Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder Roman Anthony (back) is dealing with a sore back and is day-to-day, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. Anthony came down with some back tightness on Tuesday and is not in the starting nine for Wednesday's game against the division-rival New York Yankees with a left-hander on the mound. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if Anthony is ready to return for Thursday's series finale. With Anthony out on Wednesday, Andruw Monasterio is serving as the team's designated hitter. The 21-year-old Anthony was as advertised in his major-league debut in 71 games in 2025, slashing .292/.396/.463 with an .859 OPS, eight homers, 32 RBI, 48 runs, and four steals in 303 plate appearances, but he's gone only 18-for-80 (.225) so far in 2026 with a homer and four RBI in 22 games played in his first full big-league season. It's too early to panic about Anthony, and hopefully, he can avoid a trip to the injured list.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church had another hit on Wednesday in the team's 4-1 loss to the hosting Miami Marlins, and he's now gone 8-for-20 with a double, home run, three RBI, four runs scored, and three steals in the last six games to boost his season average to .236 and his OPS to .659. He now has two home runs, eight RBI, nine runs scored, three stolen bases, three walks, and 15 strikeouts in 21 games played in the early going of his first full major-league season. The 25-year-old former 11th-round selection out of UC Irving in 2022 went 10-for-56 (.179) with a homer, eight RBI, and nine runs scored in just 27 games in his major-league debut with the Red Birds in 2025. Because Church has yet to face a left-handed pitcher, his fantasy value in mixed leagues is limited. However, if Church continues to hit, he could see his role increase in St. Louis' outfield. Right now in Yahoo leagues, Church is only rostered in 1% of leagues.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Foul Territory on Wednesday that shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) has had "zero issues" with his surgically-repaired left (non-throwing) shoulder over the last couple of months. "Realistically, he's still 10 days [or] two weeks away, I would think," Boone said. Volpe played most of last year with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but he still managed to hit 19 home runs, drive in 72 runs, and steal 18 bases in 153 regular-season games. He has gone 6-for-15 with a home run and two stolen bases in his five minor-league rehab games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Volpe is getting very close to making his 2026 season debut, but the Yankees aren't going to rush him back, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be back until the calendar flips to May. The 24-year-old is only rostered in 8% of Yahoo leagues right now, but that number should increase in the coming weeks as he nears reinstatement from the 10-day IL. Volpe should take over starting duties at the 6 in the Bronx from Jose Caballeros when he's ready.

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The Boston Red Sox announced on Wednesday that they transferred first baseman Triston Casas (abdomen, knee) to the 60-day injured list. The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for left-hander Eduardo Rivera, who is being called up from Triple-A Worcester. Casas spent the offseason and spring training recovering from knee surgery, and he started the 2026 regular season on the 10-day injured list. His move to the 60-day IL means he won't be eligible to be reinstated until late May. In addition to his knee rehab, the left-handed slugger suffered a strained left abdominal muscle earlier this month that has kept him out of action. In both dynasty/keeper and single-year fantasy baseball formats, Casas is losing value by the day. Whenever he's ready to make his season debut, Casas won't be guaranteed regular playing time, and most of his at-bats will most likely come at designated hitter with Willson Contreras locked in at first base. Casas is only 1% rostered in Yahoo leagues these days.

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After an atrocious start to the season, Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor appears to be coming around. The left-handed hitter went 6-for-59 (.102) over the season's first 15 games without a single extra-base hit, however, over the last eight games, he is 9-for-29 (.310) with four extra-base hits (two doubles, two home runs). In all, he's produced a .170/.253/.261 slash line with a .237 wOBA and 51 wRC+, not even close to his career line of .269/.329/.447 with a .332 wOBA and 115 wRC+ that he came into the season with. The good news is that he is still striking out at a better-than-average rate (16.2 percent), making more contact (80.6 percent) than he did last year, and both his xBA (.229) and xwOBA (.291) are much higher than his actual stats. Given his recent turnaround, he appears headed in the right direction, and the stats point to brighter days ahead.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Jeff Hoffman will not be available for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels after pitching three times in four days, but manager John Schneider said the team will "use the off day to talk about (role) with him," according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. "We'll re-evaluate everything, talk with him, and see how he's doing. He's going through it, obviously, a little bit." Hoffman was credited with his first hold of the year in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Angels, but he was pulled from the game after just one-third of an inning, having allowed an earned run on two hits, two hit-by-pitches, and a strikeout. Louis Varland came on to replace him and closed the door by inducing a double-play groundout. Fantasy managers scrounging for saves in the early going in 2026 should look to pick Varland up off the waiver wire immediately. Hoffman has strikeout upside -- he's fanned 24 in just 10 2/3 innings, but he's also allowed 11 runs (nine earned) while walking six and blowing three saves already. He's a very volatile option for saves in fantasy who might be on the verge of a bullpen demotion.

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The Philadelphia Phillies placed catcher J.T. Realmuto (back) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a lower-back injury, league sources told Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Realmuto had missed two games before returning on Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the Phils are calling up Garett Stubbs from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and he will split time behind the plate with Rafael Marchan. Despite dealing with back and foot injuries in the first couple of weeks of the 2026 season, Realmuto managed to hit .259/.344/.352 with a home run, four RBI, and five runs scored in his first 54 at-bats. It's more bad news for the Phillies, though, who have lost seven straight games to dig themselves a sizeable hole early on. It's only the third time in Realmuto's eight years with the Phillies that he has landed on the IL. Marchan has started the year 2-for-31 at the plate with a homer and seven strikeouts, while Stubbs hit .289/.413/.632 in 46 plate appearances at Triple-A before his call-up. Fantasy managers should be looking to avoid the catching situation in Philly with Realmuto sidelined.

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Colorado Rockies closer Victor Vodnik has been solid so far this season and is a name to consider when searching the waiver wire for saves. The right-hander blew his first save opportunity of the season back on March 29, but made seven straight scoreless appearances after that, during which time he tallied three saves. His last outing did not go so well, allowing two earned runs on three hits, a walk, and a wild pitch, but thankfully, it was a non-save situation, and his job appears to be secure. With the Rockies showing some fight lately, including taking two of four from the mighty Dodgers, they certainly appear to be capable of winning more games than they did a season ago (.375 winning percentage compared to .265), which should mean more save chances for their closer. The 26-year-old is the owner of a 3.60 ERA, and while a WHIP of 1.80 and K-BB% of 2.1 percent are not fantasy-friendly, he does not appear to have competition for the role at the moment, and the 6-foot hurler can be found in over 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf) was officially activated from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, and he's serving as the designated hitter while batting second in his return on Wednesday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and left-handed pitching prospect Connor Prielipp, who is making his MLB debut. It will be Soto's first game back with the Mets since he strained his right calf on April 3 against the San Francisco Giants. They are desperately hoping that the 27-year-old four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner can help them break a 12-game losing streak. Fantasy managers are hoping that Soto's calf injury won't disrupt his hot streak at the plate to begin the 2026 season, as Soto was slashing .355/.412/.516 with a .928 OPS, a home run, five RBI, and three runs scored in his first eight games before getting hurt. Soto might need to knock a little rust off at first since he didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment, but fantasy managers should be putting him back into their lineups sooner rather than later.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta had a phenomenal 2025 campaign with the Brewers, but he's been unable to replicate that success so far this season in Queens. The right-hander owns a 4.05 ERA through five starts, and his K% is down 3.2 percent from last year to 25.0 percent. On the bright side, his WHIP of 1.09 is nearly identical to last season, and a 3.78 xFIP suggests maybe he's pitched better than what the results show. The 29-year-old gets a chance to right the ship his next time out, which is scheduled for this Friday at home against the Rockies, a team that has the fifth-worst runs-per-game average (3.83) and strikes out the second-most in baseball (9.54 K/game). Fantasy managers should remain patient with the two-time All-Star.

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New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that left-hander David Peterson will stay in the bullpen for the next turn through the starting rotation after the team recalls right-hander Christian Scott to make the start on Thursday, according to SNY. Peterson tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings in a loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday as a bulk reliever, but overall, he's sporting a 5.40 ERA and 1.67 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and 10 walks in 23 1/3 frames over his five appearances (four starts) early in 2026. The 30-year-old southpaw was a first-time All-Star in 2025, when he went 9-6 with a 4.22 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 150:65 K:BB in 30 starts (168 2/3 innings). But if Scott pitches well in New York after his call-up, Peterson could easily shift to more of a full-time, long-relief role out of the Mets' bullpen. He is only rostered in 16% of Yahoo leagues and probably isn't worth holding in shallow-mixed fantasy leagues at this point.

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Athletics outfielder Colby Thomas was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, with Denzel Clarke (foot) heading to the injured list. The former third-round draft pick has been hitting well for the Aviators, slashing .309/.397/.574 with five home runs through 17 games. The right-handed slugger has also shown modest year-over-year improvements in strikeout (24.4 percent) and walk rate (10.3 percent) in the early going, both of which he struggled with in his first go-round in the majors last season (37.1 percent K%, 5.3 percent BB%). The 25-year-old has big power, hitting 31 home runs in 2024 and another 24 in 2025 between Triple-A and with the Athletics. Thomas is worth a look for his home run potential in deeper leagues, although he'll need to get regular at-bats to make it worthwhile, so keep an eye on how the A's deploy him; he is not in the lineup for Wednesday's day game in Seattle.

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Free-agent right-hander Lucas Giolito is signing with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday on a $3 million prorated deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal also includes a mutual option for the 2027 season with a decent-sized buyout. The move makes sense for the Padres, who are looking for some more length for their starting rotation with right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) potentially set to miss multiple months. The landing spot for the 31-year-old veteran isn't a bad one, and he could quickly become worth a look in mixed fantasy leagues. He missed all of the 2024 campaign due to injury, but he managed to go 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA (4.17 FIP) and 1.29 WHIP with 121 strikeouts and 56 walks in 145 innings across 26 starts for the Boston Red Sox in 2025. Giolito, who said he has been throwing up to 75 pitches on his own, is scheduled to report to Single-A Lake Elsinore. The goal will be for the Friars to get Giolito up to speed to join their starting rotation, potentially as early as a week or two.

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The Baltimore Orioles announced on Wednesday that they placed right-handed closer Ryan Helsley on the bereavement/family medical emergency list and recalled right-hander Jose Espada from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. Helsley could be away from Baltimore for three to seven days. It's unclear what direction the O's will go in the ninth inning while Helsley is away, but Yennier Cano and Rico Garcia figure to be the two most likely options to receive save chances in the short term in Baltimore. The 31-year-old Helsley had 21 saves with the St. Louis last year before falling apart in New York in the second half after being acquired by the Mets in a trade. So far in 2026 with the Orioles, Helsley has bounced back as their closer, posting a 2.79 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, and 15:7 K:BB while converting all six of his saves. Most fantasy managers can avoid Baltimore's bullpen in the short term until Helsley returns.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester (hand) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Priester has yet to make his 2026 season debut due to symptoms in his right wrist from thoracic outlet syndrome. He will most likely need at least several rehab starts on the farm before the Brewers clear him to come off the 15-day injured list, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to join Milwaukee's starting rotation until at least early May. Once Priester is ready to make his season debut, right-hander Brandon Sproat figures to be the odd man out in the rotation. Priester is currently being stashed in an IL spot in 25% of Yahoo leagues after the 25-year-old went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 132:50 K:BB in 157 1/3 innings across 29 outings (24 starts) in 2025 in his first year with the Brew Crew. Last year was the first time that Priester had thrown over 50 innings in his third MLB season.

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Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (oblique), who has not played since April 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies due to a left-oblique strain that landed him on the 10-day injured list, is expected to return for the series against the Milwaukee Brewers that starts next Tuesday, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports. Moreno could go on a short minor-league rehab assignment later this week/weekend before being reinstated early next week. Until then, the D-backs will continue to roll with James McCann and Adrian Del Castillo behind the plate. Fantasy managers are losing patience with the 26-year-old Moreno because of his frequent injuries, and he's currently rostered in just 11% of Yahoo leagues. Before his oblique strain, the Venezuelan backstop was hitting a strong .275 (11-for-40) but with no home runs, five RBI, and six runs scored in just 13 games played. Moreno has never hit more than nine home runs in his four MLB seasons.

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St. Louis Cardinals right-handed closer Riley O'Brien has been as dominant as they come among relief pitchers early in the 2026 season. O'Brien had another scoreless appearance while giving up one hit and striking out one to earn his seventh save of the year on Tuesday in the team's 5-3 win over the hosting Miami Marlins. The 31-year-old veteran has yet to allow an earned run in his 13 1/3 innings of work so far with no walks and 15 strikeouts. He hit 100 mph three times out of his 17 pitches on Tuesday and has converted seven of his eight save chances for the Cardinals. In addition to his seven saves, O'Brien has picked up three wins and two holds, giving his fantasy managers plenty to be happy about. It's clear that O'Brien has taken hold of the team's closer gig in the ninth inning, and he should have a pretty long leash. He's only rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues currently, but that number should rise if he continues to be dominant in the ninth.

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Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami's power has certainly translated to the big leagues in his first year in Chicago. The 26-year-old Japanese native had another big game in Tuesday's 11-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, going 3-for-5 with his ninth home run of the year, two runs scored, and a walk out of the two-hole in the batting order. Murakami has now gone deep in four straight games, and he's tied for second in baseball in home runs in the early going. If he can continue at a similar power pace, Murakami will end up being a steal for fantasy managers in 2026. However, he's also striking out at a rate over 30% and is hitting just .234 (18-for-77) with 17 RBI, 18 runs scored, 21 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 99 plate appearances across 23 games played. The good news is that Murakami is drawing plenty of walks -- he's tied for third-most in the league in that category. Obviously, fantasy managers will want to keep running him out there. Murakami is rostered in 91% of Yahoo leagues.

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Chicago White Sox rookie outfielder Sam Antonacci hit his first career home run on Tuesday in the team's 11-5 blowout win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, but it wasn't a traditional home run. Antonacci went 2-for-5 at the plate with an inside-the-park homer, a triple, and three RBI in just his sixth major-league game. It was nice to see the 23-year-old speedster have a good game, as he had struggled at the plate in his first five games with the White Sox. Antonacci, who is considered the team's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is now hitting .190 (4-for-21) with three RBI, two runs scored, two walks, and a strikeout in his first six games in the big leagues. There's not going to be a lot of extra-base power from Antonacci in his first year in the majors, but fantasy managers in deeper leagues may want to consider him if they need speed. Antonacci is only rostered right now in 6% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available.

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Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is showing more signs of power early on this year and hit his fourth long ball on Tuesday in the team's 7-4 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. Hoerner finished the game 2-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored out of the leadoff spot for Chicago. The 28-year-old has gone deep three times in the last six games and is on pace to smash his previous career-high of 10 home runs in a season. The 28-year-old is already an excellent source of batting average because of his elite contact skills, but if he adds more power to his game in 2026, he could take a step forward for fantasy managers. Hoerner is also useful for his speed on the basepaths, as he's had at least 20 stolen bases since becoming a full-time starter for the Cubbies in 2022. He's among the league's best hitters early on, slashing .326/.402/.533 with a .934 OPS, four homers, 22 RBI, seven steals, and 15 runs scored in 92 at-bats. Out of Chicago's leadoff spot, Hoerner has even more fantasy upside.

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