Vinnie Pasquantino Back in Royals Starting Lineup Against Mariners: Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (back) is starting at first base and batting third for the Royals against the hosting Seattle Mariners and right-hander Bryan Woo in Friday's series opener, according to MLB.com. Pasquantino, who said he has been battling some back injuries for most of the year so far, will return after sitting out each of the last two games with lower-back tightness. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger is a must-roster player in fantasy baseball leagues after his breakout 2025 season, in which he set career-highs in home runs (32), RBI (113), and runs scored (72). He's off to a slow start this year, though, and perhaps it's due to his back problems. Pasquantino returns to the lineup hitting .165 (17-for-103) with three home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs scored, 16 walks, and 24 strikeouts across 29 games and 124 plate appearances. Fantasy managers hope his back injury doesn't flare up again and that he starts to swing a hotter bat to begin May. - as of Fri, 01 May 2026 18:25:10
Tyler Soderstrom Returns to A's Lineup After Getting Banged Up: Athletics first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom (head, shoulder) is back in left field and will hit sixth in the batting order for Friday's series opener against the visiting Cleveland Guardians and left-hander Joey Cantillo, according to MLB.com. Even with a left-hander on the mound, Soderstrom will return to the A's starting nine after sitting out the last two games because he was banged up from a diving catch in the outfield on Tuesday. The 24-year-old left-handed slugger won't be the most popular DFS play on Friday night, even with the A's at home at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. Soderstrom has hit just .211 (23-for-109) on the season with three home runs, 18 RBI, 14 runs scored, and a steal. He's really struggled against lefties, too, going 3-for-34 (.088) against them with none of his three home runs, two walks, and 11 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances. Soderstrom will be facing Cantillo for the first time in his career. - as of Fri, 01 May 2026 18:19:06
Ryan Helsley Placed on Injured List With Elbow Inflammation: Baltimore Orioles right-handed closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-elbow inflammation, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. This one is a bit of a surprise after Helsley looked fine in his last outing, when he locked down his seventh save of the year with a perfect ninth inning. It's quite a big shakeup in fantasy baseball leagues and will give managers a chance to poach some saves off the waiver wire for at least the next couple of weeks. It's unclear how Baltimore will approach save situations going forward, but they will most likely go with a committee approach that could involve all of Andrew Kittredge, Rico Garcia, Anthony Nunez, and Yennier Cano. Kittredge has the most experience (nine-plus seasons in the big leagues), but Garcia, Nunez, and Cano have all pitched extremely well this year and deserve opportunities as well. Garcia is probably your best bet if you're speculating, and he's currently rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues. Helsley should be stashed in an IL spot in all leagues in what is looking like a bounce-back 2026 campaign. - as of Fri, 01 May 2026 18:08:05
Anthony Volpe Won't Rejoin the Yankees on Friday: New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (shoulder) will not come off the 10-day injured list to join the big-league club for their series opener on Friday in the Bronx against the division-rival Baltimore Orioles, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. Volpe is getting very close to making his 2026 season debut for the Yanks, but he's not quite ready and might not return to the team until early next week. The 25-year-old former first-rounder in 2019 is recovering from surgery to fix the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder in the offseason. He's played in 10 minor-league rehab games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and has gone 10-for-33 (.303) with a homer, three RBI, five runs scored, and two stolen bases. When Volpe is back with the Yankees, he'll take over as the team's starting shortstop, which will push Jose Caballero back to a utility role. Volpe is only rostered in 9% of Yahoo leagues, but that number should go up considerably once he's back. Don't expect a high average, but Volpe can be useful for his counting stats in a strong Yankees lineup.UPDATE: Manager Aaron Boone said that Volpe will remain on his rehab assignment through the weekend. - as of Fri, 01 May 2026 15:45:07
Brandon Woodruff Goes on Injured List With Shoulder Inflammation: The Milwaukee Brewers placed right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-shoulder inflammation and recalled right-hander Easton McGee from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Woodruff was pulled from his outing early on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks after recording just four outs due to reduced velocity. The veteran right-hander said he didn't feel any pain on Thursday, and the early reports suggested that the 33-year-old could be going through a dead-arm phase. It's unclear what Woodruff's MRI exam results showed, but for now, he'll miss at least a couple of turns through the starting rotation in Milwaukee. The two-time All-Star didn't look bad before being pulled on Thursday, and he has a 3.60 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 25:7 K:BB in 30 innings over his six starts. However, when considering Woodruff got a late start to 2025 while recovering from shoulder surgery, this news has to be pretty troubling for the Brew Crew and for fantasy managers. Logan Henderson is expected to take Woodruff's rotation spot. The right-handed pitching prospect is worth a pickup now for those looking for starting pitching help. - as of Fri, 01 May 2026 15:25:06
Nico Hoerner Leaves Friday's Game Early With Neck Tightness: Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (neck) left Friday's game early in the second inning against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field with neck tightness, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Before leaving the game, Hoerner doubled and scored a run for the Cubbies before being replaced by pinch-hitter Matt Shaw. Although the 28-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be very serious, fantasy managers will want to keep tabs on his status as the team's series continues on Saturday and Sunday. For now, we'll consider Hoerner to be day-to-day. If he's forced to miss additional time because of his neck injury, Shaw and Nicky Lopez could split time at the keystone in the Windy City. Hoerner, who is in his eighth year with the Cubs in 2026, could easily be in the midst of a breakout season this year after coming into Friday's action with a .291/.370/.449 slash line, .819 OPS, four home runs, 26 RBI, 16 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his first 31 games. He's a must-start in traditional fantasy baseball leagues when he's in the starting lineup. - as of Fri, 01 May 2026 15:12:05