April 1, 2026
Los Angeles Angels reliever
Jordan Romano earned his second save in as many chances Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, continuing a strong early-season run. Jordan Romano entered for
Drew Pomeranz with one out in the ninth inning and worked around a walk, recording a lineout before finishing the game with a strikeout. The right-hander has appeared in three games and has not allowed a hit, while tallying two strikeouts and four walks. This marks a sharp turnaround from 2025, when he posted an 8.23 ERA across 42 2/3 innings. His early role in save situations signals growing trust with his new team, and he is positioning himself to claim a firm grip on the closer job in Los Angeles.
--Julian BrookeSource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals reliever
Riley O'Brien picked up his first save of the season Tuesday against the New York Mets, tossing one hitless inning to close out the win. The right-hander has now appeared in three games, logging 3 1/3 innings with two strikeouts, three hits allowed, and zero earned runs. O'Brien is building on last season's breakout, when he posted a 2.06 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 48 innings. His early usage in high-leverage spots suggests growing trust from the coaching staff. If this trend continues, he could carve out a steady role in late-game situations for St. Louis.
--Julian BrookeSource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Cleveland Guardians left-handed pitching prospect
Parker Messick should be viewed as a priority waiver wire pickup this week after his strong season debut. On Monday evening, the young southpaw was tasked to face the reigning two-time World Series Champions in Los Angeles. However, Messick looked quite comfortable on the bump, logging six shutout frames. He surrendered just five hits and no walks. He struck out five hitters. Last season, the 25-year-old made his MLB debut and flashed similar upside over a short 39 2/3 inning stint, holding a 2.72 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP. Last summer, Messick spent most of his campaign with Triple-A Columbus, where he held a 3.47 ERA with a 119:42 K:BB. Given his impressive showing against the game's top lineup, Messick should be viewed as a worthy starting pitcher target on the waiver wire.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitching prospect
Bubba Chandler struggled to command his pitches in his season debut on Tuesday evening. Facing the Cincinnati Reds, Chandler tossed 4 1/3 innings with one run (unearned), no hits, and six punchouts. However, he allowed a hefty six free passes, which has limited his effectiveness. While he was able to keep runs and hits off the board, his command remains a serious issue. Last season, Chandler allowed 53 free passes over just 100 innings at the Triple-A level. While he struck out 121 hitters in this stint, his weak command significantly hindered his upside. While he carried a near-perfect 3.2% BB% over his first stint in the majors in 2025 (31 1/3 innings), seeing him command stumble again is not a good sign. While the high-end strikeout upside is still elite, he remains a difficult pitcher to trust on a weekly basis. He will look to bounce back facing the San Diego Padres next week.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect
Andrew Painter was sharp in his MLB debut on Tuesday evening. Facing the Washington Nationals, Painter logged 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball with just four hits and one free pass. He struck out eight batters en route to picking up the victory as well. Painter endured some serious growing pains working his way back from injury last season, but he appears to have taken a massive step forward in the majors. In 2025, Painter spent 106 2/3 innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley but carried a modest 5.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and a 111:46 K:BB. In spring training, the former 13th overall pick showed some signs of progress, holding a 2.31 ERA over 11 2/3 innings. Given his impressive debut, Painter should be viewed as a primary target on the waiver wire ahead of his next outing, against the San Francisco Giants.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks infield prospect
Jose Fernandez went 3-for-4 with two home runs during his MLB debut on Tuesday evening against the Detroit Tigers. Fernandez was promoted to the roster to replace
Pavin Smith (elbow), who was placed on the injured list earlier in the day. Fernandez got the start at the hot corner and did not disappoint, launching two long balls. He would hit his first home run off Detroit starter
Casey Mize in the fourth inning before hitting the go-ahead blast in the eighth inning off Detroit closer
Kenley Jansen. Last summer, Fernandez spent his entire 2025 season with Triple-A Reno, where he posted a .271/.321/.454 slash line with 17 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Given his impressive debut, managers in deeper 12+ team formats should consider adding him as he may carve out a role in this offense.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
April 1, 2026
Baltimore Orioles right-handed pitcher
Zach Eflin (elbow) is slated to be placed on the injured list, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. In a corresponding move, the Orioles are slated to promote right-handed pitcher
Albert Suarez to the MLB roster. Eflin departed his season debut early with an elbow injury. While the team has yet to reveal the extent of their injury, seeing him already expected to hit the injured list suggests it is quite serious and will likely keep him sidelined for an extended period. Before suffering the injury, Eflin was looking quite comfortable on the bump, tossing 3 2/3 innings with one earned run and seven punchouts. Last season, Eflin battled injuries as well and was limited to just 71 1/3 innings of action. While he remains out, Suarez could see opportunities in the rotation and carry low-end streaming upside in deeper 15+ team formats.
--Andy SmithSource: Jacob Calvin Meyer
April 1, 2026
Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect
Chase DeLauter (foot) exited Tuesday's contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers early with a foot injury. However, Andre Knott of FOX 8 reported that the X-rays came back negative, which suggests the budding star avoided a serious injury. DeLauter would leave the contest after fouling a ball off his foot in the opening frame. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status ahead of Wednesday's contest against the Dodgers in case the team opts to lean on the side of caution. Prior to Tuesday, DeLauter was enjoying an incredible start to the season, launching four home runs over his first five contests. If the former 16th overall pick were to miss any time, managers should expect
Daniel Schneemann and
David Fry to substitute in right field.
--Andy SmithSource: Andre Knott
March 31, 2026
New York Yankees closer
David Bednar is off to a solid start to the 2026 campaign, his first full season in New York. Across his first two appearances (two innings), Bednar is two-for-two on save chances and has allowed just one hit. The 31-year-old has walked two while recording just one strikeout, but it's hard to take much in that respect from just an eight-batter sample size. Across 62 2/3 innings split between the Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025, Bednar pitched to a 2.30 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 86 strikeouts and 27 saves. He was especially effective after being dealt to New York at the trade deadline, recording 10 saves and 35 strikeouts across 24 2/3 innings while allowing just nine walks. Bednar profiles as a high-end number one closer for fantasy managers in 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 31, 2026
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher
Ryan Feltner (glute) was removed from his start on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a glute contusion. The 29-year-old was hit by a comebacker off the bat of Blue Jays second baseman
Andres Gimenez, so Feltner hopefully won't be forced to miss any significant time. Before the injury, Feltner pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk. Feltner was limited to just 53 total innings split between the big leagues and Triple-A in 2025 due to a back injury, so getting removed from his first start of 2026 early is surely not the beginning to the year he was hoping for. In his last full season of work in 2024, Feltner pitched to a 4.49 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with three wins and 138 strikeouts across 162 1/3 innings (30 starts). If he does end up missing any time, right-hander
Gabriel Hughes could be the favorite to take his place in the Colorado rotation. Neither Feltner nor Hughes carries any fantasy appeal in anything but the very deepest of league formats.
--Will BradySource: Colorado Rockies
March 31, 2026
The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to sign second baseman
JJ Wetherholt to a long-term extension, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The 23-year-old Wetherholt entered camp as one of the top prospects in all of baseball and was named the Cardinals' Opening Day second baseman coming out of Spring Training. Through his first 19 plate appearances in the big leagues entering play on Tuesday night, Wetherholt had hit .250/.316/.438 with one home run, four RBI, three runs scored, and one stolen base while striking out just once. St. Louis may be forced to pay up to get Wetherholt to agree to terms, given the massive eight-year extension the Seattle Mariners recently gave to infield prospect
Colt Emerson, who has yet to even make his MLB debut. Whether or not a deal eventually gets done, it's not surprising to see St. Louis make a bid to lock down one of their core position players for the long term.
--Will BradySource: New York Post - Jon Heyman
March 31, 2026
Seattle Mariners shortstop prospect
Colt Emerson has officially been added to the team's 40-man roster but will remain at Triple-A Tacoma "for the time being," per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Emerson is widely considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball and signed a massive eight-year, $95 million contract extension with the Mariners on Tuesday. While the deal would seem to indicate that Seattle expects Emerson to be in the big leagues sooner rather than later, it appears as though the team does not plan to promote him immediately. Emerson, who turns 21 years old this July, reached Triple-A for 27 plate appearances at the end of 2025. However, he spent the majority of the year at High-A Everett and logged just 161 plate appearances with Double-A Arkansas. Upon his inevitable promotion to Seattle, Emerson will be a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers due to his well-rounded profile at the plate.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
March 31, 2026
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that starting pitcher
Carlos Rodon (elbow, hamstring) experienced hamstring tightness while going through his throwing program on Tuesday, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Rodon is currently on the 15-day injured list while he recovers from the surgery he had in October 2025 to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The 33-year-old threw 50 pitches in a live batting practice session on Sunday and appeared to be progressing well. However, it appears as though he may have to halt his rehab progression for non-arm-related reasons. Rodon had an excellent year with the Yankees in 2025, posting an 18-9 record with a 3.09 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts across 175 innings (33 starts). He's a must-roster fantasy starting pitcher when healthy, but managers may still have a while to wait before Rodon is back on a big-league mound.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
March 31, 2026
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Zach Eflin (elbow) exited early from his start on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers due to right elbow discomfort, per Roch Kubatko of MASN. Before getting hurt, the veteran right-hander pitched 3 2/3 innings and recorded seven strikeouts while allowing four hits, two walks, and one earned run. While the extent of Eflin's injury has yet to be determined, an elbow issue of any serious nature could lead to considerable missed time. Eflin entered 2026 in search of a bounce-back season. Back troubles limited the 31-year-old to just 71 1/3 innings (14 starts), and he struggled to a 5.93 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with a minuscule 16.2% strikeout rate. If Eflin ends up missing time due to this current ailment, veteran right-hander
Dean Kremer could be the most likely candidate to take his spot in the Orioles' rotation.
--Will BradySource: MASN - Roch Kubatko
March 31, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) is playing in simulated games, but manager Torey Lovullo said he won't return until late April, at the earliest, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Gurriel is on the 10-day injured list and is still working his way back from surgery to fix a torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered in the outfield on Sept. 11. The 32-year-old was hoping that he'd be ready for Opening Day last week, but the D-backs have slow-played him so that he doesn't have a setback. He has been serving as the designated hitter in minor-league games at the team's spring training complex to get his timing back at the plate. Once he gets the green light to return to the outfield, a minor-league rehab assignment probably won't be far off. The Cuban outfielder should be a lineup regular for the Snakes when he returns, but right now, fantasy managers can leave him on the waiver wire in mixed leagues. Gurriel is rostered in just 3% of Yahoo leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports - Alex Weiner
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