Cut Candidates - Fantasy Baseball Rankings for Players to Drop (Week 5)

April 25, 2026

Andy's cut list fantasy baseball rankings - drop candidates for Week 5 of 2026. Is it time to let go, and drop these players for better waiver wire options?

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to the weekend edition of our Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball for the upcoming Week 5 of the fantasy baseball season. With another week of MLB action behind us, it's time to look to the waiver wire and improve our roster.

This week, we saw several high-end relievers hit the injured list, and many starting pitchers who appeared to be on the streaming radar struggled in their most recent outings.

So, which injured or disappointing players are it time to get rid of for fantasy baseball lineups? Read about our top players to cut for Week 5 of the MLB season. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Cut List Rankings for Fantasy Baseball: Week 5

The top players to consider cutting for fantasy baseball, in priority order. Players at the top of the list should be dropped first and replaced on the waiver wire:

Fantasy Baseball Player Outlooks

Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets

Cut List Ranking No. 73

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) will be in a boot for the next week, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The Mets won't re-evaluate Lindor until three full weeks pass, so he can't restart baseball activities until mid-May, at the earliest. The strain is in "a trick part" of Lindor's left calf, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Lindor's calf injury is more serious than All-Star outfielder Juan Soto's, so fantasy managers are going to need to be patient.

There's a good chance we won't see Lindor again until June, depending on how he recovers once he starts ramping up. Until he can return from the 10-day injured list, former top prospect Ronny Mauricio will get a shot at everyday playing time at the 6 in Queens. The 25-year-old switch-hitting Dominican infielder was hitting the ball well at Triple-A Syracuse before his call-up this week, but he has yet to stand out in his 90 big-league games, slashing .231/.290/.354 with a .644 OPS. Mauricio is only rostered in 4% of Yahoo leagues at the moment. Lindor is a must-stash in all fantasy formats.

Brent Rooker, OF, Athletics

Cut List Ranking No. 72

Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (oblique) has resumed light baseball activity as he works back from a right oblique strain and is expected to travel with the club for its upcoming road trip to Seattle on Monday. Rooker has been sidelined since April and is targeting a late May return if his recovery continues on schedule. The 31-year-old slugger opened the season slowly, slashing .146/.245/.293 in 12 games before landing on the injured list.

Rooker remains one of the Athletics' most important power threats after producing 30 or more home runs in each of the last three seasons. His return should provide a needed boost to the top of the lineup.

Ryan Walker, RP, San Francisco Giants

Cut List Ranking No. 71

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker earned his third save of the season on Wednesday night, issuing a walk but recording three outs to preserve his team's 3-0 victory. Walker seems to be back in the main closer role for the Giants and has picked up two saves in the last two days. On the season, he has worked 11 innings in 11 games with 12 strikeouts and four earned runs allowed for a 3.27 ERA and 3.78 FIP.

Walker is the only pitcher on the Giants with more than one save, with Erik Miller and Blade Tidwell also earning a save earlier this year. Miller and Tidwell could cover occasionally, but it seems that Walker has stepped back in as the team's primary closer. While he isn't an elite option, he should be a solid source of saves in deeper formats.

Edwin Diaz, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Cut List Ranking No. 50

Updating a previous report, Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed closer Edwin Diaz (elbow) will have surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, a source told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Diaz is expected to miss in the neighborhood of three months. The Dodgers officially placed the 32-year-old veteran on the 15-day injured list on Monday after Diaz appeared on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies for the first time since April 10. He proceeded to allow three runs and a walk without recording an out while also seeing his velocity dip again.

Now we know why. Barring a setback after he goes under the knife, Diaz won't return to the Dodgers' bullpen until late June or early July. Despite the injury, the All-Star closer should be stashed in all fantasy baseball leagues while he recovers. In the meantime, lefties Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia and righty Blake Treinen could all mix and match for save opportunities in L.A. Although Scott struggled for the team in 2025, he had a career-high 23 saves and has locked down 78 games in his nine-plus-year career.

Caleb Thielbar, RP, Chicago Cubs

Cut List Ranking No. 77

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday. This is a tough break for the Cubs, who are down multiple key bullpen arms right now. Thielbar suffered a left hamstring strain during Thursday's win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Given all the injuries, Ben Brown could be next in line for closer responsibility with the Cubs not having many healthy arms right now. In a corresponding move, right-hander Vince Velasquez was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. He figures to take over Brown's multi-inning role, with Brown likely shifting to a high-leverage role.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Articles

Looking to add a player off the waiver wire? After diving into the cut list rankings, read about some waiver wire pickups to consider instead:

• Eric Cross' Week 5 Waiver Wire Pickups
• Updated Waiver Wire Rankings
• FAAB Waiver Wire Bidding
• 7 Must-Add Waiver Wire Targets
• Top-5 Hitting Prospects to Stash
• Top-5 Pitching Prospects to Stash

Each week, our MLB team puts out a complete array of fantasy baseball waiver wire articles to compliment our slick Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers, and more throughout the week.

Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pickup someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Tanner Scott, Josh Jung, Jake Bauers, Louis Varland, Brad Keller, Chase Dollander, Payton Tolle, JR Ritchie. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Tanner Scott, Josh Jung, Jake Bauers, Louis Varland, Brad Keller, Chase Dollander, Payton Tolle, JR Ritchie:

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