RADIO
Andrew Vaughn Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup Now That he's Healthy
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/designated hitter Andrew Vaughn missed all of April due to a hand injury, but he's swinging the bat well since his return and is only rostered in 31% of Yahoo leagues at the moment. Vaughn shares playing time at first base and DH with Jake Bauers, but he should see more regular playing time with outfielder/DH Christian Yelich (back) potentially landing on the injured list. The 28-year-old former third overall pick out of Cal Berkeley in 2019 by the Chicago White Sox flipped a switch late last year when he was acquired from the White Sox, hitting .308/.375/.493 with an .869 OPS, nine homers, 46 RBI, and 26 runs scored in 64 games in Milwaukee. Since returning from his hand injury this year, he has gone 7-for-24 (.292) at the plate with a homer, two doubles, five RBI, and five runs scored across 30 plate appearances. It's a small sample size, but Vaughn certainly has more fantasy upside as a corner infield/utility option for fantasy managers in Milwaukee. Give him a look.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Casey Schmitt Homers Twice on Saturday, Carrying Giants Offense
San Francisco Giants infielder Casey Schmitt has been carrying the Giants' offense this year, and he did it again in the team's 6-4 victory in Sacramento on Saturday night to defeat the hosting Athletics. Out of the three-hole in the batting order as the Giants' designated hitter, Schmitt went 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .293 and his OPS to .878. The four-hit performance broke him out of an 0-for-9 slump in his last three games. Both of Schmitt's long balls came against A's right-handed starter Luis Severino. Right now, the 27-year-old former second-rounder in 2020 out of San Diego State is splitting time at DH with rookie first baseman Bryce Eldridge, but he can also play pretty much anywhere on the infield, and he has eligibility in Yahoo leagues at first base, second, and third. Schmitt is versatile on defense and has been productive with the bat so far in 2026, totaling eight home runs, 21 RBI, 19 runs scored, and three stolen bases. He's currently rostered in 35% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Shohei Ohtani Drives in Five, Already Turning Things Around?
Los Angeles Dodger two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani received a couple of days of rest as the team's designated hitter earlier this week after a slow start to the 2026 season by his standards, and it already appears to be paying off. Out of his usual leadoff spot on Saturday night in the Freeway Series against his old team, the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, a triple, five RBI, two walks, two runs scored, and a stolen base in a 15-2 drubbing of the Angels. Since taking both Wednesday and Thursday off from hitting, he has gone 3-for-8 with three extra-base hits and three walks in his two games against the Halos. The 31-year-old four-time MVP is now slashing .240/.370/.429 with a .799 OPS, seven home runs, 17 RBI, 27 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 154 at-bats in his ninth year in the big leagues. We can't realistically expect him to produce another 50-50 season as a hitter, but his slow start could quickly be forgotten if he continues to produce like he has in the last two games. Fantasy managers need to keep Ohtani in their starting lineups on a daily basis.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Luke Raley is Experiencing Power Surge
Seattle Mariners first baseman/outfielder Luke Raley has put together a strong stretch at the plate lately. It has been hit-and-miss with Raley this season, but he's in the middle of a hot streak right now. Over the last two weeks, Raley is 9-for-28 at the plate with five home runs, 14 RBI, and three walks. This is an impressive stretch of play, given Raley has 10 homers on the season, and half of them have come in the last 14 days. Fantasy managers who are seeking a power stick right now should consider adding Raley. He doesnt' offer a ton of upside in other departments, but is displaying good power numbers right now.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Matt Gage Earns First Save, Worth Stashing in Closer Committee?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Matt Gage was called upon to hold a two-run lead against the Athletics on Saturday. The Giants called on Gage after Erik Miller and Caleb Kilian were already used in the game. Gage tossed a scoreless final frame to earn his first career save on Saturday. Gage has a 1.40 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, but his 11 walks across 19.1 innings are a concern. Gage may end up in the closer committee going forward, which makes him someone worth considering stashing in deep leagues. The Giants don't have a full-time closer, so Gage should likely get more looks.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Caleb Kilian Used in Setup Role, Should Fantasy Managers Be Concerned?
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Caleb Kilian was earning more looks as a closer, but he could be falling back into a setup role. Kilian earned the save on Tuesday when he tossed 1.1 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Saturday, Kilian was used to get the final two outs of the eighth inning against the Athletics. After that, Matt Gage was handed the ball to finish out the final frame. It appears the Giants aren't committed to using one closer at the moment. Kilian has pitched well with a 1.40 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts across 19.1 innings of work this season. His overall fantasy value could take a hit if he ends up in a committee role with Gage and possibly others.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Bryan Abreu Earns Save, Ready to Reclaim Closer Job?
Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu was asked to close down Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers. Abreu has struggled in the closer role this season, but put together a nice outing on Saturday. He tossed 1.1 scoreless innings while allowing one hit and a walk on his way to earn his second save of the season. Abreu could be back in the mix for saves, but will still need to compete with Bryan King and Enyel De Los Santos for saves. Also, Josh Hader (biceps) is hopefully going to be cleared to return from the 60-day Injured List soon. Abreu could be worth an add in deep leagues, but probably won't have long-term value.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Antonio Senzatela Earns Third Save, Worth Adding in Deep Leagues?
Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third save of the season on Saturday. The right-hander gave up a hit and a walk, but was able to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks off the scoreboard. This marked his first save of the season, where Senzatela didn't need to pitch more than one inning. Senzatela has looked great in his new role out of the bullpen. He's sporting a 1.27 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and a 25:8 K:BB ratio across 28.1 innings of work. Victor Vodnik has struggled lately, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the Rockies turn to Senzatela more frequently. The veteran right-hander could be worth adding in deep leagues right now.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Keibert Ruiz Seeing the Ball Well in May, Drives in Five on Saturday
Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz had yet another strong performance at the plate in May in the team's 13-3 blowout win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night in D.C. Ruiz finished the game 3-for-5 with a career-high five RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base to continue his hot-hitting ways since the calendar flipped from April to May. The 27-year-old Venezuelan backstop continued to disappoint offensively in April, going 8-for-45 (.178) with no home runs, four doubles, six RBI, two runs scored, one walk, and seven strikeouts in 17 games across 47 plate appearances. But so far in eight games in May, he's been a different hitter, batting .323 with three home runs, five doubles, and 11 RBI in his last 31 at-bats to boost his season average to .230 and his OPS to .715. Ruiz's three-hit showing on Saturday was his second of the month already. Something appears to be clicking for the switch-hitter, but fantasy managers have every right to be skeptical that it will last. He's still rostered in only 1% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Munetaka Murakami's Fantastic First Season Continues With Two More Homers
Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami continued to surprise in his first season in the big leagues on Saturday night in an 8-3 win over the crosstown-rival Chicago Cubs, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two more home runs, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .236 and his OPS to .943. The 26-year-old left-handed slugger wasn't the only one to terrorize Cubs right-hander starter Jameson Taillon on Saturday, as the veteran hurler gave up five total long balls in his outing. After the two-homer performance at Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side of Chicago, Murakami is now up to 17 home runs and 32 RBI in his first 45 games with the Pale Hose in 2026. He currently trails only Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber for the league lead in home runs (20). Murakami sits in the 91st percentile in xwOBA and is in the 100th percentile in hard-hit rate, so the analytics back up his red-hot start to his first year in the United States. But with a strikeout rate in the third percentile, fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting any kind of help from the Japanese star in the batting average department.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Cristopher Sanchez Dazzles With 13-Strikeout Complete Game on Saturday
Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez was at the top of his game in a masterful performance on Saturday night in the team's 6-0 shutout win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Sanchez threw a complete-game shutout with six hits allowed, no walks, and 13 strikeouts to drop his season ERA to a stingy 1.82 in his 10th start of 2026. The 29-year-old Dominican southpaw now has five wins on the season as well. His outstanding performance on Saturday evening was his second career complete-game shutout, and his 13 punchouts were a career high. Sanchez has been amazing so far this year for the Phillies and his fantasy managers, going at least seven innings while giving up zero runs in three straight starts this month. He's a set-and-forget fantasy starting pitcher with an upcoming matchup against the first-place Cleveland Guardians, a team that ranks only 24th in OPS (.689) and 19th in home runs (43) in 2026.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Taj Bradley to Make a Rehab Start on Sunday
Minnesota Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (pectoral) is scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A St. Paul, according to Twins reporter Audra Martin. Bradley has already been cleared to begin a rehab assignment on the farm after landing on the 15-day injured list on May 9 with right-pectoral inflammation. The 25-year-old had a successful 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday. Barring a setback, he will likely be activated to rejoin the Twins' starting rotation in late May after a couple of rehab outings. The 25-year-old former fifth-round selection by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 was having the best stretch of his young career across eight starts for Minnesota before his injury, going 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA (3.48 FIP), 1.19 WHIP, and 52:17 K:BB in 47 innings pitched. Bradley's hot start is the reason why the former top prospect in Tampa's system is rostered in 75% of Yahoo leagues right now. He's allowed more than two earned runs in just one of his eight starts so far this season and has had at least seven strikeouts in five of his outings.
Source: Audra Martin
Source: Audra Martin
Logan Webb Throws Bullpen on Saturday
San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb (knee) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Saturday, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Webb is currently on the 15-day injured list due to right-knee bursitis that he dealt with in his last outing on May 5 against the San Diego Padres, but he reportedly is on track for a minimum absence. Depending on how his bullpen went this weekend, it's possible that the 29-year-old hurler won't need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining San Fran's starting rotation. If Webb returns late next week without a rehab assignment, we wouldn't recommend throwing him right back into the fire in starting fantasy lineups. Before his knee injury, the two-time All-Star had struggled on the mound with a 2-4 record, 5.06 ERA (3.56 FIP), and 1.39 WHIP with 42 strikeouts and 15 walks across 48 innings pitched in his eight starts for the Gigantes. Despite the ugly surface stats, though, Webb does have five quality starts this year, and he should remain stashed in fantasy leagues.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Susan Slusser
Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Susan Slusser
Josh Hader Needs Five More Rehab Outings
The Athletic's Chandler Rome reports that Houston Astros left-handed closer Josh Hader (biceps) needs five more minor-league rehab outings, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Hader will not come off the 60-day injured list when he's first eligible on May 24, but it's only due to the calendar they have set for his final five rehab appearances. The hard-throwing southpaw reliever has already appeared in four rehab games with Triple-A Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus Christi, tossing four shutout innings with three hits allowed, one walk, and six strikeouts. We most likely won't see Hader make his debut until sometime in the final week of May or in early June, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be stashed in most fantasy baseball leagues already. Once activated, the 32-year-old six-time All-Star should immediately slot back in as the Astros' primary closer. Bryan King has become the favorite for saves in Houston with Hader sidelined, although Bryan Abreu picked up his second save of the year in Saturday's win over the Texas Rangers. Hader is currently rostered in 88% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Elmer Rodriguez to Start on Sunday Against the Mets
New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez said that he will start Sunday's Subway Series finale against the New York Mets, according to Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record. For the time being, Rodriguez will take the rotation spot in the Bronx after the Yankees placed left-hander Max Fried (elbow) on the 15-day injured list. The 22-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday and will be making just his third big-league start. Left-hander Ryan Weathers was previously scheduled to start on Sunday, so he will likely be pushed back to Monday's series opener in the Bronx against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. Rodriguez, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, allowed five earned runs on 10 hits while walking eight and striking out five in 8 2/3 innings in his first two MLB starts (both against the Texas Rangers). He has plenty of long-term strikeout upside and will have an excellent matchup against the Mets, who rank 30th in baseball in OPS (.638). However, with Gerrit Cole's (elbow) return on the horizon, Rodriguez might only make another start or two with the Yanks before being sent back down to Triple-A.
Source: The Bergen Record - Pete Caldera
Source: The Bergen Record - Pete Caldera
