Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (knee) is starting in right field and is batting fifth for the Cubbies in his 2026 season debut on Friday in the series opener against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski at Wrigley Field, according to MLB.com. Suzuki was reinstated from the 15-day injured list on Friday, and he'll immediately enter the starting rotation. The Japanese outfielder sprained his knee on March 14 with Team Japan while playing in the World Baseball Classic. Manager Craig Counsell said that the Cubs will ease Suzuki back into the fold, so fantasy managers should probably expect him to be on the bench for Game 2 of the series against the Bucs on Saturday. The 31-year-old veteran sacrificed some contact for more power last year, hitting a career-high 31 homers and driving in a career-high 103 runs in 151 regular-season games. Hopefully, his knee sprain doesn't sap him of that power in 2026.

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New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil will make his 2026 season debut for the Yankees and start against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Gil was initially sent to the minors to begin the year because the Yankees didn't need a fifth starter for the first few weeks of the season. There will be plenty of pressure for Gil to perform, as his spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy once left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) is ready to return after having left-elbow surgery in the offseason. He had mixed results in his outing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits while walking three and striking out six. Gil's fastball topped out at 96 mph, three mph slower than his hardest pitch in spring training. The cold weather could have played a factor, but the most interesting development was that Gil threw his sinker the most. It's a pitch he debuted in spring training, and the Yankees think the pitch could become a difference-maker for him. The Yankees have also worked on Gil having a higher release point, which they think gives his fastball more deception. A lack of a quality heater derailed Gil's 2025 season after he returned from a lat strain, but if he can improve there and also get more swing and miss with his sinker, a bounce-back in 2026 is possible.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (biceps) will make a minor-league rehab start next week, according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. It's unclear which affiliate Boyd will be making the start for, but regardless, it's a good sign that he'll be back in game action so soon after being placed on the 15-day injured list earlier this week with a left-biceps strain. The veteran left-hander is eligible to be activated from the IL for next weekend's series against the New York Mets, but that's unlikely to happen with his rehab coming at some point next week. However, if Boyd fares well during his rehab start in the minors next week, he should be able to rejoin Chicago's starting rotation before the end of April. The Cubs need all the help they can get in their rotation after they just lost right-hander Cade Horton (elbow) for the season. Perhaps Boyd's early-season struggles can be attributed to his biceps injury, as he has a 6.75 ERA over his first two starts. He also has 17 strikeouts and only three walks in his 9 1/3 innings.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki (knee) will not play every day upon his return from the 10-day injured list, manager Craig Counsell told Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. The Cubs reinstated Suzuki from the IL on Friday, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he's not included in the starting nine for the series opener at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates. The 31-year-old Japanese native sprained his knee back on March 14 in the World Baseball Classic while playing for Team Japan, which is why he wasn't available for the Cubbies to begin the 2026 regular season. His playing time might be sporadic initially, but Suzuki will eventually be an everyday player for Chicago between right field and designated hitter. Suzuki launched the ball more in 2025 in his fourth year in the big leagues, setting career-highs in homers (32) and RBI (103) in 651 plate appearances. The hope is that his knee injury doesn't sap him of that power going forward.

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The Chicago Cubs reinstated outfielder Seiya Suzuki (knee) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and designated outfielder Dylan Carlson for assignment in a corresponding move, according to Taylor McGregor of Watch Marquee Sports. It remains to be seen if Suzuki will make his season debut in Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, so fantasy managers will want to check back for when the Cubs release their starting lineup. Suzuki strained his knee while playing for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic back on March 14, but now that he's back, he should be a lineup regular for Chicago between right field and designated hitter. It will mean less time for Michael Conforto in the outfield. Suzuki's fantasy managers are hoping that his knee injury doesn't sap him of his power after he slugged a career-high 31 homers while driving in 103 in 151 regular-season games in 2025.

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Chicago White Sox right-hander Seranthony Dominguez tallied his second save of the season on Thursday in the White Sox's 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. He had a clean ninth inning, allowing one walk and striking out two Royals batters. Dominguez has now secured two saves in three total opportunities after a disappointing effort in his first save chance, where he allowed two earned runs in 1/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers back on March 29. Since that blown save, Dominguez has recorded three converted on three consecutive scoreless outings and has racked up a win and two saves in that time, and appears to have a clear grip on the closer role for the White Sox so long as he keeps converting his chances to close out games. On the season, Dominguez owns a 3.86 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with five strikeouts and three walks in five appearances.

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Seattle Mariners superstar outfielder Julio Rodriguez is off to a slow start to the season, slashing .143/.250/.143 with zero home runs, zero stolen bases, four runs scored, and two RBI. The Mariners' offense as a whole has been struggling; they rank last in MLB in batting average (.184) and runs per game (3.1), and fourth-worst in strikeout rate (27.6 percent). Rodriguez is notorious for being a second-half player; every year he has been in the Majors (since 2022), his second-half numbers have been better than his first half. Last year, for example, he slashed .252/.313/.417 in the first half and .290/.341/.560 in the second half. In 2024, the same story, .267/.318/.372 in the first half and .285/.336/.482 in the second half. Rodriguez is a superstar in this league and has shown it time and time again, so fantasy managers, although they have every right to be frustrated thus far, should not be throwing in the towel or looking to sell low on him after a slow start to the season.

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Minnesota Twins infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper has enjoyed an impressive start to his time at the Triple-A level and is quickly climbing up the stash rankings. Through his first 11 contests at the top level of the Minnesota system, Culpepper has posted a .283/.365/.500 slash line with one double, three home runs, and a stolen base. Last summer, the former 21st overall selection split time between High-A and Double-A and is now quickly approaching the major leagues. At High-A, Culpepper posted a .293/.385/.479 line with nine long balls. At Double-A, he continued to produce, carrying a .285/.367/.460 line with 11 long balls over a 59-game stint. Currently, Minnesota's starting shortstop Brooks Lee carries a modest .194 AVG with a .436 OPS over his first 11 games, which could provide Culpepper an MLB role much sooner than expected. He is a solid stash option in deeper 12+ team formats.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher River Ryan is emerging as a sneaky stash candidate for fantasy baseball. Ryan fell short of the Opening Day rotation, but could be in the mix to return to the majors much sooner than expected. He made his MLB debut back in 2024 and was quite sharp, logging 20 1/3 innings ot the tune of a 1.33 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. However, he underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2024, which has kept him on the shelf ever since. While he was a full participant in spring training, the Dodgers opted to keep him in the minor leagues to continue to increase his workload. He has made one start with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season and struck out six hitters over four frames. While their starting rotation appears to be full at the moment, both Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki have struggled in the early going. If Ryan continues to impress in the minor leagues, he could see occasional spot starts and push either Sheehan or Sasaki back into a bullpen role.

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Miami Marlins left-handed pitching prospect Thomas White (oblique) has made two rehab appearances with Low-A Jupiter while working his way back from an oblique injury he suffered during camp. In his first outing, the team's top pitching prospect struck out four hitters over 2 1/3 innings. On Thursday, he made his second appearance, striking out six hitters over 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball. However, his command was shaky in this short start, as he walked five batters. Given that he has not faced any setbacks, White should be in the mix to return to Triple-A Jacksonville in the near future, which will put him one step closer to the major leagues. In 2025, White spent most of his time at High-A and Double-A, logging 80 1/3 innings to the tune of a 2.13 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and a 128:41 K:BB. He then earned a short taste of Triple-A shortly after. Even though fellow Triple-A teammate Robby Snelling is likely to earn the call before White, he possesses far more strikeout upside and could become a major impact player for fantasy once he earns the call.

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New York Yankees shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. is looking quite comfortable at the Double-A level and is making a strong case to make his MBL debut later this season. The team's No. 1-ranked prospect, according to MLB.com (and No. 32 overall), has held a .476/.522/.952 line over his first five games with Double-A this season. Lombard has gone deep twice, stolen a base, and carried a 2:2 K:BB. In 2025, Lombard spent 108 games with Double-A Somerset but struggled to find consistent production, as he carried a much lower .215/.337/.358 line. If Lombard can continue this trajectory, the Yankees may opt to move him to Triple-A much sooner than expected. On the MLB roster, the Yankees have had minimal offensive production from their shortstops as Jose Caballero has held a .135 AVG while Ryan McMahon carries an even lower .069 AVG. While Anthony Volpe (shoulder) could return soon, Lombard's current production makes him an intriguing option later in the season. For now, Lombard remains a top name to monitor as an early promotion to Triple-A can push him into high-end stash territory.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez continues to be lights out to start the 2026 MLB season, as he pitched another gem against the Rockies on Thursday night, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run, seven hits, while striking out eight Rockies in his no-decision effort. On the season, he has now completed three starts (1-0) and pitched to the tune of a 1.02 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, with 19 strikeouts, and only four walks in 17 2/3 innings pitched (three games started). While there are some signs of regression under the hood (3.59 xERA), Vasquez is showing great improvement over his previous seasons and is becoming a must-add in all formats as he continues this hot stretch. Additionally, his next outing is against the Seattle Mariners, who rank last in MLB in batting average (.184), runs per game (3.1), and strikeout rate (27.6 percent), the fourth-worst in the league, making him a strong stream and add for next week.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez remains a top stash option in the early part of the fantasy baseball season. Baez nearly made the Opening Day roster out of spring training after he launched three home runs over a 10-game stint with a .333/.417/1.179 slash line. However, even with Lars Nootbaar (heel) on the shelf, the Cardinals opted to keep Baez in the minor leagues to continue his development. He was sent to Triple-A to make his Memphis debut to begin the new season. Through his first nine games at the top level, Baez has held a .222/.317/.306 line with three doubles and three stolen bases. While he has yet to go deep in the young season, Baez flashed high-end power and speed upside in 2025. Over 117 shared between High-A and Double-A last summer, Baez hit 20 home runs and stole 54 bases while holding a .287 AVG. Given that St. Louis lacks much depth in their current outfield, Baez remains a top stash option in all 12+ team leagues.

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Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect Jett Williams remains a worthy stash candidate in deeper formats despite falling short of the Opening Day roster and getting off to a slow start at Triple-A. Williams was traded to the Brewers in the offseason and was given a legitimate opportunity to break camp as a starting infielder. However, the Brewers opted to give Joey Ortiz the starting shortstop job while Luis Rengifo and David Hamilton share the hot corner. Instead, Williams was optioned to the Triple-A level, where he has spent the opening weeks. Through 10 games in Nashville, the former first-round selection has held a modest .184/.326/.184 line with seven hits (all singles) and four stolen bases. While Williams was highly effective at Double-A last season, he struggled with Triple-A Syracuse as well, holding a .718 OPS. If Williams can take the next step against the top pitching in the minor leagues, he should be in the mix to carve out a role on the MLB roster, given that Ortiz has held a .528 OPS while Hamilton holds a .746 OPS.

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Harrison Smajovits, reporter for the Atlanta Braves, reported on Thursday that the expectation is that Didier Fuentes will be back with the Atlanta Braves next week, per a source. The Braves' pitching rotation has been solid on the season with a 2.03 team ERA, but has dealt with its fair share of injuries, with Spencer Strider (oblique) starting the regular season on the injured list, and Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. Fuentes was highly regarded coming into the regular season after breaking out in Spring Training, where he had a 0.66 ERA, 0.22 WHIP, and a 41.9 percent strikeout rate in 13 2/3 innings pitched. He started the season with the Braves and threw in one relief outing against the Kansas City Royals on March 29, where he allowed one earned run in four innings pitched with four strikeouts. The Braves then optioned him to Triple-A to stretch him out into a starter's workload. Fuentes has the strikeout upside to be a potential sleeper off the waiver wire if called up, and would become a must-add in all 12-team formats if called up and plugged into the starting rotation, simply based on what he has shown so far this season through Spring and his first relief appearance for the Braves earlier this year.

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Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported Thursday night that Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman left Thursday's game with a right middle finger laceration after being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. The Rockies' catcher's status will likely be updated ahead of Friday's second contest of the four-game series in San Diego. Before leaving the contest, Goodman was hitless in two plate appearances. Brett Sullivan entered for Goodman after the injury and finished the contest behind the dish.Fantasy managers will want to keep tabs on Goodman's status on Friday to see what his availability may be for the rest of the weekend or if a trip to the injury list is a possibility. Fantasy managers in daily lineups will want to try to prepare for a backup plan at catcher for the weekend. Goodman has had a slow start to the 2026 season, slashing .239/.327/.391 with two home runs, four RBI, five runs, and one stolen base.

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Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Eric Orze was tasked with closing the door versus the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The Twins didn't have many options with Kody Funderburk, Justin Topa, and Cole Sands all pitching in three of the last four days. Twins' manager Derek Shelton decided to lean on Orze, and it worked out great for him on Thursday. Orze tossed a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout to earn his first save of the season. The 28-year-old holds a strong 1.59 ERA across his first five appearances this season. The Twins have used five different pitchers to record a save this season. Orze will likely be in the mix again, but it's going to be tough for fantasy managers to trust him as a reliable source of saves.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen could make his return to the mound on Saturday, according to Marc Topkin. There was hope that Rasmussen could pitch on Friday, but it sounds like the earliest that he'll be back is on Saturday. The right-hander is currently on the paternity leave list, but should be activated in the near future. In the meantime, the Rays will turn to left-hander Steven Matz for the series opener against the New York Yankees on Friday. Fantasy managers should check back for an update, but it sounds like Rasmussen should be ready to go this weekend.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mick Abel was able to bounce back in a big way against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The right-hander tossed six shutout innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and struck out six batters in the no-decision. He exited the game with a one-run lead, but the Twins' bullpen quickly blew that. Despite losing his first potential win, this was the best outing of the season for the young right-hander. Abel will carry a 6.08 ERA with a 13:10 K/BB ratio into his next start versus the Boston Red Sox. He's worth a look in at least mixed leagues ahead of that start.

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Athletics relief pitcher Hogan Harris was called upon to hold a one-run lead versus the New York Yankees on Thursday. A's manager Mark Kotsay decided to play the matchups with a trio of left-handed batters coming up for the Yankees. Harris retired all three batters to record his first save of the season. Harris only has five career saves, but he could be gaining more trust as a late-inning option. The A's have turned to three different pitchers to record saves for them this season. It looks like Harris could be another option for them if the opposing team has a heavy dose of left-handed batters.

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