Jhoan Duran Placed on 15-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain: The Philadelphia Phillies placed right-handed closer Jhoan Duran (oblique) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) with a left-oblique strain on Saturday, according to Jeff Skversky of FOX 29 Philly. Fantasy managers should expect Duran to be out longer than the 15 days with his oblique injury, but he needs to remain stashed in all fantasy leagues while he recovers. The hard-throwing 28-year-old Dominican was off to a fine start in 2026, too, in his first full season with the Phillies. Through seven relief appearances, Duran held a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, five saves, eight strikeouts, and no walks in 6 2/3 innings pitched. It's unclear how the Phils will approach the ninth inning in the absence of Duran moving forward, but all of Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller, and Orion Kerkering could be involved in some sort of closer-by-committee situation. Alvarado, 30, has the most closing experience in his nine-plus MLB seasons, for what it's worth. The left-hander has recorded 52 saves in 374 1/3 innings pitched, and he's been in Philly since the start of the 2021 campaign. - as of Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:58:05
Sal Stewart Starting at Second Base on Saturday: Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart is making the start at second base and will hit cleanup for the Reds for Saturday's ballgame against the hosting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Taj Bradley at Target Field, according to MLB.com. The slumping Matt McLain will get the day off after starting with a .183 average (13-for-71) in 20 games. With Stewart moving over to the keystone, the left-handed-hitting Nathaniel Lowe will draw into the starting lineup at first base. It remains to be seen if Stewart will play enough to gain eligibility at second base in 2026, but if he does, it would be another big boost to an already dynamic young slugger. The 22-year-old former first-rounder in 2022 has been one of the best hitters in baseball through the first couple of weeks of the 2026 season, as he enters Saturday's game in the Twin Cities with a .300/.405/.657 slash line, 1.062 OPS, seven home runs, 17 RBI, 14 runs scored, and even four stolen bases in 70 at-bats. Stewart has been a hot waiver-wire pickup and is now rostered in 89% of Yahoo leagues. - as of Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:59:05
Jorge Polanco Placed on Injured List With Wrist Contusion: The New York Mets announced on Saturday that they have placed infielder Jorge Polanco (wrist, Achilles) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) with a right-wrist contusion and recalled catcher Hayden Senger from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Polanco has been battling Achilles bursitis early in the 2026 season as well, but it's the wrist contusion that ended up landing him on the shelf. It's not a serious wrist injury, but it will also give Polanco a chance to rest his Achilles. It's another blow to a Mets team that just lost their ninth straight game to the Chicago Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field. Polanco, 32, is off to a rough start in his first year with the Mets, as he's gone 10-for-56 (.179) at the plate with a homer, two RBI, and three runs scored through his first 14 games of the year. Until he's ready to return, MJ Melendez should see steady at-bats as the team's designated hitter with Juan Soto (calf) and Jared Young (knee) both on the IL as well. - as of Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:30:05
Ben Rice Starting Against a Lefty on Saturday: New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is in the starting lineup and is batting fifth on Saturday against the visiting Kansas City Royals and left-hander Noah Cameron, per MLB.com. Rice will get his first chance to start against a southpaw in 2026 after veteran right-handed hitter Paul Goldschmidt drew into the lineup at first over Rice early on over Rice against lefties. The Yankees said in the offseason that they wanted Rice to get more exposure to lefties this year after his 2025 breakout. So far in 19 games this year, Rice has picked up where he left off, slashing .339/.459/.746 with a 1.205 OPS, six home runs, 16 RBI, 18 runs scored, and a stolen base in 74 plate appearances. He's gone 4-for-14 (.286) with a solo homer against lefties, too. To take the next step, Rice will need to be adequate in those tough lefty-lefty matchups, and he'll get his first starting chance against a southpaw on Saturday in the Bronx. Rice has never faced Cameron in his career. - as of Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:24:05
Pavin Smith Undergoes Elbow Surgery: Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman/outfielder Pavin Smith (elbow) had surgery on Thursday to remove bone chips from his left elbow that were causing inflammation, manager Torey Lovullo told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. There is no timetable for when Smith will return to the Diamondbacks roster, but with him now on the 60-day injured list, he won't be eligible to be reinstated until late May at the earliest. Smith hasn't played since the final game of the series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers in the first series of the regular season back in late March. Since Smith's injury, Jose Fernandez has seen most of the work at first base in Arizona, with Luken Baker and Ildemaro Vargas also filling in. Fernandez is the waiver-wire play in deeper fantasy baseball leagues for the time being, as the 22-year-old Venezuelan rookie is hitting a cool .302 (16-for-53) in the early going with two homers, nine RBI, nine runs scored, and a steal in 15 games played. - as of Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:50:07
Isaac Collins Back in Royals Lineup on Saturday: Kansas City Royals outfielder Isaac Collins (knee) is back in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, serving as the designated hitter and batting seventh in the order against Yankees right-hander Wil Warren, according to MLB.com. Collins suffered a bruised right knee on Tuesday and missed three straight games before his return for Game 2 of the series in New York. The 28-year-old switch-hitter has played in 16 games so far in 2026 and has gone just 9-for-42 (.214) with a home run, four RBI, seven runs scored, six walks, and 15 strikeouts. Collins will be an easy fade for DFS lineups in his first game back against a pitcher he's never faced. In his first full MLB season in 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Collins slashed .263/.368/.411 with a .779 OPS, nine home runs, 54 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and 56 runs scored in 441 plate appearances across 130 games played. In his last seven games, Collins has gone just 3-for-18 at the plate. - as of Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:42:06