Cut Candidates - Fantasy Baseball Rankings for Players to Drop (Week 4)

April 18, 2026

Andy's cut list fantasy baseball rankings - drop candidates for Week 4 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 4 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 a top-12 closer hit the injured list, and many established hitters continue their early-season slumps.

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 4 of the MLB season. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Cut List Rankings for Fantasy Baseball: Week 4

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

Daniel Palencia, RP, Chicago Cubs

Cut List Ranking No. 73

Chicago Cubs right-handed closer Daniel Palencia (oblique) was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 14) on Friday with a left-oblique strain, according to Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune. It's yet another injury for Chicago's pitching staff, which has been decimated early in the 2026 season. The 26-year-old Palencia has yet to allow a run for the Cubbies so far this year in five relief innings, recording a save, two walks, and five strikeouts along the way.

However, he'll now likely have to miss more than two weeks with his oblique injury. In the meantime, right-hander Ben Brown figures to see the majority of save chances for the Cubs with Palencia on the shelf. Palencia hadn't pitched since last Sunday, and now we know why. High-leverage relievers Phil Maton (knee) and Hunter Harvey (triceps) are also on the IL right now. In addition to Brown, Caleb Thielbar could see some save opportunities in Chicago.

Tatsuya Imai, SP, Houston Astros

Cut List Ranking No. 72

Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (arm) played light catch on the field at Daikin Park before Thursday's contest against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a team trainer nearby, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Imai was put on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right-arm fatigue. The good news is that the first-year MLB player isn't dealing with any structural damage to his arm.

The early returns from the 27-year-old through his first three major-league starts weren't great, as he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while walking 11 and striking out 13 in 8 2/3 innings pitched. Imai will be eligible to return from the IL later this month, but the Astros may take things slowly and not rush him back to the starting rotation, even with the Astros dealing with plenty of early-season injuries to their rotation arms.

Nick Pivetta, SP, San Diego Padres

Cut List Ranking No. 71

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.

Jordan Romano, RP, Los Angeles Angels

Cut List Ranking No. 50

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.

Kyle Stowers, OF, Miami Marlins

Cut List Ranking No. 77

Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said that outfielder Kyle Stowers (hamstring) will play on his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday night, according to Craig Mish of Sports Grid. The team's medical staff will talk with Stowers after the game to see how he feels, but it sounds like his return could be imminent if all goes well. Stowers, who was Miami's lone All-Star representative in 2025, has yet to play in 2026 due to a right-hamstring strain that he suffered late in spring training in March.

The 28-year-old left-handed slugger has just two hits in 15 at-bats with six strikeouts and no walks in his three rehab games to this point, but fantasy managers shouldn't really be concerned with that. When reinstated from the IL, Stowers will operate as the Marlins' starting left fielder. If he's somehow available on your league's waiver wire, scoop him up immediately. Stowers hit .288/.368/.544 with a .912 OPS, 25 home runs, 73 RBI, 61 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 117 games last year in his first full season in the majors.

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 4 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 Mickey Moniak, Jake Burger, Carter Jensen, Dillon Dingler, Mick Abel, Bryan Baker, Abner Uribe. 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 Mickey Moniak, Jake Burger, Carter Jensen, Dillon Dingler, Mick Abel, Bryan Baker, Abner Uribe:

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