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Tigers Place Kenley Jansen on Injured List With Pelvic Inflammation
The Detroit Tigers placed veteran right-handed closer Kenley Jansen (pelvis) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with pelvic inflammation and recalled left-hander Drew Sommers from the minors in a corresponding move, according to Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. The Tigers initially announced that Jansen was removed from his outing on Wednesday night against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, with a right-groin injury. The 17-year veteran and four-time All-Star has seven saves in 18 appearances in his first year with Detroit, but he's also gone 1-3 and has struggled to a 4.80 ERA (5.80 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP with 19 strikeouts and nine walks in 15 innings pitched. Will Vest hasn't been any better in 2026 and has also dealt with injuries, so right-hander Kyle Finnegan should be the reliever to target off the waiver wire now that Jansen is on the shelf. Finnegan has just one save this year and has walked 19, but he's allowed just five earned runs in 25 2/3 frames with 15 K's, and he has 113 career saves in six-plus MLB seasons. He is rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
Source: The Athletic - Cody Stavenhagen
Casey Mize Plays Catch, Still Awaiting MRI Results
Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (groin) played catch on Thursday but is still awaiting the results of an MRI exam after being pulled from his start early on Wednesday due to right-groin tightness, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. McCosky notes that it's not a bad sign that Mize was able to throw on Thursday, although the Tigers don't have to make an immediate move with him. It's a positive development that the 29-year-old former first overall pick out of Auburn in 2018 did some throwing a day after his injury, but it doesn't necessarily mean that he will avoid the injured list. We should have a better idea of Mize's status in the next day or two. Mize was a first-time All-Star in 2025, his fifth year with the Tigers, and is currently sporting a career-low 2.27 ERA (2.38 FIP) and 0.96 WHIP, with a career-best 26.5% strikeout rate and a 6.5% walk rate in 47 2/3 frames across nine starts. As long as he can continue to miss more bats and stay healthy, Mize will be an intriguing matchup-based streamer in fantasy. He's rostered in 63% of Yahoo leagues right now.
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
Gleyber Torres Starting a Rehab Assignment on Friday
Detroit Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres (oblique) will head to Triple-A Toledo on Friday for a minor-league rehab assignment, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. Torres might be a day or two before he plays in his first game. The Tigers won't rush Torres once he starts playing in games down on the farm since he has been sidelined for almost four weeks due to a strained left oblique muscle. But barring a setback, Torres could be back with the big-league squad by the end of next week. The 29-year-old veteran Venezuelan second baseman will return to starting duties at the keystone in Motown when he's reinstated from the 10-day injured list. The three-time All-Star shouldn't be expected to return to the 20-homer mark, and he also has very minimal speed, but he has great plate discipline and should continue to be an asset in leagues that count on-base percentage. Torres was slashing .259/.389/.328 with two home runs, 11 RBI, 18 runs, 25 walks, and 22 K's in 32 games across 144 plate appearances for Detroit at the time of his injury.
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Kerry Carpenter to Start a Rehab Assignment on Friday
Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (shoulder) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Friday, according to MLive Media Group's Evan Woodbery. Carpenter was cleared to resume playing in games after he took part in right-hander Justin Verlander's (hip) simulated game on Wednesday. If he can avoid any setbacks this weekend, Carpenter could be reinstated from the 10-day injured list to rejoin the Tigers' starting lineup at some point early next week. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has been on the shelf for just under three weeks with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. Before his injury, Carpenter was batting a disappointing .216 (22-for-102) with six home runs, 17 RBI, 11 runs scored, 11 walks, and 40 strikeouts across 37 games (117 plate appearances). He won't offer much speed and strikes out too much to be an asset in on-base-percentage leagues, but Carpenter proved last year with his career-high 26 homers that he can help in the power department against right-handed pitchers. He's currently rostered in just under 40% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Tarik Skubal to Throw Another Sim Game on Monday
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal (elbow) will throw another simulated game/live batting practice session on Monday at Tropicana Field, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. Manager A.J. Hinch said Skubal might get an extra day before his next outing as well, which would push it to June 7. Woodbery speculates that if Skubal continues to avoid setbacks and the Tigers keep pushing his timeline, he could make a minor-league rehab start on June 12, with a return to the Tigers' starting rotation potentially coming on June 17 in Houston against the Astros. The back-to-back American League Cy Young winner has made exceptional progress after having a minimally invasive procedure to remove a loose body from his left elbow. The 29-year-old two-time All-Star threw 39 pitches in 2 2/3 innings during a sim game on Tuesday and came out of it feeling fine. Skubal would love to return as soon as possible in June to build his trade value before the early August deadline. He went 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA and 0.95 WHIP with 45 K's in 43 1/3 innings over seven starts this year before going on the 15-day injured list.
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Source: MLive Media Group - Evan Woodbery
Quinn Priester Only Goes Two-Thirds of an Inning in Latest Rehab Start
It was another disappointing showing for Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester (shoulder) in his latest minor-league rehab outing with Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday. Priester allowed three earned runs on two hits while walking three and striking out one in just two-thirds of an inning for the Sounds. The Brewers went into Wednesday's appearance hoping that Priester would go five innings and/or 80 to 85 pitches, so he came well short of expectations. The 25-year-old former first-rounder back in 2019 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, needed 38 pitches on Wednesday and couldn't even get out of the first inning. He has been pretty awful in both of his separate rehab starts while trying to recover from symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, and it wouldn't be a surprise at this point if Priester gets shut down again at some point. Through six rehab starts on the farm, he's posted a horrific 21.60 ERA and 3.60 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and 17 walks. It's getting harder and harder to justify holding him in deeper fantasy leagues. Priester is rostered in 16% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Milb.com
Source: Milb.com
Taj Bradley's Next Start Pushed to Friday Against Bucs
Minnesota Twins right-hander Taj Bradley's next start has been pushed back to the series opener on Friday in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Kendry Rojas will re-enter the Twins' starting rotation to pitch on Thursday in the series finale against the Chicago White Sox. The move doesn't change all that much for Bradley, who has been really strong for fantasy managers in 2026, going 5-1 with a 2.77 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with 59 strikeouts and 19 walks in 52 innings across his nine starts. In his return from the injured list last week after missing time with a pectoral injury, Bradley allowed an earned run with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings against the Boston Red Sox for his fifth win of the year. The Pirates are no cake walk of a matchup, but Bradley has earned the trust of fantasy managers at this point and should be in most starting lineups to kick off the weekend at PNC Park. He has had at least seven K's in each of his last three outings, and the Pirates rank second in baseball in strikeouts (520).
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
Jacob deGrom a Risky Buy-Low Candidate
Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom looked like his previous Cy Young self in April, going 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA (2.84 FIP), 33 strikeouts, and only seven walks in 26 2/3 innings over his five starts. Although he bounced back on Wednesday by allowing just two earned runs in six innings in a no-decision against the Houston Astros, it was tough sledding for the 37-year-old veteran in May, as he went 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA (5.61 FIP), 30 strikeouts, five walks, and nine home runs allowed in 28 1/3 frames across five starts. Overall, the two-time Cy Young winner has gone 3-4 with a 3.77 ERA (4.16 FIP) and 1.01 WHIP with 70 strikeouts, 12 walks, and a league-high 13 home runs allowed in 59 2/3 innings across 11 starts in his fourth year in Texas. deGrom surely isn't as bad as his numbers would suggest in May, but given his long track record of injuries, buying low on the veteran hurler won't be very attractive to risk-averse fantasy managers. In his three full seasons with the Rangers, deGrom has exceeded 100 innings just once, and he combined for 42 innings in the other two seasons.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Junior Caminero is an Elite Source of Power
Fantasy managers potentially considering buying low on Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero can probably forget about it. Caminero just snapped a nine-game hitting streak with an 0-for-3 performance in the 11-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, and before that, he had gone 19-for-64 (.297) with four home runs, two doubles, 11 RBI, and 11 runs scored in 16 games, dating back to May 7. Overall in May, he's slashing .271/.386/.471 with an .857 OPS, five round-trippers, two doubles, 12 RBI, and 15 runs scored in 23 games across 101 plate appearances. The 22-year-old Dominican third baseman is a big reason why the low-budget Rays remain in first place in the American League West. Caminero's home run total of 13 seems lackluster after he popped a career-high 45 dingers in 154 games in 2025 in a breakout season, but his power remains real. He currently sits in the 87th percentile in expected slugging, the 85th percentile in xwOBA, and the 80th percentile in hard-hit rate. Caminero is also in the 80th percentile in walk rate and has an expected batting average of .279.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Now is the Time to Buy Low on Rookie Konnor Griffin
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin was the talk of spring training as one of the best prospects since Ken Griffey Jr. That's a lot of hype to live up to. The 20-year-old former ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft hasn't really lived up to the hype through his first 49 games with Pittsburgh, hitting .261/.322/.394 with a .716 OPS, four home runs, eight doubles, two triples, 21 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and 29 runs scored across 199 plate appearances. Griffin hasn't been terrible, either, and his buy-low window in both redraft and dynasty leagues could be about to slam shut. He went 1-for-4 at the plate with a home run, his first since May 10, in a loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. In his last 13 games, he has hit .275 with 13 runs scored and three stolen bases, and it might only be a matter of time before Griffin puts it all together in 2026. In 23 games in May, Griffing is batting .292 (26-for-89) with two homers, six doubles, a triple, eight RBI, five steals, and 19 runs scored in 99 plate appearances. The kid can do it all, and he'll probably never be cheaper as a trade chip in fantasy baseball.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Elly De La Cruz Remains a High-End Power/Speed Asset
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz can do things on a baseball field that most big-league players can only dream of. And while the two-time All-Star might be slightly underwhelming through his first 55 games in 2026, we would advise against selling him with the start of June right around the corner. The 24-year-old Dominican switch-hitter is currently slashing .279/.346/.509 with an .855 OPS, 12 home runs, 37 RBI, 38 runs scored, and nine stolen bases across 246 plate appearances. Considering De La Cruz stole a league-high 67 bases in 2024, his nine thefts so far are a slight disappointment, but fantasy managers can't really complain otherwise. He's on pace to set a new career high in home runs, and his batting average is a career high right now. Under the hood, De La Cruz is in the 95th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 80th percentile in xwOBA, and the 87th percentile in expected slugging. He also has an average exit velocity of 94.1, which ranks ninth in the big leagues. If you end up trading the five-category contributor, you'll likely regret it by the end of 2026.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Is it Time to Buy Low on Fernando Tatis Jr.?
Somehow, San Diego Padres second baseman/outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is without a home run with 54 games and 231 plate appearances under his belt in 2026. At this point, many fantasy managers might be giving up hope that he'll homer at all this year. The three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner has never been cheaper in terms of acquisition cost in a trade, so now is the time to strike. Overall, Tatis is slashing .260/.339/.300 with a .639 OPS, 16 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 19 runs scored in 200 at-bats. Although he's not pulling the ball in the air, which explains the lack of power, Tatis has actually hit quite well in May, going 24-for-88 (.273) with two doubles, a triple, three RBI, eight runs, and six stolen bases. The Dominican star is on a modest four-game hitting streak and has gone 14-for-37 (.378) in his last 10 games, so it's not like he's doing nothing at all, and the stolen bases have helped. Tatis' expected slugging sits in just the 46th percentile, but he's in the 96th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 73rd percentile in xwOBA. Tatis will homer eventually, but even if he doesn't return to the 20-homer mark, which is unlikely at this point, he will at least be a major asset with his wheels.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Gunnar Henderson Ready to Turn Things Around After Two-Homer Game?
Slowly but surely, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson has started to look more like himself in May. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting shortstop went 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and a strikeout in the team's 11-2 rout over the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards on Wednesday to raise his season average to .222 and his OPS to .714. The strong performance was his first multi-homer game of the 2026 campaign. It definitely has not been the season that Henderson's fantasy managers were hoping for, but the buy-low window is closing quickly. Although Henderson is hitting only .222 with the end of May quickly approaching, he has 13 home runs and has gone 14-for-33 (.424) with three long balls in his last 10 games. Henderson has added 29 RBI, 30 runs scored, and six stolen bases across his 252 plate appearances on the year.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Joc Pederson has Three Home Runs in his Last Two Games
Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson is starting to heat up at the plate. The 34-year-old left-handed slugger went 3-for-4 at the plate out of the leadoff spot on Wednesday night with two home runs and three RBI in the team's 4-3 loss to the visiting Houston Astros at Globe Life Park. Both of his home runs were of the solo variety, and Pederson has now gone deep three times in the last two games. In his last eight contests, he's gone 10-for-23 (.435) with three homers and six RBI to boost his season-long line to .250/.361/.430 with a .791 OPS, six home runs, 16 RBI, and 20 runs scored in 51 games across 156 plate appearances. Pederson has disappointed so far in his tenure with the Rangers, as he played in only 96 games in 2025 and hit nine home runs with 26 RBI in 306 plate appearances, but if he gets on a heater, he'll be worth a look off the waiver wire for his power production. Right now, Pederson is only rostered in 1% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Shohei Ohtani Homers, Throws Six Hitless Innings Against Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani showed why he is baseball's unicorn in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the division-rival Colorado Rockies, delivering as both a hitter and starting pitcher. At the plate, Ohtani went 1-for-4 and led off the game in the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot to put the Dodgers in the lead. On the mound, he continued his Cy Young-caliber season, tossing six hitless innings (one earned run allowed) while walking four and striking out seven to pick up his fifth win of the season. The 31-year-old four-time MVP didn't have his best control on the mound (he also hit a batter) and threw 56 of his 99 pitches for strikes. Ohtani got the job done nonetheless, and he's now sporting a ridiculous 0.82 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 61:17 K:BB in his 55 innings pitched across nine starts. He only allowed three runs in 25 innings in May. After a brief slump at the plate to begin the year, Ohtani has now gone 18-for-47 (.383) with three home runs and 14 RBI in his last 13 games. You can't keep the Japanese sensation down for long. Ohtani is a freak of nature and a must-start anytime he's in the lineup or toeing the rubber.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
