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Kaelen Culpepper On the Verge of MLB Debut?
Minnesota Twins infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper is on the verge of his MLB debut and makes a strong case to be viewed as the overall No. 1-hitting prospect to stash ahead of Week 8. Culpepper has looked quite comfortable throughout the early going of the Triple-A campaign and could provide a much-needed spark to the Minnesota roster. Through his first 36 games against Triple-A pitching, the infielder has posted a strong .253/.345/.460 slash line with seven doubles, eight home runs, and eight stolen bases. During this stint, he has struck out 35 times but drawn a solid 20 walks. Last summer, he spent his time with High-A and Double-A nd looked just as comfortable, hitting 20 home runs while swiping 25 bags. With Byron Buxton potentially in danger of missing time and the Twins not receiving consistent offense from Luke Keaschall and Royce Lewis, Culpepper could be in the mix to debut in the immediate future.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Jorge Polanco Receives Injection, Return Date Unclear
New York Mets first baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco (Achilles, wrist) received a platelet-rich plasma injection around a month ago in an effort to support his recovery from an Achilles injury, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. Polanco last played on April 14, and his return date remains unclear, even though he is taking batting practice. He initially went on the 10-day injured list with a wrist injury, but his Achilles problem started first and has lingered. President of baseball operations David Stearns said on Tuesday that Polanco's Achilles tendon needs to be "asymptomatic" before the team knows when he'll return. The 32-year-old veteran has gone just 10-for-56 (.179) with one home run in 14 games in his first season with the Mets, and he's one of cour regular missing from the lineup due to injury, including shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf), outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (back), and catcher Francisco Alvarez (knee). Polanco had an .821 OPS with 26 homers last year for the Mariners in 138 games, but he's also had a history of lower-body injuries. He's currently rostered in only 26% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: The Athletic - Will Sammon
Source: The Athletic - Will Sammon
Tyler Glasnow Won't be Ready to Return Next Weekend
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow (back) is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list next weekend (May 22), but manager Dave Roberts told Jack Harris of The California Post that he won't be ready by then. Glasnow has been playing catch the last few days, but it's unclear when he'll throw off a mound again. Roberts said the Dodgers are taking their time with his recovery. A report on Thursday made it seem like Glasnow might be ready when eligible, but the Dodgers are pumping the brakes on that. It makes sense for the Dodgers to slow-play the oft-injured 32-year-old veteran. But barring a setback, Glasnow should return to L.A.'s starting rotation before the end of May. In the meantime, Glasnow is a must-stash fantasy pitcher in all formats for his strikeout upside when healthy. He's been solid in his seven starts for the Dodgers this year, going 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA with a 0.83 WHIP and 49 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings pitched. When Glasnow is ready to return, Roki Sasaki will likely be moved to the bullpen, unless the Dodgers move to a six-man rotation.
Source: The California Post - Jack Harris
Source: The California Post - Jack Harris
Josh Jung Making Massive Improvements in 2026
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung has had a phenomenal season thus far in 2026, slashing .325/.372/.510 with five home runs, 19 runs scored, 20 RBI, and one stolen base through 151 at-bats. He is impacting the ball tremendously, with a 47.6 percent hard-hit rate, 90.4 mph average exit velocity, and also owns a .309 xBA, which is supporting his breakout. Additionally, his plate discipline has improved dramatically, as his career strikeout rate is 26.6 percent, and this year it's down to 15.9 percent. This season, Jung is looking like a new hitter, and it's paying dividends for fantasy managers that are rostering him, especially at the third base position, which is fairly thin in fantasy baseball. Over the past seven days, Jung is slashing .375/.375/.542 with a double and a home run. He is entering must-add territory in all formats based on his consistent production, and if fantasy managers see him on the waiver wire, they should consider adding him to their roster.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Ryan Waldschmidt a Priority Add With Five-Category Potential?
Arizona Diamondbacks top-ranked prospect and MLB's 51st-ranked prospect, outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt, was called up to the big-league club on May 8 after the team traded Alek Thomas to the Dodgers, clearing the path for Waldschmidt to take advantage of the opportunity he's been given. Through 19 plate appearances, he's collected five hits, three RBI, one walk, one run, and one walk. Waldschmidt is a solid pure hitter with five category potential, as he slashed .289/.419/.473 with 18 home runs, 114 runs scored, 78 RBI, 29 stolen bases on the minors last year, and started 2026 in Triple-A, where he had a similar slash line of .289/.400/.477 with three home runs, 30 runs scored, 22 RBI, and six stolen bases through 156 plate appearences. In other words, he has performed and done it at every stop through his minor league career, so now it's a matter of taking off with his opportunity at the majors, and if he does, he will be a solid contributor to all five categories, making him a must-add player in five outfield leagues.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
A.J. Ewing a Priority Target After Hot Start
New York Mets outfielder A.J. Ewing, who is the Mets' third-ranked prospect and MLB's 85th-ranked prospect, has been making a splash since getting called up on May 12. Ewing was called up because Luis Robert's (back) recovery is not going well, and the Mets' offense has needed a spark, and Ewing has delivered thus far, going 3-for-9 with a triple, home run, three RBI, one stolen base, and four runs scored over three games started. Ewing has delivered at every stop across the minors, hitting .339 in 2026 and .315 in 2025. His bat-to-ball skills and speed are elite, making him a strong play in points leagues, but if he can continue to showcase some power as he did on Thursday, the upside is unlimited. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to all of a sudden showcase decent to even good power now that he's at the MLB level, but he should be a solid contributor to batting average, runs, and steals, especially if he is going to be getting moved up to the top of the Mets batting order and batting around Juan Soto.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Louis Varland a Must-Add Arm for Saves
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Louis Varland appears to have fully taken over the closer role for the Blue Jays. Since it was announced by the team on April 21 that they would be moving to Varland as their closer, he has now converted all five of his save opportunities, solidifying himself as the clear favorite after because of a struggling Jeff Hoffman's struggles. Varland has been outstanding this season, regardless of the situation, with a 0.42 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, along with 32 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. In addition to his five saves, he also has three holds, as he was generally used as a high-leverage arm for the Blue Jays prior to being called upon as the ninth-inning guy. In formats where you prioritize saves, Varland is a must-add, as he has worked his way into being a top-10 closer in baseball, so long as he continues to get the opportunities, which appears to be the case.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Logan Henderson a Must-Add Starting Pitcher?
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson has been solid since getting called back up to the Brewers rotation on May 3 in place of Brandon Woodruff (shoulder). Over his two starts since the callup, he has started two games, thrown 11 innings, allowed seven hits, four earned runs, one walk, and 13 strikeouts. For his career, he has now made eight starts and owns a 2.58 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 31 1/3 innings pitched. Henderson features an elite changeup and a solid fastball with an above-average induced vertical break of 17.9 inches, which compensates for his fastball velocity being on the lower end (93.1 average mph). Regardless of his arsenal, over eight MLB starts, Henderson has proved he belongs, and he's been extremely effective when he's been called up, making him a must-roster player so long as he stays in the rotation. Henderson figures to remain in the rotation as long as Woodruff remains sidelined, with the upside to stay in if he continues to pitch well.
Source: Baseball Savant
Source: Baseball Savant
Michael Wacha a Sell-High Candidate?
Kansas City Royals veteran right-hander Michael Wacha hit a rough patch in a two-start stretch on April 22 and April 29 against the Baltimore Orioles and Athletics, respectively, allowing a combined 10 earned runs on 15 hits (two homers) while walking six and striking out 10 in 10 1/3 innings. Outside of those two bad outings, though, Wacha has produced a quality start in each of his other six starts this year, including just two earned runs given up with three walks and nine punchouts in 14 innings in his last two outings versus the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers. The 34-year-old 14-year MLB veteran is currently 4-2 with a 2.63 ERA (3.85 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with 42 strikeouts and 17 walks in 51 1/3 innings in his third year with the Royals as he heads into his next start on Friday against his former squad, the St. Louis Cardinals. Although Wacha, who doesn't throw hard, hasn't had an ERA over 4.00 since 2021, he's a sell-high candidate in fantasy because of his lack of strikeout upside. Wacha currently sports a 20.9% strikeout rate, which ranks in the 43rd percentile, and his xwOBA ranks in the 63rd percentile through the first month and a half.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Clay Holmes has Been Rolling in Second Season With Mets
New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes, who was a former reliever with the crosstown-rival New York Yankees, has been outstanding through eight starts in his second season in Queens in 2026. The 33-year-old two-time All-Star heads into his next scheduled start on Friday against the Yankees with a 4-3 record, 1.86 ERA (3.44 FIP), and 1.01 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 16 walks in 48 1/3 innings pitched. Holmes hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his outings this year. In his first year in the big leagues as a full-time starter for the Mets in 2025, Holmes finished with a 12-8 record, 3.53 ERA (4.11 FIP), 1.30 WHIP, and 129:66 K:BB across 165 2/3 frames and 33 outings (31 starts). Under the hood, Holmes has been a bit fortunate to be pitching so well so far in 2026, which makes him an obvious sell-high candidate. His xwOBA sits at .308 (currently .248), and his expected ERA is almost two runs higher at 3.75. Additionally, Holmes' strikeout rate last year was well below-average at 18.2%, and it's not much better this year at 19.3%. Regression could come quickly, possibly on Friday night against his former team.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Seiya Suzuki Cooling Off After Hot Stretch
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki was on an unbelievable run at the plate, but he has cooled off lately. Over the last week, Suzuki is 2-for-17 at the plate with one home run, two RBI, and four walks. The veteran slugger is hitless over his last four games, as it appears Suzuki is coming back down to Earth. It was eventually going to happen, but fantasy managers still might be able to sell-high on Suzuki despite some recent struggles. It wasn't too long ago that no pitcher was able to get him out. Over the last month, Suzuki has recorded 26 hits with seven home runs. Fantasy managers might be able to sell him on the hopes that he'll return to that form soon.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Chase DeLauter is Still Looking for Power
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter has been posting decent results with the bat, but continues searching for power. Over the last month, DeLauter has gone 27-for-93 at the plate with one home run, 14 RBI, and 13 walks. His ability to draw walks is encouraging, but the lack of power has certainly been frustrating for fantasy managers. The rookie outfielder has six home runs on the season, but most of them came at the beginning of the year. He has only blasted one home run this month, but has been able to salvage his fantasy value in other ways. Fantasy managers might want to try to move DeLauter while his results are still solid right now.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Ryne Nelson is Gaining Traction After Another Strong Outing
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Ryne Nelson is becoming an intriguing fantasy pickup after posting back-to-back strong outings. On May 8, Nelson tossed 6.2 innings, allowing one earned run while striking out seven batters in a no-decision against the New York Mets. The right-hander continued that success during Wednesday's outing against the Texas Rangers. Nelson threw seven innings, allowing three earned runs while recording a season-high eight punchouts. The 28-year-old has thrown back-to-back quality starts and has a favorable matchup against the San Francisco Giants coming up this week. Fantasy managers in need of a possible streaming option should consider adding Nelson this week.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Max Meyer Keeps Posting Encouraging Numbers
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer finished with mixed results during his most recent outing against the Minnesota Twins. Meyer tossed 5.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out nine batters in the win. The four earned runs are the most that Meyer has allowed in a single start this season. However, the nine punchouts are a season-high for Meyer, so he was able to salvage his fantasy value with those strikeouts. The right-hander will take a 3.21 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 54:17 K:BB ratio into his next outing against the Atlanta Braves. It'll be a two-start week for Meyer with the New York Mets later in the week. The right-hander has mostly given encouraging results throughout the season and is worthy of a look for a two-start week.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Nick Kurtz Heating Up in May
Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz was in a bit of a cold spell at the plate until a few days ago. Kurtz was still hitting for a decent average, but was held without a home run for 15 straight games. That changed on Wednesday when he blasted a grand slam during the A's win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Kurtz continued the fun on Thursday when he smacked a solo shot during their one-run defeat. The left-handed slugger has now put together four multi-hit games over his last six contests. Fantasy managers who were worried about his power numbers should continue to be patient with the 23-year-old.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
