Christian Yelich Continues to Progress, Expected to Return in Mid- to Late-May: The plan is for Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (groin) to progress to live at-bats and baserunning by early next week, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. His estimated return remains in mid- to late-May. Yelich is recovering from a left-groin strain and was able to take on-field batting practice with the rest of the team on Monday before the series opener in St. Louis against the Cardinals. He's currently on the 10-day injured list, but the former MVP, three-time All-Star, and two-time batting champion should remain rostered in all fantasy baseball leagues while he heals. The 34-year-old veteran only had one home run in his first 51 at-bats of the 2026 season, but he was also hitting a cool .314 with 10 RBI, 10 runs scored, and three stolen bases. He should be back in a couple of weeks, which will be another boost to Milwaukee's offense after both outfielder Jackson Chourio (hand, foot) and first baseman Andrew Vaughn (hand) came off the IL on Monday. - as of Tue, 05 May 2026 14:00:08
Nick Lodolo Shouldn't Face Restrictions in Season Debut on Friday: Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (finger), who has been on the 15-day injured list since a blister on his left index finger ended his final spring training outing on March 22, will make his 2026 season debut on Friday against the Houston Astros. Lodolo threw 45 of his 79 pitches for strikes at Triple-A Louisville in his final minor-league rehab start and mixed in roughly 16 or 17 sliders, the pitch that causes the friction on the pad of his index finger. He expects to throw more when facing big-league hitters for the first time this year on Friday, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "I'm not going to be up here with a limit," said Lodolo. Getting the left-hander from TCU back in the rotation is big for the Reds, who are missing both Hunter Greene (elbow) and Brandon Williamson (shoulder). Lodolo went 9-8 with a 3.33 ERA in 29 games in 2025 and set career-highs in starts (28), innings (156 2/3), and strikeouts (156). Injuries have limited him, but Lodolo deserves to be rostered in all fantasy baseball leagues for his strikeout upside. He's currently rostered in 88% of Yahoo leagues. - as of Tue, 05 May 2026 10:33:05
Emilio Pagan Blows Third Save, In Danger of Losing Closer Job?: Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan came into Monday night's game with a one-run lead against the Cubs, but the 34-year-old righty served up two runs on two hits and blew the save. Pete Crow-Armstrong greeted him with a triple, and after PCA scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game, Michael Conforto delivered a pinch-hit, walk-off homer, handing Pagan his first loss of the season. Pagan has six saves on the season but also sports an ugly 6.43 ERA and 5.86 FIP, and he has allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings over his last four games. Right now, Tony Santillan looks like a better option for Cincinnati, with his 2.45 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. The Reds haven't announced a change, but it's definitely a situation worth monitoring if you have Pagan or are in the market for saves, since Santillan could quickly be worth a waiver wire look if he gets the job. - as of Tue, 05 May 2026 09:21:06
George Springer Expected to Return to Tuesday's Lineup: Toronto Blue Jays outfielder/designated hitter George Springer (foot) should be good to play in Tuesday's contest against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, manager John Schneider told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Springer was hit by a pitch on his left foot on Saturday and has been held out of action for the last two games, but the Blue Jays considered using him as a pinch-hitter in Monday's series opener against the Rays. The 36-year-old veteran and four-time All-Star has already been on the injured list in 2026 with a fractured toe, so the Blue Jays are hoping he can put the injury bug behind him moving forward and get going offensively. Springer surprised nearly everyone last year by hitting .309/.399/.560 with a .956 OPS, 32 home runs, 84 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 106 runs scored in 140 regular-season games before leading the Jays to a World Series appearance. So far this year, though, he's struggled to a .212 average (14-for-66) with two homers and seven RBI in a small sample size of just 18 games. - as of Tue, 05 May 2026 00:10:06
Shohei Ohtani Will Only Pitch on Tuesday Against Astros: Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Monday's series opener against the hosting Houston Astros that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani would serve as the designated hitter during his start on the mound on Tuesday. However, after Monday's game, Roberts said the team would change course and just have Ohtani pitch. The left-handed slugger walked twice, drove in a run, and scored two runs in the 8-3 win on Monday night, but he went 0-for-2 at the plate and is 0-for-17 in the last five games at the plate. This will be the third time so far in 2026 that the Dodgers have given Ohtani a break from hitting on the same day that he pitches. He could use the mental break offensively right now, and he should be back in the lineup as the DH for Wednesday's series finale in Houston. The four-time MVP is producing well below his standards as a hitter, but he's been lights-out on the mound, allowing just four runs (two earned) while walking nine and striking out 34 in 30 innings pitched over his five starts. Despite the tough matchup on Tuesday on the road, Ohtani needs to be in your starting fantasy lineups as a pitcher. - as of Mon, 04 May 2026 23:53:10