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.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Friday that they reinstated catcher Gabriel Moreno (oblique) from the 10-day injured list and designated catcher Aramis Garcia for assignment in a corresponding move. Moreno is returning to the big-league club without going on a minor-league rehab assignment following a two-week stay on the IL with a left-oblique strain. Fantasy managers will want to check back later to see if Moreno is back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs and right-hander Colin Rea. Moreno, who was hitting .275 (11-for-40) with no home runs, five RBI, and six runs scored in 13 games before getting hurt, is only rostered in 10% of Yahoo leagues at the moment. He'll be Arizona's primary catcher now that he's back. Although Moreno has hit a solid .281 in his four-plus seasons in the majors, he's never had more than nine home runs or 50 RBI, and has only played over 100 games in a season once.

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Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs (hip) was pulled after three ineffective innings in his outing on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals with what the team called right-hip soreness, but Sports Illustrated's Jason Burke reports that Springs is expected to make his next start. Manager Mark Kotsay called the move to pull Springs on Thursday precautionary. Springs was looking outstanding to begin the year, posting a 1.46 ERA through his first four starts, but he's now gone just 14 innings in his last three starts with an 8.36 ERA. The left-hander had Tommy John surgery in 2023, putting him out for most of the 2024 campaign. The 33-year-old veteran was getting his feel back in 2025, when he went 11-11 with a 4.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 138:54 K:BB in 171 innings pitched. Springs needed 67 pitches to get through his three innings, and even though he has a nice matchup against the struggling Phillies his next time out, he'll be a big risk coming off an injury scare. He'll need to get his strikeout rate back up and stay healthy to remain fantasy relevant in shallow mixed leagues all year.

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New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) looked great in his second minor-league rehab start on Thursday with Double-A Somerset, allowing an earned run on five hits (one homer) while walking nine and striking out eight batters in 5 1/3 innings of work. He threw 51 of his 75 pitches for strikes after tossing 4 1/3 scoreless frames in his first rehab start last Friday with High-A Hudson Valley. The 33-year-old veteran will most likely make one more rehab start in the minors early next week before the Yankees reinstate him from the 15-day injured list. Rodon has yet to pitch in the big leagues in 2026 after having surgery last October to remove a bone spur from his left elbow. With Rodon on the cusp of rejoining the big-league starting rotation, fantasy managers should check to see if he's available on your league's waiver wire. He's currently rostered in 86% of Yahoo leagues. The Yankees might ease Rodon back in, but the three-time All-Star could quickly return to his solid 2025 form, in which he went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 203:73 K:BB in his 33 starts across 195 1/3 innings pitched.

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Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (arm) will make another minor-league rehab start sometime next week, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Imai, who is on the 15-day injured list due to right-arm fatigue after his first three starts in the big leagues, didn't look great in his first rehab start on Tuesday at Double-A Corpus Christi. The 27-year-old Japanese hurler allowed five runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two in just two innings pitched for the Hooks. He has been out since April 13, and he could need several more appearances on the farm before the Astros consider activating Imai so that he can return to Houston's starting rotation. It's an understatement to say that Imai has struggled in his first taste of the majors in the United States. There have been rumors that he has had a difficult time transitioning to life in the U.S. First and foremost, Imai must improve his control on the mound, or it's going to be a long first year with Houston. In his first three starts, Imai allowed seven earned runs while walking 11 and striking out 13 in just 8 2/3 innings pitched.

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San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb (2-3) has been a bit of a letdown thus far in 2026 with a 4.30 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and only 38 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched. However, his outing on Thursday was good, as he threw seven innings, allowed one earned run, and struck out six. Additionally, he generated 13 whiffs, most of which came on his sinker, but he did generate whiffs on all five of his pitches. While Webb's control (8.1 percent walk rate) and groundball rate (59.3 percent) remain good, he is getting hit hard, as he's allowed a 49.6 percent hard hit rate and 91.2 mph average exit velocity on the season, both of which are worse than his career numbers. That being said, Webb has been a model of consistent success over the past eight seasons, so fantasy managers who invested a top pick on him shouldn't be panicking, but should perhaps temper expectations that he is going to have one of the better seasons of his career. Up next for Webb is a good matchup at home early next week against the Padres.

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Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena is having a good stretch at the plate over the past seven days, hitting .286 with three doubles and a stolen base. On the season, he now finds himself slashing .289/.381/.439 with seven stolen bases, 11 RBI, two home runs, nine doubles, and 22 runs scored. While the homerun production isn't quite there yet, Arozarena is tied for eighth in MLB in doubles. Most importantly, we are seeing improved plate discipline from Arozarena, decreasing his strikeout rate to 21.6 percent from his career 25.7 percent rate. Arozarena has hit 20-plus home runs the last two seasons, so with improved plate discipline, historic power numbers, a strong average that is backed up under the hood (.263 xBA), and his nine doubles are all encouraging signs for him to continue his power and speed combination and be a valuable asset for fantasy managers who invested a middle-round pick on him.

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Chicago Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera has been fantastic with his new team in 2026, as he is (3-0) with a 3.06 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings pitched. While the strikeout numbers are down for him compared to his career mark (25.5 percent strikeout rate), the whiff (27.5 percent) and chase rate (35.0 percent) remain solid, so the strikeouts should follow suit. Cabrera has allowed three earned runs or fewer in every one of his outings so far (six starts) while going at least five innings in each start. His next outing is scheduled at home on May 4 against the Cincinnati Reds, where he continues to be a must-start in all formats. Fantasy managers who invested in Cabrera in the middle rounds of their draft are seeing a solid return and should feel optimistic about the remainder of the 2026 season.

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Cincinnati Reds' 23-year-old former second-overall pick in 2024 is starting to break out in 2026 after flashing signs in 2025. So far this season, Burns is (3-1) with a 2.65 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched. His fastball velocity remains elite (98.1 mph average), and his control remains in check (8.8 percent walk rate), while he continues to miss bats and rack up the strikeouts (28.5 percent). Burns is primarily a two-pitch pitcher, throwing his four-seamer 56 percent of the time and slider 37 percent of the time, but both pitches are excellent and top-tier (.230 batting average on the four-seamer and .140 batting average on the slider). Most encouragingly, Burns has shown a lot of consistency through his six starts, having gone five innings in every outing, while allowing two earned runs or less in all but one start on April 10, where he allowed five earned runs to the Angels and was his only loss of the season. Up Next for Burns is an excellent matchup on Sunday, May 3, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he should be fired up confidently in your lineups.

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New York Mets third baseman Bo Bichette's struggles at the plate continue of late, as he is slashing .190/.280/.333 over the past seven days. On the season, his slash line is .230/.272/.317 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and 15 runs scored to go with one stolen base. Bichette is a proven player in the league, so fantasy managers should not be dropping him; however, we are now seven weeks into the season, and Bichette has yet to find his groove with the struggling Mets. Fantasy managers looking for some signs to hold onto Bichette should look at his underlying data, as he has a .290 xBA, .322 xwOBA, and .409 xSLG. All of those do indicate positive regression is on the mend, but in the meantime, he has not given fantasy managers the return they expected from a player going in the middle rounds. Up next for Bichette and the Mets is a weekend series in Anaheim to take on the Angels and a three-game set in Coors to face the Rockies, both of which should be good hitting conditions and a chance for Bichette to start to turn things around.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby didn't have his best stuff working for him during Wednesday's outing against the Minnesota Twins. Kirby allowed two earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts across 5.2 innings of work during Wednesday's no-decision. He was on the hook for the loss until the Mariners' offense came alive late in the game. The right-hander will take a 3.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 34:11 K:BB ratio into his next start against the Atlanta Braves. Kirby has allowed seven or more hits in three of his last four outings. He has been able to work around the damage and allowed two runs or less in all of those outings. Fantasy managers should keep riding with Kirby despite his lack of swing-and-miss stuff.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow didn't have his best command during Wednesday's outing against the Miami Marlins. The right-hander issued a season-high six walks in what ended up being a no-decision for Glasnow. He was able to salvage his fantasy value by tying his season-high with nine strikeouts across 5.2 innings of work. It has been an overall strong start to the season for Glasnow, who holds a 2.56 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and a 47:13 K:BB ratio across six starts. He hopes to have better command during his next outing against the Houston Astros. Despite some command issues, Glasnow remains a must-start fantasy pitcher.

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Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson has been off to a slow start to the season, but appears to be coming around with the bat. The overall numbers aren't pretty with Henderson slashing .213/.287/.492 with 41 strikeouts through the first 29 games of the season. The good news is that the slugger has been turning the corner lately. Over the last week, Henderson is slashing .333/.368/.722 with two homers and three RBI. The young slugger has collected five hits over his last four games, which should give fantasy managers hope that he's starting to come around at the plate. Henderson should remain rostered and started in all fantasy formats despite a slow start.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried has been on another level lately. The southpaw had a rough outing against the Los Angeles Angels on April 16 and has been untouchable since then. Over his last two starts, Fried has thrown 14 straight scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts and four walks. He'll look to keep up the excellent work on the mound during Sunday's start against the Baltimore Orioles. So far this season, Fried owns a 2.09 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and a 37/12 K:BB ratio across 47.1 innings of work. Fried needs to be rostered and started in all fantasy formats.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Cade Povich is expected to be called up ahead of Friday's game against the New York Yankees. Povich is set to return to the O's roster after being sent down on April 13. He figures to fill the vacant rotation spot with Trevor Rogers (illness) getting placed on the Injured List on Wednesday. Povich could be an interesting short-term deep league option. He posted a 2.19 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, with seven strikeouts across 12.1 innings this season. He's expected to take the ball either Friday or Saturday against the Yankees. Fantasy managers in deep leagues looking for pitching help should consider adding Povich.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (thumb) has resumed throwing as part of his rehab at the team's player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. It's Kirk's first step of many as he works his way back from thumb surgery. Kirk needed surgery to fix a left-thumb fracture in early April, and he's not expected to return to the Blue Jays' lineup until mid-to-late May. The 27-year-old Mexican backstop only played in five games before his injury, going 3-for-20 (.150) at the plate with a homer and two RBI. Tyler Heineman has worked as the team's primary catcher since Kirk's injury, with Brandon Valenzeula backing him up. It's a situation to ignore in fantasy leagues. Kirk, though, remains stashed in 29% of Yahoo leagues after he hit .282/.348/.421 with a .769 OPS, a career-high 15 home runs, and 76 RBI in 130 regular-season games last year. The 27-year-old has middling power but can provide decent run production and a respectable average to fantasy managers in two-catcher leagues because of his high contact rate.

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Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Gus Varland is seeing his fantasy baseball value rise after earning his third save of the year in the team's 5-4 win over the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday. Varland entered the game with two outs in the eighth inning and ended up tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and one strikeout. The 29-year-old had a nice bounce-back outing after he blew his second save of the year on April 25 against the Chicago White Sox. The next save went to right-hander Paxton Schultz on Sunday. The Nationals are in a closer-by-committee situation right now with Clayton Beeter (forearm) currently on the 15-day injured list. Varland appears to be the best short-term option for saves in D.C. right now, and he has a 2.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, three saves, and a 14:3 K:BB in his 12 2/3 frames. He's rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues, and he's really only an option in deeper leagues for a short-term boost in save chances.

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Cincinnati Reds right-handed closer Emilio Pagan had a rough day at the office in a non-save situation in Thursday's 6-4 win over the visiting Colorado Rockies at Great American Ballpark. Pagan was summoned in the top of the ninth inning with a four-run lead, and he proceeded to allow two earned runs on three hits without a walk or a strikeout in one inning of work. The 34-year-old veteran does have six saves already on the season, but it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for him, and he blew his second save of 2026 on April 19 against the Minnesota Twins. Pagan now sits with a 5.40 ERA on the season, which isn't exactly pretty for the team's primary closer. He had a career-high 32 saves in his second year in Cincy in 2025, but Pagan only has one other 20-save campaign in his nine MLB seasons, and his fly-ball tendencies aren't exactly the greatest fit at his home ballpark. If Pagan's struggles continue, Tony Santillan would probably be the next man up for saves in Cincy.

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Athletics right-handed reliever Jack Perkins picked up his third save of the season in the team's 6-3 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Thursday, allowing a hit while striking out one in a scoreless inning of work at Sutter Health Park. Harris has become a reliever on the rise for fantasy managers to consider picking up in a closer-by-committee situation that also involves lefty Hogan Harris and right-hander Joel Kuhnel. Mark Leiter Jr. also picked up a save on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Perkins came into Thursday's series finale with a 2-0 record, 2.92 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings of work in just his second season in the majors. Perkins could deserve a look off the waiver wire from fantasy managers searching for saves, but he hasn't been used as a traditional closer by any means, with Perkins' first two saves of the year coming in two-inning stints. He's a multi-inning weapon for the A's and gives them options late in games. Right now, Perkins is only rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues with his stock rising.

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