Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale is off to a strong start in 2026 in his 16th year in the big leagues and his third in Atlanta, going 3-1 with a 3.27 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 22:6 K:BB in 22 innings pitched over his four starts. Sale bounced back nicely in his last appearance on Sunday against the Cleveland Guardians by allowing just one earned run with a walk and six strikeouts in six innings pitched. On April 6 against the Los Angeles Angels, Sale surrendered six earned runs on five hits (two homers) while walking two and striking out seven in only four innings. The 37-year-old nine-time All-Star and former American League Cy Young winner is still a strong fantasy starter, even though he's 37 years old, but durability is a major concern. Sale has made 20 starts in a season just once since 2017. He'll have a difficult upcoming matchup on Saturday against the Phillies, but Sale remains a must-start in fantasy when he's healthy.

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New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge went 1-for-4 with his major-league-leading eighth home run of the season and a strikeout in the team's 11-4 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Thursday in the Bronx. Judge and Angels star outfielder Mike Trout put on an impressive display of back-and-forth power in the four-game series at Yankee Stadium this week. The 33-year-old three-time MVP hit a pair of home runs in Monday's victory over the Halos and then added his eighth dinger of the year in the series finale. Judge wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders at the start of the 2026 season, but he's beginning to heat up and is now hitting .236 with a .918 OPS through 19 games played. The seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner also has 14 RBI, three stolen bases, and 16 runs scored for the Yankees. Fantasy managers will be hoping that Judge can continue his elite power display going into this weekend's series against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Judge is always a must-start in fantasy leagues.

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Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz continued his hot start to the 2026 season by going 2-for-5 with a double, two stolen bases, an RBI, a run scored, and a strikeout in the team's 8-7 extra-inning loss at PNC Park to the Washington Nationals on Thursday. Cruz came into Thursday's game slashing .310/.380/.563 with a .943 OPS, five home runs, 16 RBI, seven stolen bases, 14 runs scored, seven walks, and 25 strikeouts in 18 games played. It's very nice to see for the Pirates and fantasy managers who have been waiting for Cruz's breakout season. He did have 20 home runs, 61 RBI, and a league-high 38 stolen bases in 135 games in 2025, but he also hit just .200 (94-for-471) with 174 strikeouts in 544 plate appearances. The 27-year-old Dominican has some of the best bat speed and exit velocities in the big leagues, so if he can cut down on the whiffs, his power/speed upside makes him extremely dynamic for fantasy baseball purposes.

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Los Angeles Angels infielder Oswald Peraza was doing a little bit of everything during Thursday's game against the New York Yankees. Peraza got revenge on his former club with a two-run home run during Thursday's blowout win. He went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, a homer, three RBI, one walk, and a stolen base in the 11-4 victory. Peraza probably doesn't have an everyday role, but is taking advantage of the extra at-bats with Jorge Soler suspended right now. He's 5-for-10 with two homers, four RBI, and three walks over the last three games. Peraza could be a short-term spark plug for fantasy managers looking for help right now.

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Washington Nationals relief pitcher Clayton Beeter continued to struggle with his command during Thursday's outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Beeter was handed the ball in the ninth inning with a one-run lead on Thursday. The right-hander allowed two walks, one hit, and one run to blow his second save of the season. He was able to get out of the inning and eventually earn the win with the Nationals taking the lead in the 10th inning. Orlando Ribalta wound up earning the save by tossing a scoreless inning in the 10th. Beeter could be on a short leash in the closer role with eight walks in 9.1 innings this season.

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Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Angel Zerpa was handed the ball with a one-run lead against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. Zerpa picked up his first career save on Monday and was asked to do it again a few days later. The southpaw gave up a leadoff single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to begin the final frame. Zerpa was able to work around the hit and earn his second save of the season. Trevor Megill pitched in the eighth inning, while Abner Uribe didn't pitch for rest purposes. This could end up turning into a committee between Megill, Uribe, and Zerpa going forward. Fantasy managers should monitor Zerpa to see if the Brewers continue using him in save situations.

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San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker once again was called upon in a non-save situation on Thursday. The right-hander was handed the ball in the seventh inning of Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Walker was solid as he tossed a scoreless outing with one strikeout to earn himself the hold. The Giants decided to go with left-hander Erik Miller in the ninth inning of Thursday's game. It went well for Miller, who struck out three batters to earn his first save of the season. Clearly, Walker isn't the full-time closer, and the Giants want to continue going closer-by-committee. Fantasy managers who are relying on Walker for saves might need to start looking elsewhere.

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Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Trevor Megill appears to have lost the closer role for now. Ahead of Thursday's game, Megill had allowed seven earned runs over his last two outings. The Brewers decided to have Megill pitch in the eighth inning of Thursday's game. The right-hander tossed a scoreless frame with two strikeouts. Milwaukee handed the ball to left-hander Angel Zerpa with a one-run lead in the ninth inning. The southpaw gave up one hit but was able to close the door for his second save of the season. Megill could earn his way back into the full-time closer role, but for now, Zerpa and Abner Uribe should be in the mix as well.

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Cleveland Guardians rookie left-hander Parker Messick flirted with history in an impressive pitching performance on Thursday night in a 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and ended up giving up two earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out nine in eight innings of work to win his third game of the year. Outfielder Leody Taveras singled with no outs in the ninth inning to break up Messick's no-hit bid. Messick generated 18 swings and misses on a total of 112 pitches in his outing, and his changeup continues to be a nasty pitch for opposing batters to pick up. The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of Florida State doesn't have an overpowering fastball, but in comparison to his plus-plus changeup, it gets on hitters faster than expected. Messick is quickly becoming a must-roster player in all fantasy leagues, and he'll be a must-start in his next scheduled outing next Tuesday against the Astros. He currently holds a strong 1.05 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 25:7 K:BB in 25 2/3 innings for Cleveland.

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Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (arm) played light catch on the field at Daikin Park before Thursday's contest against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a team trainer nearby, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Imai was put on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right-arm fatigue. The good news is that the first-year MLB player isn't dealing with any structural damage to his arm. The early returns from the 27-year-old through his first three major-league starts weren't great, as he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while walking 11 and striking out 13 in 8 2/3 innings pitched. Imai will be eligible to return from the IL later this month, but the Astros may take things slowly and not rush him back to the starting rotation, even with the Astros dealing with plenty of early-season injuries to their rotation arms.

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New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow, hamstring) will throw live batting practice on Saturday and then should advance to a minor-league rehab assignment, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Manager Aaron Boone said that Rodon will probably need three starts in the minors before the team considers activating him from the 15-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star is putting the final touches on his rehab from elbow surgery last year to have a bone spur removed, and the Yankees have also been cautious of late after he suffered a minor hamstring injury. Rodon will likely begin a rehab assignment at some point next week as long as he doesn't suffer a setback when he faces live hitters in a batting practice session on Saturday at Double-A Somerset. If Rodon looks good in the minors, he could make his season debut for the Yankees in early to mid-May. Fantasy managers need to have Rodon stashed in an IL spot everywhere after he finished sixth in the American League Cy Young voting in 2025.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (biceps) looked good in his minor-league rehab start on Thursday with Triple-A Iowa, allowing three earned runs on four hits while walking one and striking out six in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Boyd is on the 15-day injured list with a left-biceps strain, but the 35-year-old veteran is expected to only need one rehab outing before the Cubs have him rejoin the big-league starting rotation. If Boyd is done making rehab starts in the minors, his next outing for Chicago could come as soon as Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. That wouldn't be the greatest matchup for fantasy baseball purposes, especially with Boyd throwing only 3 2/3 frames on Thursday at Iowa. Boyd allowed seven earned runs in 9 1/3 innings in his first two starts of 2026 before going on the IL, but he also had a 1.87 FIP with 17 strikeouts and three walks. Fantasy managers should be stashing the crafty lefty veteran in most fantasy leagues, especially with his return not far off.

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Colorado Rockies infielder Willi Castro (hand) is on the bench to begin Thursday's game at Daikin Park against the Houston Astros, according to MLB.com. Edouard Julien is starting at second base and will bat leadoff for the Rockies against Astros right-hander Ryan Weiss. Castros was removed from Wednesday's game after he was hit on the right hand by a pitch, but thankfully, X-rays on his hand came back negative. For now, fantasy managers in deeper leagues should consider Castro day-to-day. Before his hand injury, the 28-year-old switch-hitting Puerto Rican was hitting just .214 (12-for-56) with a home run, eight RBI, eight runs scored, and a stolen base in his first 16 games played with Colorado. Check back on Friday to see if Castro will be returning to the starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Coors Field against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. If Castro continues to struggle at the dish, he could start to lose more playing time to Julien at the keystone in Denver.

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San Diego Padres catcher Freddy Fermin (head) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday night's series finale against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park, according to MLB.com. Luis Campusano is doing the catching for right-hander Walker Buehler and will hit eighth against Mariners veteran right-hander Luis Castillo. Fermin was shaken up in Wednesday's walk-off win over the M's early in the game when a foul ball caught him square in the mask. He was checked by trainers before eventually being replaced by Campusano behind the plate. The good news is that Fermin hasn't experienced concussion symptoms, which makes him available off the bench on Thursday. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day and check back on Friday to see if he's back in action for Friday's series opener on the road against the Los Angeles Angels. Campusano has gotten off to a strong start in 2026 at the plate, going 8-for-25 (.320) with a homer, five RBI, and four runs scored in nine games. He has never faced Castillo in his career.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout has been looking like his former MVP self this week in the Bronx during a four-game series against the New York Yankees. Trout finished Thursday's 11-4 victory by going 1-for-2 with a solo home run, three runs scored, and three walks. The 34-year-old former 11-time All-Star and three-time MVP finished the four-game series against the Yanks with five total home runs, which is the first time any opposing player has hit five home runs in a series against the Yankees. After another big game on Thursday, Trout is now hitting .246 on the year with a 1.010 OPS, seven home runs, 16 RBI, two stolen bases, a league-high 21 runs scored, 18 walks, and 18 strikeouts in 19 games played in his 16th year in the majors. Trout has had trouble staying healthy in recent years, but he's fully healthy now, and he's rewarding his fantasy managers with plenty of production across the board. If the future Hall of Famer can stay on the field all year, he'll end up being an absolute steal in fantasy and a potential league-winner.

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If Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki opts to go with someone else at closer after right-hander Jordan Romano blew two saves in New York against the Yankees this week, The Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher suggests that right-hander Chase Silseth might be the next man up. Silseth has a 2.84 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with six walks and eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 relief innings for the Halos this year in his nine outings. Right-handers Kirby Yates (knee) and Ben Joyce (shoulder) remain on the injured list and have yet to make their season debuts, so the Angels don't exactly have many great options beyond Romano, who is a two-time All-Star with 117 career saves in seven-plus MLB seasons. While Silseth has fared well early on in 2026, he holds a 5.53 FIP and has never recorded a save in his four-plus MLB campaigns. Silseth also has three holds, and he should only be a consideration for a waiver-wire pickup in deeper fantasy leagues for managers desperate in the saves column. Veteran lefty Drew Pomeranz has five holds this year and 10 career saves in 12-plus years in the big leagues, and he could get a shot as well in save situations if Romano loses the job.

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Detroit Tigers outfield prospect Max Clark has been showing why he was a third-overall draft pick back in 2023, consistently climbing the ranks of the Tigers' farm system and proving he's not overmatched whatsoever at Triple-A thus far in 2025. The Tigers' second-ranked prospect (soon to be top-ranked with the eventual graduation of Kevin McGonigle) has tallied six multi-hit performances over his last 10 games, and is now hitting .356, slugging .525, and owns a .437 on-base percentage thanks to a robust 14.1 percent walk rate. What's more is that the left-handed slugger has just an 8.5 percent strikeout rate and has swiped six bases. He's played just 15 games at Triple-A, but soon there won't be much left to prove, and a debut in the majors is drawing nearer and nearer. With a fantasy-friendly combination of contact, power, and speed, the 21-year-old is a worthy stash candidate in all formats.

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Across his first 77 plate appearances of 2026, Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is hitting .236/.276/.306 with one home run, five RBI, 12 runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 24-year-old was the talk of baseball to start the 2025 season, posting an .847 OPS with 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases before the All-Star break. However, Crow-Armstrong faltered down the stretch, posting a .634 OPS with just six homers in the season's second half. So far in 2026, Crow-Armstrong has been closer to his second-half self. He owns a subpar 4% barrel rate and has struck out in 29.9% of his plate appearances while walking at just a 3.9% clip. Crow-Armstrong's athleticism and elite defense should keep him in the Cubs' lineup and allow him to rack up stolen bases and counting stats. Still, the high-end power/speed upside that Crow-Armstrong showcased early in 2025 is starting to look more like a temporary hot streak than an established level of production.

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Across his first 90 plate appearances of the 2026 season, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is hitting .240/.367/.493 with five home runs, nine RBI, 17 runs scored, and one stolen base. The 25-year-old has not been especially aggressive on the base paths so far this season, but Neto has a track record as a speed asset with 56 stolen bases over the past two seasons combined. Elsewhere in his profile, Neto looks to be on track to provide strong fantasy production. His 12% barrel rate supports his strong power output, and his 15.6% walk rate at the top of the Angels lineup should allow him to continue racking up runs scored. While Neto's 27.8% strikeout rate limits his batting average upside, he makes enough hard contact to avoid crushing fantasy managers in the category. As long as he stays healthy, Neto appears poised to be a high-end fantasy shortstop in 2026.

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Colorado Rockies corner infielder/outfielder prospect Charlie Condon continues to hit well at Triple-A Albuquerque, going 5-for-12 (.417) over his last three games. The Rockies' second-ranked prospect is slashing an impressive .319/.439/.617 with four home runs and, perhaps more importantly, has lowered his strikeout rate to a better-than-average 19.3 percent for the season. The right-hander is also drawing walks at a 14.0 percent clip and has even stolen a base. The main knock on the former third-overall draft pick was his strikeout rate, which showed improvement in the Arizona Fall League and in Cactus League play, and now it is translating to regular-season action. After a strong start to the year, Rockies first baseman T.J. Rumfield has cooled, going 3-for-24 (.124) with zero extra-base hits over his last seven games, so there isn't much blocking Condon's path, especially given that he can also play third base, outfield, or simply be the designated hitter. With his power and the 6-foot-5 slugger's home field being Coors Field, he remains a top hitter to stash in deep leagues, and could even become viable in shallower formats given his improved approach at the plate.

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