Fantasy baseball news: Rays, Royals, Cubs among teams facing injuriesJunior Caminero was struck in the face with a foul ball, but appears to have avoided major injury. David Richard-Imagn ImagesESPN FantasyApr 29, 2026, 07:15 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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April 29: Wednesday’s news to know
Wednesday’s 15-game slate gets underway at 1:10 p.m. ET with a pair of contests. Five more matinees are staggered throughout the afternoon, leaving eight total evening affairs.
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One of the early games features the Tampa Bay Rays visiting the Cleveland Guardians. The Rays were victorious 1-0 last night, despite losing slugger Junior Caminero in the second inning. He fouled a ball into the dirt that bounced up and hit him in the face. He has been diagnosed with a right jaw contusion and is listed as day-to-day.
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Tyler Soderstrom left last night’s game in the sixth inning after appearing to hurt his shoulder while diving for a ball in the fifth. He is off to a slow start, but his underlying metrics are close to what they were last season. Assuming last night’s injury is not serious, Soderstrom’s production should pick up soon. He’s questionable for tonight when the Athletics try to even their series with the Kansas City Royals after falling 4-1 in 10 innings yesterday.
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The Royals also lost a man last night, with Vinnie Pasquantino exiting the contest in the sixth after getting out of the box slowly after hitting a ground ball. Early reports indicate lower back tightness, with an update expected today. Prior to last night’s game, the Royals revealed that Jonathan India required season-ending left shoulder labrum surgery.
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After a slow start, Dansby Swanson has hit .273/.400/.600 over his last 17 games. However, he left last night’s game due to a left glute cramp. He’s questionable for this afternoon’s rubber game between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres in Petco Park. Prior to yesterday’s game, the Cubs unveiled that Justin Steele has suffered a setback in his rehab from UCL revision surgery and now isn’t expected back until at least the All-Star break.
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Javier Baez was carted off the field last night after hurting his ankle sliding into first base. He is no longer a regular, having appeared in only 24 of the Detroit Tigers’ 30 games, splitting his time between shortstop and center field (with occasional action at second base). Baez’s status for tonight’s game, when the Tigers will try to even their series with the Atlanta Braves, is unclear.
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The Miami Marlins placed closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day IL due to nerve irritation. He had revealed losing sensation in his right hand after being lifted from Monday’s outing. Fairbanks experienced a similar issue in 2024, costing him three weeks. However, the club is hopeful that he’ll only miss the minimum amount of action this time. Last night, Tyler Phillips sealed the deal in the Marlins’ 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, making him the favorite for saves while Fairbanks is out.
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The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting that George Springer will return to action soon and the team may even end up activating him for today’s game. Springer has been out due to a broken toe since April 11, but has been running the bases in warmups for the past two days with an eye on getting back into the lineup. Fantasy managers should pay attention to any announcements out of Toronto this morning.
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The New York Yankees will promote Elmer Rodriguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start today’s matinee with the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez recorded a 1.27 ERA and an 0.90 WHIP in 21 1/3 frames for the RailRiders, fanning 20 with seven walks. He turned heads in the spring, but the 22-year-old right-hander was sent to the farm for more seasoning. Rodriguez is taking the open spot after the club sent Luis Gil to Triple-A. A solid effort could earn Rodriguez another start or two, with neither Gerrit Cole nor Carlos Rodon due back until the second week of May.
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Be sure to check out the recent fantasy lineup advice as well as the MLB betting tips for Wednesday.
April 28: Have the Tampa Bay Rays found a closer?
By Eric Karabell
Few figured Bryan Baker, 31, with only four career saves entering this season, would turn into the Rays’ primary closer, especially with manager Kevin Cash often choosing a committee approach. Perhaps that approach changes this season. Baker earned his sixth save on Sunday, and he has pitched in the ninth inning in nine of his 11 appearances.
The 2024 Rays famously featured a then-record 13 pitchers earning saves, despite Pete Fairbanks (now a member of the Miami Marlins) getting 23 of them. The underrated Baker, available in nearly 90% of leagues, seems on his way to more than 23, without sharing as much.
*For more closer analysis, check out Karabell’s full article.
April 28: Tuesday’s news to know
Cleveland appears to be ready to give Travis Bazzana his time to shine. John E. Moore III/Getty ImagesBy Todd ZolaAll 15 of today’s games will be contested under the lights, beginning at 6:10 p.m. ET, with the Cleveland Guardians hosting the Tampa Bay Rays. There are 14 open-air venues, with cool temperatures and/or the wind favoring pitching in 13 locations. The only game favoring offense is the last one of the evening, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers (with Shohei Ohtani on the hill) facing the Miami Marlins.
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The Guardians will reportedly promote top prospect Travis Bazzana before tonight’s contest and insert him at second base. He was hitting .287/.422/.511 with eight steals for Triple-A Columbus. Juan Brito and Daniel Schneemann have been handling the keystone. Schneeman, with his .961 OPS, is likely to serve as a utility player. Brito, with his .505 OPS, could be headed for the farm.
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The New York Yankees placed Giancarlo Stanton on the 10-day IL after an MRI revealed his low-grade calf strain was severe enough to miss extended action. Jasson Dominguez had already been called up, and the switch-hitter will likely be in the lineup against right-handed pitching and some southpaws, with Randal Grichuk and Amed Rosario also helping to fill in.
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The Los Angeles Angels will be without starting catcher Logan O’Hoppe for at least two weeks after X-rays established that he suffered a small fracture in his left wrist after being struck by a foul ball. Veteran Travis d’Arnaud will take over as the regular backstop, with Sebastian Rivero serving as the backup.
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Oneil Cruz was initially in last night’s lineup, but the Pittsburgh Pirates pivoted to Jake Mangum with Cruz nursing an illness. His status for tonight’s home affair with the St. Louis Cardinals is uncertain.
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The Marlins activated Christopher Morel from the 10-day IL, but he did not appear in last night’s 5-4 loss to the Dodgers. Connor Norby handled first base, so Morel has yet to debut for the Marlins after suffering a strained left oblique late in spring training. The Marlins held a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth inning, but closer Pete Fairbanks struggled before leaving with the bases loaded due to an apparent thumb issue. Tyler Phillips struck out Will Smith before Kyle Tucker walked it off with a two-run single.
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Manny Machado left last night’s game in the bottom of the sixth inning after he seemingly pulled up lame running out a ground ball. After the game, the San Diego Padres deemed the move precautionary, with Machado’s status for tonight’s matchup with the Chicago Cubs pending further evaluation.
April 27: Can Mauricio make the most of Mets opportunity?
By Tristan H. Cockcroft
With Francisco Lindor (calf) set to miss at least the next three weeks, Ronny Mauricio appears to be their primary choice at shortstop. Bo Bichette might have been a candidate to slide over from third, giving the New York Mets the luxury of sliding Brett Baty in at the hot corner, but they’ve gone in that direction only once in four games, with Mauricio handling three starts in Lindor’s stead.
Mauricio has been a Triple-A standout, batting .305/.360/.537 with 32/33 numbers in 140 career games at that level. He has not yet succeeded in the majors, but the expanded opportunity could finally give him a chance to display his five-category rotisserie ability. He’s well worth a waiver-wire pickup in deeper leagues, especially with the Mets in the midst of an extremely hitter-friendly portion of their schedule.
*For more waiver-wire suggestions ahead of Week 5 fantasy action, click here.
