April 17, 2026
Baltimore Orioles outfielder
Tyler O'Neill (concussion) will not be activated from the seven-day injured list in the next day or two, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Manager Craig Albernaz said that O'Neill still has some boxes to check before he rejoins the major-league roster. O'Neill is still in the league's concussion protocol and will not be ready to come off the IL when he's eligible on Saturday. Hopefully, he can rejoin the team at some point early next week. With both O'Neill and first baseman/designated hitter
Ryan Mountcastle (foot) out with injuries, both
Dylan Beavers and
Leody Taveras have seen more playing time for Baltimore. Beavers, a 24-year-old former first-rounder in 2022 out of Cal, is the better long-term fantasy play over Taveras. Beavers is hitting .233 (10-for-43) with a homer and five RBI in his first 14 games in 2026. When healthy, O'Neill is a lineup regular for Baltimore and has power upside left after clubbing 31 long balls in 2024 with the Boston Red Sox in 113 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Jake Rill
April 17, 2026
Colorado Rockies infielder
Willi Castro (hand) remains out for Friday's series opener at Coors Field against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, per MLB.com.
Edouard Julien will start at second base again and bat leadoff for Colorado versus Dodgers right-hander
Tyler Glasnow. Castro has not played since being pulled from Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros after he was hit by a pitch on his right hand. The good news, though, is that X-rays came back negative, and he's considered day-to-day for now. Castro could be back in the lineup as early as Game 2 of the series in Denver on Saturday. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican switch-hitter could be in danger of losing more playing time to Julien at the keystone for the Rockies after starting the year with a .214/.279/.339 slash line, one home run, eight RBI, four walks, and 24 strikeouts in 621 plate appearances over 16 games played. In his career against Glasnow, Julien is hitting .200 with a .533 OPS in just five at-bats.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 17, 2026
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman (ankle), who is on the 10-day injured list with left-ankle inflammation, is running and going through drills and said he's feeling "a lot better," according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Rutschman is pleased with how he's progressing, but he also isn't sure how soon he could be back. He's eligible to return on Tuesday in Kansas City against the Royals. Until Rutschman can return, young catcher
Samuel Basallo will do most of the catching for the O's. Rutschman, a 28-year-old switch-hitting catcher, didn't hit a home run in his first 10 games in 2026 before going on the shelf, but he was batting .294 (10-for-34) at the time of his injury with three stolen bases and three runs scored in 39 plate appearances. He needs to be held onto in all fantasy leagues while he heals up as he looks to bounce back from his worst statistical season in 2025 since he entered the majors in 2022. Young outfielder
Dylan Beavers should continue to see regular at-bats at DH with both Rutschman and
Ryan Mountcastle (foot) injured.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Jake Rill
April 17, 2026
The Houston Astros announced on Friday that they transferred left-handed closer
Josh Hader (biceps) to the 60-day injured list. The move was made to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Peter Lambert, who was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land to make the start on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The move means that Hader now won't be eligible to come off the IL until late May. The dominant 32-year-old southpaw threw his first live batting practice session since being diagnosed with left-biceps tendinitis near the start of spring training, but he still has a ways to go before he'll be ready to come off the IL and return to save duties in Houston. The six-time All-Star has 227 career saves in nine MLB seasons, so he's worth stashing in an IL spot in fantasy leagues until then.
Bryan Abreu was expected to be the favorite for saves early in 2026 with Hader sidelined, but he has really struggled, opening the door for
Bryan King, and most recently,
Enyel De Los Santos.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Astros
April 17, 2026
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Roman Anthony had a disappointing start to the season, slashing .200/.290/.309 with a .272 wOBA and 65 wRC+ over his first 14 games, but there are signs that perhaps he's about to turn it around. The 6-foot-3 slugger is 5-for-10 (.500) over his last three games, including a pair of doubles and more walks (three) than strikeouts (two). Not only that, his average exit velocity (EV) through the first 14 games stood at 90.6 mph, but during this recent three-game hot streak, the left-handed hitter is registering an average EV of 101.7 mph. To put it in perspective, the league's average EV leader,
Nick Kurtz, owns an average EV of 98.3. Hitting .246 with a .330 wOBA overall for the season, Anthony's xBA of .271 and xwOBA of .355 point to brighter days ahead, too, so fantasy managers should remain patient.
--Jarod RuppSource: Baseball Savant
April 17, 2026
Athletics third baseman
Max Muncy has cooled over his last four games, going 1-for-10 (.100) with zero extra-base hits over that stretch. However, that was preceded by an eight-game hit streak in which he went 14-for-34 (.412) with three doubles, a triple, and one home run. This is the type of inconsistency you will see from a player who is striking out at a 38.0 percent clip, yet overall, the former first-round draft pick owns a solid .288/.338/.485 slash line on the year (18 games) with a .365 wOBA and 130 wRC+. The right-handed hitter's batting average may ultimately suffer in the long run, but for managers looking for power, Muncy owns a 97th percentile average exit velocity (95.3 mph) and possesses the highest hard-hit rate in all of baseball (69.2 percent) to go along with a solid 12.8 percent barrel rate, so the extra-base hits should keep on coming. The 23-year-old is eligible at 2B, 3B, and SS on Yahoo!, adding to his fantasy appeal, and can still be had in nearly half of leagues.
--Jarod RuppSource: Baseball Savant
April 17, 2026
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher
Drew Pomeranz is seeing his fantasy value increase as the Angels figure out how to deploy their bullpen pieces.
Jordan Romano began the season as the Angels closer, but an 8.44 ERA and two blown saves quickly led manager Kurt Suzuki to be noncommittal at best when asked about his closer role.
Kirby Yates (knee) and
Ben Joyce (shoulder) are expected to rejoin the Angels bullpen at some point in the next few weeks, but for now, Pomeranz looks like he could start seeing even higher leverage innings. He's pitched eight innings this season and his five holds put him just two behind the league lead.
Chase Silseth and Pomeranz would likely form a lefty/righty closer committee if the Angels officially remove Romano from the role. Pomeranz is currently rostered in only 4% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues. He can be immediately added in holds leagues, and managers in saves formats should keep an eye on how the Angels use their relievers this weekend against the Padres.
--David A MarcilloSource: RotoBaller.com
April 17, 2026
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher
Mick Abel has strung together two dominant outings after two rough ones to start the season. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run in his last two turns through the rotation, allowing just eight hits and three walks while striking out 16 batters in 13 innings pitched. The former first-round draft pick flashed similar dominance this spring, posting a 2.05 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and an elite 28.0 percent K-BB% in 22 IP, so it hasn't come from totally out of nowhere. Because of the first two starts of the year that didn't go well, the 6-foot-5 hurler's ERA (3.98) and WHIP (1.57) don't look great on the surface, but don't let that fool you, the 24-year-old looks like he could be on his way to a breakout campaign and is still available in almost 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues. He'll get the scuffling Mets next Tuesday at home in his next start.
--Jarod RuppSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays closer
Bryan Baker has already doubled his career total in saves with the four games he has locked down this year. Baker came into the season with one save from the 2022 season and three from last season, split between two teams. He has four this year, putting him two behind the league lead and making him the only Tampa Bay reliever with more than two. While
Griffin Jax has been better of late, his rough start to the season took him out of the closer conversation and opened the door for Baker to take over.
Edwin Uceta (shoulder) is working his way back from an injury and may be competition for Baker, but it seems more likely that he will slide into a setup role, keeping Baker in the ninth inning. Baker is currently rostered in just 22% of Yahoo leagues and should be immediately added in most formats. He's posted a 3.68 ERA (2.65 xERA) with seven strikeouts and two walks in 7 1/3 innings.
--David A MarcilloSource: RotoBaller.com
April 17, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks closer
Paul Sewald is tied with
Mason Miller for the league lead in saves with six. Injuries limited the veteran to just 59 1/3 innings pitched between 2024 and 2025, but he saved 34 games in 2023 while registering a 3.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 22.5 percent K-BB%. The 35-year-old appears fully healthy and currently has much better numbers than in that 2023 season, with a 2.45 ERA, 0.55 WHIP, and an elite 38.5 percent K-BB%, which can largely be attributed to the fact that he has yet to walk a batter this season. The right-hander doesn't light up the radar, with just an average fastball velocity of 91.5 mph (12th percentile), but he's been able to keep hitters off balance and limit traffic. The 6-foot-3 hurler is no Mason Miller when it comes to strikeouts, but at 58 percent rostered compared to Miller's 99 percent, Sewald's rostership should be much higher, and he remains the top target for saves on the waiver wire.
--Jarod RuppSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Boston Red Sox first baseman
Willson Contreras (back) is starting at first base and is hitting in the two-hole in Friday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers and right-hander
Casey Mize at Fenway Park, according to MLB.com. Contreras suffered from back tightness earlier this week and was held out of Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins. With an off day on Thursday, he's feeling much better and will return to the starting nine in Beantown. Fantasy managers will be hoping that his back injury won't affect him at the plate moving forward, as Contreras has been one of the most consistent hitters in baseball in the first couple of weeks of the season. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star comes into Friday's action slashing .298/.444/.491 with a .936 OPS, three home runs, 11 RBI, and nine runs scored in 57 at-bats. Contreras has faced Mize just twice in his career and has one hit with a 1.000 OPS. Get him back into your starting lineups.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 17, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers reliever
Abner Uribe notched his first save of the season in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays. The right-hander needed just 12 pitches to dispatch Toronto in the top of the ninth, throwing eight of them for strikes and striking out one batter. With
Trevor Megill's recent struggles, Milwaukee's closer has been moved to a setup role, leaving the door open for others to compete for save opportunities. With seven saves and a 30.2 percent strikeout rate last season, Uribe certainly fits the bill. Although his strikeout rate is down somewhat to start the year (25.8 percent), the 6-foot-3 fireballer has walked just one batter (3.2 percent) in eight innings pitched. However, it doesn't appear to be Uribe's job alone at the moment, as
Angel Zerpa was called upon to shut the door for Milwaukee on Thursday, earning his second save of the season. Nevertheless, Uribe's profile likely gives him the edge as Zerpa owns an opponent batting average of .324 and just a 4:4 K:BB in 10 innings of work. The 25-year-old Uribe is available in almost 40 percent of leagues for managers looking to collect saves.
--Jarod RuppSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Andy Pages had a breakout season in 2025, but so far is on pace to outproduce that campaign in the early going of 2026. With two hits in his latest contest, the right-handed slugger now has hit safely in 14 of 18 games, with nine multi-hit performances included in there. In all, it has produced a .409/.451/.697 slash line with five home runs, 20 RBI, 10 runs scored, and three steals. His .502 wOBA and 220 wRC+ both rank in the top three in all of baseball. An unsustainable .512 BABIP and xwOBA that is more than 125 points lower (.376) than his actual wOBA point to eventual regression, but for now, he's hot. Although a slowdown will come at some point, the 25-year-old should continue to have success over the course of the season and is looking like one of the biggest draft-day values of 2026.
--Jarod RuppSource: ESPN
April 17, 2026
Chicago Cubs right-handed closer
Daniel Palencia (oblique) was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 14) on Friday with a left-oblique strain, according to Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune. It's yet another injury for Chicago's pitching staff, which has been decimated early in the 2026 season. The 26-year-old Palencia has yet to allow a run for the Cubbies so far this year in five relief innings, recording a save, two walks, and five strikeouts along the way. However, he'll now likely have to miss more than two weeks with his oblique injury. In the meantime, right-hander
Ben Brown figures to see the majority of save chances for the Cubs with Palencia on the shelf. Palencia hadn't pitched since last Sunday, and now we know why. High-leverage relievers
Phil Maton (knee) and
Hunter Harvey (triceps) are also on the IL right now. In addition to Brown,
Caleb Thielbar could see some save opportunities in Chicago.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Chicago Tribune - Meghan Montemurro
April 17, 2026
New York Mets rookie outfielder
Carson Benge is starting in right field and is hitting leadoff for Friday's series opener in Chicago at Wrigley Field against the Cubs and right-hander
Edward Cabrera, according to MLB.com. With Benge moving up to leadoff, shortstop
Francisco Lindor will drop down to the three-hole for the struggling Mets lineup. New York heads into Friday's action on an eight-game losing streak without star outfielder
Juan Soto (calf). Benge, 23, hit a home run in his major-league debut on Opening Day, but it's been downhill since then. The former 19th overall pick in 2024 out of Oklahoma State is hitting just .151/.237/.226 with a homer, three RBI, five stolen bases, five runs scored, six walks, and 15 strikeouts in 59 plate appearances over his first 16 MLB games. Hitting leadoff will give him a fantasy boost, but it probably won't last for long, with Soto expected to come off the IL at some point next week for the Mets.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
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