RADIO
Max Scherzer Throws Pain-Free Bullpen on Monday
Toronto Blue Jays veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (forearm, ankle) said he threw a pain-free, 20-pitch bullpen session on Monday, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. The plan is for Scherzer to continue to ramp up. The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer has been on the 15-day injured list since April 27 with right-forearm tendinitis and right-ankle inflammation. He also recently was bothered by a thumb issue again, and he received cortisone injections for his forearm and thumb. Scherzer continues to try to build himself back up, but given all of his injury issues in recent seasons, fantasy managers are better off betting on younger, higher-upside arms in fantasy leagues. The three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star did not look good in his five starts this year before landing on the IL, either, allowing 20 earned runs on 22 hits (seven homers) while walking eight and striking out only 10 in 18 2/3 innings of work. The once-dominant Scherzer is now rostered in only 4% of Yahoo leagues at this time.
Source: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
Source: ESPN.com - Jorge Castillo
Twins Place Ryan Jeffers on Injured List With Fractured Hand
The Minnesota Twins placed catcher Ryan Jeffers (hand) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a fractured left hamate bone in his hand, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. It's a significant injury for Jeffers, which he suffered in an at-bat in the eighth inning in the team's 6-3 victory over the visiting Houston Astros on Monday night. The Twins called up catcher Alex Jackson from the minors for extra catching depth. With Jeffers potentially out for a month or longer, veteran Victor Caratini will do most of the catching going forward. It's a tough break for the Twins and for Jeffers, who will most likely need surgery on his hand. Jeffers has been one of the more under-the-radar fantasy catchers so far in 2026, slashing .295/.408/.541 with a .949 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored, and a stolen base in 37 games in his seventh big-league season in Minnesota. At a shallow catching position, Jeffers has earned the right to be stashed while he heals from his hand injury. He's currently rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
Source: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
Max Muncy Begins Swinging a Bat, Timetable for a Return is TBD
Athletics third baseman Max Muncy (hand) has begun a swing progression, although his timetable for a return from the 10-day injured list is to be determined, according to Jason Burke. Muncy has already been out three-plus weeks due to a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand. Because the 23-year-old has been out already for an extended period of time, he will surely need to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before he's reinstated from the IL. Fantasy managers in AL-only leagues shouldn't expect him back with the A's until early June. In the meantime, Zack Gelof will continue to see elevated playing time at the hot corner in Sacramento. The 26-year-old former second-rounder is currently hitting .250 (22-for-88) with five homers, 13 RBI, 16 runs, and four steals in 31 contests and has become a waiver-wire option in deeper formats. Muncy was hitting just .239 (22-for-92) at the time of his hand injury with two homers, seven RBI, 15 runs, and two steals. He could be fighting for playing time at third with Gelof when he returns.
Source: Jason Burke
Source: Jason Burke
Jacob Wilson Yet to Resume Baseball Activities
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) continues to strengthen and stabilize his injured shoulder before reintroducing baseball activities, and his timetable for a return from the 10-day injured list is to be determined, according to Jason Burke. Wilson is recovering from a subluxation of his left (non-throwing) shoulder and isn't close to a return, which will give Darrell Hernaiz more run as the replacement at the 6 in Sacramento. Because the 24-year-old has yet to resume baseball activities, it would be a surprise if he's back with the major-league roster before the end of May. The contact-oriented Wilson was hitting a strong .292 (47-for-161) at the time of his shoulder injury, but with just three home runs, 19 RBI, 18 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 39 games played in his second full season in the majors. With limited speed to boot, Wilson has a limited fantasy ceiling, and he's currently rostered in 67% of Yahoo leagues while he's on the IL.
Source: Jason Burke
Source: Jason Burke
Nolan Arenado Continues Resurgent Campaign, Worthy of a Waiver-Wire Pickup?
Arizona Diamondbacks veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado is beginning to turn things around offensively in his first year in the desert. The 35-year-old eight-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and a strikeout in Monday night's 12-2 rout of the division-rival San Francisco Giants and has hit .320/.417/.598 with seven home runs, 22 RBI, 21 runs scored, and a stolen base in his last 30 games. After a slow start to his D-backs tenure, Arenado has gotten hot and is now sporting a .272 batting average (40-for-147) with a .347 on-base percentage, .463 slugging percentage, and .810 OPS with seven long balls, 25 RBI, 25 runs, and a steal in 44 games played in his 14th year in the big leagues. It's nice to see from a player who had been on the decline offensively in recent years with the St. Louis Cardinals. Fantasy managers looking to ride the hot hand should consider adding Arenado off the waiver wire for a boost. He's available in just over 70% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Twins Send Struggling Royce Lewis to the Minors
The Minnesota Twins optioned struggling third baseman Royce Lewis to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, multiple league sources told Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Lewis is striking out a career-high 31.1% of the time at the plate and is slashing an ugly .163/.261/.279 with three home runs and 13 RBI through 119 plate appearances so far in 2026. Since returning from a stint on the injured list on April 21, he has a .380 OPS and 25 strikeouts across his 74 plate appearances. The 26-year-old former first overall pick in 2017 worked on his swing in the offseason and had an .822 OPS through his first dozen games played while taking free passes and displaying plenty of power. But since spraining his knee in early April, Lewis has not looked the same. The Twins are hoping to get him back to his early-season form with some work in the minors before eventually calling him back up to the big leagues. With Lewis at St. Paul for the time being, the Twins are expected to use Tristan Gray primarily at the hot corner in Minnesota. In a career-high 106 games in 2025, Lewis slashed .237/.283/.388 with a career-worst .671 OPS, 13 homers, 52 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 403 plate appearances.
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes
JR Ritchie Demoted to Triple-A
The Atlanta Braves announced on Tuesday that they optioned right-hander JR Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett following Monday night's game against the Miami Marlins. Ritchie, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, didn't allow more than three earned runs in his first four major-league starts for the Braves after making his MLB debut on April 23 with a strong performance against the Washington Nationals, but he will head back to the farm after he surrendered six earned runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in four innings in a 12-0 loss to the division-rival Miami Marlins on Monday night. The 22-year-old former 35th overall pick in 2022 is now 1-1 on the year with a 4.91 ERA (5.72 FIP) and 1.48 WHIP with 21 strikeouts and 16 walks in 25 2/3 frames across his first five major-league starts. Ritchie should be back with the Braves at some point in 2026, but for now, veteran left-hander Martin Perez will likely take his spot in the starting rotation. Ritchie is still deserving of being stashed in deeper fantasy leagues, although he's only rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Atlanta Braves
Source: Atlanta Braves
Braves Place Drake Baldwin on Injured List With Oblique Strain
The Atlanta Braves announced on Tuesday that they placed catcher Drake Baldwin (oblique) on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique muscle and selected the contract of catcher Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move. Baldwin suffered the injury in the blowout loss to the division-rival Miami Marlins on Monday, and he's likely to spend more than 10 days on the shelf. With Sean Murphy (finger) also sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Braves will split the catching duties going forward between Tromp and veteran Sandy Leon. Fantasy managers will want to avoid that situation. The 25-year-old Baldwin, last year's National League Rookie of the Year, needs to be held in all fantasy baseball leagues as one of the top catchers in the game in just his second year in the majors. The former third-rounder in 2022 out of Missouri State is currently slashing a healthy .303/.389/.543 with a .931 OPS, 13 home runs, and 38 RBI in 48 games played. Baldwin had 19 homers and 80 RBI as a rookie in 124 games in 2025.
Source: Atlanta Braves
Source: Atlanta Braves
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
