Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (forearm) is scheduled to make another minor-league rehab start at Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. Scherzer will be looking to build on what was a successful first rehab start on Sunday at Buffalo, when he threw three scoreless innings on 41 total pitches. Depending on how the 41-year-old future Hall of Fame hurler fares this Friday, it could be his last minor-league tune-up before coming off the 15-day injured list to rejoin the big-league squad. Even though the three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star will return to a starting role with the Jays when he's activated, fantasy managers in mixed leagues should have better options to choose from. Scherzer went 1-3 in his first five starts this year before getting hurt, and he's also dealt with ankle and thumb issues during his rehab. He currently has a 9.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts in his 18 2/3 innings pitched and is no longer the dominant pitcher of the past. Scherzer is rostered in just 4% of Yahoo leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber (elbow) could make his next minor-league rehab start this Saturday at Triple-A Buffalo, and he will require at least two more rehab outings before rejoining the big-league roster, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Bieber didn't exactly have a great rehab outing on Sunday with Single-A Dunedin, allowing five earned runs on six hits while walking none and striking out two in 2 1/3 innings of work. It came after the 31-year-old veteran threw two scoreless innings in his first rehab appearance last Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. He threw 35 of his 49 pitches for strikes on Sunday while averaging 92.1 mph with his fastball. Bieber will be looking to increase his workload this weekend, and he has a few more boxes to check before he's cleared to make his 2026 season debut in the majors. Since he's on the 60-day injured list, he will not be eligible to return until later in June, but he's a worthwhile deep-league stash for pitching depth in the meantime. Bieber is currently rostered in 45% of Yahoo leagues.

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Across 164 plate appearances so far this season, Washington Nationals infielder Curtis Mead is hitting .243/.354/.479 with eight home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored, and three stolen bases. The 25-year-old appears to have emerged as Washington's everyday third baseman and has batted either second or third in the Nationals' batting order in every one of his starts since early April. A former top prospect with the Tampa Bay Rays, Mead's career never quite got off the ground in Tampa. However, there have been notable changes in his underlying metrics this season with the Nationals, supporting his emerging production. Mead's walk rate (13.4%) and strikeout rate (17.7%) are both career bests. He's also posting the best barrel (10.8%) and hard-hit (45%) rates of his career to this point. Heading into the summer months, Mead profiles as a breakout candidate to target on the waiver wire for fantasy managers across most league formats.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease (hamstring) was cleared to make a minor-league rehab start at Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday after he threw a bullpen session on Tuesday in Atlanta, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Cease also did some change-of-direction running drills. Depending on how things go with Buffalo later this week, Cease could be ready to come off the 15-day injured list to rejoin Toronto's starting rotation next week. If the 30-year-old only needs one rehab start, his next outing could line up next week versus the Philadelphia Phillies. He'll be a bit more risky for that matchup, but Cease has been solid for the Jays and fantasy managers in his first year in Canada, going 3-3 with a 3.05 ERA (2.58 FIP) and 1.21 WHIP with a league-high 92 strikeouts and 26 walks in 62 innings across his first 11 starts. Cease has four quality starts on the season and has had at least seven strikeouts in all five of his starts in May. He shouldn't be floating around on any waiver wires out there.

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The Boston Red Sox are promoting third base prospect Anthony Seigler to the big leagues, per Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. A former first-round pick out of high school by the New York Yankees back in 2018, Seigler did not make his MLB debut until 2025 as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. The 26-year-old struggled in a small sample size for Milwaukee, hitting .194/.292/.210 with zero home runs, five RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases across 73 plate appearances. However, Seigler has impressed across 127 plate appearances with Triple-A Worcester in 2026, hitting .298/.425/.471 with three homers, 21 RBI, 14 runs scored, and three stolen bases. The Red Sox have gotten miserable production out of third baseman Caleb Durbin, who owns a .539 OPS across 185 plate appearances. If Seigler hits the ground running in Boston, there could be an opportunity for him to work his way into everyday playing time at the hot corner.

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Kansas City Royals right-hander Lucas Erceg was tagged with his sixth blown save of the season on Tuesday night, allowing two hits, a walk, and an earned run in the ninth inning of his team's 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. While the 31-year-old has recorded 11 saves in 2026, he's recorded a 6.45 ERA and 1.97 WHIP across 22 1/3 innings. Control has been a major problem for Erceg, as he's walked 14.4% of the batters he's faced. Erceg has also allowed nine earned runs and blown three saves across his last four appearances, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him removed from the ninth-inning role in Kansas City entirely. Even if Erceg continues to earn the occasional save for the Royals, the damage he's done in the ratio categories may not make it worth it for fantasy managers. Particularly in shallower leagues, managers should feel comfortable moving on.

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Detroit Tigers veteran right-hander Justin Verlander (hip), who is currently on the 60-day injured list, looked good in his minor-league rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Toledo and is likely to take the starting-rotation spot of Ty Madden next week. In five innings of work on Tuesday with the Mud Hens, Verlander spun five shutout innings with four hits allowed, no walks, and three strikeouts to pick up the win. The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer got up to 64 pitches in the outing, which is expected to be the only rehab appearance that he needs before being reinstated from the IL at some point next week. He's been out with inflammation in his left hip since early April, but it appears the Tigers will give the living legend a spot in their rotation upon his return. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can probably hold off on picking him up, as he's currently rostered in just 4% of Yahoo leagues, and the former MVP and nine-time All-Star allowed five earned runs with two walks and one strikeout in 3 2/3 frames in his only start in 2026 before injuring his hip.

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Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagan (hamstring) has been on the 15-day injured list since suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain in early May. Pagan underwent a second MRI on Friday that showed healing, but the veteran right-hander remains without a firm return timeline. Pagan struggled across 14 innings before getting hurt, recording a 6.43 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with 11 strikeouts, six saves, and three blown saves. However, Cincinnati has been unable to successfully fill the ninth-inning role in Pagan's absence and is currently operating with a closer committee. Pagan logged a 30% strikeout rate and 32 saves in 2025, so he seems likely to get another chance to re-establish himself at the back end of the Reds bullpen once healthy. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers in need of saves may want to look at stashing Pagan off the waiver wire ahead of his eventual return.

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe had the start of his 2026 season delayed by rehab from offseason shoulder injury. The 25-year-old also appeared to have lost his starting role in New York to Jose Caballero, who performed well in Volpe's absence to start the year. However, Volpe has seemingly reclaimed a prominent role for the Yankees, getting the nod as the starting shortstop in six out of the team's last seven games. Across 56 plate appearances on the year, Volpe is hitting .234/.357/.362 with one home run, eight RBI, nine runs scored, and five stolen bases. Volpe's 2.9% barrel rate and 32.4% hard-hit rate are unquestionably worrisome. However, his 16.1% walk rate represents a notable shift in plate approach. If Volpe continues to get on base at a solid clip, he should be a significant asset on the basepaths for fantasy managers. Now that Volpe is back to a near-everyday role in New York, he could be worth targeting on the waiver wire.

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Across 188 plate appearances so far in 2026, Texas Rangers utility man Ezequiel Duran is hitting .294/.348/.465 with four home runs, 32 RBI, 25 runs scored, and five stolen bases. The 27-year-old has drawn a walk in a career-best 8% of his plate appearances, and he's raised his hard-hit rate from 30.9% in 2025 to 40.6% in 2026. With Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) currently on the injured list, Duran has seen everyday playing time at short in recent weeks. While Seager should eventually return to the Rangers lineup, Duran can play basically anywhere on the field other than center field and catcher, which should allow him to maintain consistent playing time. Duran may not offer fantasy managers standout production in any one category. Still, his multi-position eligibility and lack of major weaknesses at the plate make him a useful player to target on the waiver wire.

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New York Mets pitching prospect Jack Wenninger began the season with a 1.51 ERA after allowing just six earned runs through his first eight starts at Triple-A Syracuse, but after allowing four runs in his latest outing, he's now yielded eight runs over his last two starts. Because of the great start to the season, the right-hander's ERA still looks good at 2.80, but a FIP of 4.57 suggests perhaps the results haven't matched the expectations, and a 10.8 percent K-BB% with a 1.33 WHIP has slowed the momentum around a potential major league debut. The Mets are currently working with a four-man rotation and mixing in openers, with Jonah Tong not receiving a start yet since his call-up two weeks ago, being used as long relief instead, so Wenninger could still be in the mix for a promotion, but the shine has rubbed off his stash status, and he should only be considered a stash option in the deepest of leagues.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jesus Made collected four hits in two games this past Saturday, including a double and a triple, upping his season-long slash line at Double-A to .280/.355/.460 with six home runs and 19 steals. With a low 15.0 percent strikeout rate and a 10.7 percent walk rate, it's a formidable stat sheet for a 19-year-old, one of only a few prospects under the age of 20 at that level. MLB's No. 1 prospect didn't get a chance to add to his totals on Sunday or Tuesday with both games for Biloxi getting rained out, but he should be able to keep rolling on Wednesday in his pursuit of a promotion to Triple-A. The 6-foot-1 Dominican is oozing with fantasy-friendly tools, so fantasy managers should continue to keep him on the stash radar as a late-season call-up is certainly within the realm of possibility.

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Arizona Diamondbacks infielder/outfielder Jordan Lawlar (wrist) has been rehabbing with the team's Complex League affiliate, but is poised to move his rehab to Triple-A Reno by the end of the week, according to manager Torey Lovullo. The former top prospect is 2-for-8 with a double, a 2:2 BB:K, and a steal through three rehab games. Lawlar cracked the team's Opening Day roster as an outfielder and had collected at least one hit in five of six games, including his first major league home run, before suffering a fractured wrist as the result of getting hit by a pitch. The 23-year-old has always had the promise of a multi-category producer for fantasy, but has consistently run into issues staying healthy. The former first-rounder hit .313 with 11 home runs and 20 steals in only 63 games for Reno last season, and with the potential to hit for power and the ability to steal bases, Lawlar should be one of the top IL stashes with his return to the majors likely to come by mid-June.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield/outfield prospect Jett Williams is in the midst of a really tough stretch at Triple-A Nashville, going 3-for-35 (.086) over his last nine games with zero extra-base hits. The Brewers' third-ranked prospect was hitting .256 on May 21, but has seen his average dip to .227 amid the slump. The former first-rounder still owns a strong 14.2 percent walk rate on the season that has kept a .348 on-base percentage afloat, and he's tallied 12 steals in 55 games, but this current skid will likely push out his major league debut a bit further. With the ability to play second base, third base, shortstop, and center field, the 22-year-old has multiple paths to the majors (eligible at 2B, SS, OF on Yahoo!), and he has the potential to be a multi-category contributor, but fantasy managers will likely have to wait until his bat heats up again in order to benefit from his skillset. The right-handed hitter's debut may come closer to the All-Star break, and for now, is off the "must-stash" radar.

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Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler turned in another disappointing outing on Tuesday, allowing three earned runs on five hits, two walks, and a home run against the Astros. The rookie's season ERA now sits at 4.89 to go along with a 1.51 WHIP, and he has reached the six-inning mark just once this season. Command remains a major concern for Chandler, whose 14.7 percent walk rate ranks in the sixth percentile among qualified pitchers. The talent is still evident, and his arsenal continues to generate intrigue, but the results have not followed consistently at the major league level. Until Chandler begins limiting free passes and working deeper into games, fantasy managers may be better served looking elsewhere for rotation help.

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Cardinals right-hander Riley O'Brien endured another rough outing on Tuesday, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk while taking the loss against the Rangers. The appearance continued a concerning trend for O'Brien, who now owns a 7.04 ERA over his last 15 games. Despite the recent struggles, he remains the Cardinals' leader with 14 saves and has handled the majority of the club's ninth-inning opportunities this season. His season ERA has climbed to 4.10, and the margin for error is beginning to shrink as the bullpen picture becomes less certain. It is not time for fantasy managers to abandon O'Brien, but his recent performance warrants close monitoring. Another few shaky outings could put his role as the primary closer in jeopardy.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfield prospect Luis Lara is just 1-for-9 in his last three games, but that hasn't stopped him from getting on base, as the Brewers' fifth-ranked prospect recorded four walks during that time, compared to just one strikeout, a phenomenal trait he's been displaying all season at Triple-A Nashville. For the season, the switch-hitter has walked more times than he's struck out, with a 39:32 BB:K, which has buoyed a fantastic .447 on-base percentage. All in all, the 5-foot-7 Venezuelan is hitting .338 with a .947 OPS (.500 SLG), seven home runs, and 18 stolen bases. After hitting just two home runs and slugging .343 last season at Double-A, the newfound power production is a welcome development, and with the toolset to impact multiple fantasy-relevant categories, the 21-year-old has become a high-end stash candidate in most leagues as he inches closer to a major league debut.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez picked up his fourth save of the season Tuesday, recording the final four outs in a 6-4 victory over the White Sox while striking out two. The 26-year-old has steadily improved after a difficult April, posting a 0.87 ERA during May while earning a larger role in the Minnesota bullpen. Gomez now owns a 3.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and leads the Twins in saves. Minnesota continues to utilize multiple relievers in save situations, but Gomez has made a strong case for additional ninth-inning opportunities. Fantasy managers searching for saves should view him as a priority waiver wire target while his role continues to grow.

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New York Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones is hitting the ball well again for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, collecting three multi-hit efforts in his last four contests, going 7-for-16 (.438) over that stretch with one home run, two steals, and a 4:4 BB:K. The Yankees' sixth-ranked prospect returned to minor league action on May 26 after a brief debut with the big league club, where he collected just four hits in 24 at-bats (.167) and struck out 12 times (44.4 percent). The strikeouts have always been the concern, with a career 35.2 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A, but that has been somewhat offset by a career 10.6 percent walk rate there and 32 home runs in 107 games for the RailRiders. The 6-foot-7 power hitter also has some sneaky speed, swiping 29 bags a season ago and nine so far this season in 40 games at Triple-A. The Yankees are expecting both Jasson Dominguez (shoulder) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) back in the not-too-distant future, which will not help Jones' chances of returning to the big leagues soon, but if he can improve the strikeout rate, the power and speed will be an asset the next time he gets the call. With multi-category potential, the 25-year-old is a worthy stash option in deeper leagues, just know that he may be a batting average liability, too.

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Athletics right-hander Scott Barlow had a shaky outing Tuesday against the Cubs, throwing 17 pitches while recording just two outs and allowing a hit and a walk before being lifted. While the damage was limited, it does little to strengthen Barlow's case for more save opportunities. The 33-year-old has been effective overall in his first season with the Athletics, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, but the club has not shown a willingness to hand him the ninth inning outright. Barlow is now 2-for-3 in save chances, and pitchers such as Jack Perkins and Mark Leiter Jr. continue to factor into the late-inning picture. Fantasy managers searching for saves may want to look elsewhere until the Athletics establish a clearer bullpen hierarchy.

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