Masyn Winn Sitting Out Another Contest: St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (shin) was hopeful that he'd be back in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the visiting Boston Red Sox, but he will be held out as a precaution with a shin injury, according to MLB.com. Thomas Saggese will make the start at the 6 for St. Louis and will hit seventh against Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez. Winn was pulled from Friday's series opener against Boston after he was hit by a pitch in his left shin. It doesn't sound like a very serious injury, so Winn should be ready to play in Sunday's series finale at Busch Stadium against the BoSox. Perhaps the day of rest will be good for Winn, who has really struggled at the plate in his first 39 at-bats in 2026. Winn is hitting just .154 (six hits) with no homers, an RBI, five runs scored, two stolen bases, six walks, and eight strikeouts. Saggese will be a low-upside DFS play near the bottom of the batting order on Saturday against a pitcher whom he has never faced. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:15:39
Lawrence Butler Leading Off Again on Saturday: Athletics outfielder Lawrence Butler will start in right field and bat out of the leadoff spot for the second straight game on Saturday at Citi Field against the New York Mets and right-hander Kodai Senga, per MLB.com. The A's are looking for some kind of consistency from the top of the batting order early on in 2026. The 25-year-old Butler hasn't done much at the plate in his first 12 games of the season, going 7-for-37 (.189) with a homer, four RBI, five runs scored, a stolen base, five walks, and 10 strikeouts in 42 plate appearances. If he can get going, though, manager Mark Kotsay could leave him at leadoff going forward, at least against right-handed pitchers. Lawrence has at least 20 homers in each of the last two seasons for the A's and fantasy managers, and he also produced his first 20-20 season in 2025 in his second full season in the majors. If Butler can stay healthy (he dealt with injuries to both of his knees last year), he'll be an intriguing power/speed asset, especially if he hits near the top of the A's batting order. Butler is hitting .667 against Senga in just three career at-bats. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:54:39
Matt McLain Sitting Out on Saturday: Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain will hit the bench for Saturday's game against the visiting Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ballpark, according to MLB.com. Sal Stewart will make the start at the keystone and will hit cleanup for the Reds versus Angels rookie right-hander George Klassen. Spencer Steer is hitting second for Cincy. McLain hit seven home runs in 18 spring training games, but as soon as the games started to count, he's cooled off at the plate. The 26-year-old former first-rounder out of UCLA has gone 12-for-55 (.218) so far with no homers, three RBI, six runs scored, two stolen bases, seven walks, and 15 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances and 14 games played. McLain has plenty of time to turn things around offensively, but fantasy managers might want to keep him benched until he turns it around. Stewart, 22, is one of the brightest young position-player prospects in the big leagues with both power and speed. He's off to a great start, slashing .340/.458/.681 with four homers, nine RBI, eight runs, and three steals in 47 at-bats for the Reds. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:27:43
Juan Soto Could Return for Next Homestand: New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said on Friday that the team is optimistic that it will not be a long-term absence for All-Star outfielder Juan Soto (calf), according to Tim Britton of The Athletic. In fact, Soto could come off the 10-day injured list for the start of the next homestand on April 21. Soto has yet to resume a running program, but he has been swinging a bat and playing catch as he recovers from a minor calf strain. The four-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner was off to a strong start offensively before his calf injury, so fantasy managers certainly would love to see Soto return sooner rather than later. In his first eight games to kick off his second season in Queens, Soto had gone 11-for-31 (.355) with a homer, two doubles, five RBI, and three runs scored in 34 plate appearances. His absence has opened up some more playing time for Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor, and Mark Vientos. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:15:34
Max Muncy Hits Three Homers, Including Walk-Off Blast: Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy could not be stopped in the team's 8-7 victory on Friday against the visiting Texas Rangers. Muncy went 4-for-5 on the night with three solo home runs, including a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and five runs scored. His homer in the ninth helped bail closer Edwin Diaz out after he blew the save in the top of the frame by allowing three runs. The 35-year-old veteran has proven early on in 2026 that he still has plenty of power left in the tank. Through 12 games, Muncy is slashing .286/.375/.571 with a .946 OPS, four home runs, four RBI, 11 runs scored, six walks, and 14 strikeouts in 48 plate appearances. Muncy could see less playing time against left-handed pitchers, but he's still a fantasy asset for his power, run production, and on-base skills in the best lineup in baseball. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:50:45
Parker Messick Poised for Breakout Season?: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Parker Messick is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, recording a 1-0 record with a 0.82 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts across 11 innings pitched (two starts). Messick's starts have also been against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, so he's held two of the better lineups in baseball in check. The 25-year-old won a spot in the Guardians' rotation this spring after showing well in his MLB debut in 2025, where he pitched to a 2.72 ERA with 38 strikeouts across 39 2/3 innings (seven starts). While it's still early, Messick's strikeout rate is up from 23% to 27.5%, and his average fastball velocity has risen from 92.7 mph to 93.5 mph. The left-hander is slated to make his third start of the year against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, giving fantasy managers in weekly leagues one more look at him before waivers run on Sunday. Based on his performance so far, Messick profiles as a quality waiver wire target with some real upside. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:58:45
Paul Sewald Tallies Fourth Save, Remains Reliever to Roster in Arizona: Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his fourth save of 2026 in his team's 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Across 5 1/3 innings pitched, the 35-year-old has posted a 3.38 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and seven strikeouts. Sewald no longer profiles as the reliable option he once was at his peak, as he recorded back-to-back seasons with an ERA north of 4.30 in 2024 and 2025. He also allowed an elevated 1.83 HR/9 in 2025 and has already given up two long balls in 2026. Still, the veteran right-hander owns 90 career saves, including 33 as a member of the Diamondbacks. His experience in the ninth inning could give him some runway as the Arizona closer, even if he hits a rough patch. In any league where he's not already rostered, Sewald is worth targeting on the waiver wire. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:47:30
Is Jakob Junis the Closer to Roster in Texas?: Across seven innings pitched in 2026, Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jakob Junis has recorded a 0.00 ERA and 0.43 WHIP while going 2-for-2 in save chances. The 33-year-old has recorded just four strikeouts, but he's also allowed just three hits and has yet to walk a batter. With an average fastball velocity of 92.4 mph and four career saves across 854 MLB innings, Junis does not have the profile of a typical closer. However, he was quietly effective across 66 2/3 innings for the Cleveland Guardians in 2025, recording a 2.97 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 55 strikeouts. Perhaps most importantly, the Rangers do not have an established closer in their bullpen. While Cole Winn, Robert Garcia, and Jacob Latz could also get chances in the ninth inning, Junis has a chance to hold the role if he continues to be effective. For fantasy managers in deeper leagues, Junis could be worth targeting on the waiver wire. - as of Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:31:32