Oneil Cruz Extends His Hot Start to the Season: Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz continued his hot start to the season in his team's 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, going two-for-five with a home run, three RBI, and an additional run scored. Perhaps most importantly for Cruz's fantasy outlook, his home run came against Reds left-handed starter Andrew Abbott. The lefty-swinging Cruz has traditionally struggled against same-handed pitching throughout his career and has often been platooned, but he got the start against Abbott on Wednesday and delivered. Through his first 24 plate appearances of 2026, Cruz is hitting .304 with three home runs, six RBI, and seven runs scored. The 27-year-old has also struck out 10 times, so his batting average is likely to regress closer to his career mark of .233 over a larger sample. Still, if Cruz can do enough damage against lefties to earn everyday playing time, he could post monster power and speed totals for fantasy managers in 2026. - as of Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:48:41
Justin Crawford Posts First Three-Hit Game, Tallies Game-Winning RBI: 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. - as of Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:40:38
Blake Snell Close to Facing Live Hitters: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell (shoulder) is likely to start facing hitters once the team returns from its upcoming road trip, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports. Snell is currently on the 15-day injured list as he works his way back from left shoulder fatigue and was originally given a target return date of late May. Based on this most recent update, it appears Snell remains on track for that target. A left shoulder injury limited Snell to just 61 1/3 innings (11 starts) in 2025, but he was effective in his time on the mound, recording a 5-4 record with a 2.35 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts. When healthy, the 33-year-old has typically been one of the better pitchers in baseball. However, Snell has made more than 24 starts just twice in 10 MLB seasons entering 2026. Snell profiles as a high-end fantasy starting pitcher upon his return, but how long he can avoid another injury is an open question. - as of Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:11:43
Liam Hicks Swinging Scorching Bat, Emerging as a Top Waiver Wire Target?: Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks continued his hot start to the 2026 season on Wednesday, going three-for-four with a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored in his team's 10-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Across his first 19 plate appearances of the year, Hicks is hitting .467 with three home runs, 12 RBI, and six runs scored. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut in 2025, posting a .247/.346/.346 slash line with six home runs, 45 RBI, 37 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 390 plate appearances. While he posted a minuscule 3.5% barrel rate, Hicks demonstrated a solid plate approach with a 11% walk rate and just a 14.4% strikeout rate. If Hicks can make some marginal gains in the power department in 2026, he could be worth targeting off the waiver wire in two-catcher fantasy formats. - as of Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:49:28
Quinn Priester Cleared to Face Live Hitters, Continues to Make Steady Progress in Recovery: Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Quinn Priester (wrist) has been cleared to face live hitters, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Priester opened the regular season on the injured list due to symptoms related to thoracic outlet syndrome, but is slated to make the next major step in his progression. Fantasy managers should monitor his status in this live session, as he could be nearing the start of a potential rehab stint. However, he likely still has several steps to clear in his recovery, as he was unable to take the mound at all during spring training. Last season, Priester looked quite comfortable pitching for the Brewers, logging a career-high 157 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, with a 132:50 K:BB. When active, the former 18th overall pick would carry intriguing SP4/SP5 upside in standard 12-team formats. His return would likely push Brandon Sproat to a long relief role or to Triple-A. - as of Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:50:43
Kirby Yates Completes Bullpen Session on Wednesday: Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kirby Yates (knee) completed a bullpen session on Wednesday, according to Jeff Fletcher of the SoCal News Group. Yates has been on the injured list with a knee injury since the beginning of the regular season, but appears to be making steady progress in his recovery. The veteran reliever was slated to be a favorite to earn save opportunities in the Los Angeles bullpen, but has since ceded the work to Jordan Romano while he has been on the shelf. In 2025, Yates logged just 41 1/3 innings and struggled, posting a 5.23 ERA. However, in the previous season, Yates was among the most dominant ninth-inning options in the sport, tallying 33 saves with a 1.17 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP with the Texas Rangers. Given that Romano has looked quite comfortable in the ninth-inning role, Yates may begin his season operating as the setup man once cleared for action. - as of Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:44:33
Zack Wheeler to Make Second Rehab Start on Friday: Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (shoulder) will make his second start of his rehab assignment on Friday in Durham, and is expected to throw about four innings or 50 to 55 pitches total. While that was expected, his third start was originally scheduled to be in Reading, but that has now been changed to next week with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Whether or not he'll get a fourth rehab start is still up in the air. Wheeler has been working his way back from thoracic outlet decompression surgery he had last September. The right-hander was his usual dominant self in 2025 before the surgery, posting a 2.71 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 27.7 percent K-BB% in 24 starts. Hopefully the 35-year-old can return to form, and assuming he can, the three-time All-Star should continue to be stashed in all fantasy leagues. - as of Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:25:34