Central division early in the year. Bazzana's arrival in the big leagues this week is bad news for the playing time of both Juan Brito and Daniel Schneeman, who had been platooning at the keystone for the Guards. Bazzana is currently rostered in only 9% of Yahoo fantasy leagues, but that number will surely rise now that he's set for regular playing time in the big leagues. The former Oregon State star projects as a plus hitter at a shallow second base position in fantasy who should have average power and plenty of on-base skills because of his disciplined approach as a hitter. Bazzana also has quick hands, a short, compact swing at the plate, and plus speed on the base paths.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (illness) was scratched from the team's starting lineup on Monday against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park, according to the team. With Cruz being under the weather, Jake Mangum made the start in center field for the Bucs and was hitting eighth in the batting order against Cardinals right-hander Dustin May. First baseman Spencer Horwitz was also moved up to the leadoff spot. Fantasy managers should consider Cruz to be day-to-day. Check back on Tuesday to see if he's feeling good enough to return to action for Game 2 of the series in the Steel City. The 27-year-old Dominican has already had his fair share of mishaps on defense in center field as he continues to transition from shortstop to center field in the big leagues, but fantasy managers can't complain about his bat through his first 112 at-bats of the year. Cruz came into Monday's action slashing .259/.320/.518 with an .838 OPS, eight long balls, 24 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and 19 runs scored. He led the league with 38 steals in 2025 and is an elite power speed option in fantasy when he's healthy.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to toe the rubber on Tuesday for Game 2 of the series at Dodger Stadium against the visiting Miami Marlins, but manager Dave Roberts told Katie Woo of The Athletic that there's a possibility that Ohtani won't serve as the designated hitter. Ohtani will be pitching on traditional rest (not on a six-day schedule like the Dodgers have tried), and Tuesday's game also starts at 12:10 pm. It would be the second time this year that Ohtani hasn't hit on the same day that he pitches. The 31-year-old Japanese sensation and four-time MVP is a must-start as a hitter and batter every time he's active, but fantasy managers may not have him available as a hitter on Tuesday. The five-time All-Star has actually looked better as a pitcher than a hitter so far in 2026, going 2-0 on the hill with a stingy 0.38 ERA and 0.75 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and six walks in 24 innings over his four starts. Although Miami has 12th in team OPS (.718) this year, Ohtani is a must-start in fantasy as a pitcher for Tuesday's matchup in L.A.

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Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said he's giving a "banged-up" shortstop, Andres Gimenez (undisclosed), a breather on Monday against the Boston Red Sox, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. It explains why Gimenez will be missing a second straight game, but he will be available off the bench if needed. Ernie Clement got the start at the 6 on Monday in the series opener for Toronto, while Lenyn Sosa made the start at the keystone against Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if the 27-year-old Gimenez is back in the lineup for Game 2 of the series on Tuesday at Rogers Centre. The Venezuelan infielder has always been known as a glove-over-bat player, but Gimenez is off to a strong start offensively in 2026, hitting .287 (27-for-94) with three home runs, 16 RBI, four steals, and eight runs scored in his first 26 games played. Gimenez has never reached the 20-homer mark in his six MLB seasons, and after back-to-back 30-steal seasons in 2023 and 2023 with Cleveland, he has only stolen 16 bases since, including his four from 2026.

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San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is making another start at second base and will bat in the two-hole for Monday's series opener at Petco Park against the visiting Chicago Cubs and left-hander Matthew Boyd, according to MLB.com. This will be Tatis' fourth start at second for the Friars this year, bringing him closer to gaining eligibility at the keystone in fantasy baseball leagues. Not only is this trend making the 27-year-old Dominican more attractive in fantasy, but the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner has gotten even hotter at the plate of late. Tatis is still searching for his first home run of 2026, but otherwise, fantasy managers can't complain, as he's gone 8-for-29 (.276) with two RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases in his last seven games, dating back to April 18. He'll be hoping to turn things around against Boyd in the series opener in SD on Monday. In six career at-bats against Boyd, Tatis is hitting just .167 with one RBI.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/designated hitter George Springer (toe) will run the bases and hit again on Tuesday, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Springer is close to returning from the 10-day injured list and will not need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, manager John Schneider said. The 36-year-old veteran has missed the last two weeks with a fractured leg big toe, but if he feels good after another workout at Rogers Centre on Tuesday, he could be activated from the IL before Tuesday's contest against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Before fracturing his toe, Springer was struggling at the plate in his first 14 games of 2026, going 10-for-54 (.185) with two home runs, four doubles, six RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base. The four-time All-Star could have a tough time duplicating his late-career resurgence in 2025, but Springer still deserves to be rostered in all fantasy baseball leagues as the Blue Jays' primary DH when he's healthy. Springer is rostered in 92% of Yahoo leagues despite being on the IL the last two-plus weeks.

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The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that they placed right-hander Max Scherzer (forearm, ankle) on the 15-day injured list with right-forearm tendinitis and left-ankle inflammation and recalled right-hander Chase Lee from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. Scherzer continues to battle through injuries and poor performance at the end of his illustrious career. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star just doesn't have much left in the tank at this point and cannot stay healthy. He was tagged for seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings in a loss to the Cleveland Guardians in his last start, and he is now sporting a 9.64 ERA and 1.61 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and eight walks in his 18 2/3 frames over five starts for Toronto in his second season with the team. The future Hall of Famer is rostered in just 8% of Yahoo leagues now, and he is not a must-stash anywhere at this point. With Scherzer back on the shelf, left-hander Eric Lauer could be primed for a return to the starting rotation.

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The Chicago Cubs reinstated right-hander reliever Phil Maton (knee) from the 15-day injured list on Monday and optioned Charlie Barnes to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move, according to Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network. Maton will be returning to the Cubs bullpen since landing on the IL back on April 10 with right-knee tendinitis. The 33-year-old veteran reliever allowed six earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking four and striking out five in four innings of work out of the bullpen before his knee injury, but he had a nice 2.79 ERA with a career-high five saves, and an 81:23 K:BB in 61 1/3 innings for the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers last year. The Cubs' pitching staff has been decimated by injuries early in the year, so Maton could see opportunities to pick up more saves in Chicago now that he's healthy. In addition to Maton, Ben Brown, Jacob Webb, and Hoby Milner could be involved in a committee approach for manager Craig Counsell. Fantasy managers desperate for saves in deeper leagues should consider stashing Maton, who is rostered in only 4% of Yahoo leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (illness) is back at third base and will hit sixth on Monday against the visiting Miami Marlins and right-hander Chris Paddack in the series opener at Dodger Stadium, according to MLB.com. Muncy missed Saturday's win over the Chicago Cubs due to an illness, and he was held out of the series finale on Sunday as a regular day of rest. The veteran left-handed-hitting slugger is feeling much better to start the new week, and he should be returned to starting fantasy lineups where he's rostered. The 35-year-old two-time All-Star has been swinging a hot bat in the first month of the 2026 season, slashing .300/.394/.633 with a 1.028 OPS, nine home runs, 11 RBI, and 22 runs scored in 26 games played. Muncy should especially be back in starting lineups against a right-handed pitcher prone to the long ball. In 15 career at-bats against Paddack, Muncy is hitting .267 with a 1.189 OPS and two solo home runs.

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Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung is hitting second in the batting order for Monday's series opener against the visiting New York Yankees and left-hander Max Fried, according to MLB.com. Jung has been healthy of late and is red-hot at the dish, going 21-for-56 (.375) with four home runs and 13 RBI in his last 15 games for the Rangers. Overall, the oft-injured 28-year-old is batting .308 (28-for-91) with four home runs, 14 RBI, 12 runs scored, and a stolen base in 25 games played. Jung hasn't been all that great against left-handed pitching so far in 2026, though, going 4-for-22 (.182) against them with one of his four home runs in 24 plate appearances. He'll be facing one of the toughest southpaws in the league on Monday night against Fried, too. Jung's move up in the batting order reflects how hot he's been recently, and fantasy managers in need of corner-infield help should consider adding him off the waiver wire. Jung is rostered in 41% of Yahoo leagues.

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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (back) is behind the plate to catch right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and will hit third for the Dodgers in Monday's series opener against the visiting Miami Marlins and right-hander Chris Paddack, according to MLB.com. Smith missed the final two games of the Dodgers' series over the weekend against the Chicago Cubs with back tightness, but he's back for the start of the new week and should be returned to all starting fantasy lineups. With Smith back, Dalton Rushing will head to the bench. Smith, a three-time All-Star, will return to a .266/.337/.392 slash line with a .729 OPS, three home runs, 14 RBI, and 11 runs scored in his 79 total at-bats this year. In four career at-bats against Paddack, Smith has one hit, two RBI, and a .750 OPS. In 10 games since April 13, Smith has gone 8-for-35 (.229) with a homer, double, seven RBI, and three runs scored for the Blue.

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New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (calf) continues to sit out of the starting nine for Monday's series opener against the hosting Texas Rangers and right-hander Jack Leiter at Globe Life Field, according to MLB.com. Jasson Dominguez, who was just called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, will start at DH and will bat sixth against Leiter. Despite Dominguez's return and Stanton's injury, which he suffered on Friday against the Houston Astros, the Yankees will hold off on putting Stanton on the 10-day injured list for now. The New York Post's Greg Joyce reports that it looks as though the Yankees will play a pitcher short during their series in Texas and give Stanton a chance to return sooner than if they had put him on the IL. The 36-year-old Stanton is missing his third game in a row due to right-calf soreness. It's still unclear if Stanton will eventually require an IL stint, but fantasy managers looking for outfield help should consider acquiring Dominguez off the waiver wire after his hot start offensively in the minors. Dominguez could become a lineup regular if Stanton misses more time.

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Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (quadriceps) is starting at first base and is batting cleanup for Monday's series opener in Minnesota against the Twins and rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp, according to MLB.com. Naylor needed just one day to recover from quadriceps tightness and is right back in the lineup after missing Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fantasy managers will be hoping that Naylor can pick up right where he left off at the plate, as he had gone 12-for-25 (.480) with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored, and four stolen bases over his last seven games. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting Canadian has hit just .208 (21-for-101) on the year with three home runs, 11 RBI, seven runs scored, and four steals in 101 at-bats. Fantasy managers might want to keep Naylor benched against a lefty he's never faced. Naylor has gone 4-for-24 (.167) against lefties so far in 2026, with none of his three homers coming against them.

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Chicago Cubs catcher/designated hitter Moises Ballesteros has been raking to begin 2026. The diminutive backstop has collected an extra-base hit in three consecutive games (three doubles, one home run), and is now slashing a robust .397/.446/.690 on the year with a .486 wOBA and 215 wRC+. The drawback right now is that he is exclusively being deployed against right-handed pitchers, with five plate appearances against LHP and 60 against RHP, while averaging under three plate appearances per game so far. With how hot he is, though, the Cubs' former top prospect warrants consideration for a roster spot, especially in leagues that allow daily lineup changes. This is a kid who was a .303 career hitter in 182 games at Triple-A and who hit .298 in his 20-game debut in 2025, so if his advanced hit tool earns him more at-bats, more production will follow. The 22-year-old is available in almost 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and should be a regular DFS consideration when the Cubs are facing a right-hander.

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Seattle Mariners outfielder Luke Raley continued his skid on Sunday, going 0-for-3 at the plate, now hitless in his last 12 at-bats and 1-for-19 (.053) over his last 10 games. Of course, as a career .232 hitter coming into the season, the 6-foot-3 slugger was probably overdue for some regression after starting the year 20-for-59 (.339). Still, with bat speed, hard-hit rate, barrel rate, and average exit velocity all 89th percentile or better, expect more home runs from the left-handed hitter, even if the batting average doesn't return. He's seen just two plate appearances against left-handed pitching all season, which puts a cap on his production ceiling in season-long leagues, although leagues with daily lineup changes alleviate that problem somewhat. With a career ISO of .216 and wRC+ of 127 against righties, though, he could be a solid DFS play on days where the Mariners have a high implied run total and are facing a right-hander.

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Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers has done a fine job filling in at first base this season after expected starter Andrew Vaughn (hand) hit the injured list before the season began. Bauers hit five home runs in his first 15 games this season, and although he is in the midst of a 10-game homerless drought, the left-handed slugger is also currently riding a five-game hit streak. During this streak, he's gone 8-for-21 (.381) with three doubles, and is now slashing .261/.316/.477 for the year with a .339 wOBA and 115 wRC+. Expected stats like xBA and xwOBA are in line with his actual statistics, so there doesn't appear to be any signs of regression one way or the other, and with bat speed, hard-hit rate, and average exit velocity all 92nd-percentile or better, more long balls should be on the way. Vaughn could be back by mid-May, so Bauers' playing time could become diminished, but for now, he's worth adding from the waiver wire for managers looking for some power production, and is available in over 80 percent of leagues.

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New York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio is a name to consider on the waiver wire this week as the Mets recently called up their former top prospect when Francisco Lindor (calf) went on the injured list. Mauricio was hitting .293 at Triple-A and was already up to six home runs and five steals this season in just 15 games. The steals aren't something fantasy managers should expect in the majors, but he could be a sneaky source of power while filling in at shortstop. The 6-foot-3 Dominican hit six home runs last season with the Mets in only 61 games, and was the owner of the 10th-hardest hit ball in the majors at 117.3 mph back in 2023, the year he debuted. The switch-hitter is 3-for-6 in his last two games, is eligible at both 2B and 3B in Yahoo! leagues, and should soon gain eligibility at SS.

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) is rostered in just nine percent of Yahoo! leagues, but with his expected return to the big league club this week, that number should probably be higher. The former first-round draft pick had a 20/20 season in his debut season of 2023, and was nearly 20/20 again last year (19 home runs, 18 steals). The right-handed hitter will likely be a drain on batting average, but he's hitting .308 through eight rehab games in the minors, so perhaps there's hope he could outproduce his career batting average of .222. Also, hitting anywhere in the league's fifth-best run-producing lineup (5.21 runs/game) should carry plenty of RBI and run-scoring opportunities. The soon-to-be-25-year-old is worth a look in most 12-team mixed leagues and could be stashed away ahead of his return.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho looked like he was heating up, going 13-for-38 (.342) over a 10-game stretch from April 10 through April 22, but went ice cold in the Cleveland series over the weekend. The left-handed hitter went 0-for-11 in the three-game set and is now slashing .230/.302/.379 with a .303 wOBA and 88 wRC+. The 29-year-old is putting the bat on the ball at a career-best 84.1 percent of the time with a career-best strikeout rate of 16.7 percent, but with a noticeable year-over-year drop in bat speed, it looks like he's sacrificing power for contact, but it's coming without a corresponding uptick in batting average. The 5-foot-8 slugger belted at least 18 home runs from 2022 to 2025, but with an average exit velocity in the fourth percentile and just a 5.6 percent barrel rate, that could be a challenge in 2026. Perhaps his bat will warm up with the weather, but there may be higher upside options on the waiver wire. He's 36 percent rostered on Yahoo!, and it probably shouldn't be any higher than that for now.

From RotoBaller