New York Yankees right-handed pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez said that he will start Sunday's Subway Series finale against the New York Mets, according to Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record. For the time being, Rodriguez will take the rotation spot in the Bronx after the Yankees placed left-hander Max Fried (elbow) on the 15-day injured list. The 22-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday and will be making just his third big-league start. Left-hander Ryan Weathers was previously scheduled to start on Sunday, so he will likely be pushed back to Monday's series opener in the Bronx against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. Rodriguez, the team's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, allowed five earned runs on 10 hits while walking eight and striking out five in 8 2/3 innings in his first two MLB starts (both against the Texas Rangers). He has plenty of long-term strikeout upside and will have an excellent matchup against the Mets, who rank 30th in baseball in OPS (.638). However, with Gerrit Cole's (elbow) return on the horizon, Rodriguez might only make another start or two with the Yanks before being sent back down to Triple-A.

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New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) looked good in his latest minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday night, allowing just one earned run on six hits while walking one and striking out six in 5 1/3 innings while his fastball cracked 99 mph, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. The expectation is that Cole will make one more rehab start before being reinstated from the 15-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut with the Yankees. The 35-year-old former American League Cy Young winner threw 56 of his 86 pitches for strikes and was lighting up the radar gun, a sign that he's close to being fully recovered from Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2025 season. Cole could be inconsistent in the big leagues as he works his way back after a long layoff, but his pedigree as a major-league ace makes him absolutely worth stashing in all fantasy leagues. He's currently rostered in 85% of Yahoo leagues. Scoop Cole up immediately if he's available in your league.

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Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (groin) is "seeking additional opinions about whether he needs surgery to fix his sports hernia," according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. If it's confirmed that he'll require hernia surgery, he'd likely miss six to 10 weeks. That's a crushing blow for the veteran infielder, who was placed on the injured list Saturday. He has now dealt with five major injured list stints since the Red Sox signed him back in 2022. Story was off to a pretty poor start at the plate this season, slashing just .206/.244/.303 with 47 wRC+ and a whopping 32.4% strikeout rate. Very few managers were relying on him in fantasy baseball, so his absence won't have enormous lineup impacts. In the meantime, we expect to see a mix of Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio at shortstop. Marcelo Mayer and Nick Sogard could also compete to play more games at short.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (right fibula) is expected to miss around three months after being placed on the injured list Saturday, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com. Holmes suffered a right fibula fracture, and manager Carlos Mendoza explained that the starter can't even begin ramping back up for another six to eight weeks. The manager noted that Holmes will essentially have a spring training buildup once he's ready. Losing Holmes is a crushing blow for the Mets, as he had been off to a 4-4 start with a 3.21 FIP, 7.69 K/9, 3.08 BB/9, and a 56% ground ball rate. His average velocity has also been up to 94.8 mph, which is his highest mark since transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation. As it stands, Holmes is the #74 starter in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell (elbow) will undergo surgery on Tuesday to remove loose bodies in his elbow, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Manager Dave Roberts said that he didn't know the specific surgery and whether it's the same one that Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (elbow) recently had. Regardless of which surgery it is, we can assume Snell will miss a significant amount of time. He has already been placed on the 15-day injured list, just days after making a delayed season debut due to a shoulder injury. The bad injury luck just keeps coming for Snell, but if there's any team that can weather the storm, it's the Dodgers. Even without Snell, they have a star-studded starting rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos (quad strain) has been placed on the 10-day injured list. According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports, Tony Vitello told the media that Ramos will miss "at least two weeks and likely more than that" as he recovers. This would seem to suggest that he'll be sidelined for more than the 10-day minimum required by his IL placement. Ramos' absence will be felt, as he had posted a solid .267/.307/.424 slash line with four home runs through his first 44 games this year. When he returns to action, Ramos could look to improve his discipline, as his 5.7% walk rate and 26.7% strikeout rate are not ideal for someone without significant power. In the meantime, Vitello said that versatile infielder Casey Schmitt will handle some reps in left field.

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San Francisco Giants left-handed reliever Erik Miller (back) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list on Saturday. He returned from his rehab assignment and is officially back on the major league roster. He'll be welcomed back with open arms, as he had posted a stellar 1.69 FIP with 13.50 K/9, 4.76 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, and a 56% ground ball rate prior to his injury. He also projects to be in the mix for the closer role. The Giants have used a committee approach to identify their closer this year, but it's worth noting that Miller had two saves before landing on the IL. We expect to see Miller start to handle some of the high-leverage opportunities that previously belonged to Caleb Kilian (two saves) and Keaton Winn (zero saves).

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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (undisclosed) appeared to injure himself during the team's win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday. Altuve grounded into a double play in the eighth inning, and he experienced so much discomfort in his left side that he didn't even bother running to first base after his swing. Following the game, manager Joe Espada confirmed that the veteran infielder will undergo additional imaging. He finished the game 1-for-4 with his fourth homer of the season. Fans and fantasy managers will hope the injury isn't too severe, as he has historically been one of the best hitters in baseball. Once he does get back into the lineup, he'll look to improve upon a modest start that includes a .245/.326/.380 slash line with a 10.3% walk rate and an 18.9% strikeout rate.

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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (back) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Yelich will miss his fourth straight game, but is trending in the right direction, according to manager Pat Murphy. The Brewers will keep him out on Saturday, but they haven't ruled out Yelich returning for Sunday's series finale. William Contreras will serve as the designated hitter while Gary Sanchez covers behind the plate against left-hander Connor Prielipp on Saturday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch, but will hopefully have Yelich back on Sunday.

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Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O'Hearn (quad) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. O'Hearn exited in the fourth inning of this game due to right quad discomfort. Before exiting, O'Hearn was hitless in his lone plate appearance. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he sits out of Sunday's game as a precaution. The Pirates should give an update on his status following Saturday's game. Jared Triolo took over at first base and could see more action over there if O'Hearn misses any time.

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Seattle Mariners infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan (undisclosed) has been scratched ahead of Saturday's game against the San Diego Padres. Donovan played the entire game on Friday and didn't appear to suffer any injuries. It's unclear why he has been pulled out of the lineup, but the Mariners should provide more information soon. In the meantime, Leo Rivas will cover third base and bat ninth against right-hander Walker Buehler. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly ahead of first pitch. They should also check back for another update on Donovan's status.

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos (quad) is out of the starting lineup against the Athletics on Saturday. This doesn't come as a surprise after Ramos was forced to exit early during Friday's game due to right quad tightness. The Giants are going to play it safe and hold Ramos out for at least Saturday's game. The Giants should give another update on his status if he's forced to miss more time than that. Drew Gilbert will cover left field and bat seventh versus right-hander Luis Severino on Saturday. Fantasy managers should check back on Sunday for another update.

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New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (leg) has officially been placed on the 15-day Injured List on Saturday. This news was coming after Holmes suffered a fractured right fibula during Friday's start. The right-hander won't require surgery, but he's still expected to miss significant time. Holmes will be shut down from all baseball activities for 6-to-8 weeks. After that, Holmes is going to slowly ramp up, which could possibly take another month. There's a good chance that Holmes isn't back on a big league mound until around August. This is a tough hit considering Holmes was pitching extremely well before the injury. Jonah Tong, Tobias Myers, and Jack Wenninger are all candidates to join the Mets' rotation with Holmes sidelined for the next few months.

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Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Houston Astros. Seager was held out of Friday's contest as well, but that was presumed to be a rest day in the midst of a 0-for-27 skid at the plate. It's unclear if the issue occurred on Friday or began to bother Seager on Saturday. The team is calling Seager day-to-day with back spasms. It doesn't sound like something that is going to keep him sidelined for too long. Ezequiel Duran will cover shortstop and bat fifth versus right-hander Kai-Wei Teng on Saturday. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on Seager's status on Sunday.

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) is out of his team's starting lineup for a third consecutive game on Saturday as he recovers from hip flexor soreness. The oft-injured outfielder was off to an excellent start to 2026 before this hip issue, hitting .260/.319/.580 with 15 home runs, 23 RBI, 33 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 185 plate appearances. Buxton's barrel rate currently sits at a career-high 21.1%, hinting at his elite power upside if he can ever put together a full season. While Buxton is not currently expected to require a trip to the injured list, any ailment for the 32-year-old should raise red flags for fantasy managers. Buxton has never reached 550 plate appearances in any of his 11 MLB seasons and has surpassed 400 plate appearances in a season just twice. Twins outfielders Ryan Kreidler and James Outman have taken turns in center field in Buxton's absence, with Outman earning the start and batting ninth on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

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After opening the season in a bulk relief role, Chicago Cubs right-hander Ben Brown was moved into the starting rotation on May 8. The 26-year-old has impressed since the role shift, allowing just one hit while striking out 10 over eight innings of work (two starts). Brown's year-long numbers are excellent as well, as he's pitched to a 1.60 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 34 strikeouts across 33 2/3 innings (14 games). Brown's 0.27 HR/9 is a significant improvement from the 1.52 HR/9 he posted in 2025, so he could be in line for some ERA regression as the weather heats up in Chicago and the ball starts to fly at Wrigley Field. Still, the hard-throwing right-hander owns a career MLB strikeout rate of 26.6% and appears to be finding his groove as a big-league pitcher. Now that he's back in the Cubs rotation, Brown offers some upside as a waiver-wire target for fantasy managers.

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Since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on April 10, Athletics infielder Zack Gelof has re-emerged as an everyday piece of his team's lineup. Across 85 plate appearances, the 26-year-old is hitting .260/.313/.506 with five home runs, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored, and two stolen bases. Gelof has always offered high-end power upside, and he's posted a strong 10.2% barrel rate so far in 2026. The main difference for Gelof this season has been his ability to make consistent contact, as his 23.5% strikeout rate is significantly improved from his career mark of 32.5%. Given his history of swing-and-miss issues and his 19.2-degree average launch angle, fantasy managers may not want to count on Gelof continuing to provide value in the batting average category. Still, Gelof profiles as a power/speed asset with upside who should be a priority waiver wire target in most league formats.

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Across 47 2/3 innings (nine starts) so far this season, Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early has recorded a 3-2 record with a 3.21 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts. The 24-year-old has been particularly effective in his last two times out, allowing just two earned runs and one walk while striking out 14 across 12 innings of work against the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves. Early hasn't been quite as dominant as he was upon making his MLB debut in 2025, when he posted a 36.7% strikeout rate in a small sample size of 19 1/3 innings (four starts). Still, the young lefty appears to be settling in and finding his groove after working through some command issues early in the year. Early profiles as a worthy high-upside waiver-wire target for fantasy managers ahead of his next scheduled start in Kansas City against the Royals on Wednesday.

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Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott opened 2026 in a setup role, but early-season elbow surgery for Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz (elbow) has reopened the path to the ninth inning for Scott. The veteran left-hander has recorded four saves since Diaz was placed on the injured list, including three in his last five appearances. Scott's overall numbers for the season are strong as well, as he's pitched to a 1.47 ERA and 0.60 WHIP with 18 strikeouts across 18 1/3 innings. Scott's 24.6% K-BB rate is excellent, and he's allowed just 11 out of the 65 batters he's faced so far this season to reach base. With Diaz expected to be sidelined until the late summer at the earliest, Scott is a must-roster closer across all fantasy formats.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Elmer Rodriguez has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, per a team announcement. Rodriguez will take Yankees lefty Max Fried's (elbow) spot in the starting rotation, with Fried being placed on the 15-day injured list due to a bone bruise in his elbow. Rodriguez has struggled in his two MLB starts so far this season, posting an 18.2% walk rate and a 2.08 WHIP across 8 2/3 innings. However, the 22-year-old is considered the top pitching prospect in the Yankees' system and has been lights out at Triple-A in 2026, posting a 1.38 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP with 26 strikeouts across 26 innings (five starts). Rodriguez's return to the Yankees' rotation could be short-lived with Gerrit Cole (elbow) nearing his return to the big-league mound. Still, Rodriguez could be worth a short-term add off the waiver wire in deeper leagues ahead of a potential two-start week against the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.

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