RADIO
Christian Yelich Returns to Starting Lineup After Back Injury
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich (back) is serving as the DH and will bat cleanup for the Brewers in Sunday's series finale in Minnesota against the Twins and right-hander Bailey Ober, according to MLB.com. Yelich returned from a groin injury on Tuesday after a lengthy stay on the injured list, only to develop back soreness and miss the next four games. The Brewers are being especially cautious with the veteran left-handed hitter because of his history with back injuries, and they admitted they were considering putting him back on the IL. Yelich is back in action for the series finale at Target Field, but if his back flares up at all again, he will most likely be ticketed for a trip back to the IL. The 34-year-old former MVP and three-time All-Star has only played in 16 games for the Brew Crew so far this year and has just one home run, but he's hitting .291 (16-for-55) with 10 RBI, 10 runs, and three stolen bases. In his career against Ober, Yelich has three hits in six at-bats with a 1.333 OPS.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Carson Williams Called Up, Worth Adding in Deeper Leagues?
The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Sunday that they recalled infielder Carson Williams from Triple-A Durham after placing outfielder Jake Fraley (hernia) on the 10-day injured list. Williams, who made his major-league debut in 2025, made the Rays' Opening Day roster but was quickly sent back to the minors after going 3-for-23 (.130) at the plate with one walk and nine strikeouts in just seven games played. He also struggled in 32 games as a rookie, batting .172 (17-for-99) with five homers, 12 RBI, two steals, six walks, and 44 strikeouts in 106 plate appearances. Taylor Walls, the team's current shortstop, is a whizz with the glove, but he doesn't provide much offensively, so the first-place Rays could give Williams another run at the position. The former first-rounder in 2021 was hitting .238/.333/.418 with a .751 OPS, five home runs, 21 RBI, six steals, and 24 runs in 32 games for Durham before his call-up. In deeper leagues, Williams is worth a dart throw for middle-infield depth. He's rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available.
Source: Rays Communications
Source: Rays Communications
Jeremy Pena Could Rejoin Astros on Monday
Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (hamstring, neck) could come off the 10-day injured list and rejoin the team on Monday for the start of their series against the Minnesota Twins, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Pena has been on the IL for a month due to a hamstring strain, and then he collided with a baserunner earlier this week on his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi and missed a few games due to neck soreness. He was able to return to action on Friday, though, and he appears to be ready to rejoin the big-league roster after going 2-for-11 with two doubles in three rehab games with the Hooks. It's great news for a struggling Astros team that has already lost veteran infielder Carlos Correa (ankle) for the rest of the season. The 28-year-old Pena has only played in 10 games so far in 2026 due to injuries, going 11-for-43 (.256) with no homers, a stolen base, and five runs scored. He will be an everyday player at the 6 in Houston after missing his first 20-20 season in 2025 by three home runs. Pena is only available in 20% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Ryan O'Hearn Goes on Injured List With Quad Strain
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn (quadriceps) is going on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a right-quad strain, according to Pirates reporter Jason Mackey. O'Hearn was pulled from Saturday's game early against the Philadelphia Phillies with right-quad discomfort, and now the 32-year-old veteran will miss at least the next 10 games. O'Hearn went hitless in just one at-bat on Saturday before leaving and is hitting a strong .291/.370/.462 with an .832 OPS, seven home runs, 29 RBI, 27 runs scored, and a stolen base in 158 at-bats over his first 43 games with the Pirates this year. Now that he will be sidelined for a bit of time, both Nick Yorke and Billy Cook could see more time in the Bucs' outfield for at least the next 10 days. O'Hearn's strong season to this point had earned him some looks off the waiver wire, and he's currently rostered in 72% of Yahoo leagues. Surprisingly, O'Hearn has improved against lefties this year, going 13-for-46 (.283) with one of his seven home runs against them.
Source: Jason Mackey
Source: Jason Mackey
Samuel Basallo a Waiver Priority While on Nine-Game Hitting Streak
Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 13-3 loss to the hosting Washington Nationals in D.C. to extend his current hitting streak to nine games. The left-handed-hitting Dominican backstop is now batting .278 on the year with an .833 OPS as one of the better young hitters in the game. He also has a decent .341 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage with six home runs and 17 RBI on the year across 138 plate appearances. The 21-year-old will see regular playing time between catcher and designated hitter while sharing time behind the plate with Adley Rutschman. Manager Craig Albernaz has said that Basallo has earned the right to face left-handed pitchers, which is huge. So far in 2026, he's gone 7-for-25 (.280) against southpaws with one of his six home runs. Basallo is one of the better young catchers in the game, and he's rostered in only 40% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
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
