RADIO
Tyler Samaniego to Operate as Opener on Friday
Boston Red Sox reliever Tyler Samaniego will serve as the opener during Friday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Samaniego was recalled on Thursday, with Garrett Whitlock (knee) heading to the Injured List. Samaniego has been impressive with a 1.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, with 13 strikeouts across 18 appearances with the Red Sox this season. He won't be an ideal fantasy option with Brayan Bello expected to pitch the bulk of the innings. This recipe has worked well lately with Bello, so the Red Sox will continue using it. The right-hander could be a possible deep league option for Friday's game.
Source: Ari Alexander
Source: Ari Alexander
Nick Gonzales Exits Early with Knee Discomfort
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales (knee) was forced to make an early exit from Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Gonzalez was seen limping out of the box during his at-bat in the second inning. He was removed shortly after that, with Tyler Callihan replacing him at third base. Gonzales was hitless in his lone at-bat of the game. He fouled a ball off his knee on Wednesday, so he could've aggravated that issue. For now, fantasy managers should consider Gonzales as day-to-day with left knee discomfort. Fantasy managers will need to check back ahead of Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins for another update on his status.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Konnor Griffin is Dealing with Forearm Soreness
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (forearm) wasn't in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Griffin sat out of Thursday's contest due to right forearm soreness. This sounds like a day-to-day type of issue, so it remains to be seen if Griffin will suit up for Friday's game versus the Minnesota Twins. Jared Triolo received the start at shortstop on Thursday. He could see a few starts over there until Griffin is ready to play again. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on his status ahead of Friday's game.
Source: Danny Demilio
Source: Danny Demilio
Esmerlyn Valdez Optioned to Triple-A
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder/outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday. He'll head back to the minor leagues after playing only five games in the big leagues. During that span, Valdez went 2-for-16 with two home runs, five RBI, and struck out nine times. The Pirates likely want to see his strikeout rate improve, and Valdez should work on that in an everyday role at Triple-A. In a corresponding move, infielder Tyler Callihan has been recalled to take the spot on the active roster. Valdez is likely to be back at some point, but isn't someone worth holding in redraft formats.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Carlos Estevez Resumes Playing Catch on Wednesday
Kansas City Royals veteran right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder) suffered a right rotator-cuff strain while rehabbing a foot injury on May 6, but he resumed playing catch on Wednesday, May 27, according to MLB.com. Estevez got bombed for four runs in just one-third of an inning against the Atlanta Braves in his season debut on March 28 and has been on the 15-day injured list ever since. In addition to a foot injury he suffered in that outing, Estevez was working through a noticeable dip in velocity, which was an issue in spring training as well. It's positive news that the 33-year-old is throwing again, but he has a ways to go before he'll be an option late in games for the Royals again, and he might not return until early July. Despite the disappointing season so far, his track record (124 career saves) and Lucas Erceg's struggles in the ninth inning in his absence make him a stash candidate for saves-needy fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Estevez is rostered in half of Yahoo leagues currently.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Max Scherzer to Start a Rehab Assignment on Sunday
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (forearm) will start a minor-league rehab assignment and pitch for Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. His pitch count could be around 45 to 60 pitches, depending on how he feels, according to manager John Schneider. The skipper said that Scherzer will likely have another rehab outing next Friday, but "he's taking it one start at a time." The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer will be pitching in a game this weekend for the first time since going on the 15-day injured list in late April with right-forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation. Scherzer also dealt with a recurring thumb issue while ramping up his throwing, but that apparently is no longer an issue. There has been a long laundry list of injuries that the three-time Cy Young winner has dealt with in recent seasons that have prevented him from being consistent. As they say, Father Time is undefeated. Like the bulldog he is, Scherzer is fighting to make it back to the Blue Jays this year, but he isn't a lock to be a full-time member of the starting rotation sometime in June. In his first five starts in 2026, Scherzer struggled, posting a 9.64 ERA and 1.61 WHIP while going 1-3 with just 10 K's in 18 2/3 innings pitched. He's rostered in just 4% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Sportsnet - Arden Zwelling
Source: Sportsnet - Arden Zwelling
Red Sox Put Garrett Whitlock on Injured List With Knee Inflammation
The Boston Red Sox placed right-handed reliever Garrett Whitlock (knee) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday (retroactive to May 25) with left-knee inflammation, according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. In a corresponding move, the BoSox recalled left-hander Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester. Whitlock initially injured his left knee when he slipped on a wet mound in Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. He has been unavailable the last few days as a result, and now he'll miss another two weeks at the very least. The 29-year-old late-inning setup man doesn't have much fantasy value without a clear path to saves in Boston, which is why he's rostered in fewer than 20% of Yahoo leagues. Still, he's a valuable bullpen piece for the Red Sox and has gone 3-1 this year with a 3.20 ERA (2.76 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and only six walks in 19 2/3 relief innings pitched.
Source: Boston Herald - Gabrielle Starr
Source: Boston Herald - Gabrielle Starr
Guardians Place Steven Kwan on Bereavement List
The Cleveland Guardians placed outfielder Steven Kwan on the bereavement/family medical emergency list on Thursday, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. Kwan will miss the entire three-game weekend series against the Boston Red Sox and could also miss the start of next week's series in the Bronx against the New York Yankees. Fantasy managers setting daily lineups must act accordingly. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder is having the worst year of his career in 2026 in his fifth season in the big leagues, as he enters play on Thursday hitting just .207/.329/.259 with a .588 OSP, one home run, 12 RBI, 25 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 54 games and 234 plate appearances. The former fifth-round selection in 2018 out of Oregon State has never been a big power guy at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, but his speed numbers have also been down, and he currently has a career-low 8.8% hard-hit rate, which sits in the first percentile in the big leagues. Kwan has a career-low .231 BABIP as well, which means he should see some positive regression to the mean, but his current expected average sits at .229.
Source: MLB.com - Tim Stebbins
Source: MLB.com - Tim Stebbins
Ezequiel Duran Back From Illness on Thursday
Texas Rangers infielder Ezequiel Duran (illness) is feeling better on Thursday and is back in the starting lineup for the series finale against the visiting Houston Astros, starting at shortstop and batting seventh against Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, according to MLB.com. Duran was pulled from Wednesday's loss to the Astros due to an illness, but he's back in there the very next day. The 27-year-old Dominican utility man doesn't have much power or speed, but he can rack up counting stats for fantasy managers in a variety of roles in Texas like he has been of late. Duran has been serving as the team's primary shortstop with Corey Seager (back) on the injured list, and he'll enter play on Thursday evening with a .279/.333/.456 slash line with a .789 OPS, four home runs, 26 RBI, 22 runs scored, and four steals in 47 games across 163 plate appearances in his fifth year in Texas. He's most valuable in fantasy because he's eligible at first, second, third, shortstop, and the outfield in Yahoo leagues. Duran is hitless in just three career at-bats against Arrighetti.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Carmen Mlodzinski Being Moved to the Bullpen
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly said that right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski will move to the bullpen this weekend with right-hander Jared Jones (elbow) returning from the 60-day injured list on Friday to make his season debut against the Minnesota Twins, according to Pirates insider Jason Mackey. Mlodzinski hasn't been bad this year, but he'll provide the Pirates with a valuable multi-inning arm out of the bullpen now that Jones is back. The 27-year-old former first-rounder in 2020 out of the University of South Carolina has gone 4-3 in 2026 with a decent 3.76 ERA (3.30 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and 20 walks in 55 innings across his 11 appearances (nine starts) for the Bucs in his fourth year in the league. Mlodzinski will now lose whatever little fantasy appeal he had in NL-only leagues with the move to the Pirates' bullpen. He's rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues, and that number will now most likely dip below 10% with the news of his demotion to the 'pen.
Source: Jason Mackey
Source: Jason Mackey
Jared Jones Making Season Debut on Friday, a Must-Add Waiver-Wire Target?
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Thursday that right-hander Jared Jones (elbow) will come off the 60-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut on Friday against the visiting Minnesota Twins at PNC Park. Jones missed the entire 2025 campaign after undergoing UCL surgery on his right elbow last May, but he had a nice 2.89 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 24:6 K:BB in 18 2/3 innings over his five minor-league rehab starts and is definitely worth a pickup off the waiver wire in mixed leagues now that he's on the cusp of his season debut for Pittsburgh. In his final rehab tune-up on the farm, Jones went 4 1/3 innings and got up to 76 pitches, so he might not have any restrictions on Friday from a pitch-count perspective. However, the Pirates will most likely be looking to limit the 24-year-old's overall workload the rest of the way in 2026 after he missed all of last year. The former second-rounder in 2020 went 6-8 in his rookie season in 2024 with a 4.14 ERA (4.00 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 132 K's and 39 walks across 22 starts and 121 2/3 innings pitched. Jones' return is a big boost for the Pirates' rotation going forward.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
Is the Arrow Still Pointing Up for Rainiel Rodriguez After Slow Start at Double-A?
St. Louis Cardinals catching prospect Rainiel Rodriguez was promoted to Double-A earlier this month, but hasn't quite found his footing at the new level yet. The Cards' second-ranked prospect slashed .311/.430/.519 in 28 games at High-A before being promoted, and while he had a pair of multi-hit performances in his first three games there, he's since gone 5-for-34 (.147) with a 2:11 BB:K in nine games. The Dominican had an impressive showing in 2025, slashing .276/.399/.555 with 20 home runs in 84 games between the Complex League and Single-A, so this is seemingly his first run-in with adversity in the minor league system. Still, at only 19 years old, he's one of just three players that young at Double-A, the other being MLB's No. 1 and No. 2 prospects Jesus Made and Leo De Vries, so growing pains are expected, and with his pedigree, he should be able to get back on track. An MLB debut this season seems like a long shot, but perhaps a late-season call-up is in the cards if he can pick up the pace, otherwise, the right-handed hitter remains a strong dynasty asset and could have an impact in redraft leagues in 2027.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
MLB Proposes Hard Salary Cap as Part of Next CBA
As expected, Major League Baseball proposed a hard salary cap to union officials on Thursday as part of the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, sources told Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The salary floor for teams, starting in 2027, would be set at $171.2 million, which includes player benefits, with the ceiling at $245.3 million. The MLB Players Association made its first formal proposal to the league on Wednesday, opening negotiations without the mention of a salary cap. Some of the things the players proposed included sharing more local TV revenue, a "competitive-integrity tax" for low-spending teams, a raise of the base competitive balance tax from $244 million to $300 million, and nearly doubling minimum salaries. Instituting a salary cap has been the next logical move for the league going into the next CBA, and they are also expected to eventually propose a hard salary floor as well for the first time in more than three decades. The league hasn't proposed a hard salary cap system since negotiations led to the 1994-95 players' strike. The union is clearly against any capped system, which will surely lead to contentious negotiations this winter and into early next year.
Source: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
Source: ESPN Chicago - Jesse Rogers
Is Jesus Made on Track to Debut in 2026?
Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jesus Made has had a good season at Double-A, but even by his standards, he has kicked it up a notch over the last week and a half. MLB's No. 1 overall prospect went 12-for-28 (.429) with a double, three home runs, and two steals (three caught) over a six-game stretch before an 0-for-4 day at the plate ended his hit streak. The switch-hitter is slashing .277/.353/.452 with six home runs and 18 steals through 42 games, and a promotion to Triple-A should be in the mix in the coming weeks. With Cooper Pratt already at Triple-A, shortstop is a bit crowded, but Pratt may head to the majors in the not-too-distant future, and Made also has the ability to play either second or third base, giving him multiple paths to a promotion. The 19-year-old isn't a stash candidate now, but is a star-in-the-making, and once he's at Triple-A, his all-around skillset could push him to the majors before the end of the year.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
With Breakout Season at Double-A, has Franklin Arias Become a Stash Target?
Boston Red Sox shortstop prospect Franklin Arias isn't slowing down at Double-A Portland, currently riding a five-game hitting streak, during which time he's gone 10-for-24 (.417) with a double, a triple, and four home runs. Boston's top-ranked prospect is hitting .343 on the year with 12 home runs and four steals, while his 1.079 OPS is third-highest in the minors out of hitters with at least 150 at-bats. The right-handed hitter is walking at a solid 9.1 percent clip, while maintaining a low strikeout rate of 12.8 percent. There doesn't appear to be much left to prove at this level, and a ticket to Triple-A should be coming in the near future. If he can continue to mash at Triple-A, the Venezuelan could see time in Boston later this year despite being just 20 years old, especially with the team thin at short as Trevor Story (hernia) is expected to miss anywhere from six to 10 weeks. Arias isn't necessarily a stash option at the moment in redraft leagues, but that could quickly change, so fantasy managers should monitor his progress.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
