After allowing six earned runs to the Texas Rangers on May 6, New York Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren bounced back with a strong performance against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. The 26-year-old is off to a solid start to 2026 overall, as he's recorded a 5-1 record with a 3.42 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts across 47 1/3 innings (nine starts). Warren has lowered his walk rate from 9.1% in 2025 to 6.1% in 2026 while simultaneously improving his strikeout rate from 24.1% to 29.8%. He's also allowing less hard contact so far this season, as opponents own a 41.3% hard-hit rate against him after posting a 45.2% hard-hit rate last year. Additionally, Warren's spot in the Yankees' rotation may be more secure after fellow starter Max Fried (elbow) was removed from his start on Wednesday due to elbow soreness. While Warren may not offer elite upside, he looks like a reliable source of strikeouts and innings for fantasy managers in 2026.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Trevor Megill was a top-line closer in 2025, pitching to a 2.49 ERA with 30 saves and 60 strikeouts across 47 innings. However, the 32-year-old has not been able to repeat his success so far in 2026, as he owns a 6.00 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP with 19 strikeouts across 15 innings. Megill's average fastball velocity is down from 99.1 miles per hour to 97.6 miles per hour, and his strikeout rate has dipped from 31.3% to 28.4%. While Megill has four saves on the season, he has not recorded one since April 17. Megill's 3.69 xERA suggests he's run into some bad luck so far in 2026, so he could work his way back into the ninth-inning role in Milwaukee over the course of the season. However, he appears to be out of the running for saves in the short term, which means he's no longer a must-roster pitcher for fantasy managers.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez began this week reminding fantasy managers why he is one of the top hitters to stash after belting another home run on Tuesday and stealing another base on Wednesday, now with eight home runs and seven steals through 35 games at Triple-A Memphis. The 6-foot-3 slugger is slashing just .236/.314/.464, but after hitting 20 home runs and stealing 54 bases while batting .287 last year between High-A and Double-A, the former second-round draft pick has the potential to be a multi-category producer when he gets to the majors. The team will likely want to see an improvement on the 32.7 percent strikeout rate he's produced this season for Memphis, but there's a good chance he debuts by midseason, making him one of the top prospect hitters to stash in fantasy leagues for managers who have available bench space or an NA slot to tuck him away in until the 22-year-old gets the call.

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Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler's start to the 2026 season was delayed by the shoulder injury that ended his 2025 campaign. Since making his return on April 25, Wheeler has recorded a 2-0 record with a 2.55 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts across 24 2/3 innings (four starts). By the top line numbers, the 35-year-old has mostly looked like his vintage self. However, there are a few minor red flags in Wheeler's profile. For one, his average fastball velocity currently sits at 94.9 miles per hour, down from 96 mph in 2025. Wheeler's 23.2% strikeout rate is also way down from his 33.3% rate in 2025 and would be his worst mark since the shortened 2020 season. Given Wheeler's extended track record as one of the best pitchers in baseball, he deserves the benefit of the doubt and could simply be rounding into form after a long injury layoff. Still, fantasy managers may want to prepare for potential regression from Wheeler.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler has been one of the best pitchers in baseball so far in 2026, recording a 5-1 record with a 1.35 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 59 strikeouts across 53 1/3 innings (nine starts). The 25-year-old is averaging 98.1 miles per hour on his fastball and currently owns an elite 24.8% strikeout rate. While Schlittler has unquestionably been excellent early on this year, there may be reason to believe some regression is coming. For one, Schlittler's 4.5% walk rate appears unsustainable, given that he posted a 10.2% walk rate across 73 MLB innings in 2025. Additionally, Schlittler's 0.17 HR/9 is likely to rise as the weather heats up, particularly given that he will be making his home starts at Yankee Stadium. Even with some decline, Schlittler could still provide fantasy managers with high-end starting pitcher production. However, managers may want to consider moving on if they can secure a king's ransom in return.

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Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson has been impressive in his first season of professional baseball, showing why the team selected him third overall in last year's Draft. The southpaw began 2026 with Double-A Arkansas and is boasting a 0.60 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with an impressive 47:5 K:BB through six starts (30 innings pitched, 39.6 percent K-BB%). His next start is scheduled for Friday, but with the type of dominance he's shown, the LSU product may not get too many more before he earns a promotion to Triple-A. At that point, he'll be knocking on the door to the majors, and if he continues to produce, then an MLB debut could happen later this year. The Mariners aren't in need of any arms in the rotation at the moment (in fact, they're currently using a six-man rotation), but that could change quickly. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the lefty up in the big leagues by midseason, and with his pedigree, along with the dominance he's displayed, fantasy managers should consider the 21-year-old one of the top pitchers to stash in all formats.

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San Francisco Giants left-hander Erik Miller (back) is currently on the 15-day injured list as he works his way back from a back injury. However, the 28-year-old made his second rehab appearance on Wednesday and appears to be on the verge of rejoining the Giants. Miller was off to a strong start before getting injured, pitching to a 3.18 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 17 strikeouts and two saves across 11 1/3 innings. The closer situation in San Francisco has been unsettled all year long, and the team recently demoted former closer Ryan Walker to Triple-A. Miller has flashed dominant high-leverage upside and owns a 35.4% strikeout rate so far this season. Upon his return to the big leagues, Miller could emerge as the primary closer in San Francisco. In deeper leagues where he's not already rostered, Miller deserves a look on the waiver wire from fantasy managers.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (hamstring, neck) will sit out again at Double-A Corpus Christi on his minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday due to neck soreness, manager Joe Espada told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. The hope is that Pena will return to the Hooks' starting lineup on Friday. The 28-year-old Dominican collided with a baserunner on Tuesday while playing for Corpus Christi and is dealing with minor neck soreness. He has been out for over a month with a strained right hamstring, but as long as he avoids another injury this weekend in the minors, he could return to Houston's starting lineup by early next week. The Astros could really use Pena back after veteran infielder Carlos Correa (ankle) suffered a season-ending ankle injury. When Pena is cleared to come off the 10-day injured list, he'll be the Astros' starting shortstop, making him valuable in mixed fantasy leagues. He's currently rostered in 80% of Yahoo leagues. Pena was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his fourth year in the majors, slashing .304/.363/.477 with an .840 OPS, 17 homers, 62 RBI, 20 steals, and 68 runs in 125 games played.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) has been scratched from the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Miami Marlins due to right hip-flexor soreness, according to Twins reporter Audra Martin. Ryan Kreidler will make the start in center field for Minnesota and will hit eighth in the batting order against Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett, who is making his first start of the year in the big leagues. It's disappointing that the oft-injured Buxton is hurt just a day after hitting two home runs in Wednesday night's loss to Miami, but hopefully, it's just a minor injury. The 32-year-old has been on fire at the plate lately, too, clubbing 12 of his 15 home runs in his last 20 games. For now, we'll consider him to be day-to-day. Fantasy managers will want to check back in on Friday to see if Buxton is back in the starting nine for the series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Kreidler has played in only five games for the Twins this year and has gone 3-for-14 (.214), but with two homers and four RBI in 18 plate appearances.

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Washington Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin, who signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract in the offseason, has been one of the best offseason moves so far in baseball. FanSided's Robert Murray writes that Griffin could be a trade candidate ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, or he could be a candidate for a long-term extension, although sources say there haven't been any talks about a potential long-term deal. The 31-year-old southpaw currently has a sharp 2.12 ERA through his first eight starts of the 2026 season for a Nationals team that is currently two games under .500 (20-22). Griffin could be the latest left-hander to cash in on a long-term deal in his first season after coming from Japan. The former first-rounder by the Kansas City Royals in 2014 has allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his starts this year and has given up one earned run on nine hits (one homer) while walking seven and striking out 20 in 20 innings over his last three starts. Despite pitching at hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark on Thursday, Griffin will be an enticing streamer against a Reds team that ranks 25th in baseball in OPS (.684). Griffin is rostered in under 70% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor's (calf) MRI exam showed that his strained calf is healing, but there remains no timetable for his return, manager Carlos Mendoza told Steve Gelbs of SNY. The skipper said that Lindor will now move into the strength-training portion of his recovery, although he still looks to be quite a ways away from a return from the 10-day injured list. Fantasy managers should expect the 32-year-old Puerto Rican to return sometime in June. In the meantime, with Ronny Mauricio (thumb) on the shelf as well, Bo Bichette has moved to shortstop full-time, and Brett Baty will continue to see most of the starts at third base against right-handed pitchers. Lindor, a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner, was hitting just .226 (21-for-93) with two homers, five RBI, 14 runs scored, and two stolen bases at the time of his injury, is a must-stash in fantasy leagues despite his extended absence. When fully healthy, Lindor is a top-tier shortstop. He has reached 30 homers in each of the last three seasons and has stolen 30-plus bags in two of those years.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (oblique) will be placed on the 10-day injured list for the first time in his career on Thursday with a right-oblique strain, according to Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. In a corresponding move, the M's are recalling catcher Jhonny Pereda from the minors. Veteran Mitch Garver will do the majority of the catching in Seattle with Raleigh sidelined. The 29-year-old Raleigh missed three games earlier this month after injuring his side, and he aggravated it on a swing in the eighth inning in Wednesday's contest against the Houston Astros. For a power hitter of his stature, an oblique injury can be quite debilitating, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect Raleigh to return right away. Despite his rough start to the 2026 campaign, though, Raleigh should be held in all fantasy formats. The former third-rounder in 2018 out of Florida State hit a league-best 60 homers and had 125 RBI last year, but he's currently slashing a putrid .161/.243/.317 with a .560 OPS, seven long balls, 18 RBI, 16 runs, and two steals in 41 games (181 plate appearances).

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (knee) had surgery on his right knee on Thursday morning to fix his torn meniscus, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The Mets expect Alvarez to be on the longer end of his recovery timetable now, so a full eight weeks, which should take him into mid-July around the All-Star break. The 24-year-old Venezuelan backstop tore the meniscus in his right knee in Tuesday night's game against the Tigers and will now miss the rest of the first half of the 2026 season. It's yet another key injury to one of the Mets' starters in what is quickly becoming a lost season. With Alvarez out for the foreseeable future, New York will turn to Luis Torrens as their starting catcher, with Hayden Senger backing him up. Fantasy managers should avoid this situation at all costs. Meanwhile, Alvarez is not a must-hold, even in single-catcher formats. He's now rostered in only 20% of Yahoo leagues.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has been a post-hype breakout so far in 2026, hitting .298/.378/.570 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI at 23 years old. He's tied for 13th in the league in fWAR (1.8), and his massive jump in OPS from .584 last year to .947 this year has caught the attention of scouts. The former first-rounder and top-10 prospect could now be forcing the Cardinals' hand to present him with a long-term contract extension, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Murray thinks Walker could sign a six-year extension, similar to Pete Crow-Armstrong with the Cubs, or he could follow the Austin Riley path and ink a 10-year extension that would lock him up for the majority of his career. The longer the Cardinals wait, the higher the price tag on Walker will be. In addition to his 11 homers and .290 batting average (45-for-155), Walker has contributed 30 RBI, 32 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. He has been one of the best value picks in fantasy baseball so far in 2026, and he doesn't appear to be slowing down.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich (back) is absent from the starting lineup for the second straight day in Thursday's series finale against the visiting San Diego Padres, according to MLB.com. Catcher William Contreras will serve as the designated hitter and bat third, while Gary Sanchez is doing the catching for left-hander Kyle Harrison and will hit cleanup against his former team and right-hander Griffin Canning. Yelich returned from the injured list on Tuesday after missing a month with a groin injury, and he complained of some back soreness before Wednesday's game, prompting manager Pat Murphy to hold him out as a precaution. The Brewers will understandably play it safe with Yelich because of his history with back problems -- he had surgery on his back in 2024. Don't rule out another IL stint if he doesn't recover sooner rather than later. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if the 34-year-old former MVP is ready to return for the start of a series against the Minnesota Twins. Yelich has hit a strong .291 (16-for-55) in just 16 games in 2026, but he has just one homer.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (side) is unsurprisingly absent from Thursday's lineup against the division-rival Houston Astros after aggravating his side in Wednesday night's game, according to MLB.com. Mitch Garver is doing the catching for Luis Castillo and will hit eighth against Astros right-hander Mike Burrows. Raleigh missed three games earlier this month with a similar injury, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him land on the injured list this time around. For now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. Check back to see if he's feeling good enough to return to the lineup for Friday's series opener back in Seattle against the San Diego Padres. After leading all of baseball with 60 home runs and 125 RBI in 159 regular-season games in 2025, the 29-year-old left-handed-slugging backstop has been a huge disappointment so far this year, batting .161/.243/.317 with a .560 OPS, seven homers, 18 RBI, 16 runs, and two steals in 161 at-bats. Another break could do him some good, but a nagging side/oblique injury also isn't ideal as he tries to round into form.

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The Cincinnati Reds have listed right-hander Brady Singer (foot) as their probable starter for Sunday's series finale against the hosting Cleveland Guardians, according to MLB.com. Singer has bounced back nicely after getting hit by a comebacker in his latest start on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, when he allowed three earned runs on three solo home runs (six total hits) while walking one and striking out only two in 3 2/3 innings of work. While he appears to be good to take the mound this weekend, fantasy managers should be avoiding the former University of Florida product everywhere. The 29-year-old has given up 11 earned runs on 19 hits (six homers) while walking four and striking out nine in 13 innings in his last three starts for Cincy. Singer lacks strikeout upside, and although the first-place Guardians rank only 22nd in baseball in OPS (.687), he'll make for too risky a fantasy streamer in that matchup on Sunday. He's only rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) will throw his first bullpen session on May 26 and is scheduled to join the team to continue his rehab on Friday, May 29, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Greene is on the 60-day injured list and has yet to pitch for the Reds in 2026 after having surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow in mid-March during spring training. Although this will be a notable step for the hard-throwing right-hander, he still has a long way to go before he's back in the Reds' starting rotation, and his return from the IL isn't expected to come until the second half of the season. Regardless, Greene is deserving of being stashed in most fantasy leagues while he recovers for his high-end strikeout upside as Cincy's ace when he's healthy. The 26-year-old former second overall pick in 2017 has had an ERA under 3.00 in each of the last two seasons, and he owns a strong 11.2 K/9 mark in his four big-league seasons. He's currently rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (ankle) is back in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale at Citi Field, serving as the designated hitter and batting third against Detroit Tigers right-hander Keider Montero, according to MLB.com. Soto fouled a ball off his ankle early in Wednesday's game against Detroit and was later pulled from the contest, but he's back in there a day later after X-rays came back negative. It's great news for a banged-up and struggling Mets squad. Fantasy managers will be hoping that the 27-year-old Dominican can get on track at the plate going into the weekend. Soto enters Thursday's play with a .263/.357/.444 slash line with an .801 OPS, only four home runs, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored, and a stolen base in 99 at-bats. The four-time All-Star already spent time on the injured list with a calf strain, which hasn't helped him find his groove at the plate in 2026. He has a .502 OPS with one homer in May so far. Soto is hitless in just two career at-bats versus Montero.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Matt Wallner was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday. The big lefty was expected to be a key part of the lineup this season, but has scuffled to just a .167/.259/.292 slash line with a 39 percent strikeout rate. After hitting 22 homers in 104 games last season with a .334 wOBA, Wallner has the potential to be a power contributor when he's at his best, but his contact rate plummeted too low to keep him in the lineup this season. He could return later in the summer if he gets going at Triple-A, but he can be dropped in most leagues for now. Versatile utilityman Ryan Kreidler was called up to replace him on the bench.

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