RADIO
Andrew Painter Logs First Career Quality Start, Worth Adding in Deeper Leagues?
Philadelphia Phillies right-handed rookie Andrew Painter could begin attracting interest in fantasy baseball leagues after his first career quality start on Monday night in a no-decision against the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the team's 5-4 win. Painter allowed two earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three in six innings of work in his ninth appearance in the big leagues. The 23-year-old threw 44 of his 69 pitches for strikes. Painter came into the 2026 campaign as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball after recovering from injuries that slowed his progress down in the minors in recent years. The Phillies are being cautious not to overwork him early on, which is why he hasn't gone 70 pitches in any of his outings so far. After his strong performance on Monday night, Painter is now 1-4 with a 5.77 ERA (4.60 FIP) and 1.49 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 14 walks in 43 2/3 innings across his nine appearances (eight starts) for the Phillies. Painter's leash should continue to get longer as the season progresses, making him a waiver-wire target in deeper leagues. He's scheduled to take on the Cleveland Guardians his next time out this weekend.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Shota Imanaga Allows Season-Worst Eight Runs, Should Managers be Concerned?
Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga was touched up by the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night to take his fourth loss of the season. It wasn't pretty, as the Japanese left-hander allowed a season-high eight earned runs on nine hits (two homers) while walking three and striking out two in 4 1/3 innings of work to raise his season ERA to 3.38. The 32-year-old southpaw came into the series opener against the Brew Crew with a 2.32 ERA with three straight quality starts, but he just wasn't on his game on Monday and allowed seven earned runs in the third and fourth innings combined. In his first three starts in May, Imanaga was excellent for his fantasy managers, giving up just three earned runs on 15 hits (two homers) while walking four and striking out 21 in 20 innings pitched. Outside of his rough outing on Monday, Imanaga has allowed more than two earned runs in a game just twice. His peripherals have been solid, so fantasy managers shouldn't be too concerned with Imanaga's ugly outing to begin Week 8.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Max Meyer Emerging as Top Waiver-Wire Target After Another Strong Start
Miami Marlins right-hander Max Meyer extended his breakout season on Monday night in the team's 12-0 rout over the Atlanta Braves with another dominant outing, tossing six shutout innings with three hits allowed, two walks, and six strikeouts to win his fourth game of the year. Meyer is emerging as a top waiver-wire target for fantasy managers and is now 4-0 on the year with a career-best 2.85 ERA (3.07 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 19 walks in 53 2/3 innings pitched across his 10 starts with the Fish in his fourth big-league season. The 27-year-old's performance was pretty impressive against the first-place Braves, and he has now gone at least five innings while giving up two or fewer runs in six of his last eight appearances. Meyer will be a must-start against the division-rival New York Mets in his next scheduled start this weekend. He is currently rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues, but that number should be going up slowly but surely.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Justin Verlander Eyeing Another Sim Game This Week
Detroit Tigers veteran right-hander Justin Verlander (hip) threw a 50-pitch, three-inning simulated game at Comerica Park on Friday and showed improvement in pitch quality and his fastball velocity, per MLB.com. He will throw a longer simulated game around the middle of this week. Verlander is currently on the 60-day injured list with left-hip inflammation and is expected to return around late May or early June. The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer landed on the IL all the way back on April 4. He's making good strides, but he still has some boxes to check, and it's unclear if the Tigers want to send him on a minor-league rehab assignment before bringing him back to the big leagues. No longer the dominant arm he once was for so long, it's hard to convince fantasy managers that it's worth holding onto Verlander at this point in his career, especially after he allowed five earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out only one in 3 2/3 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his lone start this year before going on the IL. Verlander is rostered in only 4% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Kerry Carpenter Making Good Progress, Return Could Come Quickly
Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (shoulder), who is currently on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder injury, has been doing some light running and throwing and expects to resume swinging a bat this week, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. The 28-year-old sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder back on May 9, which is something he also did in 2023, which caused him to miss six weeks. His shoulder injury this time around appears to be healing much quicker, though. Once he resumes swinging a bat, Carpenter should be cleared to go out on a minor-league rehab assignment shortly after that, giving him a chance to return to the Tigers' lineup before the calendar flips to June. The former 19th-round pick in 2019 had a career-high 26 home runs and drove in 62 in a career-high 130 games for Detroit last year in his fourth season in the big leagues, and he's had at least 18 long balls in each of the last three years. Carpenter is currently rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues as he tries to recover from his shoulder sprain.
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
Source: The Detroit News - Chris McCosky
Ryan Jeffers Suffers Wrist Sprain on Monday Night
Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (wrist) was pulled from Monday night's win over the Houston Astros early with a left-wrist sprain, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Jeffers said he will undergo further testing on Tuesday. He was removed from the contest after fouling a pitch off and breaking his bat in the eighth inning. The 28-year-old backstop went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored before being replaced behind the dish by Victor Caratini. For now, fantasy managers should consider Jeffers day-to-day. There's a high likelihood that he will take a seat for Game 2 of the series against the Astros on Tuesday. If Jeffers' wrist injury is serious enough to send him to the injured list, Caratini would become the Twins' primary catcher for a bit. After going 1-for-3 on Monday night, Jeffers is hitting a strong .295/.408/.541 on the year with a .949 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 36 runs, and a steal in his 148 plate appearances in 2026.
Source: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
Source: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
Josh Bell Snaps Lengthy Homerless Drought With Two Long Balls on Monday
Minnesota Twins first baseman Josh Bell ended a lengthy dry spell in the home run department in Monday night's 6-3 win over the visiting Houston Astros by going 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI to boost his season average to .223 and his OPS to .647. Both of Bell's home runs came off of struggling Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai in his first two plate appearances of the game. The left-handed veteran power hitter drove in the team's first four runs of the game to help them win the first game of the series at Target Field. Bell's home runs on Monday night snapped a 31-game homerless stretch. It's been a rough season for Bell so far in Minnesota in 2026, which is why he's rostered in less than 10% of Yahoo leagues at the moment. After his big game on Monday night, he's still hitting only .223/.286/.361 with five long balls, 28 RBI, 23 runs scored, and one steal with 14 walks and 43 strikeouts in 182 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should be able to find more consistent power options than an aging Bell.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Rockies Turn to Juan Mejia for Third Save, Seeing Closer Value Increase?
Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Juan Mejia got the call in the ninth inning of a one-run game on Monday night and shut down the Rangers on one hit and one strikeout to earn his third save of the season. Former closer Victor Vodnik was charged with three runs after starting the eighth inning, but Brennan Bernardino was able to close out the frame with the Rockies still holding a one-run lead. Mejia and Antonio Senzatela will continue to share closing responsibilities in Colorado, although both were available on Monday and Mejia got the call, giving him a slight advantage at this point. Senzatela could also emerge as a trade candidate, giving Mejia more long-term upside as the potential full-time option. For now, Mejia is trending in the right direction and makes a solid addition if you need saves in deeper leagues.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Mets Promoting Prospect Nick Morabito, Worth an Add Ahead of Debut?
New York Mets outfielder Nick Morabito is poised to make his MLB debut after getting a promotion on Tuesday, as the Mets designated veteran Austin Slater for assignment. Morabito will join an exciting young outfield in New York with rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing already in the mix. While Ewing and Benge are lefties, Morabito is a right-handed hitter, which could help him earn playing time. Just a few weeks after his 23rd birthday, Morabito should bring instant speed potential after swiping 49 bases in 118 games in Double-A last season and adding 14 stolen bases in 41 games in Triple-A this year. He hit .253 in Syracuse with a .350 wOBA and four homers, but his primary fantasy asset initially will be his stolen base upside as he works his way into the Mets lineup. If you need stolen bases from the waiver wire, Morabito is a nice speculative grab in deep leagues.
Source: Anthony DiComo
Source: Anthony DiComo
J.T. Ginn Flirts With Perfection on Monday, Viewed as Must-Add Pitcher
Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn took a brutal loss on Monday against the Angels after an exceptional outing. The 26-year-old righty entered the ninth inning with a no-hitter before giving up a single to Adam Frazier and a walk-off homer to Zach Neto to take the loss. Ginn did still get the complete game with 10 strikeouts and just one walk, but he couldn't quite seal the victory. Ginn has allowed a total of just three earned runs over 22 innings in his last three starts, with a 1.23 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. He has 21 strikeouts in his 22 innings in those starts, and he has been a strong option since joining the rotation in mid-April, with just one rough start against the Guardians. He will look to continue his momentum with his second start of the week on Saturday night in San Diego against the Padres. He's a great grab from the waiver wire in all formats with so much recent success and a solid lineup behind him.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ryan Waldschmidt Showcasing Five-Category Upside Early in MLB Stint
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt has impressed through his first 10 games in the majors and looks ready to be a long-time fixture in Arizona's outfield moving forward. The 23-year-old is the team's No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has lived up to the hype, hitting .313 (6-for-32) with four doubles, three stolen bases, three walks, and six RBI. He hasn't hit a homer yet in the majors, but had 18 in 134 games in the minors in 2025 and three in 34 games in Triple-A before his promotion. He has a 16.7% barrel rate and has caught barrels in back-to-back games after going 3-for-3 with two doubles in Monday's 12-2 rout of the Giants. Waldschmidt is a great fantasy baseball addition if you need outfield depth at this point in the season and offers well-balanced production with good speed and batting average production right away.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Colt Emerson Launches First Career Home Run, Immediately Holding Must-Add Value?
Seattle Mariners shortstop/third baseman Colt Emerson only needed two career games to make an impact as he hit his first MLB homer on Monday night in his team's 6-1 win over the White Sox. Emerson went 1-for-4 with the eighth-inning three-run blast. He started each of the last two games at the hot corner for the Mariners, who are set to give him a long look at that spot with Brendan Donovan (groin) on the injured list. Emerson is just 20 years old but hit .255 with seven homers and 10 stolen bases in his 38 games in Triple-A before his promotion. He is a top-10 prospect in all of baseball (according to MLB.com) and looks ready to make an immediate impact. In mixed leagues, he's a nice grab if still available, although there isn't a clear spot for him when Donovan returns. Emerson has a solid plate approach, but he did have a 27.2% K% in Triple-A. He has the tools to be a great fantasy contributor if he keeps his strikeouts under control and climbs to a more prominent spot in Seattle's batting order.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Brady House Optioned to Triple-A
Washington Nationals third baseman Brady House was optioned to Triple-A on Monday in the corresponding move that brought outfielder Dylan Crews back to the MLB roster. House has seven homers in his 44 games with a .227 batting average and .302 wOBA. House had a 43% hard-hit rate and 10.5% barrel rate, and his BABIP of .280 was below league-average. Some of his lower numbers were tough luck, but he also did have a 28.2% strikeout rate. He's always been a high-strikeout, high-homer prospect, but his defense has dropped off significantly this season. He seemed to be trending up lately, but the team may want him to get more full-time work in Triple-A while they fill in with Jorbit Vivas and Jose Tena in the majors. At this point, House is droppable in almost all formats, although he does have power upside if he gets another call later in the season.
Source: Nationals Communications
Source: Nationals Communications
Willy Adames Leaves Early on Monday With Hand Injury
San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames (hand) was pulled from Monday's game early against the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks after committing an error in the bottom of the fifth inning and taking a ground ball off of his right hand, according to The San Jose Mercury News' Justice delos Santos. Before injuring his hand, Adames had a solo home run (his fourth of the year) and a walk before Casey Schmitt shifted from left field to shortstop. Fantasy managers should consider the 30-year-old Dominican to be day-to-day heading into Game 2 of the series at Chase Field on Tuesday. Adames, like many other Giants hitters this year, has been a major disappointment, as he entered Monday's game in Arizona with a .234/.265/.356 slash line, .622 OPS, three homers, 13 RBI, 17 runs, and a stolen base in his first 46 games. Adames reached the 30-homer mark for the second straight season and the third time in the last four years in 2025, but he also hit just .225 (133-for-591) over 160 games played. Schmitt would most likely take over at the 6 going forward in San Fran if Adames' injury requires an extended absence.
Source: The San Jose Mercury News - Justice delos Santos
Source: The San Jose Mercury News - Justice delos Santos
Robbie Ray Leaves Start Early After Being Hit by Comebacker
San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (quadriceps) left his start early on Monday night on the road against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks after fielding a comebacker that deflected off his quadriceps, according to Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News. delos Santos speculates that Ray's exit might not have been injury-related, though, after he allowed a whopping 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out only one in 4 1/3 innings of work to take his sixth loss of the season. Either way, we'll be keeping a close eye on Ray's status in the coming days, and fantasy managers should be mindful that his next start could be up in the air. The 34-year-old former Cy Young winner and two-time All-Star came into Monday's start in the desert with a solid 3.04 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 49 punchouts in 50 1/3 innings across nine starts, but his nightmarish outing ballooned his ERA to 4.28. If Ray's leg injury isn't too serious, he could be one of the more popular trade targets this summer in the final year of his contract in San Fran.
Source: The San Jose Mercury News - Justice delos Santos
Source: The San Jose Mercury News - Justice delos Santos
