Fantasy baseball: Simpson slowed by injury and other Tuesday newsESPN FantasyMay 12, 2026, 10:34 AM ETClose
Everything that happens in and around MLB has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy baseball perspective. From lineup changes to minor league call-ups to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy baseball.
Our fantasy baseball buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around MLB.
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May 12: Tuesday’s news to know
All 15 of today’s games will be played under the lights, beginning at 6:10 p.m. ET, with the Cleveland Guardians entertaining the Los Angeles Angels. Despite temperatures warming after an unseasonably cool April, scoring has been down this month, with an average of just 8.24 runs per game in May, compared to 9.1 runs per game through April 30.
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Chandler Simpson was forced out of last night’s game in the eighth inning due to a leg cramp. He was working on a 3-for-5 evening with three runs scored and two stolen bases. The speedster is quietly hitting .314 with 14 steals. The Tampa Bay Rays don’t consider the injury to be serious but, since he struggles against left-handed pitching, he’ll likely begin tonight’s road tilt with the Toronto Blue Jays on the bench. Lefty Patrick Corbin starts for the hosts.
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The Baltimore Orioles scratched Samuel Basallo prior to last night’s home battle with the New York Yankees. Basallo is experiencing some left knee discomfort but is expected to return to the lineup soon. That stated, his status for Game 2 of the series with the Yankees is unclear. Basallo has been one of the few bright spots on the Orioles, with a solid .270/.333/.470 line through the first quarter of the season.
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The New York Mets will reportedly promote OF A.J. Ewing in advance of tonight’s home affair with the Detroit Tigers. The club needs a spark, and regular center fielder Luis Robert Jr. is expected to be sidelined for at least the rest of the month. After batting .349/.481/.571 over 18 games with Double-A Binghamton to open the season, Ewing was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, where he posted a .326/.393/.435 line. The 21-year-old rookie was a combined 17-for-18 in stolen bases. It’s unclear where he’ll bat in the order for the Mets. However, so far this season, he has drawn 22 walks while fanning just 20 times.
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There is good news for the beleaguered Houston Astros lineup, as SS Jeremy Pena is set to embark on a rehab assignment tonight, with the anticipation that he will be activated from the 10-day IL by the weekend. He’s been out for over a month due to a hamstring issue. The club will be without Carlos Correa for the rest of the season and currently also has C Yainer Diaz on the shelf.
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Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from last night’s start, with the Texas Rangers using a bullpen game in their 1-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Eovaldi unveiled left-side tightness. He’s listed as day-to-day, although there is no indication of when he may make his next start.
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The Blue Jays placed Addison Barger on the 10-day IL yesterday after he woke up with a sore elbow on Sunday. Imaging revealed no structural damage, just right elbow inflammation. He received a cortisone injection yesterday, shutting him down for three or four days. He’ll be reevaluated at the end of the week, with the club hopeful he’ll be back soon.
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Last time out, Brayan Bello had his best game of the season in the “bulk reliever” role. He’ll do so again tonight, following an opener, when the Boston Red Sox begin an interleague set in Fenway Park against the Philadelphia Phillies. After lefty Jovani Moran handled the first inning last week against the Detroit Tigers, Bello logged the next seven frames, allowing just one run while fanning seven.
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Be sure to check out the recent fantasy lineup advice as well as the MLB betting tips for Tuesday.
May 11: Looking for a closer?
By Tristan H. Cockcroft
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ closer picture appears to have changed, as Gregory Soto (31.9% rostered in ESPN leagues) has emerged as the team’s go-to option in the ninth inning. He has both of the team’s last two successful save conversions. More importantly, he has five consecutive scoreless, hitless appearances while following Dennis Santana, the Pirates’ most logical alternative, in two of his last three outings.
Soto’s increased sweeper usage — a pitch which has generated a 45.2% whiff rate and is responsible for 17 of his 26 total strikeouts for the season — has made him a much tougher competitor at the back end of the bullpen. He’s a worthy add in all formats.
*Check out all of Tristan’s waiver-wire recommendations prior to locking in your lineups for the week.
May 11: Monday’s news to know
Mookie Betts is expected to be back in the Dodgers lineup on Monday. Charles Brock/Icon SportswireBy Todd ZolaA light, six-game schedule gets going at 6:10 p.m. ET with the Cleveland Guardians hosting the Los Angeles Angels. Expect a low-scoring game at Progressive Field with chilly temperatures and the wind blowing in from center. The slate’s final game will get underway at 10:10 p.m. ET with the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the San Francisco Giants.
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The Dodgers-Giants game features the return of Mookie Betts. Betts has been out for about five weeks due to a strained right oblique. He went on a short, two-game rehab assignment and is expected to be back at shortstop and hitting out of the two-hole for the Dodgers this evening.
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Betts will be facing Trevor McDonald, who has been tabbed to replace Logan Webb while he is on the 15-day IL. McDonald was impressive in his first start, tossing seven innings of one-run ball against the San Diego Padres, fanning eight and issuing no walks. He catches the defending World Series champions amid a 4-7 stretch, including a pair of 7-2 losses to the Atlanta Braves over the weekend.
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The Angels will hope Alek Manoah benefits from the favorable pitching conditions as he’s set to serve as the primary pitcher, after not appearing in the majors since 2024. His once-promising career with the Toronto Blue Jays was curtailed by internal brace surgery, with the Angels taking the chance he can recapture something close to his 2022 form when he finished third in the AL Cy Young voting. Grayson Rodriguez was solid in his first rehab effort yesterday, so Manoah will have only a couple of chances to show he deserves to stay in the big leagues.
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Ryan Weathers will be pitching on extended rest tonight after he was scratched last Thursday due to illness. He was able to throw a bullpen session over the weekend and was given the green light by the New York Yankees to take the hill in Camden Yards for a road date with the Baltimore Orioles. Despite being one of the top starters over the first quarter of the season, Weathers’ time in the rotation could be winding down with Gerrit Cole throwing 77 pitches in his fifth rehab outing yesterday. He’s likely going to stay on rehab for one or two more starts as he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but it won’t be long before the Yankees have the pleasant problem of too many quality arms for their rotation.
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The Blue Jays might be without Addison Barger again after he underwent an MRI on his sore right elbow yesterday. The author of a 101.2 mph throw to erase a runner at home on Saturday had just returned from missing a month of action due to injuries to both of his ankles. His status for tonight’s home matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays is uncertain.
