Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward is enjoying the start to his first season with his new team in 2026 and added four more hits in a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Ward went 4-for-5 at the plate with three doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. The 32-year-old right-handed power hitter is still searching for his first home run, while he leads the league with nine doubles. The long balls will likely come, but fantasy managers surely aren't complaining about Ward's .383/.464/.574 start with eight additional RBI. Plenty is expected of Ward in his first year in Baltimore after having his first 30-30 season in 157 games with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025 in his eighth year in the big leagues. Camden Yards won't make it easy on Ward in his attempt to reach 30 homers in a second consecutive season, but he should at least be a strong counting-stat contributor in fantasy while hitting near the top of the O's lineup on a regular basis.

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Cleveland Guardians outfielder Angel Martinez had a big day at the plate in the team's 10-2 blowout win on Wednesday over the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Hitting in the two-hole while playing left field, Martinez went 4-for-5 with a grand slam and a strikeout. The ball was jumping off of Martinez's bat on Wednesday, and it led to his first runs batted in of the season and his first long ball. The 24-year-old Dominican switch-hitter came into Wednesday's contest against KC with a .208 average (5-for-24) with a double, three runs scored, and a stolen base in 10 games played for the Guards. Most of Martinez's playing time in Cleveland has come against left-handed pitchers, but he looked good against righties on Wednesday, which could earn him some more playing time going forward if he continues to make loud contact. His grand slam came in the eighth inning off right-hander Steven Cruz.

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (illness) is feeling better and is starting in right field and batting cleanup for Detroit on Wednesday on the road against the division-rival Minnesota Twins and right-hander Bailey Ober, according to MLB.com. Carpenter didn't start in each of the last two games due to a stomach illness, but he was used as a pinch-hitter on Tuesday. Now that the 28-year-old left-handed hitter is feeling better, he'll attempt to dig himself out of an early-season funk at the plate. The former 19th-round pick in 2019 has gone 6-for-32 (.188) with two home runs, six RBI, and three runs scored while walking five times and striking out 16 times in just 38 plate appearances over 10 games played. Carpenter has plenty of experience against Ober, hitting .267 against him with an .886 OPS, a home run, and three RBI in 15 career at-bats, so perhaps this matchup is just what the doctor ordered for the struggling outfielder.

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After filing an appeal on his seven-game suspension from Major League Baseball, Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez reached a settlement with the league and will have his suspension reduced to five games, effective immediately, according to Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lopez threw a pitch up and in to Los Angeles Angels outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler in the fifth inning on Tuesday night, and Soler took exception, charging the mound. Lopez and Soler threw haymakers at each other before the benches cleared to break up the brawl at Angel Stadium. With the reduced suspension, Lopez will not end up missing a start early in the year. He'll take the ball next Tuesday against the division-rival Miami Marlins, where he should be started by fantasy managers. The 32-year-old former reliever was a first-time All-Star in 2024 in his first year in Atlanta in his return to a full-time starting role. Lopez made only one start in 2025 due to shoulder issues, but he's healthy again and is off to a fine start in three outings so far, posting a 1.15 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 13:5 K:BB through three starts.

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Chicago Cubs right-hander Colin Rea will enter the team's starting rotation and make the start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, according to MLB.com. Rea is going to get a chance to prove he deserves a rotation spot with Matthew Boyd (biceps) and Cade Horton (elbow) on the injured list (Horton is done for the season). The 35-year-old veteran has made two appearances in relief so far in the early going in 2026, allowing three earned runs on eight hits while walking one, striking out eight, and picking up a save in 6 1/3 innings. Rea has a 19.3% strikeout rate in his career and will likely be limited from a pitch-count perspective on Wednesday in his first start of the year, so we wouldn't recommend him as any kind of streamer against the Rays. At best, Rea will probably end up being a matchup-based streamer in deep fantasy leagues for however long he remains in Chicago's starting rotation.

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Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough called it a "possibility" that outfielder Kyle Stowers (hamstring) will play first base this year, possibly as early as his minor-league rehab assignment, according to Kevin Barral of Fish On First. Stowers is approaching a rehab assignment after going through a workout on Wednesday. The left-handed slugger has never appeared at first base as a professional, but it could be a way for the Fish to keep him healthy for the long run. A right-hamstring strain forced Stowers to the 10-day injured list to begin the 2026 season. The 28-year-old former second-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 out of Stanford was the Marlins' lone All-Star representative in 2025 after a breakout campaign that saw him hit .288/.368/.544 with a .912 OPS, 25 home runs, 73 RBI, 61 runs scored, and five steals in 117 games played. Durability is a major concern, but Stowers deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues as he looks for an encore in 2026.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) will likely come back with the team after their weekend series in Tampa, and he could "potentially" be sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment at some point next week, according to Erik Boland of Newsday. Volpe played through a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder for the majority of last season before undergoing labrum surgery last October. He has been working out at extended spring training in Florida. If Volpe can avoid any setbacks with his surgically repaired shoulder in minor-league games, he could make his 2026 debut with the Yankees in late April or early May. Until then, the speedy Jose Caballero will continue to see most of the playing time at the 6 in the Bronx. The 24-year-old Volpe is a career .222/.283/.379 hitter in his three big-league seasons, but he had a 20-20 season as a rookie in 2023, and he's stolen 70 bases in 472 regular-season games played, making him useful as middle-infield depth for fantasy managers in mixed leagues when he's healthy.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (heel) is out of the starting lineup on Wednesday for a second straight night against the Tampa Bay Rays while dealing with a bruised left heel, according to Taylor McGregor of Watch Marquee Sports. Happ is available off the bench, though, which means he should be able to return to action for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates after an off day on Thursday. With Happ out again, Michael Conforto will start in left field for the Cubbies and will hit eighth against Rays right-hander Joe Boyle. Although Happ has already gone deep four times in his first 40 at-bats, he only has eight hits in total (.200 batting average) while driving in seven runs and scoring seven runs for the Cubs. Fantasy managers should check back on Friday to make sure that Happ is back in the lineup before returning him to their starting lineups. Conforto has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Boyle.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-handed reliever Edwin Uceta (shoulder) will pitch one inning on Friday and on Sunday for Double-A Montgomery on a minor-league rehab assignment before being sent to Triple-A Durham to build his arm up further, according to Ryan Bass. "I'm hopeful just before May 1," manager Kevin Cash said on a possible return timeline. "He didn't have a spring training, so he's gonna get built out, and then it'll kind of decide how we want to navigate." Griffin Jax began the 2026 season as Tampa's first option for saves with Uceta sidelined, but he quickly blew two saves and has been surpassed by Bryan Baker for the time being in the closer hierarchy in Tampa. Uceta, who was one of only five relievers with 100-plus strikeouts in 2025, could quickly become the team's closer once he's activated from the 15-day injured list later this month. The Dominican reliever had a sparkling 1.51 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and five saves in 2024 as well, and is one of the most talented arms in the Rays' bullpen.

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who is away from the team right now for the birth of his child, could return to the team's starting rotation on Friday against the New York Yankees, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 30-year-old was scratched from his scheduled outing against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday after his wife went into labor. At the latest, Rasmussen will rejoin the team on Saturday for the weekend series against the Yankees. After being named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2025, Rasmussen is off to a good start in 2026 after two starts, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits (two homers) while walking just one and striking out 10 in 10 innings pitched. Rasmussen is looking to take the next step in his seventh year in the big leagues, but he'll have a pretty big challenge on his hands against New York in his third start of the season after he comes off the paternity list.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez has been suspended for seven games for his role in a brawl with Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler during Tuesday night's game, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. After Lopez threw a pitch up and in during the fifth inning, Soler charged the mound, with both players throwing haymakers as the benches cleared at Angels Stadium. Both Soler and Lopez will appeal their suspensions, which means they'll be eligible to play until the league hears their suspensions. Lopez will likely end up missing one turn through Atlanta's rotation. Lopez, who only made one start in 2025 due to a shoulder injury, has been great in his three starts this year, allowing four runs (two earned) while walking five and striking out 13 in 15 2/3 frames. The 32-year-old veteran's next scheduled start will come on Monday against the Miami Marlins, so fantasy managers will be hoping his suspension doesn't kick in before that start.

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Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (thumb) "should be good" going forward after suffering a left-thumb contusion in his start on Wednesday versus the Cleveland Guardians, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. It sounds as though the Royals avoided the worst with Ragans after he was hit by a comebacker off the bat of Jose Ramirez in the first inning. He initially stayed in the game, but his thumb proved to be too stiff for him to continue, so the Royals pulled him as a precaution. The 28-year-old southpaw was charged with three earned runs while walking one and striking out two in just two-thirds of an inning on Wednesday. It's great news for Ragans, who made only 13 starts in 2025 due to injuries after his All-Star campaign in 2024. Ragans struck out 223 hitters in 32 starts for the Royals in 2024, and he's a prime bounce-back candidate this year if he can manage to stay healthy. His next scheduled start will come against the division-rival Detroit Tigers next Tuesday on the road.

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Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler has been suspended for seven games for brawling with Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez on Tuesday night, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Soler took exception to a pitch up and in from Lopez in the fifth inning and charged the mound before throwing punches in a benches-clearing brawl. Until Soler's appeal is heard by the league, he'll be eligible to play for the Angels, including in Wednesday's contest against Atlanta at Angels Stadium. The 32-year-old veteran right-handed power hitter is slated to start in right field and bat cleanup for the Halos in Wednesday's series finale against Braves right-hander Grant Holmes. To begin his second season in Anaheim, Soler heads into Wednesday's action sporting a .220 average (9-for-41) with two home runs, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored in 12 games played. Keep Soler in your starting lineups for now until his suspension kicks in.

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Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers (side) was removed from Wednesday's game early against the Colorado Rockies with "lower-back tightness," according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Meyers suffered the injury in the second inning and was pulled in favor of Brice Matthews. For now, fantasy managers should consider Meyers to be day-to-day until we know more. If his injury is significant, Matthews and Joey Loperfido would both be candidates to see more playing time in center field for Houston. Meyers hit a career-best .292 in 104 games in 2025 for the Astros, but he's mostly a defense-first player in center field. In 11 games to open the year going into Wednesday's contest at Coors Field, Meyers had gone 9-for-37 (.243) with a homer, four RBI, five runs scored, and one stolen base.

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Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (shoulder) was removed from his start early on Wednesday at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies with "right-shoulder tightness," according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. In his one inning of work before hitting the showers early, Javier allowed an earned run on three hits while walking none and striking out one. AJ Blubaugh, who took over for Javier in this contest, will be a top candidate to enter Houston's starting rotation if Javier's injury is serious enough to send him to the 15-day injured list. The 29-year-old Dominican is off to a rough start to the 2026 season, as he has allowed 12 earned runs on 10 hits (two homers) while walking nine and striking out only three in 8 1/3 innings in his two starts before Wednesday's outing in Denver. Javier made only eight starts for the 'Stros in 2025 in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2024, so injuries have been an issue.

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Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield stayed hot at the plate on Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the 5-1 win over the Astros. He's got back-to-back multi-hit efforts and has hit safely in eight of the 10 games he's started. The 6-foot-5 slugger is now batting .389 with two home runs, seven RBI, and six runs scored, along with better-than-average strikeout (17.5 percent) and walk rates (10.0 percent), good for a .478 wOBA and 191 wRC+. The left-handed slugger hit for average (.285) and power (16 home runs) last year at Triple-A in the Yankees' organization, with similar strikeout and walk rates, so this isn't totally out of nowhere for the Virginia Tech product. However, with a high BABIP of .444, along with an xBA of .287 and xwOBA of .369, there could be some regression coming. Still, with the skills he's shown and playing half of his games at Coors Field, there are plenty of reasons for the 25-year-old to be rostered in deeper leagues; he's available in 95 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

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Updating a previous report, Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (thumb) was diagnosed with a left-thumb contusion after leaving his start early on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians after he was hit in the throwing hand by a comebacker off the bat of third baseman Jose Ramirez in the first inning, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. The 28-year-old southpaw appears to have avoided a serious injury, but he could still have his next turn in the starting rotation skipped as a precaution. Before leaving, Ragans was unfortunately charged with three earned runs on two hits while walking one and striking out two in two-thirds of an inning pitched. If the Royals clear Ragans to make his next start, he's scheduled to face the division-rival Detroit Tigers next week. If he can avoid further injuries, Ragans has a good chance to bounce back in 2026 for fantasy managers.

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Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson (elbow) underwent elbow surgery and is expected to be out for the entire 2026 season, manager Kurt Suzuki told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Stephenson has dealt with elbow issues with the Angels and pitched only 10 innings during his three-year deal with the organization. More right-elbow issues surfaced for the 33-year-old veteran during spring training, and he landed on the 60-day injured list before the start of the regular season. Stephenson specifically had ligament and flexor-repair surgery, so he was able to avoid another UCL reconstruction, but it doesn't change the fact that he'll miss the entire season. The Angels have a $2.5 million team option on Stephenson for the 2027 season, but after all of his right-elbow issues, it wouldn't be a surprise if they let him reach the open market next winter. Right-hander Jordan Romano has looked good as the Angels' closer early on this year, with Stephenson (elbow), Ben Joyce (shoulder), and Kirby Yates (knee) all sidelined.

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Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain smacked a pair of doubles in a 2-for-5 effort in Tuesday's 6-3 extra-innings win over the Marlins, driving in two runs, scoring once, and he stole a base. Perhaps the former first-rounder is rounding into form with three multi-hit efforts in his last five games, raising his batting average from .190 to .238 on the season. The 28-year-old scorched the ball this spring, batting .509 with seven home runs, which inflated his ADP in fantasy drafts, so managers who invested in a bounce-back campaign should be encouraged by his recent play. The right-handed hitter will go up against the Marlins' Eury Perez on Wednesday, and although he's seen Perez only twice, McLain does have a home run off of him.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-3 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Blue Jays, with an RBI and a pair of walks. After collecting just three hits in his first six games of the season, the four-time MVP is now riding a five-game hit streak, during which time he's gone 9-for-24 (.375) with three home runs, eight RBI, and five runs scored. He's yet to steal his first base of the season, but a .448 xwOBA and 156 wRC+ point to yet another productive campaign in the making. The five-time All-Star will also make his second start of the season on the mound on Wednesday afternoon in Toronto and will bat leadoff. The right-hander allowed one hit and three walks while striking out six batters in six innings of shutout ball his last time out against the Guardians.

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