Seattle Mariners right-handed reliever Matt Brash (lat) had an MRI exam that showed "trace inflammation" in his right lat, president of baseball operations Justin Hollander told MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. There were no signs of structural damage for Brash. The Mariners are now trying to determine if he'll need to go on the 15-day injured list. Brash was pulled on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins after throwing just two pitches. The 27-year-old Canadian could need to rest his lat for several weeks, which would be a big blow to Seattle's bullpen. Brash isn't the team's closer (that's Andres Munoz), but he's been excellent in a late-inning setup role and is a fine source of holds. Through his first 11 1/3 innings of 2026, Brash has yet to allow a run while picking up two wins and striking out eight in 14 appearances. If anything were to happen to Munoz, Brash would also be the clear favorite for saves in Seattle. He's currently rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller (shoulder) said the tentative plan right now is for him to make another minor-league rehab start on Wednesday with High-A Everett, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Miller is getting close to rejoining the Mariners' starting rotation to make his 2026 season debut, and fantasy managers looking for rotation upgrades should consider stashing him now. The 27-year-old former fourth-rounder out of Texas A&M in 2021 has looked good on his rehab assignment through three starts, and he threw 36 of his 53 pitches for strikes while tossing four scoreless innings his last time out on Thursday with Triple-A Tacoma. Right now, Miller is rostered in only 29% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available. The good news for Miller is that he hasn't dealt with any elbow injuries, which derailed his 2025 campaign. He's worth a look to see if he can rediscover the form he had in 2024 with the M's, when he went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 171 K's and 45 walks in 180 1/3 innings across his 31 starts. Miller should be back in the big leagues by mid-May.

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New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (calf) has yet to run after going on the 10-day injured list with a low-grade right-calf strain, manager Aaron Boone told Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. The hope is that Stanton resumes hitting this weekend. The last box that Stanton will probably have to check before being cleared to return to the Yankees or go on a minor-league rehab assignment will be to run at full speed. Until that happens, it's hard to say when the right-handed power hitter will return from the IL. Given his lengthy injury history, fantasy managers should expect the Yankees to be cautious. Former top prospect Jasson Dominguez (elbow) was called up from the minors with Stanton hurt, but he suffered an elbow contusion earlier this week and has missed the last two games. Stanton is only rostered in 38% of Yahoo leagues after his injury, but he'll be the team's full-time DH when he returns, and he can still provide useful power numbers in a strong Yankees lineup.

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New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that it's possible that left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) only makes one more minor-league rehab start, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. The plan is for Rodon to pitch on Tuesday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Barring a setback on Tuesday, that will be his last start in the minors before making his 2026 season debut in pinstripes. The 33-year-old veteran is on the cusp of rejoining the Yankees, and he's looked great so far in his two rehab starts, striking out 12 and walking one while giving up just one run in 9 2/3 innings with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. Rodon will look to go over 80 pitches with Triple-A next week, so he'll be fully stretched out when he reaches the big leagues. He's coming off surgery last October to remove a bone spur in his left elbow. The three-time All-Star should be scooped up immediately if he's available in your league. Rodon is rostered in 86% of Yahoo leagues already.

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New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole's (elbow) next scheduled minor-league rehab start will come on Tuesday with High-A Hudson Valley, according to the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips. Cole went 5 2/3 innings in his latest rehab start on Wednesday with Double-A Somerset, but the 35-year-old hasn't exactly looked great so far in the minors as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery early last year that kept him out for all of 2025. The former first overall pick out of UCLA in 2011 has been knocking off the rust with a 4.40 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and one walk in his three rehab appearances. Cole is understandably taking a little longer than fellow rotation mate Carlos Rodon (elbow) in his return, and although he's had some trouble with the long ball, Cole remains on track to rejoin New York's rotation in a couple of weeks or so, barring a setback. He's rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues right now. Cole could be more of a question mark initially as he works his way back from a long layoff, but fantasy managers are willing to gamble on the chance he finds his pre-injury form as an ace.

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Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (back) is starting at first base and batting third for the Royals against the hosting Seattle Mariners and right-hander Bryan Woo in Friday's series opener, according to MLB.com. Pasquantino, who said he has been battling some back injuries for most of the year so far, will return after sitting out each of the last two games with lower-back tightness. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger is a must-roster player in fantasy baseball leagues after his breakout 2025 season, in which he set career-highs in home runs (32), RBI (113), and runs scored (72). He's off to a slow start this year, though, and perhaps it's due to his back problems. Pasquantino returns to the lineup hitting .165 (17-for-103) with three home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored, 16 walks, and 24 strikeouts across 29 games and 124 plate appearances. Fantasy managers hope his back injury doesn't flare up again and that he starts to swing a hotter bat to begin May.

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Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (quadriceps) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Denver against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, per MLB.com. Mauricio Dubon is starting in center field for Atlanta and will bat fifth against Rockies veteran left-hander Jose Quintana. Jorge Mateo is starting at the 6 for the Braves. Harris is being considered day-to-day for now, but if he cannot return during the weekend series in Colorado, he could land on the 10-day injured list after coming down with quadriceps tightness the other day. It's a really bad time for the 25-year-old to be injured after his really hot start to the 2026 season. Going into Friday's games, Harris is slashing .317/.352/.535 with an .887 OPS, six home runs, 20 RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 101 at-bats. Both Dubon and Eli White are options to replace Harris in center field for the Braves if he continues to miss time beyond Friday's contest. Fantasy managers should check back on Saturday for an update on Harris and to see if he's back in the lineup for Game 2 in Denver.

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Athletics first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom (head, shoulder) is back in left field and will hit sixth in the batting order for Friday's series opener against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Joey Cantillo, according to MLB.com. Even with a left-hander on the mound, Soderstrom will return to the A's starting nine after sitting out the last two games because he was banged up from a diving catch in the outfield on Tuesday. The 24-year-old left-handed slugger won't be the most popular DFS play on Friday night, even with the A's at home at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. Soderstrom has hit just .211 (23-for-109) on the season with three home runs, 18 RBI, 14 runs scored, and a steal. He's really struggled against lefties, too, going 3-for-34 (.088) against them with none of his three home runs, two walks, and 11 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances. Soderstrom will be facing Cantillo for the first time in his career.

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Baltimore Orioles right-handed closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-elbow inflammation, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. This one is a bit of a surprise after Helsley looked fine in his last outing, when he locked down his seventh save of the year with a perfect ninth inning. It's quite a big shakeup in fantasy baseball leagues and will give managers a chance to poach some saves off the waiver wire for at least the next couple of weeks. It's unclear how Baltimore will approach save situations going forward, but they will most likely go with a committee approach that could involve all of Andrew Kittredge, Rico Garcia, Anthony Nunez, and Yennier Cano. Kittredge has the most experience (nine-plus seasons in the big leagues), but Garcia, Nunez, and Cano have all pitched extremely well this year and deserve opportunities as well. Garcia is probably your best bet if you're speculating, and he's currently rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues. Helsley should be stashed in an IL spot in all leagues in what is looking like a bounce-back 2026 campaign.

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Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander (hip) will throw another bullpen session in his rehab, and he's taking steps forward, but he's still not "asymptomatic," according to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. There has been no talk of sending Verlander on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 43-year-old's body just isn't responding the way he'd like it to as he nears the end of his outstanding and likely Hall of Fame career. Verlander doesn't seem much closer to returning from the 15-day injured list. He missed all of April and doesn't have a clear path to a speedy recovery. The former MVP, three-time Cy Young winner, and nine-time All-Star is clearly running out of steam and has had a tough time staying healthy in recent years. In his lone start in 2026 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 30, he allowed five earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out only one in 3 2/3 innings. Verlander is now rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues.

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Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that left-hander Garrett Crochet's (shoulder) MRI exam on his left shoulder came back clean, with just some inflammation in his shoulder, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald. Crochet won't resume throwing for a few days and will now focus on rebuilding strength in his arm. The talented southpaw was put on the 15-day injured list by the BoSox on Wednesday, and the hope is that he can have a minimal stint on the IL. The 26-year-old former first-rounder by the Chicago White Sox in 2020 out of Tennessee hasn't been himself so far in six starts for Boston, and his shoulder injury is likely a big reason for that. Crochet landed on the IL with a 3-3 record, bloated 6.30 ERA (4.33 FIP), 37 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 30 innings pitched. The two-time All-Star needs to be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues while he recovers from shoulder inflammation. For now, left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett will take Crochet's spot in the rotation and make his big-league debut on Friday against the Houston Astros.

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The Baltimore Orioles announced on Friday that they recalled left-hander Cade Povich from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned right-hander Cameron Foster to Norfolk in a corresponding move. Povich is slated to start in Friday's series opener in the Bronx against the division-rival New York Yankees. The 26-year-old southpaw will temporarily fill in for the Orioles in place of left-hander Trevor Rogers (illness), but if he pitches well, the O's could be forced to find a permanent spot for Povich in the rotation. The former third-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2021 looked good in two outings (one start) for Baltimore already this year, giving up three earned runs on nine hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out seven in 12 1/3 innings. Povich doesn't have a high-end arsenal as a starter, but he's had a 30% strikeout rate in the minors and should at least deserve some attention off the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues. Unfortunately, his matchup on Friday for his second start of 2026 is not one we would recommend as a streamer in the Bronx.

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Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (hip) will miss the rest of the 2026 season and is scheduled to have hip surgery on May 13, according to Rays sideline reporter Ryan Bass. Pepiot's season will come to an end before it even started due to a right-hip injury. He initially landed on the 15-day injured list before the start of the regular season with what was being called hip inflammation. Pepiot received an injection in his right hip, but it continued to feel unstable, and he'll be forced to go under the knife. It's unclear if his recovery from this injury will spill over into spring training next year or the start of the 2027 season. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues can now safely drop Pepiot to the waiver wire. He's currently rostered in 69% of Yahoo leagues. Pepiot's season-ending injury means that swingman Nick Martinez is safe in Tampa's rotation for now.

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New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) will not come off the 10-day injured list to join the big-league club for their series opener on Friday in the Bronx against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Volpe is getting very close to making his 2026 season debut for the Yanks, but he's not quite ready and might not return to the team until early next week. The 25-year-old former first-rounder in 2019 is recovering from surgery to fix the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder in the offseason. He's played in 10 minor-league rehab games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and has gone 10-for-33 (.303) with a homer, three RBI, five runs scored, and two stolen bases. When Volpe is back with the Yankees, he'll take over as the team's starting shortstop, which will push Jose Caballero back to a utility role. Volpe is only rostered in 9% of Yahoo leagues, but that number should go up considerably once he's back. Don't expect a high average, but Volpe can be useful for his counting stats in a strong Yankees lineup.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) is throwing a live batting practice session at Fenway Park on Friday, which "suggests he's close to a return," according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Gray's right-hamstring strain was never considered all that serious when they put him on the 15-day injured list on April 21. It's unclear at this time if Boston wants the veteran right-hander to go on a short minor-league rehab assignment. If Gray doesn't require one, he could come off the IL to rejoin the team's starting rotation at some point next week. The BoSox definitely could use the help in their rotation after star left-hander Garrett Crochet (shoulder) recently went on the IL. Gray isn't flashy by any means and is up there in age (36), but the three-time All-Star can still be useful as a backend starter in fantasy and as a matchup-based streamer. In his first five starts before being sidelined, Gray had a 4.30 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 13 strikeouts, and five walks in 23 innings. His 13.1% strikeout rate is currently a career low.

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New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez (elbow) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener in the Bronx against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, according to MLB.com. Ben Rice is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second, while Paul Goldschmidt is at first base and hitting leadoff for the Yanks. Dominguez was hit by a pitch on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers and left early with a left-elbow contusion. He had the day off to rest on Thursday for a travel day. Dominguez remains out on Friday, but it could just be because the Orioles are expected to start left-hander Cade Povich. Fantasy managers should consider Dominguez to be day-to-day and check back on Saturday to see if he's back in the starting nine. The 23-year-old former top prospect has an opportunity for at least regular playing time in New York against right-handers with Giancarlo Stanton (calf) currently on the injured list. Dominguez is currently rostered in only 15% of Yahoo leagues and has gone 1-for-9 in just three games played at the big-league level this year.

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The Milwaukee Brewers placed right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-shoulder inflammation and recalled right-hander Easton McGee from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Woodruff was pulled from his outing early on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks after recording just four outs due to reduced velocity. The veteran right-hander said he didn't feel any pain on Thursday, and the early reports suggested that the 33-year-old could be going through a dead-arm phase. It's unclear what Woodruff's MRI exam results showed, but for now, he'll miss at least a couple of turns through the starting rotation in Milwaukee. The two-time All-Star didn't look bad before being pulled on Thursday, and he has a 3.60 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 25:7 K:BB in 30 innings over his six starts. However, when considering Woodruff got a late start to 2025 while recovering from shoulder surgery, this news has to be pretty troubling for the Brew Crew and for fantasy managers. Logan Henderson is expected to take Woodruff's rotation spot. The right-handed pitching prospect is worth a pickup now for those looking for starting pitching help.

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Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (neck) left Friday's game early in the second inning against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field with neck tightness, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Before leaving the game, Hoerner doubled and scored a run for the Cubbies before being replaced by pinch-hitter Matt Shaw. Although the 28-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be very serious, fantasy managers will want to keep tabs on his status as the team's series continues on Saturday and Sunday. For now, we'll consider Hoerner to be day-to-day. If he's forced to miss additional time because of his neck injury, Shaw and Nicky Lopez could split time at the keystone in the Windy City. Hoerner, who is in his eighth year with the Cubs in 2026, could easily be in the midst of a breakout season this year after coming into Friday's action with a .291/.370/.449 slash line, .819 OPS, four home runs, 26 RBI, 16 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his first 31 games. He's a must-start in traditional fantasy baseball leagues when he's in the starting lineup.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo (hamstring) is starting in right field and batting leadoff on Friday for the series opener in Detroit against the Tigers and right-hander Jack Flaherty, according to MLB.com. Nimmo is back in action after he left Wednesday's game early against the New York Yankees with right-hamstring tightness, but he's feeling better after having an additional day off for travel on Thursday. Fantasy managers will want to get the 33-year-old left-handed hitter back in their starting lineups against a right-handed pitcher. Nimmo is certainly no stranger to missing time due to injuries, so fantasy managers have to be stoked to have him back so quickly. He's off to a strong start in his first year in Texas, coming into Friday's game slashing .290/.364/.460 with an .824 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, 14 runs scored, and a stolen base in 124 at-bats. He's never faced Flaherty in his MLB career.

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The Boston Red Sox announced on Friday that they recalled left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett from Triple-A Worcester. Bennett will make his major-league debut on Friday and start against the Houston Astros. Boston needs some help in their starting rotation with both lefty Garrett Crochet (shoulder) and righty Sonny Gray (hamstring) on the injured list at the moment. Bennett, the club's No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, gets the call to the big leagues for the first time after going 2-1 with a 0.86 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 16 strikeouts, and three walks in 21 innings across five starts for Worcester this year. The 25-year-old southpaw was a former second-round pick by the Washington Nationals in 2022 out of Oklahoma. He's mostly a fastball/changeup pitcher with excellent command, but he'll be a pretty risky fantasy streamer on Friday in his first MLB appearance against an Astros team that ranks third in baseball in OPS (.784). Bennett isn't a bad upside stash in deeper fantasy leagues, though, as he could get more starts in Boston's rotation if he fares well on Friday. He's currently rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues.

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