Kansas City Royals right-hander Lucas Erceg has established himself as his team's closer so far this season, recording a 3.31 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with 14 strikeouts and 10 saves across 16 1/3 innings (17 games). Erceg has gotten hot in recent weeks, as he's gone eight straight appearances without allowing an earned run. On the other hand, Erceg's underlying numbers offer some cause for alarm. The 31-year-old currently owns a 17.9% walk rate and is benefitting from a .268 opponent batting average on balls in play that sits well below his career mark of .307. Erceg does not generate whiffs like a typical closer either, as he's recorded 20.9% strikeout rate so far this season and struck out just 19.3% of the batters he faced in 2025. Erceg appears to be secure in the ninth-inning role in Kansas City for now, which makes him roster-worthy across all fantasy formats. Still, fantasy managers should proceed with caution, as Erceg's profile does not point to sustained dominance.

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San Francisco Giants right-hander Ryan Walker has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Walker opened 2026 as San Francisco's primary closer, but he's struggled mightily so far this season. Across 15 1/3 innings (16 games), Walker has pitched to a 6.46 ERA and 1.89 WHIP with 14 strikeouts. He was just three for six on save chances and had allowed seven earned runs over his last four outings before being sent down. Walker's struggles to open 2026 were a continuation of his down year in 2025, when he pitched to a 4.11 ERA. San Francisco will now give the 30-year-old a chance to work through his struggles in a lower-pressure environment in the minor leagues. Right-hander Caleb Killian saw the most recent save opportunity for San Francisco and could be taking over the team's ninth-inning role.

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Across 14 2/3 innings (18 games) so far this season, Chicago White Sox closer Seranthony Dominguez has recorded a 3.68 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 19 strikeouts, and eight saves. The 31-year-old has been particularly locked in of late, allowing just one earned run while logging 11 strikeouts and five saves over his last nine appearances. Control continues to be an issue for Dominguez, as he currently owns a 14.3% walk rate after posting a 13.8% walk rate in 2025. However, his strikeout rate is also north of 30% for the second straight season, which helps mitigate the damage of his free passes. Dominguez appears to have a firm hold on the ninth-inning role for the White Sox and should be rostered across all fantasy formats.

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Across 25 innings (five starts) so far this season, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Noah Schultz has recorded a 2-2 record with a 4.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts. Schultz has struggled mightily with command, as he currently owns a 15.1% walk rate. Still, the 22-year-old's overall line is weighed down by a rough outing his last time out when he allowed seven earned runs across 3 2/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels. Prior to that start, Schultz had given up just three earned runs in his last 17 innings pitched. The young right-hander is considered to be one of the top young arms in the White Sox system and posted a 40.4% strikeout rate across three starts at Triple-A before being called up by Chicago for his MLB debut in mid-April. In deeper fantasy leagues, Schultz could be worth targeting off the waiver wire ahead of his next scheduled start at home against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai (arm) will make his return to his team's starting rotation on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Imai has been on the 15-day injured list since early April due to right arm fatigue. The 28-year-old got off to a brutal start to his first MLB season before hitting the injured list, allowing seven earned runs and 11 walks across 8 2/3 innings (three starts). Imai wasn't much better in two minor league rehab appearances, allowing six earned runs and eight walks across five innings. Still, Houston signed Imai to a three-year, $54 million contract this past winter and will likely give him every opportunity to prove himself. Fantasy managers should proceed with major caution until Imai shows he can lock in his command.

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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger (elbow) has been scratched from the lineup for his team's game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels due to right elbow soreness. Barger was originally slated to lead off and play right field. The 26-year-old was recently activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday after missing over a month with a sprained ankle. Barger has just one hit in 28 plate appearances so far this season and could now be facing another trip to the injured list. Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw is replacing Barger in the team's lineup on Sunday and would likely see an increase in playing time if Barger ends up missing extended time.

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Baltimore Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (illness) said he threw more of a "simulated bullpen" session on Saturday, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Rogers doesn't expect to need a minor-league rehab start and hopes to return to the team's starting rotation in the "near future." The O's should reinstate Rogers from the 15-day injured list to make a start during the team's three-game series against the division-rival New York Yankees that starts on Monday. Although Rogers has been sidelined due to a bad case of the flu and not any injury, fantasy managers should be hesitant to throw him right back out there next week against a Yankees team that ranks third in baseball with a .778 team OPS. In addition to the bad matchup, Rogers will most likely be a bit limited from a pitch-count perspective since he's been on the IL since April 29. The 28-year-old southpaw had three straight quality starts to begin the 2026 season before giving up 13 runs (12 earned) on 19 hits (three homers) while walking five and striking out 13 in 11 1/3 innings in his three most recent starts before falling ill.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene (elbow) is throwing up to 150 feet of long toss in his rehab program in Arizona, according to Mike Petraglia of MLB.com. Greene has yet to get back on the mound after having surgery on his right elbow back in spring training in March, but it's good news that he's stretching his throws out as he builds his arm back up. In a best-case scenario, the 26-year-old hard-throwing ace will be ready to rejoin the Reds' starting rotation at some point at the end of May when he's eligible to come off the 60-day injured list. But because he's not throwing off a mound yet, we'd be surprised if he is activated in May. Despite not having pitched yet in 2026 due to injury, Greene should be rostered in most fantasy baseball leagues for his high-end strikeout upside when he's healthy. Right now, he's only rostered in 62% of Yahoo leagues. Greene was a first-time All-Star in 2024, when he had a 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 169:57 K:BB across 26 starts. He has a strong 11.2 K/9 in his four-year big-league career.

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Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas led the charge in the team's 6-1 win over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Saturday, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, a walk, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .228 and his OPS to .840. Vargas' two home runs came against Luis Castillo and Josh Simpson. It was the 26-year-old's first multi-homer game of the season. Although the Cuban infielder is still hitting just .228 (31-for-136) on the year, he's making more consistent contact at the plate than he ever has before. He's up to nine home runs on the season and has added 21 RBI, 28 runs scored, and six stolen bases in his 38 games played in his second full season with the Pale Hose. In 11 games since April 27, Vargas has gone 11-for-38 (.289) with four long balls, eight RBI, eight runs scored, and a stolen base across 47 plate appearances. He's heating up and remains a useful corner-infield power bat in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.

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Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (head) is back in the starting lineup and is hitting third for Sunday's series finale against the visiting Colorado Rockies and right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, according to MLB.com. Harper was pulled from Saturday's win over Colorado before even making a plate appearance due to a migraine, but he's feeling much better on Sunday and will return to action. Fantasy managers will want to get him back into their lineups in traditional leagues. The 33-year-old two-time MVP and eight-time All-Star is hitless in three career at-bats against Sugano, but he's been hot so far in May with a .357 average (10-for-28) with three home runs, three doubles, four RBI, eight runs scored, and a stolen base in 34 plate appearances across nine games. Overall, it's been a productive season for Harper, as he's slashing .282/.380/.549 with a .929 OPS, nine home runs, 23 RBI, 24 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 142 at-bats.

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The New York Yankees announced on Sunday that they activated left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow) from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Kervin Castro to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move. Rodon will make his 2026 season debut for the Yanks in Sunday's series finale in Milwaukee against the Brewers. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw got a late start to the year after recovering from left-elbow surgery that he had last October to remove a loose body from his arm. Now that he's back, though, Rodon should be rostered in the majority of fantasy leagues. He's currently rostered in 87% of Yahoo leagues. In three minor-league rehab starts with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Double-A Somerset, and High-A Hudson Valley, Rodon allowed seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits (three homers) while walking three and striking out 16 in 16 innings. He shouldn't have any restrictions on Sunday after throwing 83 pitches in his final rehab start, and he'll be facing a Brewers team that ranks 23rd in the league with a .689 team OPS.

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Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen came into the season swinging a hot bat, but he has cooled off since then. Jensen has smashed six home runs with 17 RBI and 15 walks through his first 37 games this season. He has hit a cold spell recently, but could still be someone worth stashing in fantasy formats. Over the last two weeks, Jensen is 4-for-39 at the plate with one RBI and six walks. He's still showing good vision at the plate, so eventually his numbers should bounce back. It's tough to find a catcher who is both good defensively and offensively. Jensen has 20-homer upside that makes him worth stashing despite his recent struggles.

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Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros is quickly making a name for himself with the way he has been swinging the bat. Through 35 games this season, Ballesteros is slashing .277/.340/.521 with six home runs, 19 RBI, and 10 walks. He has fallen into a cold spell recently, going 3-for-36 over the last two weeks. Despite some struggles, Ballesteros is worth rostering in deep leagues at the minimum. He offers offensive upside at the plate that other catchers can't match. Fantasy managers might have to go through some growing pains, but his overall upside will be worth it.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie turned in an excellent debut when he got the call against the Washington Nationals on April 23. Since then, Ritchie has struggled to replicate similar results due to his lack of command over his last two starts. Ritchie has walked 10 batters across 10.1 innings of work. The rookie right-hander has the swing-and-miss stuff to be a consistent option at the big league level. He needs to get his command in line, but could be a solid stash option going forward. Fantasy managers in deep leagues that are seeking pitching help should consider adding Ritchie.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge could be an interesting option for fantasy managers seeking help in the power category. Eldridge was recently called up to The Show after mashing five home runs across 30 games in Triple-A this season. The 21-year-old has smashed 20-plus home runs in each of his last two seasons in the minor leagues. He's a legitimate threat to go deep every at-bat, but he still has a ton of swing-and-miss in his game. Eldridge hit his first career home run on Saturday, but that was only his second hit since receiving the call to the big leagues. Eldridge offers good power upside, but fantasy managers will need to be patient with him.

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Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Graham Ashcraft is likely to be in the mix for the saves going forward. The Reds need a new ninth-inning option after Emilio Pagan (hamstring) went down with an injury. Ashcraft got the first crack at the closer role, but was unable to shut down the Chicago Cubs during Wednesday's game. He pitched in a setup role on Saturday, with Pierce Johnson getting the ball in the final frame. The assumption is that the Reds will stick with a committee approach in the ninth inning while Pagan is out. Ashcraft could be an interesting stash option with him almost certainly getting more chances at the closer role.

From RotoBaller

Boston Red Sox's CF Ceddanne Rafaela scored 26.5 fantasy points going 8-for-20 with two home runs and six RBIs in five games this week. Rafaela is owned only in 34.8% of mixed leagues.

Miami's LF Esteury Ruiz had five stolen bases and a .125 average in five games this week. Ruiz is owned only in 0.9% of mixed leagues.

Guardians' 2B Travis Bazzana had five stolen bases and a .176 average with 2 RBIs in five games this week. Bazzana is owned only in 19.6% of mixed leagues.

Cleveland Guardians' SS Brayan Rocchio had three stolen bases and a .176 average in five games this week. Rocchio is owned only in 7.0% of mixed leagues.