San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill is off to a subpar start to the season at the plate, but he has been able to salvage his fantasy value by stealing bases. The 23-year-old has swiped eight bags this year, so he's already halfway to his career-high mark of 16. He's also taking more free passes, as his walk rate has jumped from 6.8% in 2025 to 8.7% in 2026. The bad news is that he's slashing just .221/.294/.351 with four home runs, a career-high 23.8% strikeout rate, and a career-low 84 wRC+. The steals can only help him so much in fantasy baseball, and managers would love to see him get back on track at the plate. There's hope that he'll be able to bounce back, as the Padres' everyday center fielder still checks in as the #24 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.

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Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark has cooled off at Triple-A, but he is still holding his own, having hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games. In a sign that perhaps he's about to get hot again, the Tigers' second-ranked prospect belted his first extra-base hit this past Saturday after going nine games without one. His extra-base hit on Saturday was nearly a grand slam but was ruled a double after the umpires determined there was fan interference. Nevertheless, the left-handed slugger is hitting a solid .268 with a .342 on-base percentage thanks to a 10.6 percent walk rate, while he's still putting the bat on the ball at a good clip with just a 14.9 percent strikeout rate. With nine stolen bases as well, the former third-overall draft pick can be a multi-category producer at the major league level whenever he gets the call. His time will likely come by midseason, so managers in deeper leagues should consider stashing the 21-year-old ahead of his call-up, as there aren't many prospects on the verge of a debut that can match his potential to contribute across categories.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (undisclosed) exited early during Wednesday's start against the Baltimore Orioles. He lasted just three innings but threw a total of 61 pitches. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com speculated that Fried could be dealing with a blister because his command was shaky. The star pitcher had thrown just 55.7% strikes before departing, and he was hit around for three runs on five hits. Fried has dealt with blisters in the past, but there wasn't any clear indication that he was experiencing discomfort until he exited on Wednesday afternoon. Presumably, the Yankees will provide an update on his status this afternoon or evening. Fans and fantasy managers will hope for good news, as losing Fried for any period of time is problematic. The 32-year-old southpaw entered today with an impressive 2.73 FIP, 7.36 K/9, 2.76 BB/9, and 0.15 HR/9 across nine starts.

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Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley got off to a relatively slow start at the plate this season, but he has turned the corner lately with improved contact and power production. Riley has put together a four-game hitting streak, during which he is 6-for-16 with one home run, one double, three RBI, one walk, and four strikeouts. He has improved his season-long slash line to .220/.290/.377 with six homers, an 8.0 walk rate, a 26.7% strikeout rate, and 88 wRC+. Those walk and strikeout rates are essentially on par with his previous single-season marks, so now we'd just like to see him produce more base hits and find a little power. His 2026 ISO has fallen to a career-low .157, which is nearly 100 points lower than his career-best .255 mark in 2022. Given his recent success at the plate, Riley could be an intriguing buy-low candidate in fantasy baseball trades going forward.

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Athletics third baseman Max Muncy (hand) is still being held out of all baseball activities, and there is no timetable for his return, per MLB.com. Muncy was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 26 with a left-hand fifth metacarpal fracture. The 23-year-old third baseman was originally hit by a pitch on his hand on April 23. Before landing on the IL, the former 25th overall pick in 2021 had gone 22-for-92 (.239) at the plate with two home runs, seven RBI, 15 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 26 games in 2026. In his first taste of big-league pitching last year, Muncy slashed .214/.259/.379 with a .638 OPS, nine home runs, 23 RBI, 17 runs scored, and a stolen base across 63 contests and 220 plate appearances. Since he has yet to resume baseball activities, Muncy might not be ready to return to the A's lineup until June. Recently, Zack Gelof has taken advantage of the open playing time at the hot corner in Sacramento for the A's. Muncy is currently rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues.

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam this week, most likely on Wednesday, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Mets are hoping that the MRI will provide some clarity on when Lindor might return. He is no longer wearing a walking boot, but the Mets know better at this point than to get ahead of themselves, given the way their season has gone so far in 2026. The 32-year-old five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner has been sidelined since April 22 with a calf strain, and there is currently no timetable for him to resume baseball activities, which means fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to return until probably sometime in June, at the earliest. Despite struggling to a .226/.314/.335 slash line through 105 plate appearances before getting hurt, Lindor is a must-stash in an IL spot in all fantasy baseball leagues. With both Lindor and Ronny Mauricio (thumb) on the shelf, the last-place Mets have been forced to move Bo Bichette to the 6 in Queens, while Brett Baty sees most of the action at third base.

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (knee) is heading for an MRI exam on Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's 10-2 win over the Detroit Tigers with a right-knee injury in the sixth inning, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "We've just got to wait," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "It didn't look good on that swing, obviously. We saw it right away. He came out, but we've got to wait." Fantasy managers should expect Alvarez to be out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest against Detroit in Queens, and there's a good possibility that Alvarez will require a stint on the 10-day injured list. Luis Torrens replaced him behind the dish on Tuesday and would take over starting duties at catcher in New York if Alvarez is forced to miss extended time. Hayden Singer would likely be called up from Triple-A Syracuse to serve as the No. 2 catcher for the banged-up Mets. The 24-year-old, who has hit .241 with a .710 OPS in 37 games in 2026, has had trouble staying healthy in his career. Alvarez is currently rostered in only 23% of Yahoo leagues.

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New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez (shoulder) received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left shoulder, manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Dominguez is clear of concussion symptoms, but Boone said it will still probably be a few weeks before he can play again. The 23-year-old former top prospect made an outstanding play in the outfield for the Yankees last week, but he slammed into the outfield wall in the process and sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder. Thankfully, the Martian cleared the concussion protocol, but he will be sidelined for a few more weeks as he heals. With Giancarlo Stanton (calf) also on the 10-day injured list, the Yankees called up outfield prospect Spencer Jones for the first time over the weekend. By the time Dominguez is ready to return, Stanton could be back for the Yankees as well, which would complicate Dominguez's path to regular playing time in the Bronx. The Dominican switch-hitter did not make the Opening Day roster and went 6-for-30 (.200) with a homer, four RBI, and three runs in nine games for the Yanks before getting hurt. He's rostered in only 10% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said that infielder Jordan Westburg (elbow) met with Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. Westburg is still in talks with his support team, including doctors and agent Scott Boras, about his next steps. "They're going through the options, next steps, what he wants to do," Albernaz said. The 27-year-old has not played at all this year due to a partially torn UCL in his right elbow, and it sounds as though Westburg and his representatives are deciding on whether he should undergo what would be season-ending surgery. Westburg recently had a setback, which prompted his visit with ElAttrache. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues have run out of patience, and rightfully so, as he's currently rostered in just 16% of Yahoo leagues. Coby Mayo has been a big beneficiary of Westburg's injury as far as playing time at third base, but he's hitting only .162 (17-for-105) on the year and is losing at-bats to Weston Wilson of late at the hot corner.

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Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso had an eight-game hitting streak earlier this month, but he's only hitting .211 (34-for-161) so far in 43 games in his first season with the O's. The former National League Rookie of the Year and five-time All-Star also has a career-low .306 on-base percentage, career-low .728 OPS, eight home runs, 22 RBI, 27 runs scored, and one stolen base in 183 plate appearances to this point. Since his eight-game hitting streak, Alonso has gone 1-for-15 at the plate with no walks and four strikeouts in the last four contests. The Polar Bear has underwhelmed through the first month-plus of 2026, but savvy fantasy managers in need of power should be trying to acquire him for pennies on the dollar. Despite his lackluster production so far, Alonso is in the 94th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 72nd percentile in xwOBA. His expected slugging percentage also sits at .468 despite currently being an uncharacteristic .422. The 31-year-old elite power hitter should settle in eventually to his new environment.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert needed a bounce-back outing, and he definitely got one on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, when he threw six shutout innings with just one hit allowed, no walks, and a season-high nine strikeouts. It was what fantasy managers were hoping for against a lackluster opponent following his four earned runs allowed in six innings to the first-place Atlanta Braves on May 4. The 29-year-old former All-Star should be able to keep things rolling into his next scheduled outing this weekend versus a San Diego Padres team that currently ranks 27th in all of baseball with a .667 OPS. Overall, Gilbert is 2-3 on the season with a 3.78 ERA (3.90 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 10 walks in 50 innings across his nine starts. He should absolutely be in all starting lineups in traditional fantasy leagues this weekend when the Friars come to T-Mobile Park. Gilbert numbers have been solid despite sitting in the 10th percentile in hard-hit rate.

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Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto came close to a 30-30 campaign in each of his first two seasons in Anaheim in 2024 and 2025, which makes his start to 2026 that much more disappointing. He is currently slashing .216/.322/.386 with a .708 OPS, six home runs, 18 RBI, seven stolen bases, and 28 runs scored across a league-high 199 plate appearances over 43 games. Neto has hit .167 (7-for-42) in May, but he just snapped a six-game hitting streak with an 0-for-4 showing in Tuesday night's loss to the Cleveland Guardians. During his six-game hitting streak, Neto went 7-for-24 (.292) with a homer, double, triple, three RBI, and five runs scored for the Halos. Still, there are some reasons to be concerned that Neto won't live up to the lofty expectations that he came into the season with. He currently sits in the 42nd percentile in xwOBA, the 32nd percentile in hard-hit rate, the 42nd percentile in expected slugging percentage, and just the eighth percentile in strikeout rate. Outside of the stolen base department, Neto has been a big disappointment so far in 2026 at the SS position.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is hitting just .179 (7-for-39) in 11 games so far in June, but he might be on the verge of breaking out in 2026. Carroll has hits in five of his last six games and has gone 6-for-20 (.300) during that stretch with a homer, two doubles, an RBI, four runs scored, three walks, and two strikeouts in 24 plate appearances. Still, the 25-year-old former National League Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star has underwhelmed relative to his standards so far in 2026. Through 137 at-bats, Carroll is slashing .263/.364/.496 but with an .861 OPS, five home runs, 20 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four stolen bases. He went 1-for-19 at the plate to begin the month of May. Carroll currently sits in the 72nd percentile in xwOBA, but he's also uncharacteristically in the 57th percentile in hard-hit rate on the year. He's striking out more than usual, but the good news is that he's still getting on base plenty and taking his free passes. Now is the time for fantasy managers to buy low on Carroll, who had the first 30-30 season of his career in 2025.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward (hand) said he has been playing through a bone bruise in his hand that he suffered on April 13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun. It would help explain why Ward only has one home run in his first 148 at-bats with Baltimore this year. Since April 13, the 32-year-old veteran right-handed hitter has gone 18-for-85 (.212) with one homer, four doubles, four RBI, 19 runs scored, and a steal. However, he is drawing walks at a nice rate, drawing 31 walks while striking out 17 times. Overall, Ward is slashing .264/.424/.378 with an .802 OPS, 12 RBI, and 27 runs scored in his 148 at-bats. He says that his hand injury has healed now, so hopefully we'll start to see an uptick in power production from the former first-round pick in 2015 out of Fresno State. Ward is currently in the 83rd percentile for xwOBA, but he's in just the 28th percentile in hard-hit rate. We'll be watching closely to see if his hard-hit rate starts to creep up with better health. Fantasy managers may want to consider buying low on the right-handed power bat.

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The Boston Red Sox may be struggling, but outfielder Wilyer Abreu hasn't been the problem so far in 2026. The 26-year-old Venezuelan outfielder is currently slashing .293/.374/.467 with an .841 OPS, six home runs, 18 RBI, 19 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 40 games and 171 plate appearances in his third full season in the big leagues. He has slowed down a bit in 10 games in May, but he hasn't been terrible at the plate, going 9-for-36 (.250) with two long balls, five RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases for a struggling Red Sox team that ranks 28th in baseball on offense with a .663 OPS. Abreu is currently in the 73rd percentile in hard-hit rate, the 81st percentile in xwOBA, the 85th percentile in expected slugging percentage, and the 62nd percentile in strikeout rate. He has also had reverse splits so far, hitting .372 (16-for-43) with one of his six home runs against left-handed pitchers. Fantasy managers should expect Abreu's average to come down a little, but his excellent glove will keep him in the lineup every day.

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Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile is heating up and extended his hitting streak to five games in the team's 10-4 win over the hosting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Lile went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI. The 23-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder's homers came off Brady Singer in the fourth inning and reliever Luis Mey in the fifth frame. His home runs snapped a drought of 16 straight games with a long ball. During his current five-game hitting streak, the 23-year-old has gone 8-for-19 (.421) with two homers, two doubles, five RBI, and two runs scored to boost his season slash line to .264/.331/.423 in 163 at-bats. Lile is now up to five homers on the season and has added 19 RBI, 26 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 41 games played. He hasn't been excellent this year, but Lile could be turning a corner in mid-May.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober went the distance in a marvelous performance on Tuesday night in a 3-0 shutout win over the visiting Miami Marlins. Ober went all nine innings to win his fourth game of the season, allowing only two hits, walking none, and striking out seven batters. It was quite the bounce-back performance from the soft-tossing right-hander after he gave up a season-high five earned runs in five innings in a loss to the Washington Nationals his last time on the bump. His efficient and dominant outing on Tuesday now has the 30-year-old at 4-2 on the year with a 3.46 ERA (3.85 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP with 39 strikeouts and 15 walks in 52 innings of work over his nine starts. Ober needed just 89 pitches to finish off the complete-game shutout, and he retired the last 16 batters he faced against a Miami squad that was overly aggressive, leading to lots of quick innings. It was Ober's third complete game of his career. So far, Ober has done a fine job of reinventing himself in 2026 with a drop in velocity.

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New York Mets right-handed pitching prospect Jonah Tong has begun to turn the corner after a slow start to the Triple-A campaign and is emerging as a top stash option among pitchers. Tong was in contention to break camp with the MLB roster but was optioned to Syracuse to put the finishing touches on his development. Over his first 15 1/3 frames of the Triple-A campaign (four starts), Tong posted a high 7.04 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP. However, over his last four outings (21 innings), Tong has looked far stronger, posting a strong 2.57 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. During this stint, Tong has racked up 29 punchouts while walking 11 hitters. With the Mets lacking many proven options at the back-end of their rotation, the No. 42-ranked prospect in the sport could return to Queens in the near future, making him a top stash option.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jett Williams has begun to swing a hot bat at Triple-A and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. Williams was given an opportunity to win a starting job out of spring training but was instead sent to the top club in the Milwaukee minor-league system. Over his first 17 games with Nashville, the infielder looked quite overmatched, posting a modest .197/.388/.227 slash line with only one extra-base hit. However, over his last 21 contests, Williams has looked like a completely different hitter, carrying a .282/.380/.462 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, and five stolen bases. With David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo struggling to produce consistently at the MLB level, the Brewers may turn to the former 14th overall pick in the near future. He is a solid stash option in all 12+ team leagues with N/A spots.

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Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara is emerging as the clear prospect to stash when looking for power upside. Alcantara was unable to claim a spot on the team's Opening Day roster but has enjoyed a dominant start to the Triple-A campaign with the Iowa Cubs. Through his first 33 games of the campaign, Alcantara has launched 13 home runs while holding an overall .246/.345/.603 line with a .948 OPS. He has also swiped three bags and added six doubles. Alcantara made his MLB debut during the 2024 campaign but appeared in only 13 games, split between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Given Chicago's deep outfield, Alcantara has yet to earn a true full-time stint in the major leagues. While this has blocked him from an early promotion, he remains a solid stash option in five-outfielder formats, as he could emerge as an everyday player if Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, or Ian Happ were to have a lengthy stint on the injured list.

From RotoBaller