April 14, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said on Monday that right-hander
Brandon Pfaadt will move to the bullpen to make room for the return of veteran right-hander
Merrill Kelly (back), who will come off the 15-day injured list to make his first start of the year on Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic. Pfaadt is the odd man out of Arizona's starting rotation for the time being with Kelly returning. The 27-year-old former fifth-round pick in 2020 out of Bellarmine University has really struggled to open his fourth year in the big leagues, going 0-1 with a 5.94 ERA (5.47 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and six walks in 16 2/3 innings over his three starts for the Snakes. Pfaadt will almost certainly return to the D-backs' starting rotation at some point in 2026, but obviously, this news really hurts his fantasy value in all formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Jose M. Romero
April 14, 2026
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone told Talkin' Yanks that first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt will start over
Ben Rice again on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander
Reid Detmers. Rice also started on the bench in Monday's series-opening win over the Angels with left-hander
Yusei Kikuchi on the mound. Tuesday will be the fourth time in five games that the 27-year-old Rice has started on the bench this year with a lefty starting pitcher on the mound, despite the Yankees telling us that Rice would have more exposure to southpaws in 2026. It's especially frustrating for Rice's fantasy managers, as he's hitting a strong .362 (17-for-47) with four home runs, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a stolen base in his first 15 games this year. The 38-year-old Goldy has been in decline offensively for several years, but he still can handle lefties pretty well. He hit .336 (50-for-149) against them in 2025 with seven of his 10 home runs coming against southpaws.
--Keith HernandezSource: Talkin' Yanks
April 14, 2026
Baltimore Orioles infielder
Jeremiah Jackson had a career day at the plate in Baltimore's 9-7 comeback win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. Jackson went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI out of the eight-hole. It was Jackson's first multi-homer performance of his career, and also the first time he's had five RBI in a contest. The 26-year-old is certainly taking advantage of the increased playing time at the keystone for the O's to begin the 2026 regular season with regular second baseman
Jackson Holliday (hand) still recovering from a broken hamate bone in his hand that he suffered in spring training. Holliday isn't expected to come off the 10-day injured list this week, either, so Jackson will get a little more run as a regular for Baltimore. In his first 14 games this year, Jackson is hitting .318 (14-for-44) with three home runs, 11 RBI, and four runs scored.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 14, 2026
Texas Rangers first baseman
Jake Burger was seeing the ball well in Monday night's 8-1 win over the division-rival Athletics in Sacramento, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, a walk, and a strikeout. Burger got the party started in the first inning with a three-run tater off of right-handed starter
Luis Severino, and the Rangers never looked back. He got Severino again for a solo job in the eighth inning. The home runs were the 30-year-old's first since he homered in back-to-back games to begin the 2026 regular season. Burger is known as a streaky hitter, so fantasy managers will want to ride his power bat until he cools off. After his big power performance on Monday night, the former first-rounder by the Chicago White Sox in 2017 out of Missouri State is hitting .246 (16-for-65) with four home runs, 11 RBI, and seven runs scored in 16 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 14, 2026
Los Angeles Angels outfielder
Mike Trout did all he could for the team in Monday night's series opener against the New York Yankees, but it wasn't enough in the wild 11-10 loss. Trout went 2-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored. The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer did all of his damage late in the game, first hitting a three-run long ball in the sixth inning. The home runs were Trout's first since he went deep in each of the first two games of the 2026 season. It was the 31st multi-homer game of Trout's illustrious career. The three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star got off to a hot start this year before going into a little lull, but hopefully, Trout will get going again after Monday's strong performance. Overall, he's hitting .224 (13-for-58) with four home runs, 12 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases in a small sample size of 16 games. Trout has had trouble staying on the field in recent years due to various injuries, and he probably can't be relied on for a high average anymore. But if he stays healthy, he'll be a steal in fantasy for his power and run production.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 14, 2026
New York Yankees outfielder
Trent Grisham didn't make the start in Monday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium with left-hander
Yusei Kikuchi on the mound, but he entered the game off the bench and still managed to do a ton of damage at the plate. Grisham finished the contest 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI in a close, 11-10 win. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter hit a three-run home run in his first plate appearance in the fifth inning off
Shaun Anderson, and then he hit a clutch two-run long ball in the ninth inning off closer
Jordan Romano with the Yankees trailing by two runs. It was nice to see Grisham come alive at the plate on Monday night after a very quiet start to his 2026 season offensively. Even after his two-homer performance against the Halos, Grisham is still hitting only .167 (8-for-48) with 13 walks and 10 strikeouts in 61 plate appearances in his first 16 games of the year. Fantasy managers will be hoping that his big game on Monday will get him going at the plate.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 14, 2026
The ball was flying out of Yankee Stadium on Monday night in the New York Yankees' 11-10 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Superstar outfielder
Aaron Judge unsurprisingly took advantage, going 2-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI, and a strikeout. Judge's first homer came in the bottom of the first inning, when he took left-handed starter
Yusei Kikuchi deep. It was the 37-year-old's 47th multi-homer game of his career and his first this season. The 33-year-old three-time MVP and seven-time All-Star has 50-plus home runs in each of the last two seasons and is already leading baseball with six home runs in his first 16 games of the 2026 campaign. In addition to his six homers, Judge is slashing .233/.333/.550 with an .883 OPS, 12 RBI, 14 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 70 plate appearances. Judge is a beast at the plate and remains one of the top fantasy baseball assets in the game. Monday night's performance reminded us of that.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 14, 2026
When asked how far away Seattle Mariners infield prospect
Colt Emerson is from the big leagues on MLB Now on Monday, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said, "he's as close as they come." Emerson, 20, suffered a foot injury over the weekend at Triple-A Tacoma, but he's already back in action and is knocking on the door to join the big-league roster for the very first time early in the 2026 season. The former 22nd overall pick in 2023 has gone 13-for-49 (.265) with a home run, five RBI, five runs scored, two stolen bases, two walks, and 17 strikeouts in 13 games at Tacoma to begin the year. It's unclear what the Mariners intend to do with current shortstop
J.P. Crawford, but his playing time could be in jeopardy by the summer if Emerson is up in the big leagues by then. Emerson is considered Seattle's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he's also considered the No. 7 overall shortstop prospect in all of baseball. Fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues should consider adding him off the waiver wire now.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB Now
April 14, 2026
Miami Marlins catcher/first-baseman
Liam Hicks has come out of the gates fast this season, and he picked up three more hits, three RBI, and his first stolen base of the season on Monday night in a 10-4 win for his Fish over the Braves. Hicks is hitting .319 (15-for-47) with a double, three homers, and a .394 wOBA. He hit cleanup again on Tuesday and has regularly held down that important run production spot for the Marlins in the early part of the season. The 26-year-old lefty has bumped his hard-hit rate and barrel rate up this season and is a solid option behind the plate right now for fantasy baseball managers in almost all formats. If you need consistent contributions from behind the plate, Hicks is a strong option to consider in almost all formats for as long as he keeps rolling.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 14, 2026
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Rico Garcia has been excellent to start the season at the back end of Baltimore's bullpen. He worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning to earn his fourth hold of the year and has allowed just three walks in 7 2/3 scoreless innings across eight games. Garcia is still working in front of elite closer
Ryan Helsley, who has also been excellent, giving the Orioles a dynamic duo to lock down the end of close games. Garcia would likely be the next option if Helsley faltered or was injured, and he's a strong option to handcuff to Helsley if you're in a deep or AL-only league that highly values relief pitching. The 32-year-old has been virtually unhittable so far this season and has been one of the best setup men in baseball.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 14, 2026
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher
Kirby Yates (knee) is working his way back from left knee inflammation and could be ready to step into a meaningful role in the bullpen soon. He threw to hitters last week but has not yet started a rehab assignment. He seems ready to start his rehab soon and could be set for his Halos' debut soon. Over the offseason, the 39-year-old veteran righty signed a one-year deal worth $5 million. He brings plenty of experience in high-leverage situations and could challenge
Jordan Romano for the closer job when he's healthy. Romano blew his first save of the season against the Yankees on Monday, so Yates' return could be at the perfect time for him to take over the role if Romano has more issues. If you're seeking saves on the waiver wire and trying to get ahead of potential changes in a deep league, Yates is worth stashing since he's such a proven option when healthy.
--Zach ThompsonSource: RotoBaller
April 14, 2026
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher
Garrett Crochet had an uncharacteristically rough outing on Monday night, allowing 10 runs on nine hits and three walks, while recording only five outs against the Twins. His velocity was down, and he allowed home runs to
Victor Caratini and
Ryan Kreidler in one of the worst statistical starts of his career. The Red Sox and their ace did not indicate they had any injury concerns coming out of the game, but it was an alarmingly bad showing that will take some time for his ERA to recover from. While it's definitely not the time to panic about Crochet just yet, his next outing will be an important one for him to prove this was just a blip and not a trend. His next start lines up for Sunday afternoon at home against the Tigers.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 14, 2026
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher
Ryan Helsley secured his team's dramatic comeback win over the Diamondbacks on Monday night by pitching a drama-free ninth inning. He retired the D-Backs in order, including a pair of strikeouts, to earn his fifth save in five save opportunities. He has pitched in seven games for Baltimore, allowing only two runs in 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts. He remains locked in as one of the best closing options in the league, and the 31-year-old righty reached a max of 101.2 mph on his 12 pitches on Monday. Fantasy managers can continue to use Helsley with confidence at the back end of Baltimore's bullpen.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 14, 2026
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher
Jordan Romano locked up his first four saves of the season, but he stumbled on Monday night in New York. He came in with a 10-8 lead and failed to record a single out before giving up three runs on three hits, including a
Trent Grisham home run that tied the game. After Grisham's dinger,
Jose Caballero doubled, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch to get the Yankees a walk-off win and hand Romano his first loss of the year. In his previous six games, Romano had not allowed a hit over five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. He hadn't pitched in a week coming into this appearance and was due for a little regression. He will likely remain the team's primary closer for now, but he'll need to get back on track the next time he's called on for relief.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
April 14, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Justin Wrobleski held the Mets to just two hits in eight shutout innings on Monday night to earn his second win of the season. Wrobleski only had two strikeouts but was very efficient, needing just 90 pitches to get 24 outs. The 25-year-old lefty has a 2.12 ERA and 3.37 FIP through his first three games this season, and he has held opponents to a 32.7% hard-hit rate with just a single barrel. While he only has a 9.5% K%, he has been very effective at limiting hard contact and contributing solid, efficient innings. He can be a nice pickup off the waiver wire for wins and quality innings, despite his limited strikeout upside. Wrobleski's next outing is scheduled for on the road at Coors Field next Monday, which will be a test given his contact-heavy approach.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
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