Gus Varland Earns Second Save of the Week, Emerging as New Closer in Washington?: Washington Nationals reliever Gus Varland tossed a scoreless ninth in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Pirates, earning his second save in consecutive appearances. It wasn't without drama, though, as the right-hander allowed a one-out double and walked the next batter, but was able to get the next two hitters out and close the door on the threat. Clayton Beeter, who had notched the team's prior two saves, was notably used in the eighth to record a pair of outs instead of the ninth. Neither pitcher has been particularly overpowering, with Beeter having the edge in ERA and WHIP (3.24, 1.08 vs. 4.50, 1.50) but Varland with the better K-BB% (14.8 percent vs. 0.0 percent). The team could continue to use both pitchers going forward, but the 29-year-old Varland has planted himself squarely on the fantasy radar if he will be in the mix for saves going forward, which he appears to be. The 6-foot-1 hurler is available in nearly all Yahoo! leagues, but that number is sure to rise. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:13:05
Victor Robles Doing Light Baseball Activities: Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles (pectoral) has started doing light baseball activity, but not to the point where he's truly ramping up, according to MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. "Because it's his throwing arm, it's something you have to be careful with," manager Dan Wilson said. "And so we're just taking it slowly." Robles is on the 10-day injured list with a right-pectoral strain, an injury he suffered when throwing to the bases during outfield drills before last Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers. Robles isn't going to be ready to return from the IL when he's eligible this Friday. When the 28-year-old Dominican does return to the big-league roster, he will be back in a reserve outfield role, leaving him little fantasy value outside of AL-only leagues for his speed. Robles has appeared in only five games so far in 2026, going 3-for-13 (.231) with an RBI and a stolen base. He had 30 steals in 77 games for the M's to close out the 2024 season, but he appeared in only 32 games last year and has never lived up to the prospect hype he had back when he came up with the Nationals. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:52:13
Juan Soto Begins Running Progression: New York Mets owner Steve Cohen said that star outfielder Juan Soto (calf) began a running progression on Tuesday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. It's a significant step as Soto rehabs a strained right calf that landed him on the 10-day injured list. Soto has been doing baseball activities since the days after straining his calf on April 3, but he hadn't started a running progression until Tuesday. When asked whether Soto would go on a minor-league rehab assignment, manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned getting "creative," which means the Mets could bring minor-league pitchers to Citi Field to simulate live at-bats for him. The club has estimated that Soto will return in two to three weeks, which puts him in range of returning from the IL at some point next week, if not this weekend. New York desperately needs Soto back, as they've scored one or zero runs in five of their last six games. Before his calf injury, Soto had been extremely productive, slashing .355/.412/.516 with a homer and two doubles in eight games. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:13:05
Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser Sitting Against Lefty on Wednesday: Baltimore Orioles outfielders Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, and Leody Taveras are all out of Wednesday's starting lineup against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound, according to MLB.com. The O's will go with an outfield from left to right that includes Weston Wilson in left, Blaze Alexander in center, and Johnathan Rodriguez in right. Wilson is the only one of the trio with experience against E-Rod, hitting .250 with a .900 OPS against him in just four career at-bats. To start his first full year in the big leagues, Beavers has gone 10-for-43 (.233) with a homer, five RBI, one steal, and seven runs scored in 14 games played. So far in 33 plate appearances in the majors against southpaws, he's hitting .231 (6-for-26) with one of his five home runs. Cowser has been quiet at the plate to begin the 2026 season, as he's hitting .229 (8-for-35) and is still searching for his first home run. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:48:15
Martin Perez Re-Signs With Braves on Minor-League Deal: Left-hander Martin Perez cleared waivers on Tuesday, elected free agency, and has now re-signed with the Atlanta Braves on a minor-league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. For now, Perez will most likely head to Triple-A Gwinnett to give the Braves experienced starting pitching depth going forward. The 35-year-old Venezuelan hurler handled himself well in his first three appearances (two starts) with Atlanta before being removed from the 40-man roster, allowing five earned runs on nine hits while walking four and striking out six in 14 1/3 innings pitched. Perez is in his 15th year in the big leagues, so he has plenty of experience, but for fantasy baseball purposes, there's not much upside. It remains to be seen if he'll get another opportunity for an extended stay in the starting rotation in the majors, and his career 16.3% strikeout rate won't attract fantasy managers. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:05:13
Sam Antonacci an Elite Option for Speed Among Stash Candidates: Chicago White Sox infield/outfield prospect Sam Antonacci holds high-end stash upside among hitting prospects. Reports last weekend suggested that the White Sox were set to call up Antonacci to the big leagues, but since this transaction has yet to occur, the team may feel he needs additional development in Triple-A. Entering the season, Antonacci was not on the stash radar in most formats as he sat as the No. 9-ranked prospect in the system on MLB.com. However, he has performed at an elite level at Triple-A and is beginning to tap into his power upside. Through 14 games with Charlotte, Antonacci has gone deep twice, swiped five bags while holding a .313/.500/.479 line. Last summer, Antonacci hit just five home runs in the lower levels while stealing 48 bases over 116 games. If Antonacci can continue this power trajectory, he could hold 10/30 upside once he reaches the South Side. Given Chicago's current lineup, Antonacci is a top hitter prospect to stash in standard category leagues, given his speed potential. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:57:05
Colt Emerson Remains Top Hitting Prospect to Stash, Closing in on MLB Debut?: Seattle Mariners infield prospect Colt Emerson is on the verge of making his MLB debut and remains a top hitting prospect to stash in all fantasy formats. The No. 1-ranked prospect in Seattle was recently added to the 40-man roster and is "as close as they come" to an MLB debut, according to Seattle's president of baseball operations, Jerry Dipoto. The 20-year-old has spent the opening weeks of the regular season with Triple-A Tacoma and has held his own during his first extended look at this level. Through 13 games, Emerson has carried a .265/.321/.408 line with four doubles, a home run, and a stolen base. However, he has struck out at a rather high 31.5% of the time, which could cause some growing pains once he reaches the majors. In 2025, Emerson logged 130 games shared between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A and posted a .285 AVG with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases. His five-category potential makes him a top stash option in Week 3. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:49:53
Byron Buxton Sets the Tone for Twins With Two Homers on Tuesday: Outfielder and leadoff man Byron Buxton led the Minnesota Twins in their 6-0 shutout win over the visiting Boston Red Sox at Target Field. Buxton finished the game 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and a strikeout. Both of Buxton's homers were of the solo variety, with the first coming off starter Sonny Gray in the third inning. It was the 18th multi-homer game of the 32-year-old's career, and he now has three home runs in the last two days. It's safe to say that the two-time All-Star is heating up in the first month of the season, and he's now slashing .246/.306/.462 with a .767 OPS, three home runs, four RBI, and 15 runs scored in 16 games played. He has yet to steal a base, though, after swiping 24 bags in 126 games a year ago. With Buxton, he should be a nice fantasy contributor when healthy, but staying healthy has been tough for him to do in his 12-year career. - as of Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:44:12