April 18, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (finger) was checked out by the team's medical staff in the eighth inning in Friday night's loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks after clipping his left index finger on an opponent's jersey, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Guerrero ultimately stayed in the game, though, and manager John Schneider said he should be fine to play on Saturday in the desert in Game 2 of the series against the D-backs. The 27-year-old five-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner went 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI in Friday night's 6-3 loss, and he's hitting a strong .319/.427/.420 with a homer, eight RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base in his first 82 plate appearances of the 2026 season. Fantasy managers will want to check back later to see if Vladdy is in the starting lineup in Phoenix for a matchup with right-hander
Zac Gallen.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
April 18, 2026
Chicago Cubs left-hander
Matthew Boyd (biceps) threw 64 pitches in 3 2/3 innings in a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday and reported feeling good on Friday, according to MLB.com. Boyd is on target to be activated from the 15-day injured list to start next Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. The veteran left-hander is recovering from a left-biceps strain that sent him to the IL on April 6. It's great news for a Cubs pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries early in the 2026 campaign. While it's good news for Chicago, fantasy managers who have Boyd rostered might want to keep him benched for a tough first matchup back against Philly. In his 3 2/3 innings on Thursday with Iowa, Boyd looked good, striking out six batters and walking one while throwing 64 total pitches. Boyd could be somewhat limited from a pitch-count perspective next week after he's reinstated, which is another reason to fade him as a fantasy play next week.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 18, 2026
The New York Mets announced on Saturday that they have placed infielder
Jorge Polanco (wrist, Achilles) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) with a right-wrist contusion and recalled catcher
Hayden Senger from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Polanco has been battling Achilles bursitis early in the 2026 season as well, but it's the wrist contusion that ended up landing him on the shelf. It's not a serious wrist injury, but it will also give Polanco a chance to rest his Achilles. It's another blow to a Mets team that just lost their ninth straight game to the Chicago Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field. Polanco, 32, is off to a rough start in his first year with the Mets, as he's gone 10-for-56 (.179) at the plate with a homer, two RBI, and three runs scored through his first 14 games of the year. Until he's ready to return,
MJ Melendez should see steady at-bats as the team's designated hitter with
Juan Soto (calf) and
Jared Young (knee) both on the IL as well.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Mets
April 18, 2026
New York Yankees first baseman
Ben Rice is in the starting lineup and is batting fifth on Saturday against the visiting Kansas City Royals and left-hander
Noah Cameron, per MLB.com. Rice will get his first chance to start against a southpaw in 2026 after veteran right-handed hitter
Paul Goldschmidt drew into the lineup at first over Rice early on over Rice against lefties. The Yankees said in the offseason that they wanted Rice to get more exposure to lefties this year after his 2025 breakout. So far in 19 games this year, Rice has picked up where he left off, slashing .339/.459/.746 with a 1.205 OPS, six home runs, 16 RBI, 18 runs scored, and a stolen base in 74 plate appearances. He's gone 4-for-14 (.286) with a solo homer against lefties, too. To take the next step, Rice will need to be adequate in those tough lefty-lefty matchups, and he'll get his first starting chance against a southpaw on Saturday in the Bronx. Rice has never faced Cameron in his career.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 18, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman/outfielder
Pavin Smith (elbow) had surgery on Thursday to remove bone chips from his left elbow that were causing inflammation, manager Torey Lovullo told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. There is no timetable for when Smith will return to the Diamondbacks roster, but with him now on the 60-day injured list, he won't be eligible to be reinstated until late May at the earliest. Smith hasn't played since the final game of the series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers in the first series of the regular season back in late March. Since Smith's injury,
Jose Fernandez has seen most of the work at first base in Arizona, with
Luken Baker and
Ildemaro Vargas also filling in. Fernandez is the waiver-wire play in deeper fantasy baseball leagues for the time being, as the 22-year-old Venezuelan rookie is hitting a cool .302 (16-for-53) in the early going with two homers, nine RBI, nine runs scored, and a steal in 15 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports - Alex Weiner
April 18, 2026
Kansas City Royals outfielder
Isaac Collins (knee) is back in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, serving as the designated hitter and batting seventh in the order against Yankees right-hander Wil Warren, according to MLB.com. Collins suffered a bruised right knee on Tuesday and missed three straight games before his return for Game 2 of the series in New York. The 28-year-old switch-hitter has played in 16 games so far in 2026 and has gone just 9-for-42 (.214) with a home run, four RBI, seven runs scored, six walks, and 15 strikeouts. Collins will be an easy fade for DFS lineups in his first game back against a pitcher he's never faced. In his first full MLB season in 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Collins slashed .263/.368/.411 with a .779 OPS, nine home runs, 54 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and 56 runs scored in 441 plate appearances across 130 games played. In his last seven games, Collins has gone just 3-for-18 at the plate.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 18, 2026
Athletics right-hander
Joel Kuhnel has been excellent in the early portion of the 2026 season, as he's yet to allow an earned run or a walk and has given up just one hit over his first five appearances (4 2/3 innings) of the year. The 31-year-old right-hander appears to have settled into his team's primary closer role, as he's logged saves in three out of his last four outings. Kuhnel's rise to the ninth-inning role comes as a bit of a surprise, as he had recorded just one save across 93 2/3 career MLB innings entering 2026. Kuhnel also owns a career strikeout rate of 18.7%, so he does not possess the swing-and-miss stuff of a prototypical closer. Still, he's been effective in the role so far this season, and as such is worth targeting on the waiver wire.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 18, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman
Max Muncy is off to an excellent start to the 2026 season, hitting .254/.338/.556 with six home runs, seven RBI, and 14 runs scored across his first 71 plate appearances. The 35-year-old owns a stellar 15.4% barrel rate and a ridiculous 59% hard-hit rate, which would be the best mark of his career over a full season by over seven percentage points. The lefty-swinging Muncy is still at risk of losing some playing time against same-handed pitching, which limits his fantasy upside. He's also currently striking out in 33.8% of his plate appearances and owns a career batting average of .230. Still, Muncy remains an elite source of power on a per-plate appearance basis. He's also posting a double-digit walk rate for the 10th consecutive season, which keeps his playing time and ability to score runs consistent even if he slumps at the plate. For fantasy managers looking for power on the waiver wire, Muncy is a high-end option.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 18, 2026
Houston Astros right-hander
Enyel De Los Santos has now earned saves in each of his last two appearances. The 30-year-old is off to a strong start to the 2026 season overall, recording a 1.35 ERA and 0.75 WHIP with six strikeouts across 6 2/3 innings pitched. While De Los Santos was off fantasy radars coming into the year, he could be emerging as the Astros' new preferred option in the ninth inning. Houston closer
Josh Hader (biceps) was recently transferred to the 60-day injured list, meaning he will not be eligible to return from his current biceps injury until late May. Long-time Astros setup man
Bryan Abreu got the first chance to fill in for Hader, but Abreu has struggled to a 14.73 ERA and a 30.2% walk rate across his first nine appearances (7 1/3 innings) of the season. De Los Santos entered 2026 with just three saves in over 300 career MLB innings, but he appears to have earned a chance to stick as the closer in Houston. As a result, he should be a waiver wire target for fantasy managers in desperate need of saves.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 18, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher
Kyle Harrison (wrist, knee) suffered an injury scare after being involved in a collision while attempting to cover first base in his most recent appearance. Thankfully, Harrison was able to avoid a trip to the injured list and is in line to rejoin the Brewers' starting rotation on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers. The 24-year-old has been solid through his first three starts for Milwaukee, recording a 1-1 record with a 3.07 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts across 14 2/3 innings. Albeit in a small sample size, Harrison's strikeout rate is a career-high 25% while his walk rate is a career low 6.7%. The Brewers have a long history of helping pitchers reach their full potential, so Harrison could be on the verge of a breakout season in his first year with Milwaukee. In any leagues where he may have been dropped after getting injured, Harrison profiles as a worthy waiver-wire target.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 18, 2026
Texas Rangers first baseman
Jake Burger had a miserable year in 2025, hitting .236 with 16 home runs across 376 plate appearances. However, the 30-year-old has been much better to open 2026, hitting .275/.298/.513 with five home runs, 17 RBI, and 10 runs scored across 84 plate appearances. Burger's 50.9% hard-hit rate is his best mark since 2021. He's also worked his way into an everyday role in the cleanup spot in the Rangers' lineup, putting him in a good spot to continue to rack up RBI. Burger's plate skills remain a question, as he's striking out in 28.6% of his plate appearances while walking at just a 2.4% clip. Still, as long as Burger continues making plenty of hard contact, he profiles as a power bat for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 18, 2026
Colorado Rockies outfielder
Mickey Moniak is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, hitting .261/.300/.630 with five home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and one stolen base across his first 50 plate appearances of the season. So far, the 27-year-old is backing up the power breakout he experienced in 2025, when he hit 24 home runs in 461 plate appearances with the Rockies. The lefty-swinging Moniak is still seeing most of his playing time against right-handed starting pitching, which limits his overall counting stat upside. He's also striking out at a 26% clip, so his batting average could come down over the course of the season. Still, Moniak has proven he can be effective in a platoon role and should be rostered in most fantasy leagues.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 18, 2026
New York Yankees right-hander
Gerrit Cole (elbow) made his first minor-league rehab start on Friday night with Double-A Somerset, and he allowed three earned runs on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out three in 4 1/3 innings of work. Cole missed all of the 2025 season after having right-elbow surgery last March. The Yankees aren't in any rush to bring the 35-year-old veteran back from Tommy John surgery, and they'll likely ease him back into the big-league rotation when he's eventually activated from the 15-day injured list. Barring a setback during his rehab assignment on the farm, Cole could be back in the Yankees' starting rotation in early May. The former first overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011 out of UCLA should be rostered in all fantasy leagues as fantasy managers hope the six-time All-Star can recapture the Cy Young form he had in 2023. Cole is currently rostered in 83% of Yahoo leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milb.com
April 18, 2026
Cincinnati Reds left-hander
Nick Lodolo (finger) threw 31 pitches in two simulated innings during live batting practice on Friday, according to MLB.com. He's scheduled to bump up to three innings on Tuesday, April 21. Lodolo has yet to pitch for the Reds in 2026 due to a blister on his pitching hand that he developed right at the end of spring training. The 28-year-old southpaw is building up slowly and could get up to three innings next Tuesday. After that, the former TCU pitcher could get cleared to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. With plenty of boxes left to check, it's unlikely that Lodolo will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list before the end of April. Despite being on the sidelines for the first month of the season, Lodolo is rostered in 90% of Yahoo leagues for his strikeout upside when he's fully healthy. The former first-rounder has fanned 26.2% of the hitters he's faced in his first four years in the majors.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 18, 2026
Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever
Kirby Yates (knee) began his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and allowed an earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out two in his inning of work with the Quakes. Yates, who began the year on the 15-day injured list with left-knee inflammation, is nearing his 2026 season debut and could be thrown right into the mix for save chances with right-hander
Jordan Romano blowing back-to-back save opportunities against the New York Yankees in the Bronx earlier this week. Fantasy managers should consider picking up the 39-year-old veteran with his return potentially coming next week. Yates had a rough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, but he had 33 saves for the Texas Rangers in 2024, and he's racked up 98 saves over the course of his 11-year MLB career. At the very least, Yates could be a sleeper in holds leagues as a late-inning setup man for the Halos in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Angels PR
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