RADIO
Taylor Ward Playing Through Bone Bruise in his Hand
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward (hand) said he has been playing through a bone bruise in his hand that he suffered on April 13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun. It would help explain why Ward only has one home run in his first 148 at-bats with Baltimore this year. Since April 13, the 32-year-old veteran right-handed hitter has gone 18-for-85 (.212) with one homer, four doubles, four RBI, 19 runs scored, and a steal. However, he is drawing walks at a nice rate, drawing 31 walks while striking out 17 times. Overall, Ward is slashing .264/.424/.378 with an .802 OPS, 12 RBI, and 27 runs scored in his 148 at-bats. He says that his hand injury has healed now, so hopefully we'll start to see an uptick in power production from the former first-round pick in 2015 out of Fresno State. Ward is currently in the 83rd percentile for xwOBA, but he's in just the 28th percentile in hard-hit rate. We'll be watching closely to see if his hard-hit rate starts to creep up with better health. Fantasy managers may want to consider buying low on the right-handed power bat.
Source: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
Source: The Baltimore Sun - Matt Weyrich
Wilyer Abreu has Been a Steady Producer for Fantasy Managers
The Boston Red Sox may be struggling, but outfielder Wilyer Abreu hasn't been the problem so far in 2026. The 26-year-old Venezuelan outfielder is currently slashing .293/.374/.467 with an .841 OPS, six home runs, 18 RBI, 19 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 40 games and 171 plate appearances in his third full season in the big leagues. He has slowed down a bit in 10 games in May, but he hasn't been terrible at the plate, going 9-for-36 (.250) with two long balls, five RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases for a struggling Red Sox team that ranks 28th in baseball on offense with a .663 OPS. Abreu is currently in the 73rd percentile in hard-hit rate, the 81st percentile in xwOBA, the 85th percentile in expected slugging percentage, and the 62nd percentile in strikeout rate. He has also had reverse splits so far, hitting .372 (16-for-43) with one of his six home runs against left-handed pitchers. Fantasy managers should expect Abreu's average to come down a little, but his excellent glove will keep him in the lineup every day.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Backup Catcher Eric Haase Takes Dodgers Deep Twice on Tuesday
San Francisco Giants backup catcher Eric Haase stole the show on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium in the team's 6-2 win over the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, going 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs (his first two homers of the season) and a strikeout while hitting ninth in the batting order. The 33-year-old veteran backstop went back-to-back with Harrison Bader for his second homer of the night in the fifth inning off right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Haase could see more playing time now that the Giants shipped Patrick Bailey to Cleveland, but at best, he'll be in a timeshare with Jesus Rodriguez and eventually Daniel Susac (elbow) when he returns from the injured list. But in six games played for the Gigantes so far in 2026, Haase is stating his case by going 6-for-18 (.333) with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI, and four runs scored. In his eight-plus seasons in the big leagues, Haase is a career .229/.279/.402 hitter with a lackluster .681 OPS and 50 homers in 389 games played.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Daylen Lile Extends Hitting Streak With Two-Homer Outburst
Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile is heating up and extended his hitting streak to five games in the team's 10-4 win over the hosting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Lile went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI. The 23-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder's homers came off Brady Singer in the fourth inning and reliever Luis Mey in the fifth frame. His home runs snapped a drought of 16 straight games with a long ball. During his current five-game hitting streak, the 23-year-old has gone 8-for-19 (.421) with two homers, two doubles, five RBI, and two runs scored to boost his season slash line to .264/.331/.423 in 163 at-bats. Lile is now up to five homers on the season and has added 19 RBI, 26 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 41 games played. He hasn't been excellent this year, but Lile could be turning a corner in mid-May.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Bailey Ober Bounces Back With Complete-Game Shutout Over Marlins
Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober went the distance in a marvelous performance on Tuesday night in a 3-0 shutout win over the visiting Miami Marlins. Ober went all nine innings to win his fourth game of the season, allowing only two hits, walking none, and striking out seven batters. It was quite the bounce-back performance from the soft-tossing right-hander after he gave up a season-high five earned runs in five innings in a loss to the Washington Nationals his last time on the bump. His efficient and dominant outing on Tuesday now has the 30-year-old at 4-2 on the year with a 3.46 ERA (3.85 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP with 39 strikeouts and 15 walks in 52 innings of work over his nine starts. Ober needed just 89 pitches to finish off the complete-game shutout, and he retired the last 16 batters he faced against a Miami squad that was overly aggressive, leading to lots of quick innings. It was Ober's third complete game of his career. So far, Ober has done a fine job of reinventing himself in 2026 with a drop in velocity.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Kevin Alcantara Viewed as Top Prospect to Stash for Power Potential
Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara is emerging as the clear prospect to stash when looking for power upside. Alcantara was unable to claim a spot on the team's Opening Day roster but has enjoyed a dominant start to the Triple-A campaign with the Iowa Cubs. Through his first 33 games of the campaign, Alcantara has launched 13 home runs while holding an overall .246/.345/.603 line with a .948 OPS. He has also swiped three bags and added six doubles. Alcantara made his MLB debut during the 2024 campaign but appeared in only 13 games, split between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Given Chicago's deep outfield, Alcantara has yet to earn a true full-time stint in the major leagues. While this has blocked him from an early promotion, he remains a solid stash option in five-outfielder formats, as he could emerge as an everyday player if Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, or Ian Happ were to have a lengthy stint on the injured list.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jett Williams Heating Up at Triple-A, Worth a Stash Ahead of Looming Debut?
Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jett Williams has begun to swing a hot bat at Triple-A and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. Williams was given an opportunity to win a starting job out of spring training but was instead sent to the top club in the Milwaukee minor-league system. Over his first 17 games with Nashville, the infielder looked quite overmatched, posting a modest .197/.388/.227 slash line with only one extra-base hit. However, over his last 21 contests, Williams has looked like a completely different hitter, carrying a .282/.380/.462 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, and five stolen bases. With David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo struggling to produce consistently at the MLB level, the Brewers may turn to the former 14th overall pick in the near future. He is a solid stash option in all 12+ team leagues with N/A spots.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jonah Tong Finding his Footing at Triple-A, Emerging as Top Stash Option
New York Mets right-handed pitching prospect Jonah Tong has begun to turn the corner after a slow start to the Triple-A campaign and is emerging as a top stash option among pitchers. Tong was in contention to break camp with the MLB roster but was optioned to Syracuse to put the finishing touches on his development. Over his first 15 1/3 frames of the Triple-A campaign (four starts), Tong posted a high 7.04 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP. However, over his last four outings (21 innings), Tong has looked far stronger, posting a strong 2.57 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. During this stint, Tong has racked up 29 punchouts while walking 11 hitters. With the Mets lacking many proven options at the back-end of their rotation, the No. 42-ranked prospect in the sport could return to Queens in the near future, making him a top stash option.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Is Walker Jenkins Still Worth Stashing During IL Stint?
Minnesota Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins was placed on the 7-day injured list earlier in May with a Grade 2 shoulder sprain. At the time of the injury, the team announced that they would re-evaluate him in at least 10 days. While the team has yet to provide an update, it appears Jenkins will remain on the shelf for at least another week. The 21-year-old is considered the No. 11-ranked prospect in all of baseball on MLB.com and was in the mix to earn an early promotion to the major leagues. He began the campaign with St. Paul, where he appeared in 25 games and posted a .256/.396/.389 slash line with six doubles, two home runs, five stolen bases, and a strong 19:18 K:BB. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he could re-emerge as a top stash option once he returns to the diamond.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Joshua Baez Seeing Stash Upside Increase as Five-Category Player
St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has high-end five-category potential at Triple-A and is seeing his stash value increase in Week 7 of the fantasy season. Despite his slow start at Triple-A, the outfielder has flashed high-end power and speed with the Memphis Redbirds. Through his first 33 games at the level, Baez has swiped six bags while going deep seven times. Overall, the former 54th overall pick has posted a .229/.308/.450 line with a .758 OPS. Last summer, Baez opened the campaign at High-A but spent most of his time at Double-A. Across 117 total games, Baez held a strong .287/.384/.500 line with 20 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Even though he has had a slower start to the season, he remains on the verge of his MLB debut and could make a high impact for fantasy given his five-category skill set. He is a top hitter to stash in all 12-team leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Kade Anderson Establishing Himself as No. 1 Pitching Prospect to Stash
Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson continues to showcase elite upside at the Double-A level and is emerging as the No. 1 pitching prospect to this point in all of baseball. Anderson joined the Mariners as the third overall pick in last year's MLB Draft and has looked very comfortable in his first stint at the professional level. Through his first six starts with Double-A Arkansas, Anderson has posted an incredible 0.60 ERA with a 0.67 WHIP. During this stint, Anderson has struck out 47 hitters while walking only five batters. Additionally, over his last three outings, Anderson has looked even sharper, striking out at least eight batters in each game while holding a 0.56 ERA. Even though there is no clear spot for him on the MLB roster, an injury could pave the way for him to debut much sooner than expected. His upside alone makes him a priority stash option in all 12-team leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
A.J. Ewing Fills Stat Sheet in MLB Debut, Viewed as Top Waiver-Wire Option
New York Mets rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing delivered an impressive MLB debut on Tuesday, going 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBI, three walks, and a stolen base. The fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft showcased multiple parts of his offensive profile and immediately drew attention as a fantasy waiver wire option. Ewing hit .290 with an .819 OPS across 251 minor league games before earning his promotion to New York. The 21-year-old could see increased opportunities moving forward with several Mets outfielders currently on the injured list, including Luis Robert Jr. Ewing is known for his elite contact skills and speed, making him a high-end waiver wire option out of New York.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Is Rico Garcia the New Closer for the Orioles?
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Rico Garcia earned his third save of the season on Monday and continues to dominate opposing hitters in late-inning situations. With expected closer Ryan Helsley currently on the injured list, Garcia has stepped into a larger role and quickly become a leading option for saves in Baltimore. The 32-year-old has not allowed a run across his last eight appearances, lowering his season numbers to a 0.47 ERA and 0.42 WHIP. Garcia now leads all active Orioles pitchers in saves and continues to handle high-leverage opportunities effectively. In his sixth MLB season, Garcia has emerged as a priority fantasy target out of the Orioles bullpen.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Rangers Turn to Jacob Latz for Fifth Save, a Priority Target on the Waiver Wire
Texas Rangers left-hander Jacob Latz has been dominant in May, recording his fifth save of the season on Tuesday and his third across his last four games. With injuries continuing to impact the Rangers bullpen, Latz has stepped into a larger role and provided stability in ninth-inning situations. The 30-year-old owns a 0.83 ERA and 0.42 WHIP this season, establishing himself as one of the most effective relievers in the American League. Latz has also excelled at limiting walks while generating elite fastball movement, with his fastball run value ranking in the 98th percentile. Fantasy managers searching for saves should continue targeting Latz as his role in Texas continues to grow.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Caleb Kilian Tallies Second Save, Emerging as Closer to Roster in San Francisco
San Francisco Giants right-hander Caleb Kilian earned his second save of the season on Tuesday, recording four outs with one strikeout in a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kilian has now received two save opportunities over his last five appearances and continues to emerge as the leading option for ninth-inning work in San Francisco. The Giants optioned right-hander Ryan Walker to Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday after early-season struggles, opening the door for Kilian to claim the role. The 28-year-old owns a 1.40 ERA and 1.09 WHIP this season and has quickly become one of the Giants' most reliable bullpen arms. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring Kilian as his save opportunities increase.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
