Mid-Week Cut Candidates for Fantasy Baseball - Players to Consider Dropping (Week 7)

May 13, 2026

Andy's mid-week fantasy baseball cuts, drops candidates for Week 7 of 2026. Is it time to let go already, and drop these player for a better waiver wire option?

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to the mid-week edition of our Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball and Week 7 of the 2026 MLB season. With another week of MLB action behind us, it's time to look to the waiver wire, which means it's time to cut some underperforming players.

This week, we saw the Giants send relief pitcher Ryan Walker to Triple-A, and several players hit the injured list, including Addison Barger, who was recently activated from a lengthy IL stint.

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 7 of the MLB season. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Cut List Rankings for Fantasy Baseball: Week 7

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

Jeremy Pena, SS, Houston Astros

Cut List Ranking No. 64

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (hamstring) did full baseball drills on Monday and is expected to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday, likely at Double-A Corpus Christi, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Pena will be back in action in the minors this week as he recovers from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for more than a month, but barring a setback, the 28-year-old could be back in the big-league starting lineup by the end of the week.

It's great news for a struggling Houston squad that already lost veteran infielder Carlos Correa (ankle) for the rest of the 2026 season. With Correa and Pena out of late, the Astros have been running a platoon at the 6 with Braden Shewmake and Nick Allen. When he's reinstated, Pena will be the Astros' everyday starter at shortstop, and he'll have value in most fantasy leagues after being named a first-time All-Star in 2025, when he hit .304/.363/.477 with an .840 OPS, 17 homers, 62 RBI, 20 steals, and 68 runs in 125 games played.

Pena went 11-for-43 (.256) with five runs and a stolen base in 10 games earlier this year before landing on the IL. He's rostered in 80% of Yahoo leagues right now.

Samuel Basallo, C, Baltimore Orioles

Cut List Ranking No. 58

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said after the 3-2 win on Monday over the division-rival New York Yankees that catcher Samuel Basallo (knee) will be fine, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. The Orioles scratched the young backstop from the starting lineup on Monday as a precaution due to discomfort in his left knee.

It sounds like he will avoid a stint on the injured list, and he could be back in the starting nine as soon as Game 2 of the series in Baltimore against the Yankees on Tuesday. Adley Rutschman got the start behind the plate on Monday and did the catching for right-hander Brandon Young. The left-handed-hitting Basallo has handled himself well so far in 2026 in his first full year in the majors, slashing .270/.333/.470 with an .803 OPS, five home runs, 15 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 33 games across 126 plate appearances.

Despite the presence of Rutschman, Basallo is expected to continue catching enough to retain eligibility at the position for fantasy managers, which is a big deal. He's currently rostered in 35% of Yahoo leagues.

Ryan Walker, RP, San Francisco Giants

Cut List Ranking No. 63

San Francisco Giants right-hander Ryan Walker has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Walker opened 2026 as San Francisco's primary closer, but he's struggled mightily so far this season. Across 15 1/3 innings (16 games), Walker has pitched to a 6.46 ERA and 1.89 WHIP with 14 strikeouts.

He was just three for six on save chances and had allowed seven earned runs over his last four outings before being sent down. Walker's struggles to open 2026 were a continuation of his down year in 2025, when he pitched to a 4.11 ERA. San Francisco will now give the 30-year-old a chance to work through his struggles in a lower-pressure environment in the minor leagues. Right-hander Caleb Killian saw the most recent save opportunity for San Francisco and could be taking over the team's ninth-inning role.

Jeff Hoffman, RP, Toronto Blue Jays

Cut List Ranking No. 5

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman was pulled out of the closer role after struggling to begin the season. Hoffman has handled it well and has been putting together quality outings lately. Recently, Jays' manager John Schneider spoke about the possibility of Hoffman returning to the closer role in the future.

He mentioned that the team will continue to go with a committee, which should include Hoffman if he continues to pitch well. It doesn't sound like Hoffman is going to fully regain the closer role, but he should get chances to close out games. If that happens, Hoffman could be someone worth scooping up on the waiver wire, assuming he begins pitching in the ninth inning again.

Addison Barger, 3B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays

Cut List Ranking No. 45

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Monday that they placed infielder/outfielder Addison Barger (elbow) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 10) with right-elbow inflammation and recalled outfielder Yohendrick Pinango from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. Barger had just returned on Saturday from an IL stint due to injuries to both of his ankles, but he ended up playing in just one game over the weekend before suffering an elbow injury.

It's unclear what the severity of Barger's new injury is, but he's obviously been a big disappointment early in 2026 due to the injury bug. In just nine games played, he's hit .045 (1-for-22) with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, five walks, and seven strikeouts. Barger isn't a must-hold in mixed fantasy baseball leagues, and he's currently rostered in just 26% of Yahoo leagues.

Pinango, a 24-year-old Venezuelan outfielder, is in his first MLB season. He got off to a good start in his first 10 games with Toronto, going 11-for-26 (.423) with four RBI and a run scored, and he'll now get another chance to prove himself in the Jays' outfield.

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:

• Updated Waiver Wire Rankings
• Sneaky Starting Pitchers to Pick Up
• Top 25 Injured Players to Stash
• Top 25 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

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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pickup someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Rico Garcia, Caleb Kilian, Robby Snelling, Payton Tolle, Henry Bolte, A.J. Ewing, Joe Mack. 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 Rico Garcia, Caleb Kilian, Robby Snelling, Payton Tolle, Henry Bolte, A.J. Ewing, Joe Mack:

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