Jorge Polanco Might Need a Stint on the Injured List: New York Mets infielder Jorge Polanco (Achilles) is getting the day off in Thursday's series finale against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks after his Achilles didn't feel great after playing on Wednesday, according to Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News. Manager Carlos Mendoza said that at some point, the Mets might have to put Polanco on the injured list, but for now, the situation remains "fluid." It's a recurring Achilles tendon issue for the veteran infielder, which is bad news for the Mets, considering his lengthy history of lower-body injuries. The 32-year-old Dominican's production on the field could be affected by his Achilles, too, as he's gone just 8-for-40 (.200) with no homers, one RBI, two runs, five walks, and six strikeouts in his first 10 games with the Mets in 2026. With outfielder Juan Soto (calf) on the 10-day injured list, both Mark Vientos and Brett Baty are seeing more consistent playing time in Queens. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:48:42
Juan Soto Not Close to Starting a Running Program: New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (calf), who is on the 10-day injured list with a right-calf strain, has been swinging a bat indoors and playing catch, but he's not close to starting a running program, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Soto will continue to take part in light baseball activities when he heals. It's not a very serious calf injury, but the All-Star outfielder won't be back immediately when he's eligible to return from the 10-day IL. The four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner is an absolute must-stash in all fantasy leagues as a five-category contributor. Soto was off to a strong start before his injury, too, going 11-for-31 (.355) at the plate with a homer, two doubles, five RBI, three runs scored, three walks, and six strikeouts in eight games played. Mark Vientos should continue to see his playing time rise as long as Soto remains on the shelf. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:43:28
Corbin Carroll Dealing With Hip Injury, Not Expected to Miss Much Time: Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (hip) is out of the starting lineup against the New York Mets in the series finale on Thursday because he's dealing with what he says is a minor hip injury that he felt during his triple on Wednesday, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Carroll doesn't think the injury is serious and doesn't expect to miss much time. We'll consider him day-to-day for now and check back on his status on Friday to see if he can play against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. With Carroll out on Thursday, Jorge Barrosa is starting in right field for the Snakes and is batting ninth against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean. Carroll's hip injury is worth watching, and hopefully, for his fantasy managers' sake, it doesn't affect him on the basepaths. The former National League Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star is off to a strong start in 2026, hitting .333/.408/.690 with two homers, 11 RBI, nine runs scored, and a steal in 42 at-bats. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:38:25
Corbin Carroll Getting a Day Off Against Mets: Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is taking the day off on Thursday in the series finale at Citi Field against the hosting New York Mets, according to MLB.com. Jorge Barrosa will make the start in right field for the Snakes and will hit ninth against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean. Carroll will take a seat after a strong start to the 2026 season, as he has gone 14-for-42 (.333) with two home runs, three doubles, a league-leading three triples, 11 RBI, nine runs scored, a steal, six walks, and 10 strikeouts in 49 plate appearances over 12 games played. Because of his ability to contribute in all fantasy categories at a high level, Carroll is one of the most valuable players in the game. He should be back in action on Friday for the team's series opener in Philadelphia against the Phillies. Barrosa has gone 4-for-19 (.211) with four doubles and two RBI in his first six games of the year. He'll be a poor DFS option on Thursday out of the nine-hole for Arizona. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:35:37
Is Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Slow Start a Cause for Concern?: San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has established himself as one of the better players in all of baseball in recent seasons, making his third All-Star game and finishing eighth in the National League MVP vote in 2025. However, the 27-year-old is off to a slow start to his 2026 campaign. Through his first 53 plate appearances, Tatis Jr. is hitting .196/.283/.261 with zero home runs, four RBI, six runs scored, and three stolen bases. He's struck out in 28.3% of his plate appearances, which would be his worst mark over a full season since his rookie year in 2019. Still, a look under the hood at Tatis Jr.'s underlying hitting metrics should allay concerns for fantasy managers. He's posted an elite 68.8% hard-hit rate, meaning his lack of power can be ascribed to his average launch angle of 2.7 degrees. Once Tatis Jr.'s launch angle drifts back towards his career average of 10.1 degrees, his .261 slugging percentage should skyrocket. Tatis Jr.'s batting average is at risk without some improvement in his strikeout rate, but he remains an elite power/speed threat for fantasy managers despite the slow start. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:47:36
Jonah Tong Strikes Out Seven in Latest Start, Nearing Return to Major Leagues?: New York Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong made his third start of the season on Wednesday for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing two earned runs on one hit and two walks while striking out seven in five innings of work. He also hit one batter. The right-hander threw 83 pitches in the outing (53 of them for strikes) and, at that pitch count, should be ready to return to the majors whenever the need arises for the Mets. The team's second-ranked prospect had an uneven debut in the majors last year, allowing one run or less in two starts but four or more in the other three; however, he was able to maintain his strikeout-per-inning rate with 22 punchouts in 18 2/3 innings pitched. Through three starts for Syracuse, the 22-year-old has looked good in two of them, while the other was a dud, but if he can get on a roll, the former seventh-rounder should get the call to the big leagues again within the next couple of months. There is strikeout upside here if managers in deeper leagues are looking for a stash option, but others may want to take a wait-and-see approach before rostering him. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:45:26
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Showcasing Improved Control Early in 2026: Across his first 18 innings (three starts) in 2026, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has recorded a 2-1 record with a 2.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts. The 27-year-old has allowed just two walks on the season, and his overall line remains excellent. However, Yamamoto is not generating his usual level of swing-and-miss so far, as his 20.9% strikeout rate is down from the 29.4% rate he posted in 2025. Yamamoto threw 211 innings between the regular season and postseason in 2025, so his ability to sustain high-level production coming off a significant workload will be something for fantasy managers to monitor throughout this year. Still, Yamamoto's average fastball velocity early in the year is 95.8 mph, right in line with where he's been over his first two MLB seasons. He remains an elite starting pitcher option for fantasy managers in 2026. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:38:22
Didier Fuentes Fans Eight, Remains a Sneaky Stash Candidate?: Atlanta Braves pitching prospect Didier Fuentes was a bit erratic in his second start for Triple-A Gwinnett, but overall turned in another impressive outing. The Braves' third-ranked prospect allowed two hits, four walks, and he hit a batter, but yielded no runs and struck out eight in six innings of work. Through two starts, the right-hander has yet to allow a run and owns a 15:5 K:BB in 9 2/3 innings pitched. With the Braves' rotation depleted by injury in 2025, the 6-foot Colombian had a four-start debut with the team last season and has already made one relief appearance with the big league club in 2026, but was sent to Triple-A to get stretched out as a starter, as the rotation is again very much in need of help. The 20-year-old could be back in the majors soon if he continues to pitch well, and his strikeout upside should make him a viable stash option in deeper leagues. - as of Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:26:50