Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger is off to a rough start to the 2026 season, as he's yet to record a hit across 16 plate appearances. The left-handed hitting Barger has also been out of Toronto's starting lineup each of the team's first two games against left-handed starting pitchers. Barger had a breakout year in 2025, hitting .243/.301/.454 with 21 home runs, 74 RBI, 61 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 502 plate appearances. The 26-year-old posted an excellent 50.9% hard-hit rate and slugged .480 against right-handed pitching. Early in 2026, Barger has struck out in 37.5% of his plate appearances and owns a hard-hit rate of just 25%. While it's obviously still very early in the season, Barger could be at risk of losing even more playing time given the presence of quality bench outfielders Davis Schneider and Nathan Lukes in Toronto.

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The Long Island Ducks have signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer for the upcoming season and have named him their Opening Day starter. Bauer spent 10 seasons in the MLB after being selected with the third overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. During the 2020 season, Bauer enjoyed his best season as he won the NL Cy Young Award with the Reds when he logged 73 innings to the tune of a 1.73 ERA, 0.79 WIHP, and a career-best 36.0% strikeout rate. He last appeared in the majors during the 2021 season with the Dodgers. Following several accusations of sexual assault, Bauer took his professional career to the NPB, where he spent the 2023 and 2025 seasons. In 2025, Bauer logged 133 2/3 innings with a high 4.51 ERA. Given the time he has spent away from the major leagues, fantasy managers should not expect him to be in contention to return to an MLB club.

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Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (undislocated) was a late scratch from Thursday's lineup due to an undisclosed injury. Instead, the Royals will move outfielder Jac Caglianone to the DH spot, which opens a position for Lane Thomas in the outfield. Through the early part of the young season, Jensen has spent time both behind the dish and serving as the DH. Across five games, the young catcher has held a .125/.167/.313 line with two hits. However, one of his hits left the yard. He made his MLB debut late in the 2025 season and immediately flashed high-end talent, posting a .300/.391/.550 line with a .941 OPS over a short 20-game stint. Managers should continue to monitor his status in case Jensen needs to miss additional time.

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Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman has been sharp through two outings this season. During Tuesday's start against the Colorado Rockies, he allowed two hits and zero walks over six shutout innings. He also struck out 10 batters along the way. Gausman has been spectacular so far in the 2026 campaign, albeit over a small sample size. He has allowed just one run, zero walks, and three hits through two starts (12.1 innings) while striking out 21 batters. The right-hander has continued to prove himself as one of the most effective starters in baseball, even at 35 years old. He has kept his FIP below 4.00 every season since 2018, and he's certainly on track to extend that streak in 2026. As it stands, he ranks #25 among starters in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings. However, he has top-five upside if he continues to pitch at an elite level.

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Houston Astros third baseman Carlos Correa went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run during Wednesday's win over the Boston Red Sox. He is now slashing .296/.367/.444 with seven RBI, a 10% walk rate, a 10% strikeout rate, and 132 wRC+. Correa has always been an above-league-average player, but his hefty contract made him appear somewhat overpaid last year, prompting the Twins to dump his salary in a trade with the Astros. However, his hot start to the 2026 season has made his contract (and the Astros' decision to re-acquire him) look more like a worthwhile investment. The 31-year-old has taken on an everyday role on the left side of the infield. He played shortstop in Jeremy Pena's absence, and he should play out the rest of the season as the everyday third baseman, barring injuries. He ranks #22 among third basemen in the latest fantasy baseball rankings from RotoBaller, and he should climb up the rankings if he continues to produce consistent results at the plate.

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Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu is off to an incredible start to the season. He slugged another home run during Wednesday's loss to the Houston Astros, bringing his season slash line to .417/.417/.917 with three home runs, six RBI, and 281 wRC+. Presumably, his stats will cool down a little over a larger sample size, but the hot start is still indicative of a big year to come for the young outfielder. Abreu is a positive-value defender in right field, where he displays good glovework, plus elite arm strength and accuracy. At the plate, he has hit well enough to earn a spot in the lineup every day, progressing from last year's platoon role. He currently ranks #44 among outfielders in RotoBaller's fantasy baseball rankings, and he'll presumably rise up the rankings as long as he continues to produce consistent results at the plate.

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Cincinnati Reds left-handed pitcher Nick Lodolo will begin a rehab assignment at Single-A Dayton on Thursday. Lodolo has been sidelined since the end of spring training due to a blister on his left index finger, but the rehab assignment indicates that he's making progress and could be close to returning. Although the Reds now have until the start of May to activate him, it presumably won't take that long. He's expected to throw 60 to 65 pitches on Thursday, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him make one more start at Double-A or Triple-A before re-joining the major league roster. Lodolo is coming off a strong 2025 season in which he made 29 appearances with a 3.66 xFIP, 8.96 K/9, 1.78 BB/9, and 42.6% ground ball rate. The 28-year-old southpaw currently ranks #41 among starting pitchers in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

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According to Jason Mackey, the Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting top infield prospect Konnor Griffin to the MLB roster ahead of their home opener on Friday. Griffin was in serious contention to break camp with the MLB roster despite not playing a single game at the Triple-A level. In spring training, the former ninth overall pick launched four home runs while going 5-for-24 at the dish. As a result, the Pirates opted to send Griffin to Triple-A for a brief stint. In this five-game appearance, Griffin would flash high-end upside, posting a .438/.571/.625 slash line with three doubles and three stolen bases. Last summer, Griffin appeared in 122 games, spent primarily in the lower levels and hit for a .333 AVG with 21 HRs and 65 SBs. Given his high-end five-category upside, Griffin should be viewed as a must-roster middle infielder in all formats going forward.

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Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams had an extremely impressive start against one of the most potent lineups in baseball on Wednesday night to earn his first win of the season. Williams spun seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks to the Dodgers while logging an impressive total of 10 strikeouts. The 26-year-old righty gave up three runs in five innings with six walks against the Mariners in his first start of the season, so this was a huge step in the right direction for Williams, who showed how dominant he can be when at his best. He looks lined up for a two-start week next week, making a home start against the Royals on Tuesday and a road start in Atlanta next Sunday.

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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta had an excellent bounce-back outing on Wednesday against the Giants, racking up eight strikeouts in five shutout innings to earn his first win of the season. Pivetta issued two walks but only gave up one hit. He threw a season-high 82 pitches and left with the score 2-0 before the Padres broke it open for a 7-1 victory. It was a great turnaround for Pivetta, who gave up six runs in three innings against the Tigers in his first start of the season. He showed in this outing that he still brings strikeout upside and can be a contributor in the right matchups. He's set up for a two-start week with outings on the road against the Pirates and Rockies next week.

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Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone had a huge game on Wednesday night to help propel his team to a 13-9 victory over the visiting Twins. Caglianone went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, and a hit by pitch. He raised his batting average on the young season from .200 to .357 with his effort and helped jumpstart the Royals' slow-starting offense. Caglianone hit .304 with a home run this spring training and also starred for Italy in the WBC. The 23-year-old lefty only hit .157 in his 62 games in the majors last year, but he looks ready to post major improvements this year. Caglianone is still available in about 30% of Yahoo! fantasy baseball leagues and can be a nice pickup since he still comes with plenty of potential as he adjusts to the majors.

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg earned his second save of the season on Wednesday night by closing out the Twins in the Royals' 13-9 win at Kauffman Stadium. Erceg didn't start the ninth inning, since his team had a seven-run lead, but after Bailey Falter allowed three runs, bringing the tying run to the on-deck circle, Erceg shut down the rally by retiring Austin Martin and James Outman. Erceg has a hold and two saves in his three games this season, allowing two hits but no runs with one strikeout. He should be secure in his role as the Royals' closer in the short-term while Carlos Estvez (foot) is on the 15-day injured list. Estevez suffered a drop in velocity and struggled early this season after a career-high 42 saves last year. At least for now, the job is Erceg's to claim, making him a great early-season snag from the waiver wire if you're searching for saves.

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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn was involved in a single-car accident on Wednesday after the team's walk-off win against the Mets. Winn had the game-winning hit and is 4-for-25 (.160) with two doubles, two walks, and a stolen base in his first six games. The team said the accident was a result of wet pavement and that Winn was alone in his car. He was examined at a nearby hospital and did not suffer any serious injuries. The Cardinals have an off-day on Thursday and are back in action on Friday as they head to Detroit and Washington for a six-game road trip. It doesn't seem like Winn will miss any significant time, but if he needs any time off, Ramn Uras and Jos Fermn would be the leading candidates to pick up extra work.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers turned in another outstanding outing on Wednesday, pitching six strong innings against the Rangers. Rogers had just three strikeouts, but allowed only six hits in six innings against Texas, improving to 2-0 in his two starts this season. Rogers has only allowed two runs in his 13 innings this season, already logging a pair of quality starts and posting a 1.38 ERA and 3.32 FIP. He had 13 quality starts in 18 outings with a 1.81 ERA last year, and this season, he's proving that production was no fluke. His strikeout production has been low in his two starts, but he looked sharp in spring training, indicating the strikeouts could follow soon. The Orioles and his fantasy managers have to be thrilled with the start of the year for the 28-year-old lefty, who is scheduled to face the White Sox in his next start on Tuesday.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City's 2B Jonathan India had five RBIs going 2-for-5 with a home run in a 13-9 win over the Twins on Wednesday, Apr. 1.

Cubs' SP Matthew Boyd recorded 10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings getting the win in a 6-2 win over the Angels on Wednesday, Apr. 1.

Toronto's SP Kevin Gausman recorded 10 strikeouts in 6 innings in a 2-1 loss to the Rockies on Wednesday, Apr. 1.

Cleveland Guardians' SP Gavin Williams recorded 10 strikeouts in 7 innings getting the win in a 4-1 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday, Apr. 1.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes bounced back from his rough outing on Opening Day in his second start of the season on Wednesday. The 23-year-old threw five innings on one-run ball to log his first win in his team's 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, recording five strikeouts while allowing three hits and two walks. While Skenes wasn't quite his usual dominant self, his relative return to form was still a welcome sight for fantasy managers after Skenes failed to get out of the first inning in his first outing of the year against the New York Mets. Skenes' command has been a little bit off to start the year, as he's allowed four walks in 5 2/3 innings. However, the hard-throwing right-hander owns a K-BB% of 24.8% and a WHIP of 0.96 across 321 1/3 career MLB innings. As long as he's healthy, Skenes profiles as an elite starting pitcher option for fantasy managers.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford had the best game of his young career in his team's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. Crawford went three-for-five with a trio of singles, including the game-winning RBI knock in the bottom of the 10th inning. Through his first 18 MLB plate appearances, Crawford is hitting .412 with an RBI and three runs scored. The 22-year-old made his bones as an elite average hitter in the minors as well, slashing .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs, 47 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 46 stolen bases across 506 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2025. Power is the main question mark in Crawford's profile, and just one of his seven MLB hits has gone for extra bases so far. Still, if Crawford can continue to rack up base hits, he should start stealing bases at a high rate and could easily move up from the bottom of the Philadelphia batting order.

From RotoBaller