April 15, 2026
Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever
Porter Hodge (elbow) will have UCL surgery on his right elbow and will miss the rest of the season, according to Taylor McGregor of the Marquee Sports Network. Hodge initially was placed on the 15-day injured list going into the regular season after being diagnosed with a flexor strain in his forearm. Given the timing of his injury and depending on what exact type of surgery he has on his elbow, there's a chance that Hodge won't even be ready for the start of the 2027 campaign. The 25-year-old former 13th-round pick in 2019 made 75 appearances out of Chicago's bullpen the last two seasons, posting a 3.79 ERA (4.11 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 11 saves, 37 walks, and 92 strikeouts in 76 total innings pitched.
--Keith HernandezSource: Marquee Sports Network - Taylor McGregor
April 15, 2026
New York Yankees left-hander
Carlos Rodon (elbow, hamstring) will throw a live batting practice session at Double-A Somerset on Saturday, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. If Rodon comes out of Saturday's session without any setbacks, he will most likely be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment. The veteran left-hander is still recovering from surgery to remove a bone spur from his left elbow in October, and he also recently suffered a minor right-hamstring injury. The 33-year-old will need plenty of time to build up with around three to four rehab starts, which means he could be ready to make his 2026 season debut sometime in early May. Rodon deserves to be stashed in an injured list spot in fantasy baseball leagues, as he'll have a rotation spot waiting for him when he's finally cleared to return. He was an All-Star for the third time in 2025 and had a nice 3.09 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 203 strikeouts and 73 walks in 33 starts for the Yanks.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Daily News - Gary Phillips
April 15, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy admitted on Wednesday that he could be considering a change at closer going into the game against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, according to Brewers reporter Sophia Minnaert. "This isn't about who deserves it. This is about who's appropriate to win the game tonight. So it might be (Trevor) Megill, it might be something different. And quite frankly, it was that way last night," Murphy said. Megill allowed three runs on Tuesday night to blow the save against Toronto, and he's allowed eight earned runs on eight hits while walking four and striking out five in his first five innings pitched in 2026. Megill recorded 51 saves for the Brewers in 2024 and 2025 combined, but they might be about to go in another direction in the ninth inning. Right-hander
Abner Uribe would be the obvious candidate for save chances going forward, making him a speculative waiver-wire addition for those scrounging for saves in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sophia Minnaert
April 15, 2026
Boston Red Sox shortstop
Trevor Story did a lot of damage at the plate in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the hosting Minnesota Twins at Target Field in the series finale. Story finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate with five RBI, a three-run home run, and a walk. In addition to his three-run blast, Story had a two-run double to drive in five total runs on the day. Despite only hitting .208 on the year with a .560 OPS after Wednesday's performance, Story already has two home runs and 17 RBI in his first 18 games played. The 33-year-old two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner might finally be starting to break out of his early-season funk at the plate. Sticking in the middle of Boston's batting order will help Story deliver plenty of run production for his fantasy managers if he can stay healthy. Last year was the first time that Story played in over 100 games with the team in his fourth year in Beantown.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 15, 2026
The Colorado Rockies announced on Wednesday that they placed left-hander
Kyle Freeland (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 13) with left-shoulder inflammation. The team reinstated left-hander
Jose Quintana (hamstring) from the 15-day IL in a corresponding move, and he will start Wednesday's game on the road against the Houston Astros. It's unclear if the 32-year-old Freeland will be ready to return from the IL when he's eligible near the end of this month. Freeland was pitching well in the early going in 2026, allowing only four earned runs with four walks and 13 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings pitched in his first three starts. He was scratched from his last scheduled start over the weekend on Sunday in San Diego due to shoulder tightness. If it's just inflammation bothering Freeland and nothing else, this shouldn't be an extended stay on the IL. For at least several turns through the starting rotation, the veteran Quintana will get another shot with the Rockies.
--Keith HernandezSource: Rockies Club Information
April 15, 2026
The Colorado Rockies announced on Wednesday that they activated left-hander
Jose Quintana (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list. Quintana will make the start on Wednesday against the Houston Astros. It will be his second start of the year for Colorado after allowing two earned runs with four walks and two strikeouts in a no-decision in 4 1/3 innings of work against the Miami Marlins on March 29. The 37-year-old veteran southpaw didn't make any minor-league rehab starts, so he will most likely be on a pretty short leash and won't be in play for a win or quality start for fantasy managers. Quintana is in his 15th major-league season and doesn't have much upside, especially with a 20.6% career strikeout rate. The Astros offense is second in team OPS (.802), so it's a bad matchup for Quintana to be returning to. For now, he'll take the rotation spot of left-hander
Kyle Freeland, who landed on the IL on Wednesday with shoulder inflammation.
--Keith HernandezSource: Rockies Club Information
April 15, 2026
The Houston Astros placed right-hander
Cody Bolton (back) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 13) on Wednesday with right mid-back inflammation, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. For now, right-hander
Spencer Arrighetti will come up from Triple-A Sugar Land to replace Bolton in Houston's starting rotation. With the Astros' rotation missing multiple starting arms, Arrighetti could stick around for a while if he pitches well. The 27-year-old Bolton left his last start early on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners with back tightness, and now he'll be forced to miss at least a couple turns through the rotation. In addition to Bolton,
Hunter Brown,
Cristian Javier, and
Tatsuya Imai are all on the IL in Houston. When the dust settles and some of those pitchers start returning from their injuries, Bolton may not have a rotation spot to come back to, depending on when he heals up. Bolton had a 5.40 ERA and 1.68 WHIP with 11 K's and seven walks in 8 1/3 innings over three outings (two starts) before his injury, and he has a career 5.72 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in 50 1/3 major-league seasons since the start of 2023.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
April 15, 2026
The Houston Astros recalled right-hander
Spencer Arrighetti from Triple-A Sugar Land, and he will make the start on Wednesday at Daikin Park against the Colorado Rockies, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. In a corresponding move, the Astros put another starting pitcher on the 15-day injured list in right-hander
Cody Bolton (back). The Astros are hoping that Arrighetti can provide some stability for their beaten-up rotation and that he can keep the momentum going after he posted a 1.26 ERA and 0.77 WHIP with 20 strikeouts and six walks in 14 1/3 innings over his three starts at Sugar Land. The 26-year-old former sixth-round pick in 2021 had a 4.69 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with a 202:85 K:BB in 180 1/3 innings pitched over 36 appearances (35 starts) in 2024 and 2025 in his first two major-league seasons with the Astros. Arrighetti could continue to be a volatile matchup-based streamer in fantasy if he doesn't improve his control and learn how to limit the home run ball.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
April 15, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect
Trey Yesavage (shoulder) tossed 4 1/3 innings on Wednesday in his latest minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo. Yesavage allowed three earned runs on seven hits (two home runs) while walking one and striking out five batters. The 22-year-old allowed five earned runs with two walks and nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in his first two rehab appearances at Single-A Dunedin. He was hit around a bit in his start on Wednesday, and his velocity was down a bit, but the positive is that he appears to be fully healthy. Yesavage got up to 71 pitches at Buffalo, and it could end up being his final rehab start before the Blue Jays activate him from the 15-day injured list. A right-shoulder impingement put Yesavage on the IL to begin the 2026 season. Yesavage has high-end starting-pitching upside for fantasy managers in dynasty leagues, but he should be rostered everywhere. Those in redraft formats will need to be patient, as the Jays figure to limit his workload in his first full big-league campaign.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milb.com
April 15, 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect
Konnor Griffin is getting the day off on Wednesday against the visiting Washington Nationals at PNC Park, according to MLB.com.
Nick Gonzales will make the start at the 6 and will bat sixth, with
Nick Yorke starting at third and hitting eighth against Nationals right-hander
Jake Irvin. Griffin is still a teenager and won't turn 20 until April 24, but he's baseball's top overall prospect in 2026. The former ninth overall pick in 2024 didn't make the Opening Day roster, but he quickly joined the club and will be the team's starting shortstop for the foreseeable future. Griffin has incredible five-category upside in fantasy baseball, but he's gotten off to a slow start in his MLB career. In his first 11 games, he's gone 7-for-37 (.189) with two doubles, five RBI, a stolen base, five runs scored, three walks, and 12 strikeouts. It might take Griffin a bit to adjust to the speed of the majors, but he should be rostered in all formats and could quickly become a must-start player in all formats. Gonzales has faced Irvin three times in his career and has a hit and two RBI against him.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
April 15, 2026
The Chicago White Sox officially have recalled outfield/infield prospect
Sam Antonacci from Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Antonacci will receive his first big-league call-up after going 15-for-48 (.313) with two home runs, seven RBI, five stolen bases, and six runs scored in 14 games at Charlotte. The 23-year-old is ranked as Chicago's No. 9 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he could see regular playing time against right-handed pitching in the majors at various positions. Antonacci has mostly played left field in the minors in 2026, but he also has experience at all four infield spots down on the farm. He has a compact swing from the left side of the plate and plenty of plate discipline for a young prospect. There's not a ton of power with Antonacci, but he's worth considering off the waiver wire in deeper leagues for his potential speed contributions. In the long term, second base might be his best path to regular playing time.
UPDATE: Antonacci is starting at second base and is batting fifth in his MLB debut on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.--Keith HernandezSource: 670 The Score - Bruce Levine
April 15, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher
Matthew Liberatore allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out just two in five innings of work in his latest start on Monday, taking the loss in the 9-3 defeat at the hands of the Guardians. It is the second straight start in which the southpaw yielded four earned runs after allowing just two earned runs combined in his first two starts of the season. The outing pushed the 6-foot-4 hurler's ERA to 4.29 (6.26 FIP) with a 1.57 WHIP and a paltry 4.3 percent K-BB% in 21 innings pitched. Last season's final numbers looked similar to his career rates, with a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and a 7.24 K/9, and there is nothing to indicate he'll outperform that this season. If he were racking up the strikeouts, fantasy managers might be able to live with the high ERA and WHIP, but in the absence of that, there is little reason to hold on to the former first-rounder except in perhaps very deep leagues where pitching is scarce.
--Jarod RuppSource: ESPN
April 15, 2026
Los Angeles Angels outfielder
Jorge Soler's suspension by Major League Baseball has been reduced to four games, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Soler will start serving his four-game suspension on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Braves, and it will run through Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres. The league initially gave Soler a seven-game suspension for his role in a fight when the team faced the Braves last week. Fantasy managers must make sure to remove Soler from their lineups for the rest of the week. Through his first 65 at-bats with the Angels in 2026, Soler is hitting .231 (15-for-65) with five home runs, a league-high 18 RBI, and 13 runs scored in 18 games played. The 34-year-old Cuban slugger will probably never help fantasy managers in batting average, but his power remains intriguing when he's clicking.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Rhett Bollinger
April 15, 2026
Cincinnati Reds closer
Emilio Pagan (hamstring) said he felt his hamstring get a little tight on Tuesday night, but he never felt it pop, according to Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. Pagan is pain-free, received treatment on Wednesday morning, and played catch fine. "Looking like we dodged a bullet," Pagan said. "Playing catch, I felt pretty good. My delivery didn't change." The Reds' coaching staff will discuss whether Pagan will be available for Wednesday's game against the San Francisco Giants. For now, fantasy managers should consider Pagan to be day-to-day. The 34-year-old veteran has five saves in his first nine relief outings in 2026, but he's also allowed five earned runs on six hits (two homers) while walking six and striking out nine in 9 1/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers desperate for saves might want to think about a speculative pickup of right-hander
Tony Santillan, who is likely the next up for saves in Cincy if Pagan's condition worsens.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX 19 - Charlie Goldsmith
April 15, 2026
Seattle Mariners outfielder
Luke Raley went 1-for-3 with a walk on Tuesday in a 4-1 loss to the Padres, and is now 7-for-12 (.583) over his last three games. The left-handed slugger began the year by hitting a home run in three straight games, and is now slashing .296/.356/.556 with seven extra-base hits this season with a .401 wOBA and 165 wRC+. The trouble for season-long fantasy is that he doesn't get much play against left-handed pitchers, and so far this season, it is pretty extreme, with the 31-year-old logging just one plate appearance against southpaws compared to 58 PA against right-handers. Still, interested managers looking for some power production can find him on the waiver wire in 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and the Mariners don't face a left-handed starter until this coming Sunday.
--Jarod RuppSource: ESPN
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