April 7, 2026
Atlanta Braves catcher
Sean Murphy (hip) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday, according to Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Murphy didn't play at all during spring training after having offseason hip surgery, so the 31-year-old veteran's rehab assignment won't be a short one. The Braves also don't have to rush him back with both
Drake Baldwin and
Jonah Heim both fully capable of handling catching duties at the big-league level in the meantime. When Murphy is fully cleared to rejoin the big-league roster, he figures to see plenty of at-bats between catcher and designated hitter, although he could be eased back into action. The former third-rounder by the A's in 2016 out of Wright State has well above-average pop for a catcher, having hit 56 homers from 2021 to 2023. However, he's coming off major hip surgery and has just 26 long balls in the last two seasons while playing fewer than 100 games. Durability has become a major question mark for Murphy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Chad Bishop
April 7, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin will be recalled from Single-A Dunedin on Wednesday and is tentatively scheduled to start on Friday against the Minnesota Twins, manager John Schneider told Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. In his lone minor-league start with Dunedin over the weekend, the 36-year-old southpaw looked great, allowing an unearned run with nine strikeouts in five innings of work. That was against lower-lever minor-league bats, though, so fantasy managers will want to temper expectations in his first start back in the big leagues, even in a favorable matchup against the Twins. The two-time All-Star has made 30 starts in eight straight seasons, but outside of durability, there's plenty of volatility in his left arm, especially in the tough American League East and in hitter-friendly Rogers Centre. Corbin has not had an ERA below 4.00 since 2019 with the Washington Nationals, and his below-average career strikeout rate will leave him little room for error. However, with
Cody Ponce (knee),
Jose Berrios (elbow),
Shane Bieber (elbow, forearm), and
Trey Yesavage (shoulder) all on the shelf, Corbin could have a runway to stick in the Jays' starting rotation for a while if he pitches well.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sportsnet - Hazel Mae
April 7, 2026
San Diego Padres right-hander
Joe Musgrove (elbow), who began the 2026 regular season on the 15-day injured list while recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in 2024, still is not throwing off a mound, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "To get major-league hitters out, your (expletive) has got to be good, and you've got to be confident," Musgrove said. "And I just don't have that right now. I'm not far off." The next step will be to get back on a mound, and eventually he'll resume facing hitters before going on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 33-year-old last threw off a mound on March 4 in an exhibition game in spring training against Great Britain, but he was pulled back from his rehab after that after not responding like he wanted to. The Padres are going to slow-play this one given Musgrove's extensive absence, and we might not see Musgrove make his 2026 debut at this rate until June or July.
--Keith HernandezSource: The San Diego Union-Tribune
April 7, 2026
Texas Rangers right-hander
Jacob deGrom's (knee) MRI results showed no structural damage in his right knee, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. It was an old injury that flared up. deGrom is scheduled to throw his normal between-starts bullpen to test it out, but the team isn't expecting him to miss a start. Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief that the oft-injured 37-year-old veteran will avoid a trip to the injured list early in the 2026 season. deGrom was pulled from his start on Monday night against the Seattle Mariners as a precaution when he felt tenderness in his knee. The two-time Cy Young winner is typically a must-start in fantasy, but you may want to think twice about that in his next scheduled outing coming off injury against the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the road. deGrom has so far allowed four earned runs on seven hits (two homers) while walking one and striking out 13 in 9 2/3 innings over his two starts.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Evan Grant
April 7, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher
Gregory Soto delivered a strong outing against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, pitching a scoreless inning with a strikeout without allowing a baserunner. Across 7 1/3 innings (seven games) so far in 2026, the 31-year-old has allowed just two hits, three walks, and one earned run while recording 13 strikeouts and a save. Soto has yet to establish himself as the full-time closer in Pittsburgh, and with the Pirates holding a one-run lead on Tuesday, he entered the game in the eighth inning. However, Soto's main competition for the ninth-inning role in Pittsburgh might be veteran right-hander
Dennis Santana, who owns just 20 saves and a middling 22.1% strikeout rate for his career. By comparison, Soto has 57 career saves and struck out 25.1% of the batters he faced in 2025. For fantasy managers in need of saves, Soto could be a player worth targeting on the waiver wire.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 7, 2026
New York Mets closer
Devin Williams delivered another scoreless outing in his team's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, allowing two hits but also picking up two strikeouts in one inning of work. The 31-year-old has gotten off to a strong start to his Mets career, as he's thrown five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and two saves across his first five appearances with the team. Williams had a down year in 2025 while pitching for the New York Yankees, posting a 4.79 ERA across 62 innings and losing the closer role by the middle of the season. Still, even amidst his struggles, Williams posted a 34.7% strikeout rate and held opponents to a .196 batting average. Before 2025, Williams had logged three consecutive campaigns with an ERA under 2.00. Early on in 2026, Williams appears to have re-joined the ranks of high-end fantasy closers.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 7, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto (foot) was forced to exit early from his team's matchup with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday after being struck by a foul ball and has been diagnosed with a bruised right foot, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. While the injury was serious enough to prevent Realmuto from finishing the game, it appears as though the team's initial examination has ruled out broken bones. The 35-year-old catcher is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, hitting .240/.406/.400 with one home run, one RBI, and four runs scored across his first 32 plate appearances. In a small sample size, he's posted a 52.6% hard-hit rate, which would be the best mark of his career. Phillies backup catcher
Rafael Marchan took over for Realmuto against San Francisco and would be the favorite to see the majority of playing time behind the plate for Philadelphia if Realmuto is forced to miss additional time.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
April 7, 2026
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher
Noah Cameron delivered a quality performance in his team's 2-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, allowing one earned run, one walk, and six hits while striking out five across 5 2/3 innings of work. The 26-year-old is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, as he's allowed just two earned runs and two walks and racked up 10 strikeouts across 10 2/3 innings (two starts). Cameron made his MLB debut for the Royals in 2025 and pitched well, logging a 2.99 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 138 1/3 innings. Still, he posted a subpar 20.5% strikeout rate, and his 84% strand rate made him a prime regression candidate. Thus far in 2026, Cameron has backed up his rookie season production, albeit in a small sample size. His next start is scheduled for Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, so fantasy managers in leagues with weekly pickups will get another chance to see Cameron before he hits the waiver wire.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 7, 2026
Kansas City Royals catcher
Carter Jensen was the lone offensive bright spot in his team's 2-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, as he went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run. The 22-year-old has now gone deep in back-to-back games and has three home runs in 31 plate appearances this season. Jensen also owns an impressive 53.3% hard-hit rate, backing up the 58.3% hard-hit rate he posted across a 60-plate appearance sample size in 2025. Perhaps most importantly, Jensen could be working his way towards everyday playing time in Kansas City. The presence of veteran Royals catcher
Salvador Perez blocks Jensen from the full-time starting role behind the plate, but the Royals should have enough at-bats available at designated hitter to give both players regular playing time. Jensen will be a popular waiver-wire target across all formats if he can continue his recent hot streak at the plate.
--Will BradySource: MLB.com
April 7, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander
Max Scherzer (forearm) told manager John Schneider that he's feeling good, and he's expected to make his next start, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Scherzer was pulled from his start early on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers with forearm tendinitis, but he's hoping it's just "a detour." The Blue Jays knew about the 41-year-old's forearm tendinitis before he made the start on Monday, so obviously, they aren't very concerned. It's something to keep an eye on, though, for a veteran pitcher with so much mileage on his right arm. The future Hall of Famer gave up two earned runs with one walk and two strikeouts against L.A. on Monday before he was pulled after two innings. Scherzer should go deeper into his next start, which is scheduled for Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, but he'll be a pretty shaky starter for fantasy managers.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sportsnet - Ben Nicholson-Smith
April 7, 2026
Houston Astros right-hander
Hunter Brown (shoulder) will be re-evaluated in two weeks, manager Joe Espada told The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Both Espada and general manager Dana Brown said that Brown's shoulder strain is muscular in nature and doesn't involve any ligament damage. It could have been far worse for Brown, who was diagnosed with a Grade 2 shoulder strain on Tuesday. The 27-year-old will be shut down from throwing "for a few weeks," but barring a setback, he could return to the Astros' starting rotation in June. It's a tough break for the Astros and fantasy managers, though, as Brown is one of the best all-around pitchers in baseball after a breakout 2025 campaign. It was looking like more of the same in 2026, too, before he injured his shoulder. In his first two starts, he gave up just one earned run on five hits while walking six and striking out 17 in 10 2/3 innings. Brown needs to be stashed in an injured list spot while he recovers in all fantasy baseball formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
April 7, 2026
Houston Astros left-handed closer
Josh Hader (biceps) could face hitters next week, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Hader has been throwing bullpen sessions, but now the 32-year-old southpaw is ready to take the next step. It's a positive, but he may not be ready to make his 2026 season debut until the calendar flips to May. Not only did Hader land on the shelf to begin the regular season, but he was also shut down early last August due to a left-shoulder strain. The six-time All-Star and three-time Reliever of the Year still had a 2.05 ERA and 28 saves in 52 2/3 innings last year, but he's becoming more of a risk in fantasy due to health issues. Right-hander
Bryan Abreu was the waiver target early in the year for save opportunities, but he's been shaky and is on the hot seat as the ninth-inning arm.
Bryan King could get more chances with Hader out if Abreu continues to struggle. Eventually, Hader should return to the closing role in Houston this year when he comes off the injured list, so fantasy managers need to stash him everywhere.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
April 7, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander
Cody Ponce (knee) will undergo knee surgery for a right ACL sprain next week, manager John Schneider told Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The recovery time for Ponce is estimated at six months. It means that the 31-year-old's season is over. It's a tough break for Ponce, who was making his return to the big leagues in 2026 for the first time since 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his lone start for the Blue Jays, the former second-rounder by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 out of Cal Poly allowed an earned run while walking one and striking out three in 2 1/3 innings of work. The Blue Jays signed him to a three-year, $30 million contract in December of last year. The good news for Ponce is that since his knee injury happened so early this year, he should be ready for the start of the 2027 campaign next spring. Lefty
Eric Lauer has been the big beneficiary in Toronto so far in 2026 thanks to injuries to Ponce,
Jose Berrios (elbow),
Shane Bieber (elbow, forearm), and
Trey Yesavage (shoulder).
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
April 7, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays catcher
Alejandro Kirk (hand) underwent successful surgery to have a screw inserted into his fractured left thumb. Kirk will now be sidelined for at least the next six weeks while he recovers from surgery. Kirk suffered the injury during Friday's game and is now likely going to be out until mid-May. The Jays should give a better update on his status once Kirk can actually do baseball activities again. The expectation is that
Tyler Heineman and
Brandon Valenzuela will handle the duties behind the plate while Kirk is out. Neither player offers much upside with the bat, so fantasy managers should probably look elsewhere.
--Andy WebbSource: Ben Nicholson-Smith
April 7, 2026
Texas Rangers starting pitcher
Jacob deGrom (knee) underwent an MRI on his right knee on Tuesday. Rangers' manager Skip Schumaker said the team should find out more following Tuesday's game against the Seattle Mariners. The right-hander was lifted from Monday's start after five innings due to knee soreness. It sounds like deGrom played down the injury, but the team wanted to get imaging done anyway. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Tuesday night or Wednesday for a better update on his status. For now, deGrom is day-to-day, but a better timetable should be available soon.
--Andy WebbSource: Michael Bier
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