April 18, 2026
New York Yankees right-hander
Gerrit Cole (elbow) made his first minor-league rehab start on Friday night with Double-A Somerset, and he allowed three earned runs on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out three in 4 1/3 innings of work. Cole missed all of the 2025 season after having right-elbow surgery last March. The Yankees aren't in any rush to bring the 35-year-old veteran back from Tommy John surgery, and they'll likely ease him back into the big-league rotation when he's eventually activated from the 15-day injured list. Barring a setback during his rehab assignment on the farm, Cole could be back in the Yankees' starting rotation in early May. The former first overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011 out of UCLA should be rostered in all fantasy leagues as fantasy managers hope the six-time All-Star can recapture the Cy Young form he had in 2023. Cole is currently rostered in 83% of Yahoo leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milb.com
April 18, 2026
Cincinnati Reds left-hander
Nick Lodolo (finger) threw 31 pitches in two simulated innings during live batting practice on Friday, according to MLB.com. He's scheduled to bump up to three innings on Tuesday, April 21. Lodolo has yet to pitch for the Reds in 2026 due to a blister on his pitching hand that he developed right at the end of spring training. The 28-year-old southpaw is building up slowly and could get up to three innings next Tuesday. After that, the former TCU pitcher could get cleared to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. With plenty of boxes left to check, it's unlikely that Lodolo will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list before the end of April. Despite being on the sidelines for the first month of the season, Lodolo is rostered in 90% of Yahoo leagues for his strikeout upside when he's fully healthy. The former first-rounder has fanned 26.2% of the hitters he's faced in his first four years in the majors.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 18, 2026
Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever
Kirby Yates (knee) began his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and allowed an earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out two in his inning of work with the Quakes. Yates, who began the year on the 15-day injured list with left-knee inflammation, is nearing his 2026 season debut and could be thrown right into the mix for save chances with right-hander
Jordan Romano blowing back-to-back save opportunities against the New York Yankees in the Bronx earlier this week. Fantasy managers should consider picking up the 39-year-old veteran with his return potentially coming next week. Yates had a rough year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, but he had 33 saves for the Texas Rangers in 2024, and he's racked up 98 saves over the course of his 11-year MLB career. At the very least, Yates could be a sleeper in holds leagues as a late-inning setup man for the Halos in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Angels PR
April 18, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman
Max Muncy had a big day at the plate in Friday's series opener at hitter-friendly Coors Field in the team's 7-1 win, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, and a strikeout. Both of Muncy's home runs on the night were of the solo variety. It was his second multi-home run game within the past week, and he's now up to six home runs and seven RBI on the season in his first 18 games played. The 35-year-old veteran left-handed slugger swings and misses a lot and is going to drag your fantasy team's batting average down, but he still has plenty of power and potential to drive in runs in the league's best lineup. Muncy entered Friday's game in Denver with a .220/.313/.424 slash line with a .737 OPS in 67 plate appearances. The more he ages, the more Muncy becomes an all-or-nothing player.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 18, 2026
Seattle Mariners second baseman
Brendan Donovan (undisclosed) left Friday night's game early against the division-rival Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park with an undisclosed injury, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. Donovan was replaced by infielder
Leo Rivas at third base after going 0-for-2 out of the leadoff spot before hitting the showers. We should have an update on the 29-year-old's injury soon. Even if he escapes with a minor injury and is day-to-day, we wouldn't be surprised if he's held out of Game 2 of the series in Seattle on Saturday. Donovan continues to make a lot of contact at the plate in his first year with the M's, as he entered Friday's game slashing .315/.449/.537 with a .986 OPS, three home runs, eight RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base in 17 games played. Donovan doesn't provide much power, but he's useful for runs, average, and on-base percentage atop a potent Seattle lineup. If he were to miss time moving forward, Rivas could become the team's primary option at the keystone.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
April 18, 2026
Seattle Mariners right-hander
Bryce Miller (oblique) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Miller will likely need the full 30-day allotment on the IL to build up his workload, according to president of baseball operations Justin Hollander. He's scheduled to throw two innings and/or 30 pitches on Saturday. If all goes well, the 27-year-old might be ready to come off the 15-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut near the end of May. Miller took a step forward in his second MLB season in 2024, when he went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 171 strikeouts and 45 walks in 180 1/3 innings over 31 starts, but he was bitten by the injury bug last year and this spring. He only made 18 starts in 2025 and posted a career-worst 5.68 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 74:34 K:BB in 90 1/3 innings. Miller still has a way to go before he's contributing for fantasy managers, and he's rostered in 28% of Yahoo leagues currently.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
April 18, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) is already in Arizona and is expected to make his 2026 season debut on Saturday against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, a source told Francys Romero. Gurriel made a speedy recovery after having surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee last September. It should give fantasy managers cautious optimism for Gurriel upon his return after a major injury toward the end of last season. It's great news for Arizona's lineup, as the 32-year-old veteran should be a regular in left field going forward, although the Snakes could ease Gurriel in. The return of Gurriel is bad news for
Jorge Barrosa's playing time in the desert. Gurriel was a first-time All-Star in 2023, when he hit 24 home runs and 82 RBI while slashing .261/.309/.463 with a 772 OPS in 145 games played. The Cuban outfielder is rostered in only 3% of Yahoo leagues right now, but he deserves some consideration as bench depth in deep-mixed leagues now that his return is imminent.
--Keith HernandezSource: Francys Romero
April 18, 2026
Atlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley could be coming out of his early-season slump at the plate after a two-homer performance in the team's 9-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. Riley went 2-for-5 with two home runs, four RBI, and three strikeouts to raise his average to .240 and his OPS to .734 in the early going in 2026. The 29-year-old right-handed slugger has now hit three home runs in the last two games. He came into Friday's game slashing .229/.316/.329 with a .645 OPS, one homer, nine RBI, 10 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 70 at-bats. The two-time All-Star could finally be starting to heat up, especially in the power department. Injuries have hurt Riley in each of the last two seasons, but before that, he had three straight 30-home run seasons, giving fantasy managers an idea of what kind of power upside he has when he's right.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 18, 2026
Houston Astros outfielder
Joey Loperfido (quadriceps) left Friday's game early against the St. Louis Cardinals at Daikin Park due to right-quad tightness, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. Before leaving the eventual 9-4 loss, Loperfido went 0-for-3 at the plate with one strikeout. He was replaced in left field by
Brice Matthews. For now, fantasy managers in deeper leagues will want to consider Loperfido as day-to-day while checking on his status for Game 2 of the series on Saturday. The 26-year-old former seventh-rounder in 2021 out of Duke came into Friday's game hitting .273 (15-for-55) with no home runs, six RBI, seven runs scored, and a stolen base in 19 games played and 63 plate appearances. Loperfido is currently rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues. If he's forced to miss time moving forward with his quad injury, Matthews would most likely be the biggest beneficiary of playing time in left field in Houston.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
April 17, 2026
Houston Astros infielder
Isaac Paredes (legs) had his legs tighten up on him on Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals at Daikin Park, which is why he didn't hit in the eighth inning, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Paredes came on as a pinch-hitter in the eventual 9-4 loss and went 0-for-2 at the plate with a strikeout before leaving. He was replaced at the hot corner by
Shay Whitcomb. It doesn't sound like a very serious injury, but the Astros could give him a day off on Saturday in Houston for Game 2 of the series against St. Louis. The 27-year-old two-time All-Star has been seeing extra playing time at third base with shortstop
Jeremy Pena on the 10-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain. Paredes hit 20 home runs and drove in 53 runs in just 102 games last year in his first season with Houston, but so far in 2026, he's still searching for his first home run while going 11-for-53 (.208) with six RBI and six runs scored in 64 plate appearances.
Nick Allen would likely see a much bigger role on Houston's infield if Paredes goes on the IL.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
April 17, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander
Trey Yesavage (shoulder) will make another minor-league rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Buffalo, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The Blue Jays want Yesavage to be a bit more built up and be 100% sure that he's here to stay in the majors when he makes his 2026 season debut. The Blue Jays were handling Yesavage with kid gloves back in spring training before putting him on the 15-day injured list with a right-shoulder impingement before Opening Day. Veteran lefty Patrick Corbin has looked good so far while filling in for the team's beat-up starting rotation, which may have bought the team a bit more time before bringing Yesavage back. He's allowed eight earned runs with three walks and 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings pitched in his three rehab appearances, and he's on the cusp of rejoining the major-league rotation. Workload restrictions will likely be in place, but Yesavage's high-end upside as a starting pitching prospect makes him stash-worthy everywhere.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
April 17, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
Daulton Varsho (knee) was removed from the team's game early on Friday night in Arizona against the Diamondbacks with left-knee discomfort, the team announced. Varsho struck out in his only plate appearance before being replaced in center field by
Myles Straw. The 29-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder came into Friday's game hitting .266 (17-for-64) with three home runs, seven RBI, eight runs scored, and a stolen base in 18 games played to begin the 2026 season. For now, fantasy managers should consider Varsho to be day-to-day while checking back on his status on Saturday. Most likely, he will not be available to play in the second game of the series at Chase Field against his former team, and if tests on his knee come back with discouraging news, he could land on the 10-day injured list. If Varsho is forced to miss some time with his knee injury, the light-hitting Straw would benefit the most in Toronto in center field.
UPDATE: Varsho is deemed day-to-day.--Keith HernandezSource: Toronto Blue Jays
April 17, 2026
Houston Astros starting pitcher
Spencer Arrighetti looked sharp on the mound during his season debut on Wednesday. He tossed six innings, allowing one run, while striking out 10 batters in the win over the Colorado Rockies. The right-hander did allow four walks, which is concerning, but he was excellent outside of that. Given all the injuries in Houston, Arrighetti figures to remain in the starting rotation for the time being. His next start will come against the Cleveland Guardians, so this should be a more challenging lineup. The strikeout upside is what makes Arrighetti an intriguing fantasy asset. He recorded 171 strikeouts across 145 innings during his last full big league season in 2024. The 26-year-old could be a decent option for fantasy managers needing help with pitching or strikeouts.
--Andy WebbSource: Baseball Reference
April 17, 2026
Minnesota Twins third baseman
Royce Lewis (knee) will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday at Triple-A St. Paul. The Twins haven't said how long they plan to keep Lewis in the minor leagues. Lewis has been on the Injured List since last Saturday due to a sprained left knee. Barring any setbacks, Lewis should be ready to return when first eligible early next week. This season, Lewis is slashing .222/.378/.444 with two home runs and eight RBI across 12 games. The potential is there for the former-first round pick from 2017. The biggest problem has been keeping Lewis healthy and on the field. Fantasy managers should hold tight with Lewis and hope he'll get back on the field soon.
--Andy WebbSource: Betsy Helfand
April 17, 2026
Miami Marlins third baseman
Graham Pauley (oblique) was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pauley appeared to have tweaked his oblique while dodging a wild pitch during an at-bat in the seventh inning. He was hitless in two plate appearances before exiting the game. The Marlins will give more information on his status following Friday's contest. Often, oblique issues are something that land players on the Injured List, but we'll wait and see the severity of the injury.
Javier Sanoja is the favorite to see increased playing time at the hot corner, assuming Pauley is forced to miss time.
--Andy WebbSource: Craig Mish
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