RADIO
Christian Walker Hits Two Homers Saturday, Breaking Out of his Funk?
Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker was the team's offense in their 3-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and a walk to raise his season average to .266 and his OPS to .861. Walker hit a two-run home run to get things going in the first frame and later hit a solo homer in the fourth inning for all the runs that Houston would need to finish off the Cubbies. The 35-year-old reached base in all four of his plate appearances on the day. Despite the two-homer performance, Walker has hit just .164 (9-for-55) with four home runs, a double, seven RBI, six runs scored, four walks, and 14 strikeouts in his last 15 games, dating back to May 8. On the year, the right-handed power hitter is slashing .266/.340/.521 with an .860 OPS, 13 long balls, 34 RBI, and 30 runs scored in his 192 at-bats. Hopefully, his two-homer outing on Saturday will get him back on track offensively for an Astros team that really needs him more than ever.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Stephen Kolek Turns Heads With Complete-Game Shutout
Kansas City Royals right-hander Stephen Kolek could start to attract some interest on the waiver wire in fantasy baseball leagues after another impressive performance on Saturday in the team's 5-0 shutout over the visiting Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium. Kolek won his third game of the year by throwing a complete-game shutout with four hits allowed, one walk, and two strikeouts to lower his season ERA to an impressive 2.77. It was the 29-year-old's second career shutout, and it was also his second straight scoreless outing after throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings with a walk and three strikeouts in his last appearance on May 17 against the St. Louis Cardinals on the road. Kolek has three quality starts in his four outings for the Royals, going 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA (4.21 FIP), 0.85 WHIP, and 14:5 K:BB in 26 innings pitched. He has been impressive in a small sample size for the Royals, but regression should eventually come, and fantasy managers in mixed leagues should know that the upside is limited, as Kolek has a 16.9% strikeout rate in his career.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Corey Seager's Live Batting Practice Session Delayed
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) was scheduled to face live pitching on Sunday. That session has been postponed due to Seager not quite being where he needed to be in his recovery process. The Rangers are still figuring out the next steps for Seager, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him back when first eligible. The organization was hopeful that Seager could be back for the upcoming homestand, but that seems doubtful to happen now. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on Seager in the coming days. Ezequiel Duran should continue seeing more at-bats while Seager is sidelined.
Source: Shawn McFarland
Source: Shawn McFarland
Nolan Schanuel Removed with Calf Tightness
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (calf) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers. Schanuel appears to have suffered a calf injury while running the bases during the fifth inning. He was replaced by Vaughn Grissom at first base, who could see an extended look over there if Schanuel misses time. Before leaving Saturday's game, Schanuel was 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Fantasy managers should check back ahead of Sunday's game for another update on Schanuel. The Angels could potentially promote Christian Moore if Schanuel does have an extended absence.
Source: Jeff Fletcher
Source: Jeff Fletcher
Josh Jung Departs Early with Shoulder Soreness
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (shoulder) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Jung was pulled out of the game in the fourth inning due to left shoulder soreness. Before exiting, Jung went 0-for-2 at the plate with a strikeout. Ezequiel Duran shifted over to third base and could see increased playing time over there if Jung misses time. The expectation is that Jung will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. For now, fantasy managers should consider Jung as day-to-day.
Source: Shawn McFarland
Source: Shawn McFarland
Royce Lewis Flashing Elite Power at Triple-A, Back on the Stash Radar?
Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis has been putting on an impressive power show since being sent down to Triple-A St. Paul. Lewis blasted two home runs on Saturday and has five long balls in five games with St. Paul. It seems that a demotion was exactly what Lewis needed to get his head right. This power surge could be enough to get Lewis back on the Twins roster soon. The potential has always been there with Lewis, but he hasn't been able to put it all together. Lewis could be an interesting stash candidate given his strong performance in Triple-A right now. He could be on the fast track back to the big leagues.
Source: Aaron Gleeman
Source: Aaron Gleeman
Cardinals to Promote Second-Round Pick Brycen Mautz for MLB Debut on Sunday
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Brycen Mautz will make his MLB debut against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. The Cardinals need an extra arm after a doubleheader on Saturday. They've decided to give Mautz the call after he posted solid numbers at Triple-A Memphis this season. Across nine starts, Mautz has a 2.90 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and a 43:24 K:BB ratio this season. Mautz is a second-round pick of the Cardinals from the 2022 Draft. The expectation is that he'll head back to Triple-A after this outing, but he could be an interesting streaming option for Sunday's slate.
Source: Derrick Goold
Source: Derrick Goold
Henry Bolte Living Up to Expectations as a Must-Add Stolen Base Threat?
Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte has been terrific ever since being promoted to the majors for his MLB debut. Across nine big-league games, he's slashing .310/.382/.345 with an 11.8% walk rate, a 20.6% strikeout rate, and 108 wRC+. He hasn't launched a home run in the majors yet, but we knew that he didn't have a ton of power even before he was called up. He's made up for it by stealing three bases, as he continues to show off his game-changing speed. Bolte's base-stealing upside gives him a clear path to plenty of production in fantasy baseball. He's still available in 89% of fantasy baseball leagues, and he ranks as the #62 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest rankings for the 2026 season. Bolte represents a speed-centric waiver wire target as we approach the end of May.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dylan Crews Homers Saturday, Worth Adding in Deeper Fantasy Leagues?
Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout on Saturday. He has appeared in just five big-league games so far, going 4-for-20 with one walk, four strikeouts, and a steal. Previously, he had slashed .258/.345/.432 with five homers and seven steals across 41 Triple-A games. The results at the plate haven't been great since his promotion to the majors (or in years past), but Saturday's homer could be a sign that he's tapping into some more power going forward. We know that he has above-average power upside, as he launched 10 homers across 85 games last year. Hitting homers at a similar rate in 2026 could be enough to keep him on the fantasy radar consistently. As it stands, he's rostered in approximately 21% of fantasy baseball leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Zebby Matthews Dominant in Return to Majors, Back on the Fantasy Radar?
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews has been highly effective in two starts since being recalled from Triple-A. Through two games (13.0 innings) in the majors this year, Matthews has a 1.38 ERA with one walk and 11 strikeouts. The 26-year-old profiles as a starter who is highly dependent on their breaking ball, and while Matthews' curveball and slider metrics are terrific, we're also impressed that he has kept his fastball velocity around 96 mph. Although Matthews isn't the flashiest name, his modest strikeout total, low walk total, and ability to pitch deep into games should generate some fantasy appeal, especially as managers look to upgrade and perfect their rosters here in late May. He's a waiver wire option for the vast majority of fantasy managers, as he's currently rostered in less than 20% of fantasy baseball leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Blue Jays Turn to Jeff Hoffman for Another Save, Re-Entering Must-Roster Territory?
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman handled a save situation for the second consecutive game on Saturday. He struck out all three batters he faced, requiring just 13 pitches (nine strikes). Hoffman had a shaky start to the season, but he has bounced back with 3.2 scoreless innings across his last four contests. During that span, he has allowed one hit, zero walks, and six strikeouts. Although Hoffman has a 5.32 ERA so far, his 2.18 xFIP suggests that he has been incredibly unlucky, and better results should await him in the near future. He's been hit hard for 1.23 HR/9, but he has flashed elite control with 15.14 K/9 and 3.27 BB/9. Now that he has saves in back-to-back appearances, bringing his season total to four, Hoffman has returned to the fantasy radar as a high-strikeout reliever with consistent save upside. There's plenty of waiver wire appeal here, as the veteran reliever is available in 48% of leagues at this point.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chris Taylor Opts Out of Retirement, Placed on Injured List
Los Angeles Angels minor-league outfielder Chris Taylor (forearm) has reversed a previous decision about his retirement. Taylor reportedly retired on Friday, but he changed his mind one day later. Now, Taylor is unretired, and instead, he has been placed on the minor league injured list with a left forearm fracture. It's a perplexing turn of events for the veteran, who evidently decided he wasn't ready to hang up his cleats quite yet. Across 32 Triple-A games this year, the 35-year-old owns a .255/.382/.321 slash line with three steals, a 15.2% walk rate, a 26.5% strikeout rate, and 86 wRC+. Taylor, who previously won a World Series with the Dodgers, will look to get healthy and return to his role as an organizational depth piece for the Angels.
Source: Rhett Bollinger
Source: Rhett Bollinger
Jake Irvin Exits Early on Saturday With Undisclosed Injury
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin (undisclosed) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's start against the Atlanta Braves. This is a shame because Irvin was dealing before making his exit from the contest. He took the mound to warm up for the sixth inning, but didn't look right and eventually exited with the trainer. Before that, Irvin tossed five hitless innings, allowing one walk while striking out seven batters. The Nationals should give an update on his status following Saturday's contest. This was Irvin's second straight strong outing, so hopefully he won't be forced to miss time from this injury.
Source: Mark Zuckerman
Source: Mark Zuckerman
Garrett Mitchell Remains Absent on Saturday
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (back) is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mitchell made an early exit from Wednesday's game due to back tightness. He hasn't been back in the lineup since then, so fantasy managers might start getting anxious. He's still considered day-to-day, so fantasy managers should check back for another update on Sunday. Jake Bauers will cover left field and bat sixth versus right-hander Roki Sasaki on Saturday. Mitchell remains strictly a deep league option at the moment.
Source: mlb.com
Source: mlb.com
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is Placed on 10-day Injured List
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day Injured List on Saturday. He was removed from Friday's game due to hamstring tightness and now heads to the shelf with a left hamstring strain. The exact timetable for his return is unknown, but hamstring issues do have a tendency to linger. Jorge Barrosa and Tim Tawa are the favorites to see increased playing time while Gurriel is sidelined. In a corresponding move, infielder Tommy Troy has been called up from Triple-A Reno. Troy could be someone worth keeping an eye on in deep leagues.
Source: Jody Jackson
Source: Jody Jackson
