Fantasy baseball news: Raisel Iglesias joins growing list of injured closersRaisel Iglesias becomes yet another MLB closer who has to miss time due to injury. Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesESPN FantasyApr 21, 2026, 12:18 PM 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 21: Tuesday’s news to know
By Todd Zola
Today’s full 15-game slate consists entirely of evening affairs, beginning at 6:10 p.m. ET with the Cleveland Guardians hosting the Houston Astros. Weather should not jeopardize play anywhere, although the temperatures remain chilly in the Northeast. Rain doesn’t appear to be an issue tonight, but it could get a little wet in Anaheim, where the Los Angeles Angels host the Toronto Blue Jays and a bit up the coast for the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers as they tussle at Oracle Park.
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Earlier today, the Atlanta Braves placed closer Raisel Iglesias on the 15-day IL due to an inflamed right shoulder. Over the weekend, it was stated that he had slept on it wrong, but now he’s been diagnosed with something more serious. The club has not revealed any timetable for his return. In the interim, Robert Suarez will handle save chances, with Tyler Kinley and Dylan Lee stepping into the primary setup roles.
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The Seattle Mariners placed 3B Brendan Donovan on the 10-day IL due to a groin issue. They are hoping for a short visit, with Leo Rivas filling in. Top prospect Colt Emerson did play a couple of games at third base with Triple-A Tacoma, but he’s also nursing a sore wrist. If Donovan is sidelined for longer than expected, the club might end up promoting the 20-year-old for his MLB debut. Emerson signed an eight-year, $95 million contract extension late in spring training, so it’s very likely he’ll the call at some point this season.
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Ronald Acuna Jr. was hit by two pitches last night, the second one hitting him in the hand and forcing him from the game. He’s considered to be day-to-day heading into tonight’s road tilt with the Washington Nationals. As of this morning, the club was not expected to send Acuna for imaging. Eli White took over in right field last night and is the likely fill-in if Acuna remains out.
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Sonny Gray left yesterday’s Patriots’ Day game early due to a hamstring issue. Imaging revealed enough to place him on the 10-day IL. The club called up reliever Tyler Samaniego to help fortify an overworked bullpen but could turn to Payton Tolle later in the week to take Gray’s spot in the rotation.
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A sore back held J.T. Realmuto out of his second straight game last night. He’s questionable again this evening, with Rafael Marchan as the only other catcher currently on the active roster. If Realmuto doesn’t display progress soon, the Philadelphia Phillies will be forced to make a roster move.
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Be sure to check out the recent fantasy lineup advice as well as the MLB betting tips for Tuesday.
April 20: Edwin Diaz (elbow) heads to the IL
Edwin Diaz heads to the IL after posting a 10.50 ERA and 2.33 WHIP in his first seven appearances with the Dodgers. Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesBy Tristan H. CockcroftThere’s seemingly an explanation for Diaz’s diminished fastball velocity, as well as his back-to-back poor performances, as the Los Angeles Dodgers unveiled Monday that they’ve placed their $69 million closer on the 15-day injured list due to loose bodies in his right elbow, then unveiled shortly afterward that he’ll undergo surgery to remove them on Wednesday.
Diaz will miss about three months, the typical timetable for pitchers coming off the operation. Pitchers Hunter Greene and Hurston Waldrep have also undergone surgery to remove loose bodies this year, and both were expected to miss somewhere around the same three months’ time.
Diaz’s fastball had averaged only 95.7 mph so far this season, down from 97.2 in 2025, and he wasn’t getting nearly as many whiffs as he had in the past. He was also nearly one-quarter of the way to his entire 2025 walk total (5 this year, 21 last).
The news opens up a golden opportunity for saves among the Dodgers’ bullpen, though manager Dave Roberts has never been afraid to go with a committee approach to closing games. Lefties Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia, both of whom rank among the top 55 relief pitchers in fantasy points scored while largely working in setup roles thus far, are the most logical choices to get the ball initially. Both are well worth adding, even in standard ESPN leagues, on the chance that either could singularly emerge as the team’s closer, in what could be a lengthier than expected stay in the role.
Scott would be my choice, based upon his past experience. Though his 2025 Dodgers debut year might be remembered unfavorably by most, he was more effective in the singular role during the season’s first three months than it seemed, as he saved 18 games, had a 28.2% strikeout rate and was tied for third among relief pitchers in fantasy points at the conclusion of June. Scott’s control thus far has been excellent, as he has issued no walks and has 70% first pitch strike and 60% zone rates.
That reported, fantasy managers should be swift to pivot as needed, as Vesia isn’t any less deserving of his own chance, and the team could consider giving chances to Blake Treinen or Jack Dreyer. Remember, the Dodgers, even without Diaz, are projected for as many wins as any team in baseball, maximizing the bullpen’s chances for saves and holds.
April 20: Mick Abel lands on the IL
Mick Abel began the season slowly, but appeared to be on the right track prior to Monday’s news. APBy Tristan H. CockcroftThe Monday transaction snafu strikes again as, 49 minutes after the first pitch of the week, thrown in the Detroit Tigers-Boston Red Sox Patriots’ Day game, the Minnesota Twins unveiled that they have placed Abel, who was coming off back-to-back scoreless starts, on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation. The unexpected twist takes one of the most intriguing two-start pitching values for the coming week out of that equation and casts future doubt upon the right-hander’s value, as we’ll now need to evaluate both how swiftly he heals and whether the injury has any lingering effects following his activation.
The Twins moved up Simeon Woods Richardson, a much less interesting two-start candidate due to his more pitch-to-contact repertoire, to start Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets at Citi Field, and he’ll now align for Abel’s original two starts, with the second turn against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Connor Prielipp, a left-hander on the taxi squad to begin the week, could fill in the now-open rotation spot on Wednesday against the Mets. Kendry Rojas is another alternative, though neither is worth a pickup in ESPN or even 12-team mixed leagues.
If your league affords you the ability to pivot from Abel as a two-start option, here are three pitchers I’d recommend in his stead:
Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros (@CLE, NYY): Examined more closely in my Monday pickups column, Arrighetti has a plus-curveball which he used brilliantly in his 2026 debut against the Colorado Rockies.
Connelly Early, Red Sox (NYY, @BAL): He’s a strikeout-oriented prospect and these are both strikeout-prone offenses, meaning that despite the run-scoring worry with each matchup, he has appealing two-start upside.
Foster Griffin, Washington Nationals (ATL, @CWS): A Chicago White Sox matchup makes most any average-to-above starter a streaming standout, but Griffin is also off to a solid start, with double-digit fantasy points in three of his four outings.
