April 3, 2026
The Arizona Diamondbacks are not calling up outfield prospect
Ryan Waldschmidt yet for a few reasons, explains Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The first big reason is that the team expects outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) back for the first time this year after recovering from a torn ACL late last season, so they would have to add Waldschmidt to an already crowded 40-man roster. Then, in another few weeks, Waldschmidt would be chewing up a roster spot in the minors without a path to regular at-bats at the major-league level. The bottom line is that Arizona just isn't ready to have Waldschmidt in the big leagues. Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues were hoping that
Jordan Lawlar's fractured wrist would prompt the team to let the 23-year-old make his MLB debut. He hit .302 with a homer and six RBI in 14 Cactus League games in spring training and has gone 5-for-22 (.227) with seven RBI in his first six games at Triple-A Reno. Waldschmidt is one of the best prospect outfield stashes in deeper fantasy leagues early on in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
April 3, 2026
Chicago Cubs right-hander
Cade Horton (forearm) will go on the 15-day injured list, but he said he's optimistic that it's not a serious injury, according to Taylor McGregor of Watch Marquee Sports. Horton was forced from his start on Friday early against the Cleveland Guardians due to right-forearm discomfort. That's usually a bad sign for pitchers, but Horton may only need a minimum stint on the IL. Before exiting, the 24-year-old's velocity was down about two MPH from his typical readings over one-plus scoreless innings. Horton picked up his first win of the season in his 2026 debut last week against the Washington Nationals, when he allowed two earned runs with a walk and four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings of work. The former seventh overall pick in 2022 out of Oklahoma should be stashed in all fantasy leagues, especially since Horton might only end up missing a couple of starts.
--Keith HernandezSource: Watch Marquee - Taylor McGregor
April 3, 2026
The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Friday that they signed free-agent left-hander
Patrick Corbin to an undisclosed one-year deal. The team then optioned Corbin to Single-A Dunedin. Corbin, 36, will give the Jays some experienced starting pitching depth as they try to weather the rash of injuries that have hit their starting staff early on in 2026. Right now,
Shane Bieber (elbow),
Jose Berrios (elbow),
Trey Yesavage (shoulder), and
Cody Ponce (knee) are all on the shelf. Corbin will bide his time in the minors and get stretched out, but there's still no guarantee he'll make it into Toronto's rotation this year. Corbin went 7-11 in 155 1/3 innings over 31 outings (30 starts) with the Texas Rangers in 2025 and held a 4.40 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 131:51 K:BB in his 13th big-league season. He hasn't had an ERA under 4.00 since 2019 with the Washington Nationals, so it's unlikely he'll suddenly become an asset in Toronto in hitter-friendly Rogers Centre if he gets a shot to start.
--Keith HernandezSource: Toronto Blue Jays
April 3, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Friday that they added infield prospect
Cooper Pratt to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Nashville. In a corresponding move, outfielder
Steward Berroa was designated for assignment. The move comes after the Brewers signed the 21-year-old shortstop to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension before Pratt has even stepped foot on a major-league field. Per MLB.com, Pratt is Milwaukee's fourth-ranked prospect. He's getting his first taste of Triple-A to start the 2026 season, and he has gone 4-for-15 (.267) in the early going with an RBI and a stolen base in three games at Nashville. Last year in 120 games at Double-A Biloxi, Pratt slashed .238/.343/.348 with eight home runs, 62 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases in 524 plate appearances. His glove is already major-league ready, and so is his speed, but the Brewers probably would like to see more development offensively before they officially call him up to the big leagues. Still, if he tears Triple-A up in the first half of the season, Pratt could be a big-leaguer later this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milwaukee Brewers
April 3, 2026
The game on Friday between the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals has been postponed due to inclement weather, according to the Brewers. The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader in Kansas City on Saturday. Fantasy managers will have to make the necessary adjustments to get any players from this game out of their daily lineups. Right-hander
Chad Patrick was scheduled to toe the rubber for the Brewers on Friday, with right-hander
Luinder Avila lined up to pitch for the Royals. There's a good chance that both pitchers will make their next scheduled starts on Saturday in one of the games of the doubleheader. Avila was filling in for veteran
Michael Wacha, who has been under the weather of late.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milwaukee Brewers
April 3, 2026
Houston Astros third baseman
Isaac Paredes has been placed on the bereavement list, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. In a corresponding move, the Astros have promoted
Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land. As a result, Paredes will miss at least three days of action but no more than seven days. The 27-year-old has had a quiet start to the 2026 campaign, posting a modest .227/.346/.409 line with no home runs. Under the hood, he has generated a low .302 xwOBA with a .235 xBA, both of which place him below the average marks. However, he has shown a strong eye at the plate, drawing walks at an 11.4% rate and striking out at a low 17.4% rate. While he remains on the shelf, fantasy managers should expect
Carlos Correa to operate as the full-time third baseman while
Jeremy Pena and
Jose Altuve see everyday opportunities in the middle of the infield.
--Andy SmithSource: Chandler Rome
April 3, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Jordan Lawlar (wrist) has been diagnosed with a fractured wrist and is set to miss the next six to eight weeks of action, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The former top prospect hit his first career MLB home run on Thursday evening, but he was also hit by a pitch in his right wrist in this game. Following the contest, Lawlar underwent X-rays, which came back negative. However, a follow-up scan revealed the 23-year-old is dealing with a more serious injury. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks are set to promote catcher
Adrian Del Castillo to the major league roster. Lawlar was able to break camp with the MLB roster and has held a solid .333/.400/.556 line with a .956 OPS over his first six contests. While he remains out, fantasy managers should expect
Tim Tawa or
Jorge Barrosa to see more time in the outfield.
--Andy SmithSource: Nick Piecoro
April 3, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays catcher
Alejandro Kirk (thumb) is going for X-rays on his thumb, manager John Schneider told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. If the Blue Jays need another catcher, it's likely to be
Brandon Valenzuela. Kirk left Friday's game early against the Chicago White Sox after he was hit in the left thumb by a foul tip behind the plate. Before leaving, he went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. The injury occurred in the bottom of the 10th inning. The 27-year-old came into Friday's game struggling in the early portion of the 2026 season, going 2-for-16 (.125) with a solo home run and two runs scored in the first four games. For now, fantasy managers should consider Kirk day-to-day and check back on Saturday to see if he's available to return to action.
Tyler Heineman is the only other catcher on Toronto's big-league roster, so he'll likely get the start on Saturday behind the dish if Kirk is unavailable to play.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
April 3, 2026
Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher
Cade Horton (forearm) exited Friday's start with forearm tightness, according to Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports. Horton removed himself from Friday's contest in the second inning after experiencing pain in his right forearm. Before exiting, Horton logged one inning of work with one walk, no hits, and no runs. In his season debut, Horton tossed 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball with four hits and four punchouts en route to picking up the victory over the Washington Nationals. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his stats, as the team will likely provide an update after Friday's contest. With Horton potentially in danger of missing time on the bump, managers should expect
Colin Rea or
Ben Brown to compete for opportunities in the rotation.
--Andy SmithSource: Taylor McGregor
April 3, 2026
The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they placed left-hander
Bailey Falter (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 2) with left-elbow inflammation and recalled right-hander
Luinder Avila from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. It could help explain why Falter allowed three runs in just one-third of an inning during his outing in relief against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. He's allowed five earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out four in just 3 1/3 innings in his first two appearances out of KC's bullpen in 2026. It's unclear if Falter will be eligible to return from the IL when he's eligible in mid-April. The 28-year-old southpaw isn't much to look at for fantasy baseball purposes, even if he were to rejoin the Royals' starting rotation at some point this year. Falter finished in the bottom 20th percentile in 2025 in whiff rate, strikeout rate, xERA, xBA, and ground-ball rate.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kansas City Royals
April 3, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies reliever
Orion Kerkering (hamstring) will make one more appearance at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this Saturday and is expected to rejoin the club during their series in San Francisco that starts on Monday, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The right-hander could be activated either Monday or Tuesday. The 24-year-old is working his way back from a hamstring strain that limited him to just one inning pitched during Grapefruit League action. The 6-foot-2 hurler had a decent 3.30 ERA last season for the Phils, but a 10.2 percent walk rate caused an inflated 1.37 WHIP and a depressed 14.3 percent K-BB%, compared to a 22.2 percent K-BB% in 2024. He's probably good for a strikeout per inning, so if he returns to 2024 form, the former fifth-rounder could be a ratio-booster for fantasy; otherwise, his value really lies in leagues where holds are rewarded, as he collected 19 of those last season for Philadelphia, along with four saves.
--Jarod RuppSource: Matt Gelb
April 3, 2026
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher
Zach Eflin (elbow) is seeking a second opinion on his right elbow and will fly to Dallas to consult Dr. Keith Meister, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. Eflin was removed from his first start of the season with elbow discomfort, and apparently, the results of initial tests were not encouraging. The veteran has been placed on the 15-day injured list, but fantasy managers will want to plan accordingly in the event this turns into a longer-term injury. The O's could turn to
Dean Kremer at Triple-A Norfolk to fill his spot in the rotation, who pitched 171 2/3 innings for Baltimore last season and won 11 games, although a 4.19 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 13.7 percent K-BB% aren't very appealing for fantasy purposes.
--Jarod RuppSource: Jake Rill
April 3, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Ryan Pepiot (hip) is throwing a bullpen session on Friday as he continues to work his way back from right hip inflammation that sidelined him to begin the season. The right-hander is eligible to come off the injured list on Monday when the team has its first home game of the season against the Cubs, and the 28-year-old could make his season debut for that start, assuming he does not encounter any setbacks. The former third-round draft pick pitched well for the Rays in 2025, posting a 3.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and a 15.6 percent K-BB% in 31 starts (167 2/3 innings). The 6-foot-3 hurler looked good in spring action, too, yielding just one earned run in 10 innings of work while recording seven strikeouts, although nine walks were something to keep an eye on.
--Jarod RuppSource: Ryan Bass
April 3, 2026
Houston Astros closer
Josh Hader (biceps) touched 90 mph in his latest bullpen session, something the 31-year-old said he's never done before in a bullpen. It's definitely an encouraging sign as the southpaw works his way back from a bicep injury. The Astros are taking it slow with him, but the 6-foot-3 hurler remains on track for a return sometime in May. Although he dealt with a shoulder injury last season, he was his usual dominant self when he was on the mound, pitching to a 2.05 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and a 29.1 percent K-BB% while notching 28 saves for Houston in 52 2/3 innings pitched. The veteran should be stashed away in all leagues until his return. In the meantime, the six-time All-Star's replacement has been
Bryan Abreu, who has been shaky at best, allowing at least one run in each of his three appearances thus far, with a 2.57 WHIP, although he does have six strikeouts in just 2 1/3 IP.
--Jarod RuppSource: Luis Ortiz
April 3, 2026
Chicago White Sox catcher
Kyle Teel (hamstring) had a positive report on his right-hamstring injury, according to Scott Merking of MLB.com. "I feel much better this week, honestly. It's going well. I would say that, like I still don't know exactly when on the timeline I'll be back," Teel said. "From the way I've been feeling, it's been a steady incline. From what everyone who has hamstring injuries tells me, there's going to be a day where it just feels really, really good. That's when you make that big jump. I feel like I'm coming up on that day really soon." The 24-year-old backstop was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right-hamstring strain in mid-March in spring training while playing for Team Italy during the World Baseball Classic, which is why he's on the shelf to begin the 2026 regular season. When healthy, Teel is expected to be Chicago's primary catcher. Until then,
Edgar Quero and
Reese McGuire will continue to split the catching duties for the Pale Hose.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Scott Merkin
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