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Kerry Carpenter Can Provide Power Now That he's Back From Injury
Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter returned from the injured list on Sunday after missing roughly three weeks with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, and now that he's back, he deserves attention off the waiver wire from fantasy managers who are searching for more power. Carpenter might only be hitting .239 (27-for-113) on the season, but he has hit seven home runs in just 129 plate appearances, and he has gone 5-for-11 with a homer, double, three RBI, and a run scored in his first three games since being reinstated from the IL on Sunday. The 28-year-old former 19th-round pick in 2019 out of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University can be a streaky hitter, but when he's locked in at the plate, he can carry fantasy baseball teams. Carpenter has an .825 career OPS and clubbed a career-high 26 home runs while driving in 62 runs in 130 regular-season games in 2025 for the Tigers. He's available in just over 60% of Yahoo leagues right now. Don't miss out on him before he heats up further.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Carlos Cortes Still Worth Rostering Despite Recent Cold Stretch?
Athletics outfielder Carlos Cortes is hitting .316 (75-for-237) in his first 91 major-league games since debuting with the A's in 2025. In 49 games so far in 2026 in his first full year in the Show, he has hit .322/.406/.503 with a .910 OPS, five home runs, nine doubles, a triple, 17 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a stolen base across 165 plate appearances. It has helped that the A's have shielded him from left-handed pitchers, but in his 10 at-bats against southpaws, he has five hits (two doubles). The 28-year-old left-handed hitter has proven that he can hit for average so far in the big leagues, even if he doesn't have a ton of power. Cortes has slowed down a bit in recent games, going 3-for-20 with a double, two runs, three walks, and two strikeouts in his last seven contests. Under the hood, Cortes ranks in just the 51st percentile in hard-hit rate, but his expected batting average of .310 is the fourth-highest among qualified hitters, suggesting that he should be rostered in more than 12% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Rikuu Nishida Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup After Recent Call-Up?
Chicago White Sox rookie second baseman/outfielder Rikuu Nishida, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the team's No. 26 prospect, was recently called up from the minors by the Pale Hose, and he had hits in his first two big-league games. The 25-year-old Japanese native was an 11th-round selection by Chicago in the 2023 MLB draft out of the University of Oregon. With Jarred Kelenic being designated for assignment recently, it looks like Nishida will get the opportunity to serve on the strong side of a platoon in Chicago's outfield for the time being against right-handed pitching. Through his first nine games in the big leagues, Nishida has gone 5-for-24 (.208) with two RBI, three runs scored, no walks, and five strikeouts. He only stands at a mere 5-foot-6, 150 pounds, and has zero power. However, Nishida is extremely disciplined at the plate and rarely chases out of the zone. If you're looking for a boost in on-base percentage with some plus speed, Nishida might be worth a look off the waiver wire in much deeper fantasy leagues. Nishida is rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Aaron Judge Missing Third Straight Game on Thursday
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (ribs, shoulder) is missing a third straight game on Thursday in the series finale in the Bronx against the Cleveland Guardians, per MLB.com. Max Schuemann will make the start in right field for the Yankees and will bat ninth against Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi. Judge is considered day-to-day for now, but he was scheduled to be sent for more testing on what the Yankees are calling a bone bruise in his ribs that is causing soreness in his right shoulder. Until we know more, there's a chance the superstar outfielder will need a stint on the 10-day injured list, so fantasy managers need to plan accordingly. The 34-year-old three-time MVP's recent struggles -- .163 average with one homer, seven walks, and 15 strikeouts in his last 13 games -- could be attributed to his health issue. With Giancarlo Stanton (calf) and Jasson Dominguez (shoulder) still on the IL, the Yankees are dangerously thin in their outfield. If Judge goes on the IL, left-handed-hitting outfield prospect Spencer Jones could return to the majors.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Casey Mize Throws a Bullpen, Injured List Stint Could be Short
Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (groin) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday after just being placed on the 15-day injured list last Friday with inflammation in his right groin, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. It's unclear what is next for Mize, but it's looking like he might be ready to return to the Tigers' starting rotation when he's eligible to come off the IL on June 12. That would only happen if the team feels that he doesn't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Mize doesn't have a ton of strikeout upside, although he does have a career-best 26.5% strikeout rate so far in 2026 in his nine starts for Detroit. After being named an All-Star for the first time in 2025, Mize has gone 2-3 this year with a career-best 2.27 ERA (2.41 FIP) and 0.96 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 47 2/3 innings pitched. He has a smaller margin for error than other starting pitchers, but he has become more attractive as a matchup-based streamer so far in 2026. Mize is currently rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
JJ Wetherholt Dealing With Lower-Half Soreness
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that rookie infielder JJ Wetherholt has been dealing with some lower-half soreness, but he is expected to return to the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals held Wetherholt out of the lineup in their win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, and he'll have another day of rest during the team's scheduled off day on Thursday. The Cardinals expect Wetherholt to be ready to roll for the weekend after two days of rest. In his first year in the big leagues, the 23-year-old former seventh overall pick in 2024 out of West Virginia University has hit .249/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS, nine home runs, 25 RBI, seven stolen bases, and 40 runs scored across his 225 at-bats. Wetherholt hasn't homered since May 19, but he's hit .286 (14-for-49) with two doubles, an RBI, five runs scored, and two steals in his last 12 games since May 20. Expect him to be back atop the Cardinals' batting order on Friday.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Derrick Goold
Keaton Winn Earns First Save, Worth a Look in Deeper Leagues?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Keaton Winn got the call to close out his team's 1-0 win over the Brewers on Wednesday night. Winn came in with one out in the eighth inning and two runners on base. He got pinch-hitter Gary Sanchez to ground into a double play, and he returned for the ninth inning and worked around a leadoff double by Christian Yelich to secure the one-run win. The 28-year-old righty has 11 holds in his 26 games this season and earned his first save in Wednesday's win. He has a solid 2.30 ERA and 2.77 FIP, and he has been one of the Giants' best options out of the bullpen. Manager Tony Vitello has used a closer committee all year long, so Winn isn't likely to lock up the full-time job alone. However, he seems to be trending into a bigger role and makes sense as a waiver wire option in deep leagues if you are searching for saves and solid relief innings.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Riley O'Brien Bounces Back, Still Fully in Command of Closer Job?
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Riley O'Brien took the loss on Tuesday after giving up three runs in the ninth inning, but the team went right back to the 31-year-old righty on Wednesday in a save situation. O'Brien entered to start the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead and walked the leadoff batter, but he escaped with no damage done, getting Josh Jung to fly out to end the game. O'Brien has 15 saves in his 27 games with a 3.95 ERA and 2.66 FIP. While things have been a little bumpy lately, he still seems to be clearly the go-to option for the Cardinals at the end of the game and can continue to be used as a strong closer option, even though he's not quite as dominant as the truly elite relievers.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Josh Hader Perfect in First Save, Immediately Holding Elite Fantasy Upside
Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader made his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday after dealing with shoulder and biceps issues through the first two months of the season. Hader stepped right back into his closer role for Houston and worked a hitless ninth inning for a save against the Pirates. He did walk a batter and also picked up a strikeout to preserve the 11-9 victory. Hader had a 4.15 ERA in his nine rehab appearances with 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. His stuff looked sharp on Wednesday, and he'll take back over as the primary closer, leaving Bryan King, Enyel De Los Santos, and Bryan Abreu without much fantasy value in standard leagues. For as long as he's healthy, Hader has plenty of upside and can be counted on as an elite closer now that he's back.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Alex Lange Earns First Save, Is he the New Closer to Roster in Kansas City?
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Alex Lange picked up his first save of the season on Wednesday in his 25th appearance. He gave up a hit and a walk but didn't allow any runs, making a 5-2 lead stand up against the Reds. Lange had 26 saves in 2023 with the Tigers, but he has a 4.33 ERA and 3.77 FIP in his 27 innings in 25 games this year. With Lucas Erceg struggling and Carlos Estevez (shoulder) sidelined, the Royals' bullpen does offer some interesting save opportunities. Lange could be a part of the committee while Estevez continues to work his way back, and he's trending up after allowing only one run in his last 10 games. He's still a speculative addition at this point, but in deep leagues, he's definitely worth watching on the waiver wire if you need saves.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jorge Soler Leaves Early Wednesday With Hip Irritation
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jorge Soler (hip) left Wednesday's game early against the visiting Colorado Rockies in Anaheim with left-hip irritation, according to the team. Before departing early in the fifth inning, Soler went 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk and two strikeouts to drop his season average to .220 and his OPS to .702. He was replaced in right field and in the leadoff spot by Jo Adell. In a blowout, it's possible that the Angels removed Soler early for precautionary reasons, but we should know more about the severity of his hip injury by Thursday. With an off day coming on Thursday, the Cuban slugger could be back in the Angels' starting lineup for the start of another Freeway Series on Friday on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Soler came into Wednesday's tilt with Colorado with a .217 average (13-for-60) with just one homer, five RBI, two walks, and 16 strikeouts in his last 15 games, dating back to May 17. He still has notable power, but 30.8% strikeout rate and low on-base percentage are major drawbacks.
Source: Angels PR
Source: Angels PR
Chris Bassitt Exits with Back Tightness
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (back) was removed early during Wednesday's outing against the Boston Red Sox. Bassitt was pulled after three innings of work due to lower-back tightness. Before exiting, Bassitt allowed three earned runs on six hits and walked two batters. He was replaced on the mound by Andrew Suarez in the fourth inning. The O's should provide an update on Bassitt's status following Wednesday's game. For now, Bassitt is scheduled to take the mound against the Seattle Mariners on Monday. Fantasy managers will need to check back for another update on his status.
Source: Jacob Calvin Meyer
Source: Jacob Calvin Meyer
Aaron Judge to Undergo Additional Imaging
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (ribs) will undergo additional imaging on his ribcage. Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed the team will do extra testing for more specific spots in his right ribcage. Judge has been dealing with shoulder soreness that was determined to be from a bone bruise in his ribs. He has missed the last two games and could very well be headed for a stint on the Injured List. The Yankees want to do more testing and see what they're dealing with before deciding on the next steps for Judge. For now, the superstar slugger should be considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers should get more clarity on the situation at some point on Thursday.
Source: Bryan Hoch
Source: Bryan Hoch
Logan Henderson Receives Injection for Back Injury
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Logan Henderson (back) received an injection in his back on Tuesday. The right-hander landed on the Injured List earlier this week due to a lower-back strain. The injection should hopefully help, but Henderson is expected to be sidelined 3-5 weeks. This is a tough blow to the Brewers' rotation, given how well Henderson has been pitching this season. Across five starts, Henderson owns a 2.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 30:6 K:BB ratio this season. This timetable should put Henderson's return around late June or early July. There's no clear favorite to take over Henderson's spot in the rotation right now. Fantasy managers should hold onto Henderson through this injury.
Source: Adam McCalvy
Source: Adam McCalvy
Max Fried to Ramp Up Throwing Program
New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (elbow) has been cleared to ramp up his throwing program. Fried has been throwing off flat-ground at 75 feet. He'll look to extend that to 90 feet and beyond over the next week. The southpaw is also expected to undergo imaging at some point next week. If everything looks good, Fried could progress to throwing bullpen sessions in the near future. The 32-year-old is making progress, but isn't close to rejoining the Yankees rotation. Given his current progress, Fried is likely going to be sidelined until around the All-Star break. He has been sidelined since the middle of May due to a bone bruise on his left elbow. Fantasy managers will hopefully be able to get something out of Fried during the second half of the season.
Source: Gary Phillips
Source: Gary Phillips
