Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung's strong start to the 2026 campaign may be flying under the radar in fantasy baseball leagues. Jung went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the team's 8-4 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday to extend his RBI streak to six games. During that span, the oft-injured 28-year-old third baseman has gone 11-for-24 (.458) at the plate with eight RBI and eight extra-base hits. After his two-hit performance on Wednesday at Globe Life Field, Jung is hitting .303 (23-for-76) with three home runs, 11 RBI, and nine runs scored in his first 21 games across 84 plate appearances of the 2026 season. The former eighth overall pick out of Texas Tech in the 2019 MLB draft had 23 homers, 25 doubles, and 70 RBI in only 122 games played in his first full season in 2023 as a first-time All-Star, but he has struggled in two seasons since, mainly due to various injuries. Jung is healthy now, and he deserves a strong look off the waiver wire amid his hot start this year. He's only rostered in 23% of Yahoo leagues currently.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will start on the bench for the first time this season in Thursday's game at Wrigley Field against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies with a left-hander on the mound, according to MLB.com. Matt Shaw will make the start in center field for the Cubbies and will hit eighth against left-hander Crisopher Sanchez. Crow-Armstrong heads to the bench after hitting .247 (23-for-93) with a home run, seven RBI, five stolen bases, and 14 runs scored in 101 plate appearances across his first 24 games in 2026. In his last four games, he's gone 6-for-15 with a double, triple, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. The 24-year-old former first-rounder by the New York Mets in 2020 struggled in the second half in 2025, but he was a first-time All-Star in his second full season in the big leagues and had 31 homers and 35 stolen bases total. Shaw will have limited DFS appeal at the bottom of the Chicago batting order in a tough matchup. He's gone hitless in two career at-bats against Sanchez.

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Athletics right-handed reliever Joel Kuhnel has emerged as a favorite for saves in the team's bullpen early on in 2026, but he stumbled a bit on Wednesday in the team's 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Kuhnel was hit with his first loss of the year after allowing an earned run on four hits without walking or striking anyone out in two-thirds of an inning. The 31-year-old veteran and former 11th-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2016 has allowed two earned runs now on eight hits while walking none and striking out three in 7 2/3 innings of work. He has locked down all four of his save chances and has yet to blow a save, which likely means he's not in any imminent danger of being removed from the closer's role in Sacramento. However, if Kuhnel continues to struggle after his outing on Wednesday, Hogan Harris, Jack Perkins, and Mark Leiter Jr. could all be involved in save situations for the A's going forward. Kuhnel is only rostered in 26% of Yahoo leagues currently.

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Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas is entering the streaming radar in fantasy baseball leagues in the early portion of the 2026 season with his strong play in the desert. Getting the start at first base on Wednesday, Vargas went 2-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, five RBI, and a strikeout in the team's 11-7 win over the visiting Chicago White Sox to raise his season average to .364 and his OPS to an impressive 1.079. The 34-year-old veteran has a hit in every game that he's played in so far this year, and he's now gone deep three times in his last two games. The Venezuelan infielder is now slashing a strong .364/.382/.697 with five total home runs, 16 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 66 at-bats for the Snakes. Vargas is worth streaming in deeper fantasy leagues, as he should continue to see plenty of playing time on the infield in the desert with first baseman Carlos Santana (thigh) on the injured list. He's rostered in only 23% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available for fantasy managers looking for a boost.

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New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) is likely headed to the 10-day injured list after being pulled from Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Twins early with a left-calf injury, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets are recalling infielder Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse, and he could see playing time at the 6 in Queens while Lindor recovers. On the day that the Mets got All-Star outfielder Juan Soto back from the IL due to a calf injury, they lose their All-Star shortstop. It's been that kind of year so far for the Mets, who broke a 12-game losing streak on Wednesday. If the Mets choose to slide third baseman Bo Bichette to shortstop, Mauricio and Brett Baty could split playing time at the hot corner with Lindor on the IL. The 32-year-old Lindor was off to a slow start at the plate in his first 93 at-bats in 2026 before his calf injury, batting .226 (21-for-93) with two homers, five RBI, 14 runs scored, and two steals. Fantasy managers must hold onto the five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner while he recovers.

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Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester (hand) didn't exactly have the best outing in his first minor-league rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A Nashville, as he allowed four earned runs without allowing a hit while walking three and striking out two in just two-thirds of an inning versus the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. He also hit a batter in the outing, and his velocity was down considerably compared to last year. To be fair, it was Priester's first action in a game since the postseason last October. He was shut down this spring with thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms in his hand/wrist, which landed him on the 15-day injured list to open the 2026 regular season. The Brewers are hoping to see Priester's velocity slowly rise back up with subsequent rehab starts in the minors. The 25-year-old will likely require at least a couple more rehab starts before the Brewers consider him for their starting rotation. Priester is a stash candidate in deeper fantasy leagues after he went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 132:50 K:BB in 157 1/3 innings in 2025 in his first year in Milwaukee. He's currently rostered in 25% of Yahoo leagues.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitching prospect Trey Yesavage's (shoulder) minor-league rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Buffalo was expected to be his final appearance while recovering from a right-shoulder impingement that landed him on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2026 season. However, he only went 2 1/3 innings and threw 64 pitches in that outing. His fastball sat between 93-96 mph, which was nice, but the Blue Jays wanted him to go at least 75 pitches, meaning it's possible he'll need another rehab start before making his return to Toronto's starting rotation, according to Max Ralph of MLB.com. "I mean, I wish he threw more pitches," manager John Schneider said. "I think physically, he's pretty good. So we'll figure that out in the next couple of days. I don't need to see the 12-strikeout game in the Minors." Fantasy managers must continue to be patient, but Yesavage's high-strikeout upside when healthy makes him a must-stash in all leagues. He's currently rostered in 92% of Yahoo leagues as he nears his 2026 debut.

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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder Roman Anthony (back) will sit out of Thursday's series finale at Fenway Park against the division-rival New York Yankees as the Red Sox look to avoid the sweep, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI. Outfielder Jarren Duran will bat leadoff, and outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela will be in the two-hole in the batting order against Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler. Boston held Anthony out of Wednesday's loss to New York due to a sore back. He's considered day-to-day for now and will miss a second straight game. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if he's feeling good enough to return to the starting nine in the series opener in Houston against the Astros. The 21-year-old former second-rounder in 2022 has gotten off to a slow start in 2026 in his first full season in the big leagues, going 18-for-80 (.225) with a homer, four RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases. It's too early to be worried about Anthony, and hopefully the time off this week will get him right when he returns to the field.

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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (back) has continued to "undergo preventative care" for a lower-back issue that dates back to last year, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Winn dealt with back spasms in 2025 and has already had hip and shin injuries this season. There's no current injury that fantasy managers should be worried about, but it's a situation to monitor, and it could mean that the Cardinals will give Winn more regular days off in the future. Goold mentions that the team is "seeking ways for him to reduce mileage." The 24-year-old former second-rounder in 2020 didn't look great initially to open the 2026 campaign, but he's heating up of late and appears to be locked in at the plate. Overall, Winn is slashing .257/.354/.400 with a .754 OPS, a homer, nine RBI, 11 runs scored, and three steals in 70 at-bats. He's currently riding an eight-game hitting streak in which he's gone 12-for-31 (.387) with a homer, three doubles, a triple, eight RBI, six runs, and a steal. Keep Winn locked into starting lineups where he's rostered.

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Los Angeles Angels right-handed reliever Kirby Yates (knee) allowed three earned runs on two hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out one in an inning of work with Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday during a minor-league rehab outing. Yates threw 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes, but the velocity on his fastball was down a bit on Wednesday, and he's likely to need at least a few more appearances down on the farm before the Halos consider reinstating him from the 15-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut. The 39-year-old veteran is a stash candidate for fantasy managers in deeper leagues who are desperate for saves. Yates has 98 saves in his 11-year MLB career, and he's also a two-time All-Star, but he really struggled with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025 and won't be guaranteed regular save opportunities with the Angels when he returns to the major-league roster. Right-hander Jordan Romano is currently the team's primary closer early in the year. Right now, Yates is rostered in just 14% of Yahoo leagues.

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The New York Mets are calling up infielder Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse again on Thursday, sources told Francys Romero. Mauricio has been on fire at Syracuse, hitting .333 with five home runs and a 1.142 OPS in the month of April, and he could see decent playing time in New York if shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) is forced to the injured list after being pulled from Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Twins early. If Lindor misses extended time, it's unclear if the Mets will want to move third baseman Bo Bichette to shortstop or put Mauricio there. If Bichette slides over to the 6, Mauricio will be a candidate to play at third base as well, alongside Brett Baty. The 25-year-old switch-hitting Dominican has only hit .234/.294/.359 with a .653 OPS, eight homers, 20 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 89 games over three big-league seasons, but Mauricio is worth consideration as a deep-league waiver-wire pickup if he gets an opportunity for everyday playing time with the Mets if Lindor goes on the IL.

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Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami homered again on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks and has gone yard in five straight contests. The 26-year-old slugger in his first season in the majors is hitting .256 with a .436 wOBA and a 66.7% hard-hit rate through his first 24 games. Murakami has a total of 10 homers on the year with 19 runs scored, 19 RBI, 21 walks, and 32 strikeouts. His power has been a huge boost to the middle of the White Sox lineup, and he has exceeded expectations in his transition from the NPB in Japan. He is definitely worth starting right now for as long as he stays so hot, and it will be fascinating to see if he can maintain this production throughout the season.

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New York Mets relief pitcher Luke Weaver got the call to close out his team's first win after losing 12 straight, and the 32-year-old righty earned the win by closing out the Twins. He came on to get the last out of the eighth inning, walking Ryan Jeffers but then retiring Luke Keashall with the bases loaded. The Mets scratched out a run in the eighth, and Weaver struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the win. He's 2-0 on the year now, despite allowing six runs in 10 innings across his 10 appearances. The Mets have continued to publicly stay committed to closer Devin Williams, but if they were to make a change, Weaver would be an obvious candidate to replace him. Weaver isn't a must-add in most formats yet, but if you need a Williams handcuff or are trying to get ahead of a potential move in deep leagues, he's worth watching as a late-inning option if Williams continues to struggle.

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San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker earned his third save of the season on Wednesday night, issuing a walk but recording three outs to preserve his team's 3-0 victory. Walker seems to be back in the main closer role for the Giants and has picked up two saves in the last two days. On the season, he has worked 11 innings in 11 games with 12 strikeouts and four earned runs allowed for a 3.27 ERA and 3.78 FIP. Walker is the only pitcher on the Giants with more than one save, with Erik Miller and Blade Tidwell also earning a save earlier this year. Miller and Tidwell could cover occasionally, but it seems that Walker has stepped back in as the team's primary closer. While he isn't an elite option, he should be a solid source of saves if you need a bullpen boost.

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Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Robert Suarez picked up his second save of the season on Wednesday, allowing one hit but only needing eight pitches to preserve his team's 8-6 win over Washington. Suarez is an outstanding short-term option if you need saves since he'll be filling in for the next few weeks while closer Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) is on the injured list. Suarez had 36 and 40 saves in the last two seasons for the Padres, so he's very comfortable in the role and should be a top option for as long as Iglesias is out. He would be the regular closer on many teams, but he was the team's high-leverage setup man before Iglesias' injury. This season, Suarez has given up just one run in 10 2/3 innings this year with a 1.36 FIP and 11 strikeouts.

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Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Luis Pena is "fine" and recovering after a medical scare on Wednesday night. The top prospect was taken by ambulance to the hospital after overheating in the dugout. The game was stopped and ultimately called in the eighth inning after the emergency, but Pena "Sounds like he's fine according to our docs," according to Brewers GM Matt Arnold. Pea was administered IV fluids and is doing better. The 19-year-old is the No. 2 prospect in the team's system according to MLB Pipeline and is hitting .372 with a home run and six stolen bases in his first 12 games this season for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. While this was a scary situation and could cost him a few days, it seems as if there will be no long-term effects on Pena's season.

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Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle will start on Thursday, as expected, as the Red Sox try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Yankees in Boston. Tolle was held out of his last start in Triple-A in anticipation of his promotion, and he'll get a chance to earn his spot in the rotation over the next few weeks. In his three starts in Triple-A this season, Tolle gave up five runs in 15 innings while piling up 19 strikeouts. He threw five scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his most recent start for the Worcester Red Sox against the Columbus Clippers. Last season, Tolle pitched 16 1/3 innings in the majors with a 6.06 ERA, 6.26 FIP, and 19 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings. He has high strikeout upside, and the 23-year-old lefty will be an important young pitcher to watch while he fills in for the injured Sonny Gray (hamstring) for the next few weeks.

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Diamondbacks' 2B Ildemaro Vargas had five RBIs going 2-for-5 with two home runs in a 11-7 win over the White Sox on Wednesday, Apr. 22.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II has been seeing the ball well of late, and that continued in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the division-rival Washington Nationals in D.C. Harris led the charge by going 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI to raise his season average to .296 and his OPS to .880. In his last 10 games, Harris is slashing .412/.459/.882 with five home runs, nine RBI, and a stolen base in 37 plate appearances. There aren't many hitters in baseball more locked in than Harris right now. Wednesday's performance was Harris' seventh multi-homer game of his career. The 25-year-old third-rounder in 2019 can be streaky and inconsistent for fantasy managers, but he had his first career 20-20 season in 2025, and he can still be plenty valuable in all leagues for his power/speed skills in a strong Braves lineup. Harris has stolen exactly 20 bases in three of his four full major-league seasons. While he's on fire at the dish, keep him locked into your starting fantasy lineups everywhere.

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The New York Mets announced that shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf) was removed from Wednesday's game early against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field with left-calf tightness. Lindor's injury came on the same day that the Mets reinstated star outfielder Juan Soto (calf) from the 10-day injured list. The 32-year-old veteran did go 2-for-2 before he injured his calf while running the bases in the fourth inning. The Mets will have Lindor undergo an MRI exam on Thursday, so we should have a better idea of how much time he'll miss at that point. Like most of the Mets' hitters early on in 2026, Lindor has struggled at the plate in the first month-plus of the season. He entered Wednesday's game batting .209 (19-for-91) with two home runs, four RBI, 13 runs scored, and two stolen bases, but one of his homers came on Tuesday night. If Lindor's calf injury is serious enough to send him to the IL, Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien would both be options to move to the 6 for the Mets.

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