March 31, 2026
Chicago White Sox infielder
Munetaka Murakami is making the start at first base and will bat second again on Tuesday for a matchup against the hosting Miami Marlins and right-hander
Janson Junk, according to MLB.com. In his first year in the U.S., Murakami is off to a strong start for the Pale Hose, going 4-for-14 (.286) with three solo home runs, five runs scored, four walks, and five strikeouts in his first four games. If he continues to hit this well and display solid plate discipline, the 26-year-old left-handed hitter could hit near the top of Chicago's lineup all year long. We knew that Murakami had plenty of power -- he hit 246 home runs in eight seasons in Japan -- but we just didn't know how quickly he might adapt to major-league pitching. The early returns are very positive, and he'll have a plus matchup on Tuesday at LoanDepot Park.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
Addison Barger is on the bench again for Tuesday's game against the visiting Colorado Rockies at the Rogers Centre, according to MLB.com. Barger will begin on the bench for the second time in the team's five games to begin the 2026 season, and he's currently hitless in his first 15 plate appearances of the year with two RBI, two walks, and five strikeouts in four games played.
Nathan Lukes will get the start in right field and will bat fifth for Toronto against Rockies right-hander
Ryan Feltner. It's not time to panic just yet for Barger's fantasy managers, but it's a pretty rough start. In his first full major-league season in 2025, Barger hit .243/.301/.454 with a .756 OPS, 21 home runs, 74 RBI, and 61 runs scored in 135 games. He was outstanding in 17 postseason games, going 22-for-60 (.367) with three homers and nine RBI, perhaps inflating his 2026 fantasy value in redraft leagues. Lukes has never faced Feltner in his career.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
San Francisco Giants shortstop
Willy Adames is back in the leadoff spot for the Gigantes for Tuesday night's game at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres and right-hander
German Marquez, according to MLB.com. Adames went 1-for-4 out of the leadoff spot in Monday night's win over the Friars, the Giants' first win of the 2026 season. The 30-year-old Dominican infielder has just two hits in his first 15 plate appearances of the year through four games with no walks and six strikeouts, but he'll be a popular DFS choice atop the batting order against a pitcher that he's fared well against in his career. Adames has a .364 batting average and a 1.567 OPS with three home runs and five RBI against Marquez in 11 career at-bats. Tuesday's game will be just the fourth time that Adames has hit leadoff in his nine-year MLB career. With Adames at leadoff, infielder
Luis Arraez will be one of the lightest-hitting cleanup men in the game for the second straight contest.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies top prospect
Aidan Miller (back) has yet to swing a bat as he recovers from a lingering back injury, although manager Rob Thomson said on Tuesday that Miller's activities have increased, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Miller, who is considered the No. 9 overall shortstop prospect, started the 2026 season on the injured list at Triple-A Lehigh Valley due to a back injury that he's dealt with since last fall. The Phillies aren't going to rush the 21-year-old top prospect, especially after he was unable to play at all during spring training. The former 27th overall pick in 2023 hit .264/.392/.433 with an .825 OPS, 14 home runs, 42 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 59 stolen bases in 116 games with Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley in 2025. Miller is currently blocked at the big-league level at shortstop by
Trea Turner, but the Phillies will find a spot for him, potentially at third or second, when he's ready. At the rate he's going with his back rehab, Miller might not be a candidate to make his MLB debut in Philly until the second half of 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Todd Zolecki
March 31, 2026
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Jarren Duran will get a breather in the early going on Tuesday for a matchup at Daikin Park against the Houston Astros, according to MLB.com. With Duran starting on the bench,
Masataka Yoshida draws into the lineup as Boston's designated hitter and will bat third against Astros right-hander
Hunter Brown. Duran could use a break early on in 2026, as he's gone 2-for-13 (.154) with an RBI, two runs scored, two stolen bases, four walks, and four strikeouts in 18 plate appearances over four games played. He has gone hitless in the last three games after picking up two hits on Opening Day last week. Fantasy managers shouldn't be concerned at all with Duran's slow start just yet. Yoshida is in a nice lineup spot for DFS, but the matchup is a difficult one against one of the best young right-handers in the game. He's also hitless in six career at-bats versus Brown.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
The Philadelphia Phillies have outfielder/designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber taking ground balls at first base on Tuesday before their game against the division-rival Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park, according to Jeff Kerr of ESPN. Schwarber has only played first base in nine games at the big-league level. He's serving as the designated hitter and is batting out of the two-hole for Tuesday's game versus Nationals left-hander
PJ Poulin, while
Bryce Harper remains at first base. It's unclear if Schwarber will actually be a realistic option to play the cold corner this year, but it would give the Phillies another option at the position if they want to get Harper off his feet and use him as the DH. We'd be surprised if Schwarber plays enough at first in 2026 to add eligibility for his fantasy managers at the position. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star provides elite power in fantasy after clubbing a league-high 56 homers in 162 regular-season games in 2025. He currently has only two hits (one homer) in his 18 plate appearances in the first four games of the year.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Kerr
March 31, 2026
New York Mets infielder
Jorge Polanco (Achilles), who is dealing with some minor Achilles soreness, is absent from the team's starting lineup on Tuesday at Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals, according to MLB.com. With Polanco getting a day off to rest -- he's expected to serve in the DH role until he gets over his injury --
Mark Vientos is the DH and will bat sixth against Cardinals right-hander
Andre Pallante.
Jared Young is starting at first base for the second straight game and will hit fifth for the Mets. Vientos could be a sneaky DFS play on Tuesday, as he's homered in four career at-bats against Pallante. In his first four games with the Mets, Polanco is off to a slow start, going 3-for-15 (.200) with a double, two runs scored, an RBI, five walks, and two strikeouts in 20 plate appearances. The Dominican switch-hitter will be a lineup regular who can provide underrated pop for fantasy managers when he's healthy, but the problem is that he has a history of lower-body injuries, and the fact that he's already dealing with something in the first week isn't a great sign.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
Jake Fraley (shoulder) is starting in right field and batting cleanup for the Rays in his return to the lineup on Tuesday versus Milwaukee Brewers right-hander
Brandon Woodruff at American Family Field, according to MLB.com. Fraley is making his return after being scratched from Sunday's series finale. He was also held out of the first game of the series against the Brewers on Monday. It's not a great matchup for Fraley for DFS purposes, but he's in a great lineup spot to drive in some runs for Tampa. In six career at-bats against Woodruff, Fraley is hitting .167 with a .500 OPS in the small sample size. In his first two games with the Rays in 2026, Fraley has gone 1-for-6 with two strikeouts at the plate. There is plenty of competition at the corner-outfield spots in Tampa this year, so the left-handed-hitting Fraley is going to need to produce and stay healthy to keep a strong-side platoon role in right field.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
Athletics first baseman
Nick Kurtz hit leadoff for the team in the first four games of the 2026 season, but with Atlanta Braves left-hander
Jose Suarez on the mound on Tuesday, Kurtz will drop down to third in the batting order, per MLB.com. The power-hitting left-hander looked amazing in his MLB debut with the A's last year, hitting .290/.383/.619 with a 1.002 OPS, 36 home runs, 86 RBI, and 90 runs scored in 489 plate appearances over 117 games played. The former fourth overall pick out of Wake Forest in 2024 is off to a slot start in 2026, though, going 1-for-13 with three runs scored, a stolen base, four walks, and eight strikeouts in four games played. Kurtz really struggled against southpaws in his rookie season, going 27-for-137 (.197) against them with nine of his 36 homers and a .685 OPS. With Kurtz dropping to third in the lineup, shortstop
Jacob Wilson will jump up to the leadoff spot against a lefty on Tuesday at Truist Park.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander
Cody Ponce (knee) has been diagnosed with a right ACL sprain after having to be carted off the field in his 2026 season debut on Monday night against the Colorado Rockies, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. More doctors will review Ponce's MRI results to see if there's a full tear for the final diagnosis. Manager John Schneider said the team is "holding onto" hope that he can pitch again this year, but regardless, he's going to miss "significant time." It's a tough break for the 31-year-old veteran, who was making his first start back in the big leagues on Monday since 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Before leaving with his knee injury, Ponce allowed an earned run while walking one and striking out three in 2 1/3 innings of work. He'll likely be placed on the 15-day injured list in the coming days, adding further stress to an already thinned-out Blue Jays starting rotation early on in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
March 31, 2026
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Foul Territory on Tuesday that the odds of shortstop
Gunnar Henderson signing a long-term contract extension with the Baltimore Orioles are likely "extremely low." Henderson is represented by super-agent Scott Boras, which means he's unlikely to agree to an under-market deal for the sake of long-term stability. As Rosenthal notes, Boras prefers to see his clients reach the open market so that they can sell their services to the highest bidder. If the 24-year-old reaches the open market, he'll be one of the top players available in free agency. Henderson was a first-time All-Star in 2024 and had a monster season, slashing .281/.364/.529 with an .893 OPS, 37 home runs, 92 RBI, 118 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases in 719 plate appearances over 159 regular-season games. He came back down to Earth in 2025 with a .274/.349/.438 slash line, 17 homers, 68 RBI, and 30 stolen bases in 154 games, but he's still one of the premier shortstops in the league in his prime. We wouldn't be surprised if Henderson posts his first 30-30 season in 2026 if he stays healthy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ken Rosenthal
March 31, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Tuesday that they optioned catching prospect
Jeferson Quero back to Triple-A Nashville and selected the contract of outfielder
Luis Matos to the active roster in a corresponding move. The Brewers acquired Matos, a former top prospect, from the Giants in a minor trade on Monday. Milwaukee temporarily called up their top catching prospect late last week after first baseman
Andrew Vaughn (hand) landed on the 10-day injured list, but Quero only saw two plate appearances, walking and grounding out. Quero is already one of the best defensive catching prospects in baseball, but he'll head back to the farm for more seasoning with the bat after missing extended time in recent seasons due to a shoulder injury in the minors. For now, the Brewers will move forward with starter
William Contreras and backup
Gary Sanchez at catcher.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milwaukee Brewers
March 31, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman
Andrew Vaughn (hand) had surgery on Monday for the fractured hamate bone in his left hand and will begin post-operation rehab on Tuesday, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Vaughn is expected to return in the middle of May, barring a setback. The Brewers placed Vaughn on the 10-day injured list on Saturday. With Vaughn sidelined for the first month-plus of the 2026 regular season,
Jake Bauers and
Gary Sanchez figure to split playing time at first base for the Brew Crew. If you haven't already done so in deeper fantasy leagues, Bauers is worth considering as a short-term boost for bench depth with more playing time. In his first four games, he's gone 4-for-15 (.267) with a home run, three RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base. Vaughn, a former third overall pick in 2019 by the White Sox out of Cal, will be hoping he can pick up where he left off last year in Milwaukee (.308 average with nine homers and 46 RBI in 64 games) when he returns from his hand injury in May.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
March 31, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera is behind the dish to catch right-hander
Andre Pallante for Tuesday's matchup against the visiting New York Mets and right-hander
Kodai Senga, according to MLB.com. Herrera is off to a cold start offensively, going 2-for-17 (.118) with a double, two RBI, and one strikeout in four games played, but the main takeaway is that he's already had two starts at catcher, so he should quickly regain catcher eligibility for fantasy managers. The 25-year-old native of Panama hit a strong .284/.373/.464 with an .837 OPS, 19 home runs, 66 RBI, 54 runs scored, and even eight stolen bases in 452 plate appearances in 107 games in 2025 in his first full year in the majors, but he didn't play at all on defense in the second half due to injuries. Durability is a real concern for the Cardinals catcher, but Herrera's solid contact rate and batted-ball metrics make him an intriguing catching option in fantasy leagues as long as he can stay on the field. He has never faced Senga in his career.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 31, 2026
Detroit Tigers outfield prospect
Max Clark is getting his first taste of Triple-A this year, and although he's just 2-for-10 (.200) to begin the season, the Tigers' second-ranked prospect has walked four times compared to just one strikeout, and has stolen one base in each of his first three games played for Toledo thus far. The former third-overall draft pick split time between High-A and Double-A last season, registering a .271/.403/.432 slash line with 14 home runs and 19 steals in 111 games. The left-handed slugger has shown better-than-average strikeout and walk rates throughout his time in the minors and could be in store for a big season at Triple-A. The 21-year-old has the potential to be a multi-category producer for fantasy and should be long stashed away in dynasty leagues, however, with a chance for a late-season call-up, he should also be on the redraft radar.
--Jarod RuppSource: MiLB.com
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