Braydon Fisher to Serve as Opener for Toronto on Friday: Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Braydon Fisher will serve as the opener for the team in Friday's series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Left-hander Eric Lauer, not Fisher, is who fantasy managers will want to consider starting in this matchup at Chase Field in Arizona. Fisher, however, has been lights-out so far for Toronto in eight relief appearances, as he's sporting a 0.93 ERA and 0.72 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and only one walk in 9 2/3 innings of work. The most pitches Fisher has thrown in an outing in 2026 is 32, so he's unlikely to work more than an inning or two on Friday in the desert. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will probably want to avoid Lauer, too, as he's gone 1-2 so far this year with an ugly 7.82 ERA (6.48 FIP) and 1.58 WHIP with 12 K's and nine walks in 12 2/3 innings over his first three starts. The Diamondbacks currently rank 20th in team OPS in the early going at .687. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:36:07
Jorge Polanco Remains Out on Friday: New York Mets infielder Jorge Polanco (Achilles) is not ready to rejoin the starting lineup for Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com. Bretty Baty will make the start at first base and is batting eighth, while MJ Melendez is serving as the designated hitter and is batting sixth for the Mets against Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera. Polanco continues to deal with Achilles bursitis early in the 2026 season, his first with the Mets, and will miss a second straight game going into the weekend. If he continues to be bothered by the injury, the Mets could place Polanco on the 10-day injured list. It could be a big reason why the 32-year-old Dominican switch-hitting veteran is hitting just .179 (10-for-56) so far with just one home run, two RBI, three runs scored, five walks, and 11 strikeouts in his first 14 games. Polanco has a history of lower-body injuries, so this is definitely not ideal for the Mets or Polanco's fantasy managers. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:59:05
Ramon Laureano to Stick in Leadoff Spot for Padres: San Diego Padres outfielder Ramon Laureano is the team's leadoff man "until further notice," manager Craig Stammen told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. The skipper cited Laureano's quality of at-bats wherever he's hit in the lineup so far this season, whether it's first or "seventh, eighth, whatever, when I was dumb, putting him lower in the lineup." Laureano's fantasy baseball will be at its highest if he can stay in the leadoff spot for the Friars all season. The 31-year-old veteran Dominican outfielder has earned it, hitting .290/.355/.551 with a .906 OPS, four home runs, 13 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases so far in the 2026 campaign in his 69 at-bats. Not only does Laureano bring quality at-bats to the leadoff spot in SD, but he's a gritty player who also has been spectacular with his glove in left field for SD. He's currently riding a six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 9-for-23 (.391) with two homers, two doubles, a triple, seven RBI, and seven runs scored. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:50:05
Kyle Teel to Start Rehab Assignment on Monday: Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel (hamstring) will be with the team in Sacramento for their series against the Athletics and will then report to Triple-A Charlotte to start a minor-league rehab assignment on Monday, per MLB.com. Teel's last recovery component will be running at 100% after he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain. Barring a setback on his rehab assignment, Teel should be back with the Pale Hose in early May. Teel has yet to make his 2026 debut because of his hamstring injury, but when he does, he should see the majority of playing time behind the dish in Chicago. Until then, Edgar Quero and Reese McGuire will continue to split the catching duties for the White Sox. Teel was a 14th overall pick by the Boston Red Sox in 2023 out of Virginia, and he hit .273/.375/.411 with a .786 OPS, eight homers, 35 RBI, 38 runs, and three stolen bases in 78 games in his rookie campaign in 2025. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:34:56
Jose Berrios Hit Hard in First Rehab Game: Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios (elbow), who is attempting to pitch through a minor stress fracture in his right elbow, was hit hard in his first minor-league rehab start on Thursday at Single-A Dunedin. Berrios allowed five runs on five hits while walking one and striking out three in 2 2/3 innings. He's a bit more stretched out than other pitchers when they make their first rehab start, and he was able to get up to 47 total pitches in the outing. The results weren't pretty, but Berrios averaged 94.2 mph with his fastball, which was up 1.2 mph from last year. His injury sounds serious, but he's been cleared by doctors to pitch through it, and he hasn't reported any symptoms. Right-handed pitching prospect Trey Yesavage (shoulder) will likely return from the 15-day injured list (possibly next week) before Berrios does. Berrios could return to the big leagues in the coming weeks, depending on whether he needs one, two, or three rehab appearances. When he does return, the 31-year-old Puerto Rican veteran could become a long man out of the bullpen, at least initially. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:07:09
Spencer Jones Continues to Swing Hot Bat at Triple-A: New York Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones has continued to produce at Triple-A and remains in contention to earn a call to the major leagues. Jones has gone 8-for-25 over his last seven games while carrying a .320/.379/.520 slash line. During this stretch, Jones has tallied two doubles, one home run, and added 10 RBI. However, his strikeout rate remains a major weakness, as it has sat at a high 31.0% during this stretch. Overall, through 16 games with Triple-A this season, the former 25th overall selection has posted a .254/.357/.492 line with five doubles and three long balls. Over his first taste of Triple-A action last summer, Jones went deep 19 times over a short 67-game stint. While his strikeout rate remains a major weakness, his raw power is borderline elite. Fantasy managers should monitor his progression as he could enter stash territory if he continues this pace. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:20:05
Gage Jump Enjoying Hot Start with Triple-A: Athletics left-handed pitching prospect Gage Jump is enjoying an impressive start to the Triple-A regular season. Through his first three outings (10 1/3 innings), Jump has struck out 16 hitters while holding a 2.61 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. In his most recent outing on April 15, Jump racked up a season-high eight punchouts over a short 4 1/3 inning stint. While the Athletics have slowly increased Jump's workload in the early going, he will need to continue this trajectory to compete for an eventual MLB promotion. During the 2025 campaign, the former 73rd overall selection spent most of his time with Double-A, where he held his own, posting a 3.64 ERA, 1.20 WIHP, and an 86:29 K:BB over 81 2/3 innings. Given that the Athletics lack much depth in their rotation, Jump should be in the mix to debut later in the second half. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:12:05
Elmer Rodriguez Staying Sharp at Triple-A, Punches Out Six in Latest Outing: New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez turned in another strong showing at Triple-A and is quickly making the case to join the MLB roster in the coming weeks. On Thursday, Rodriguez faced the Syracuse Mets and tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings with six punchouts and two walks. He allowed only two hits. Over his first two games of the campaign, Rodriguez logged 10 innings (five innings in each game), while allowing three runs (two earned) with a 7:4 K:BB. Rodriguez was in the mix to break camp with the MLB roster, given their numerous pitching injuries, but was instead optioned to Triple-A. Last summer, Rodriguez spent most of the time with High-A and Double-A, logging 145 innings to the tune of a strong 2.36 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Given his steady progress at Triple-A, Rodriguez could emerge as a viable stash candidate later in the first half. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:11:05
Everson Pereira Extends Power Surge on Thursday: Chicago White Sox outfielder Everson Pereira blasted his third home run of the season on Thursday in the White Sox's 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He finished the game going 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored as part of his home run. Pereira has not gotten a ton of playing time thus far this season, with only 25 plate appearances through 19 games, but he has made the most of his opportunities, slashing .304/.360/.739 with five RBI and five runs scored. With a small sample size thus far in 2026, his underlying metrics support the small breakout, as evidenced by his .297 xBA, .444 xwOBA, and 93.4 mph average exit velocity. If Pereira continues to take advantage of his opportunities, he could earn more and more playing time as the season continues. The 25-year-old does not have much of a track record at the big leagues to go off of, so fantasy managers should not be chomping at the bit to pick him up just yet, but perhaps someone to keep their eye on moving forward. - as of Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:03:06