Cleveland Guardians left-handed pitching prospect Parker Messick should be viewed as a priority waiver wire pickup this week after his strong season debut. On Monday evening, the young southpaw was tasked to face the reigning two-time World Series Champions in Los Angeles. However, Messick looked quite comfortable on the bump, logging six shutout frames. He surrendered just five hits and no walks. He struck out five hitters. Last season, the 25-year-old made his MLB debut and flashed similar upside over a short 39 2/3 inning stint, holding a 2.72 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP. Last summer, Messick spent most of his campaign with Triple-A Columbus, where he held a 3.47 ERA with a 119:42 K:BB. Given his impressive showing against the game's top lineup, Messick should be viewed as a worthy starting pitcher target on the waiver wire.

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Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitching prospect Bubba Chandler struggled to command his pitches in his season debut on Tuesday evening. Facing the Cincinnati Reds, Chandler tossed 4 1/3 innings with one run (unearned), no hits, and six punchouts. However, he allowed a hefty six free passes, which has limited his effectiveness. While he was able to keep runs and hits off the board, his command remains a serious issue. Last season, Chandler allowed 53 free passes over just 100 innings at the Triple-A level. While he struck out 121 hitters in this stint, his weak command significantly hindered his upside. While he carried a near-perfect 3.2% BB% over his first stint in the majors in 2025 (31 1/3 innings), seeing him command stumble again is not a good sign. While the high-end strikeout upside is still elite, he remains a difficult pitcher to trust on a weekly basis. He will look to bounce back facing the San Diego Padres next week.

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Arizona Diamondbacks infield prospect Jose Fernandez went 3-for-4 with two home runs during his MLB debut on Tuesday evening against the Detroit Tigers. Fernandez was promoted to the roster to replace Pavin Smith (elbow), who was placed on the injured list earlier in the day. Fernandez got the start at the hot corner and did not disappoint, launching two long balls. He would hit his first home run off Detroit starter Casey Mize in the fourth inning before hitting the go-ahead blast in the eighth inning off Detroit closer Kenley Jansen. Last summer, Fernandez spent his entire 2025 season with Triple-A Reno, where he posted a .271/.321/.454 slash line with 17 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Given his impressive debut, managers in deeper 12+ team formats should consider adding him as he may carve out a role in this offense.

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Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter was sharp in his MLB debut on Tuesday evening. Facing the Washington Nationals, Painter logged 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball with just four hits and one free pass. He struck out eight batters en route to picking up the victory as well. Painter endured some serious growing pains working his way back from injury last season, but he appears to have taken a massive step forward in the majors. In 2025, Painter spent 106 2/3 innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley but carried a modest 5.40 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and a 111:46 K:BB. In spring training, the former 13th overall pick showed some signs of progress, holding a 2.31 ERA over 11 2/3 innings. Given his impressive debut, Painter should be viewed as a primary target on the waiver wire ahead of his next outing, against the San Francisco Giants.

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Baltimore Orioles right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin (elbow) is slated to be placed on the injured list, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. In a corresponding move, the Orioles are slated to promote right-handed pitcher Albert Suarez to the MLB roster. Eflin departed his season debut early with an elbow injury. While the team has yet to reveal the extent of their injury, seeing him already expected to hit the injured list suggests it is quite serious and will likely keep him sidelined for an extended period. Before suffering the injury, Eflin was looking quite comfortable on the bump, tossing 3 2/3 innings with one earned run and seven punchouts. Last season, Eflin battled injuries as well and was limited to just 71 1/3 innings of action. While he remains out, Suarez could see opportunities in the rotation and carry low-end streaming upside in deeper 15+ team formats.

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Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter (foot) exited Tuesday's contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers early with a foot injury. However, Andre Knott of FOX 8 reported that the X-rays came back negative, which suggests the budding star avoided a serious injury. DeLauter would leave the contest after fouling a ball off his foot in the opening frame. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status ahead of Wednesday's contest against the Dodgers in case the team opts to lean on the side of caution. Prior to Tuesday, DeLauter was enjoying an incredible start to the season, launching four home runs over his first five contests. If the former 16th overall pick were to miss any time, managers should expect Daniel Schneemann and David Fry to substitute in right field.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (glute) was removed from his start on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a glute contusion. The 29-year-old was hit by a comebacker off the bat of Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez, so Feltner hopefully won't be forced to miss any significant time. Before the injury, Feltner pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk. Feltner was limited to just 53 total innings split between the big leagues and Triple-A in 2025 due to a back injury, so getting removed from his first start of 2026 early is surely not the beginning to the year he was hoping for. In his last full season of work in 2024, Feltner pitched to a 4.49 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with three wins and 138 strikeouts across 162 1/3 innings (30 starts). If he does end up missing any time, right-hander Gabriel Hughes could be the favorite to take his place in the Colorado rotation. Neither Feltner nor Hughes carries any fantasy appeal in anything but the very deepest of league formats.

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New York Yankees closer David Bednar is off to a solid start to the 2026 campaign, his first full season in New York. Across his first two appearances (two innings), Bednar is two-for-two on save chances and has allowed just one hit. The 31-year-old has walked two while recording just one strikeout, but it's hard to take much in that respect from just an eight-batter sample size. Across 62 2/3 innings split between the Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025, Bednar pitched to a 2.30 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 86 strikeouts and 27 saves. He was especially effective after being dealt to New York at the trade deadline, recording 10 saves and 35 strikeouts across 24 2/3 innings while allowing just nine walks. Bednar profiles as a high-end number one closer for fantasy managers in 2026.

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The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to sign second baseman JJ Wetherholt to a long-term extension, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The 23-year-old Wetherholt entered camp as one of the top prospects in all of baseball and was named the Cardinals' Opening Day second baseman coming out of Spring Training. Through his first 19 plate appearances in the big leagues entering play on Tuesday night, Wetherholt had hit .250/.316/.438 with one home run, four RBI, three runs scored, and one stolen base while striking out just once. St. Louis may be forced to pay up to get Wetherholt to agree to terms, given the massive eight-year extension the Seattle Mariners recently gave to infield prospect Colt Emerson, who has yet to even make his MLB debut. Whether or not a deal eventually gets done, it's not surprising to see St. Louis make a bid to lock down one of their core position players for the long term.

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Seattle Mariners shortstop prospect Colt Emerson has officially been added to the team's 40-man roster but will remain at Triple-A Tacoma "for the time being," per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Emerson is widely considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball and signed a massive eight-year, $95 million contract extension with the Mariners on Tuesday. While the deal would seem to indicate that Seattle expects Emerson to be in the big leagues sooner rather than later, it appears as though the team does not plan to promote him immediately. Emerson, who turns 21 years old this July, reached Triple-A for 27 plate appearances at the end of 2025. However, he spent the majority of the year at High-A Everett and logged just 161 plate appearances with Double-A Arkansas. Upon his inevitable promotion to Seattle, Emerson will be a priority waiver wire target for fantasy managers due to his well-rounded profile at the plate.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin (elbow) exited early from his start on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers due to right elbow discomfort, per Roch Kubatko of MASN. Before getting hurt, the veteran right-hander pitched 3 2/3 innings and recorded seven strikeouts while allowing four hits, two walks, and one earned run. While the extent of Eflin's injury has yet to be determined, an elbow issue of any serious nature could lead to considerable missed time. Eflin entered 2026 in search of a bounce-back season. Back troubles limited the 31-year-old to just 71 1/3 innings (14 starts), and he struggled to a 5.93 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with a minuscule 16.2% strikeout rate. If Eflin ends up missing time due to this current ailment, veteran right-hander Dean Kremer could be the most likely candidate to take his spot in the Orioles' rotation.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (elbow, hamstring) experienced hamstring tightness while going through his throwing program on Tuesday, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Rodon is currently on the 15-day injured list while he recovers from the surgery he had in October 2025 to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The 33-year-old threw 50 pitches in a live batting practice session on Sunday and appeared to be progressing well. However, it appears as though he may have to halt his rehab progression for non-arm-related reasons. Rodon had an excellent year with the Yankees in 2025, posting an 18-9 record with a 3.09 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts across 175 innings (33 starts). He's a must-roster fantasy starting pitcher when healthy, but managers may still have a while to wait before Rodon is back on a big-league mound.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) is playing in simulated games, but manager Torey Lovullo said he won't return until late April, at the earliest, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Gurriel is on the 10-day injured list and is still working his way back from surgery to fix a torn ACL in his right knee that he suffered in the outfield on Sept. 11. The 32-year-old was hoping that he'd be ready for Opening Day last week, but the D-backs have slow-played him so that he doesn't have a setback. He has been serving as the designated hitter in minor-league games at the team's spring training complex to get his timing back at the plate. Once he gets the green light to return to the outfield, a minor-league rehab assignment probably won't be far off. The Cuban outfielder should be a lineup regular for the Snakes when he returns, but right now, fantasy managers can leave him on the waiver wire in mixed leagues. Gurriel is rostered in just 3% of Yahoo leagues.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Corbin Burnes (elbow) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Burnes is slowly mixing in all of his pitches in two bullpens per week as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. The four-time All-Star only made 11 starts in his first year in Arizona in 2025 before being shut down with elbow problems. Burnes isn't expected to make his return in 2026 until sometime in July, but the 31-year-old veteran is a worthy fantasy stash because of the consistency he has displayed in his career as one of the top starters in the game. He was an All-Star for four straight seasons from 2021 to 2024, making at least 28 starts in that span before going down due to injury last year. Before being shut down in 2025, he was looking good again, posting a 2.66 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 63 strikeouts and 26 walks in 64 1/3 innings. Burnes is rostered in 46% of Yahoo leagues while being on the IL.

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Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (back), who opened the year on the 15-day injured list with left intercostal nerve irritation, threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and will make a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Reno on Friday, according to manager Torey Lovullo. The 37-year-old veteran might end up only missing a couple of turns through the rotation in the big leagues to open the 2026 campaign. He'll make another rehab start on April 8, but after that, Kelly could rejoin Arizona's starting rotation to give fantasy managers in deeper leagues another option for starting pitching depth. Kelly ended up making three spring training appearances before his back acted up, allowing nine earned runs on 15 hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out two in 6 1/3 innings. At his age, Kelly's below-average 22% career strikeout rate leaves very little upside, especially in a hitter-friendly home park, but he has won double-digit games in three of the past four seasons. He's rostered in 64% of Yahoo leagues despite his early-season injury.

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Detroit Tigers infield prospect Kevin McGonigle is starting at shortstop and will bat out of the two-hole on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, while designated hitter Kerry Carpenter is being dropped to the fifth spot in the batting order, according to MLB.com. Third baseman Colt Keith will be the club's leadoff hitter at Chase Field. McGonigle, only 21 years old, hasn't looked like a rookie in his first four games, going 5-for-14 (.357) with two doubles, four RBI, three runs scored, three walks, and three strikeouts. He has quickly demanded a move up the batting order, which will only raise his fantasy ceiling in 2026. Tuesday will be McGonigle's first time in the two-hole in his career after batting sixth for Detroit to begin the season. Carpenter, meanwhile, has one hit in 16 at-bats with 10 strikeouts in his first four games. Perhaps Carpenter can get going on Tuesday, as he's 2-for-3 in his career versus Pfaadt. McGonigle is already rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues.

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Tuesday that outfielder Seiya Suzuki (knee) will go on a minor-league rehab assignment when the team is on the road, according to Taylor McGregor of Watch Marquee Sports. The exact timing of the rehab assignment and the location are still to be determined. The Cubs start their six-game road trip in Cleveland against the Guardians on Friday, so Suzuki should start playing in minor-league games this weekend as he recovers from a strained PCL in his knee that he suffered while playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. With Suzuki on the 10-day injured list to begin the 2026 regular season, Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto have been platooning in right field for the Cubbies. The 31-year-old Suzuki is a must-stash in all fantasy baseball formats after hitting a career-high 32 home runs and driving in a career-high 103 runs in 151 regular-season games in 2025 in his fourth year in the big leagues.

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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena is back at the 6 and is leading off for the Astros on Tuesday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Brayan Bello, according to MLB.com. Pena will be playing in his third game of the young season on Tuesday as the Astros ease him in following a fractured finger that he recovered from this spring. The veteran shortstop has gone 2-for-10 (.200) at the plate with a run scored, a stolen base, and two strikeouts in his two games played. Carlos Correa shifts back to third base, with Isaac Paredes heading to the bench on Tuesday night. Fantasy managers will want to get Pena back into their starting lineups for the second game of the series at Daikin Park against the BoSox. Pena has one hit in his four career at-bats against Bello with a .900 OPS.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich will make the start in left field and will bat cleanup for the Brewers on Tuesday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Shane McClanahan, according to MLB.com. Catcher Gary Sanchez will DH and bat fifth. Yelich, the team's primary DH, will play the field for the first time in 2026. The 34-year-old three-time All-Star and former MVP is completely healthy and is off to a strong start at the plate in his first four games of the season, going 6-for-14 (.429) with a home run, five RBI, four runs scored, a stolen base, one walk, and four strikeouts. Yelich is typically a must-start in fantasy lineups, but those setting DFS lineups on Tuesday might want to avoid him against a tough left-hander in McClanahan. Yelich is hitless in three career at-bats against the southpaw, while Sanche is hitting .125 in eight career at-bats.

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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.

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