If Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki opts to go with someone else at closer after right-hander Jordan Romano blew two saves in New York against the Yankees this week, The Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher suggests that right-hander Chase Silseth might be the next man up. Silseth has a 2.84 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with six walks and eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 relief innings for the Halos this year in his nine outings. Right-handers Kirby Yates (knee) and Ben Joyce (shoulder) remain on the injured list and have yet to make their season debuts, so the Angels don't exactly have many great options beyond Romano, who is a two-time All-Star with 117 career saves in seven-plus MLB seasons. While Silseth has fared well early on in 2026, he holds a 5.53 FIP and has never recorded a save in his four-plus MLB campaigns. Silseth also has three holds, and he should only be a consideration for a waiver-wire pickup in deeper fantasy leagues for managers desperate in the saves column. Veteran lefty Drew Pomeranz has five holds this year and 10 career saves in 12-plus years in the big leagues, and he could get a shot as well in save situations if Romano loses the job.

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Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark has been showing why he was a third-overall draft pick back in 2023, consistently climbing the ranks of the Tigers' farm system and proving he's not overmatched whatsoever at Triple-A thus far in 2025. The Tigers' second-ranked prospect (soon to be top-ranked with the eventual graduation of Kevin McGonigle) has tallied six multi-hit performances over his last 10 games, and is now hitting .356, slugging .525, and owns a .437 on-base percentage thanks to a robust 14.1 percent walk rate. What's more is that the left-handed slugger has just an 8.5 percent strikeout rate and has swiped six bases. He's played just 15 games at Triple-A, but soon there won't be much left to prove, and a debut in the majors is drawing nearer and nearer. With a fantasy-friendly combination of contact, power, and speed, the 21-year-old is a worthy stash candidate in all formats.

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Across his first 77 plate appearances of 2026, Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is hitting .236/.276/.306 with one home run, five RBI, 12 runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 24-year-old was the talk of baseball to start the 2025 season, posting an .847 OPS with 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases before the All-Star break. However, Crow-Armstrong faltered down the stretch, posting a .634 OPS with just six homers in the season's second half. So far in 2026, Crow-Armstrong has been closer to his second-half self. He owns a subpar 4% barrel rate and has struck out in 29.9% of his plate appearances while walking at just a 3.9% clip. Crow-Armstrong's athleticism and elite defense should keep him in the Cubs' lineup and allow him to rack up stolen bases and counting stats. Still, the high-end power/speed upside that Crow-Armstrong showcased early in 2025 is starting to look more like a temporary hot streak than an established level of production.

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Across his first 90 plate appearances of the 2026 season, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is hitting .240/.367/.493 with five home runs, nine RBI, 17 runs scored, and one stolen base. The 25-year-old has not been especially aggressive on the base paths so far this season, but Neto has a track record as a speed asset with 56 stolen bases over the past two seasons combined. Elsewhere in his profile, Neto looks to be on track to provide strong fantasy production. His 12% barrel rate supports his strong power output, and his 15.6% walk rate at the top of the Angels lineup should allow him to continue racking up runs scored. While Neto's 27.8% strikeout rate limits his batting average upside, he makes enough hard contact to avoid crushing fantasy managers in the category. As long as he stays healthy, Neto appears poised to be a high-end fantasy shortstop in 2026.

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Colorado Rockies corner infielder/outfielder prospect Charlie Condon continues to hit well at Triple-A Albuquerque, going 5-for-12 (.417) over his last three games. The Rockies' second-ranked prospect is slashing an impressive .319/.439/.617 with four home runs and, perhaps more importantly, has lowered his strikeout rate to a better-than-average 19.3 percent for the season. The right-hander is also drawing walks at a 14.0 percent clip and has even stolen a base. The main knock on the former third-overall draft pick was his strikeout rate, which showed improvement in the Arizona Fall League and in Cactus League play, and now it is translating to regular-season action. After a strong start to the year, Rockies first baseman T.J. Rumfield has cooled, going 3-for-24 (.124) with zero extra-base hits over his last seven games, so there isn't much blocking Condon's path, especially given that he can also play third base, outfield, or simply be the designated hitter. With his power and the 6-foot-5 slugger's home field being Coors Field, he remains a top hitter to stash in deep leagues, and could even become viable in shallower formats given his improved approach at the plate.

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Miami Marlins pitching prospect Robby Snelling was in the mix to make the Marlins' starting rotation before ultimately being reassigned to Triple-A to begin the year, but since then, the left-hander has been making his case for a big league debut. In his latest outing, the former 39th-overall draft pick struck out 12 batters in just five innings of work, now with a remarkable 40.7 strikeout rate through three starts. Granted, a 14.8 percent walk rate is not ideal, but he's been able to limit the damage with a .152 opponent batting average, 80.9 LOB%, and a 2.77 ERA. The Marlins' second-ranked prospect could be nearing a major league debut, especially with right-handers Chris Paddack (four starts, four HR, 5.59 ERA) and Janson Junk (three starts, 11.6 percent K-BB%, 4.32 ERA) underwhelming so far. Snelling remains one of the top prospect pitching stashes in deeper leagues, and with a 34.3 percent K% in 14 starts at Triple-A over the past two seasons, the strikeout potential is high.

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Across his first 78 plate appearances of 2026, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner is hitting .260/.308/.397 with two home runs, seven RBI, 13 runs scored, and one stolen base. The 32-year-old has a long track record of strong MLB production, so it's too early in the season for fantasy managers to panic. However, Turner is showing some signs of age-related decline. For one, his strikeout rate has risen from 16.7% to 21.8% while his barrel and hard-hit rates currently sit at just 3.6% and 28.6%. Perhaps most concerningly, Turner has attempted just one stolen base across 18 games played after going 36-for-43 as a base stealer across 141 games in 2025. The veteran shortstop is locked into everyday playing time at the top of the Phillies' order. He should be able to rack up counting stats and has plenty of time to heat up as the season progresses. Still, Turner's fantasy value is trending in the wrong direction in the midst of a relatively slow start to the year.

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Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Didier Fuentes ran into some trouble in his latest start at Triple-A Gwinnett, yielding four runs in the first inning alone, but settled in and tossed six shutout innings after that. Outside of that one inning of trouble, the Braves' third-ranked prospect has thrown 15 2/3 innings of scoreless ball and has produced a 20:6 K:BB overall. The right-hander has already made one appearance earlier this season with the Braves and made his MLB debut in June last year, days after he turned 20 years old. Veteran Martin Perez appears to be the current placeholder in the fifth spot of the rotation for now, but having been DFA'd once already this season, his hold on the job is tenuous. So long as Fuentes continues to pitch well, the Colombian should be the next name the team turns to. With major league experience already and strikeout upside that is paired with solid control (7.3 percent career walk rate in the minors), Fuentes is a strong stash option in deeper leagues ahead of his eventual return to the big leagues.

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Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Gregory Soto worked a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts in his team's 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. Pirates reliever Dennis Santana followed Soto in the ninth inning and picked up his second save of the season. While Soto also has a save in 2026, he has four holds and appears to be settling in to a setup role ahead of Santana. The 31-year-old's overall line is excellent, as he's recorded a 0.93 ERA and 0.72 WHIP with 15 strikeouts across 9 2/3 innings, so he could be in line to take over the ninth if Santana gets injured or struggles. Still, Soto's value in standard fantasy leagues is fading as the roles in Pittsburgh's bullpen start to become defined.

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Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Payton Tolle is biding his time in Worcester until it is his turn to get the call to the majors, which shouldn't be long now. Boston's top-ranked prospect was roughed up in his first start at Triple-A this year, but has been very effective in his last two turns through the rotation, allowing one earned run on seven hits and two walks while striking out 13 in 11 innings of work in those two outings. After breezing through three levels of the minors in 2025, recording a 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings pitched, the southpaw made his big league debut at the end of August. Despite some growing pains, the former second-round draft pick displayed the strikeout potential, tallying 19 strikeouts in 16 1/3 IP. With some more seasoning under his belt, the 23-year-old should fare better this time around once a spot opens up in the big league rotation, and he remains a must-stash in deeper leagues; he could even be a viable waiver add in shallower formats for managers looking for help.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti recorded the win in his 2026 season debut on Wednesday, allowing one run and two hits while striking out 10 across six innings of work in his team's 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Arrighetti was expected to play a significant role in the Astros rotation heading into the 2025 season, but elbow and thumb injuries limited him to just 35 innings pitched. He opened 2026 in Triple-A, but was recalled on Wednesday after fellow Astros starter Cody Bolton (back) was placed on the injured list. Arrighetti posted an impressive 27.1% strikeout rate across 145 innings with the Astros in 2024 and demonstrated his ability to miss bats in his first start of 2026. However, control remains an issue for the 26-year-old, as he owns a career walk rate of 10.9% and issued four free passes against Colorado. Still, if Arrighetti locks down a regular role in the Houston rotation, he could be a cheap source of strikeouts for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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The Los Angeles Angels could shake things up with the closer's role going forward after right-handed reliever Jordan Romano has blown saves against the New York Yankees in two of the last three games, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. When asked about the closer's role in the wake of Romano's recent struggles, manager Kurt Suzuki said, "Obviously, with Jordan the last couple days, tough outings, but there's no panic," Suzuki said. "He's been so good for us to start the year, and he had two rough outings. You look at it, and you say you could be reactionary or you could just keep going. We started the year with Jordan as our closer, and we'll see how it goes. Right now, he's still going to be in those high-leverage spots, and you know, if the opportunity comes for him to close, we'll see what we've got." It remains to be seen what the Angels do for their next save chance, but if Suzuki does opt to go away from Romano, it could be Chase Silseth with the next opportunity. He has a 2.84 ERA in his first nine games in 2026 and has experience closing in the minors. Kirby Yates (knee) and Ben Joyce (shoulder) are still on the injured list.

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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman/outfielder Addison Barger (ankles) has resumed baseball activities at the team's spring training complex in Florida, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Barger played catch over the last two days and is expected to resume swinging on Friday or Saturday. The goal is for Barger to resume running by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. The 26-year-old was a hero during the team's World Series run last fall, but he got off to a rough start in 2026 before landing on the 10-day injured list with sprained ankles. In a small sample size of just eight games, Barger went 1-for-19 (.053) at the plate with a double, two RBI, a run scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in 23 plate appearances. Barger will not come off the IL when he's eligible on Friday, but depending on how his rehab goes, he could be an option to rejoin the big-league roster for the start of their next homestand on Friday, April 24.

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Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana picked up his second save of the season on Wednesday by pitching a scoreless ninth inning in his team's 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals. Santana has now logged saves in two out of his last three appearances and appears to be reclaiming the lead closer role in Pittsburgh. Across nine innings overall in 2026, Santana owns a 1.00 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with six strikeouts. Santana has struck out just 18.8% of the batters he's faced this season and posted a 22.2% strikeout rate in 2025, so he does not carry typical ninth-inning swing-and-miss stuff. Still, he's been highly effective since being acquired by the Pirates midway through the 2024 season, recording a 2.18 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 19 saves across 123 2/3 innings with the club. In leagues where Santana may have been dropped, he profiles as a priority waiver wire target.

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San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello said on Thursday that catchers Daniel Susac and Patrick Bailey might start splitting time and alternating behind the plate, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Bailey got the start in Thursday's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds after Susac started on Wednesday night for the Gigantes. Bailey is the superior defensive catcher in San Fran, but Susac has earned more playing time by starting his MLB career 9-for-16 (.563) at the plate with a double, triple, five RBI, and a run scored in his first eight games played. Bailey, meanwhile, is just 6-for-44 (.136) with an RBI, a stolen base, three runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in 14 games played. Susac is the one to target in deep two-catcher leagues, although his fantasy upside will be limited due to what will likely be a 50/50 split with Bailey. The 24-year-old was a former 19th overall pick by the Athletics in 2022 out of the University of Arizona.

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Detroit Tigers veteran right-hander Justin Verlander (hip) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. However, Verlander's recovery is "going a little slower than I think he anticipated or we anticipated," manager A.J. Hinch said. The Tigers will continue to take the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer's recovery on a day-by-day basis. Verlander is currently on the 15-day injured list with a left-hip injury, and his return to Detroit's starting rotation doesn't appear to be on the horizon. In his lone start this year in his return to the Tigers, Verlander gave up five runs on six hits while walking two and striking out just one in 3 2/3 innings versus the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 30. Keider Montero has pitched well early on in 2026 and will continue to make starts for the Tigers in Verlander's place. Verlander isn't the dominant arm that we've come to know from the peak of his career, and his ability to stay healthy the rest of the way is a big question mark.

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Pittsburgh Pirates head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said that right-hander Jared Jones (elbow) will enter the simulated-game phase of his rehab soon, according to Pirates reporter Alex Stumpf. Generally, pitchers have three to six simulated games/live batting practice sessions before a club will consider sending them on a minor-league rehab assignment. Jones started the year on the 60-day injured list, so he won't be eligible to be activated to make his 2026 season debut until May 25. The 24-year-old reportedly looked "amazing" in his most recent live BP session, but he still has a ways to go before he'll be of use to fantasy baseball managers. The Pirates will most likely ease Jones back into their rotation when he's ready, too, so patience must be exercised in fantasy. The former second-rounder in 2020 showed enough in his MLB debut in 2024 to be worth stashing in mixed leagues, going 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 132 strikeouts and 39 walks in 121 2/3 innings over 22 starts.

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San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said on Wednesday that right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) is dealing with a flexor strain in his right elbow, according to Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune. The Padres think it will be "weeks, maybe months" before Pivetta can return to the team's starting rotation after rest and rehab. The 33-year-old kind of gave us the bad news on Wednesday, when he said he was confident that he'd return at some point in 2026. Pivetta will rest and rehab for now, but there's also a scenario where that doesn't go well, and he eventually needs surgery, which would knock him out for the rest of this season and likely the start of 2027. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Pivetta to return from the 15-day injured list until at least the second half of the season. For now, right-hander Matt Waldron (lower body) is expected to fill Pivetta's spot in the rotation and make his season debut in Friday's series opener in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/designated hitter George Springer (toe) is hitting off a tee and doing flips in the batting cage, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. "Looked pretty normal, which is good. He's feeling better," manager John Schneider said. Springer still needs to run to test out his fractured toe, but the Blue Jays are targeting a return for Springer when they get back to Toronto for a homestand that begins on Friday, April 24, against the Cleveland Guardians. As of right now, the 36-year-old veteran isn't expected to require a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list. Springer, who had a late-career resurgence in 2025 while helping Toronto get to the World Series, was off to a rough start in his first 54 at-bats this year before injuring his toe. The four-time All-Star will be returning to a weak .185/.290/.370 slash line later this month. Springer has two home runs, six RBI, one steal, four runs scored, eight walks, and 14 strikeouts in his 14 games played.

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Detroit Tigers infielder Zach McKinstry (hip) is "not moving around well" on Thursday, and "we're going to continue to get him looked at," manager A.J. Hinch told Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. McKinstry is beat up right now, also dealing with an arm/shoulder injury and a scraped chest after he collided with Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone in Wednesday's contest. He is not in Detroit's starting lineup for Thursday's tilt against the Royals, and he could be forced to the 10-day injured list, depending on what his test results show. In addition to his injuries, the 30-year-old is hitting just .209 (9-for-43) with a homer, five RBI, two runs, three walks, and 10 strikeouts in his first 14 games of the 2026 season. McKinstry was a first-time All-Star in 2025, slashing .259/.333/.438 with a .771 OPS, 12 home runs, 49 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and 68 runs scored in 144 games played. With infield prospect Kevin McGonigle now in Detroit to stay, McKinstry's opportunities at the 6 will be less frequent.

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