The San Diego Padres are expected to activate right-hander Matt Waldron (abdomen) from the 15-day injured list and have him make a start this weekend in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels, according to Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Waldron had hemorrhoid surgery in late February and landed on the IL for the start of the 2026 regular season. He's apparently healed up now, and at least for one turn through the rotation, he'll take the spot of injured right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow). He has earned a start in the big leagues after tossing 12 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts and one walk in his three starts at Triple-A El Paso. Waldron will most likely get the start for Friday's series opener against the Angels, and if he pitches well, he could see more starts until Pivetta can return from his elbow injury. The 29-year-old has just a 20.3% career strikeout rate with a 4.86 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 36 career major-league appearances (33 starts) for the Padres, so he won't be a very popular streamer this weekend in his first start of the year.

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San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) has not yet been cleared to throw bullpen sessions off a mound, according to Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Musgrove was on track to open the 2026 season in San Diego's starting rotation, but he developed soreness in his surgically-repaired right elbow in his only appearance in spring training. He had Tommy John surgery in October of 2024 and didn't pitch at all in the big leagues in 2025. The 33-year-old veteran continues to play catch, but because he's not throwing off a mound yet, he's nowhere close to rejoining the Padres' rotation this year. Once Musgrove starts throwing off a mound, he'll eventually need a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. It might not be until June or later that he's able to make his season debut. Nick Pivetta (elbow) just went on the 15-day injured list, too, which has allowed Matt Waldron (lower body) to make starts for the Padres going forward. Musgrove is only rostered in 28% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said on Tuesday that the team is still awaiting the results of right-hander Nick Pivetta's (elbow) MRI exam, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders. The Padres will have a better idea of Pivetta's timetable for a return when they determine the severity of his right-elbow injury, which has initially been described as stiffness/inflammation. Pivetta went on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, but it's unclear if he'll have a chance to return to the Friars' starting rotation in two weeks. With Pivetta sidelined for now, right-hander Matt Waldron (lower body) is expected to get the first crack at replacing him in the rotation when he makes his 2026 debut later this week. The 33-year-old Pivetta had a career year in 2025 in his first year in SD, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 190:50 K:BB in 181 2/3 innings over 31 regular-season starts. He's gotten off to a rougher start in 2026, posting a 4.50 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in his first four starts before landing on the IL. Fantasy managers need to keep him stashed on the IL and give him some time to see if he can bounce back to his 2025 form.

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New York Mets owner Steve Cohen said that star outfielder Juan Soto (calf) began a running progression on Tuesday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. It's a significant step as Soto rehabs a strained right calf that landed him on the 10-day injured list. Soto has been doing baseball activities since the days after straining his calf on April 3, but he hadn't started a running progression until Tuesday. When asked whether Soto would go on a minor-league rehab assignment, manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned getting "creative," which means the Mets could bring minor-league pitchers to Citi Field to simulate live at-bats for him. The club has estimated that Soto will return in two to three weeks, which puts him in range of returning from the IL at some point next week, if not this weekend. New York desperately needs Soto back, as they've scored one or zero runs in five of their last six games. Before his calf injury, Soto had been extremely productive, slashing .355/.412/.516 with a homer and two doubles in eight games.

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Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (back) is returning to the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Kyle Bradish at Camden Yards, serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff, per MLB.com. Ildemaro Vargas will play second base and hit sixth for the Snakes. The D-backs scratched Marte from Tuesday's lineup as a precaution due to lower-back tightness, but he's feeling much better and will give it a go on Wednesday. Fantasy managers will want to get Marte back into their starting lineups in all formats. He's only faced Bradish twice in his career and is 2-for-2 with an RBI. The 32-year-old switch-hitting Dominican second baseman comes into Wednesday's game hitting only .212 (14-for-66) on the year, but he also has four home runs, nine RBI, and nine runs scored in his 17 games played.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielders Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, and Leody Taveras are all out of Wednesday's starting lineup against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound, according to MLB.com. The O's will go with an outfield from left to right that includes Weston Wilson in left, Blaze Alexander in center, and Jonathan Rodriguez in right. Wilson is the only one of the trio with experience against E-Rod, hitting .250 with a .900 OPS against him in just four career at-bats. To start his first full year in the big leagues, Beavers has gone 10-for-43 (.233) with a homer, five RBI, one steal, and seven runs scored in 14 games played. So far in 33 plate appearances in the majors against southpaws, he's hitting .231 (6-for-26) with one of his five home runs. Cowser has been quiet at the plate to begin the 2026 season, as he's hitting .229 (8-for-35) and is still searching for his first home run.

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The Detroit Tigers announced on Wednesday that they have agreed with infield prospect Kevin McGonigle on an eight-year contract extension worth $150 million guaranteed. The deal will begin next year and will cover the 2027 through 2034 seasons, which includes McGonigle's final five seasons of club control, plus his first three years of free agency. Contract escalators in the final three seasons of the deal could bring the total value to a maximum of $160 million. The 21-year-old entered this year as the No. 2 overall prospect in all of baseball, behind only Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin. He earned Arizona Fall League MVP honors and then made the big-league club out of spring training this year. McGonigle is one of only 10 position players in all of baseball to have a 1.1 bWAR or better, and he enters Wednesday's action with a .311 average (19-for-61) with a .417 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage. He has reached base safely in 13 straight starts and in 15 of 16 starts overall. McGonigle is one of only 10 big-leaguers with more walks (11) than strikeouts (eight) in his first 17 games. He's the real deal and is here to stay.

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Left-hander Martin Perez cleared waivers on Tuesday, elected free agency, and has now re-signed with the Atlanta Braves on a minor-league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. For now, Perez will most likely head to Triple-A Gwinnett to give the Braves experienced starting pitching depth going forward. The 35-year-old Venezuelan hurler handled himself well in his first three appearances (two starts) with Atlanta before being removed from the 40-man roster, allowing five earned runs on nine hits while walking four and striking out six in 14 1/3 innings pitched. Perez is in his 15th year in the big leagues, so he has plenty of experience, but for fantasy baseball purposes, there's not much upside. It remains to be seen if he'll get another opportunity for an extended stay in the starting rotation in the majors, and his career 16.3% strikeout rate won't attract fantasy managers.

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It was a mixed bag for New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Weathers in his start in the Bronx on Tuesday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Weathers allowed five earned runs on five hits (four homers surrendered) while walking two and striking out 10 in five innings of work. In the top of the first inning, the 26-year-old southpaw gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs to outfielders Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler. The fourth round-tripper he allowed was to Oswald Peraza in the fourth inning. It was not exactly the outing that Weathers wanted, and he was hit with his second loss of 2026, but he also had at least seven strikeouts for the third time in his first four starts of the season. The former first-rounder now has a 4.29 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with 28 strikeouts and seven walks in 21 innings pitched in his first year in pinstripes. For his swing-and-miss stuff alone from the left side, Weathers needs to be held in fantasy baseball leagues.

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Seattle Mariners infield prospect Colt Emerson is on the verge of making his MLB debut and remains a top hitting prospect to stash in all fantasy formats. The No. 1-ranked prospect in Seattle was recently added to the 40-man roster and is "as close as they come" to an MLB debut, according to Seattle's president of baseball operations, Jerry Dipoto. The 20-year-old has spent the opening weeks of the regular season with Triple-A Tacoma and has held his own during his first extended look at this level. Through 13 games, Emerson has carried a .265/.321/.408 line with four doubles, a home run, and a stolen base. However, he has struck out at a rather high 31.5% of the time, which could cause some growing pains once he reaches the majors. In 2025, Emerson logged 130 games shared between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A and posted a .285 AVG with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases. His five-category potential makes him a top stash option in Week 3.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect River Ryan continues to hold sneaky stash value in Week 3 of the fantasy baseball season. Ryan underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2024 and has been on the shelf ever since. He participated in spring training and was quite effective, logging 9 2/3 innings with a 1.86 ERA and a 12:4 K:BB. However, the Dodgers opted for Ryan to begin the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City to ramp up his workload further. With Triple-A, Ryan has made two starts (logged seven innings) and managed to strike out 10 hitters while allowing four earned runs. Ryan made his MLB debut during the 2024 season and was near-perfect in his first taste, posting an elite 1.33 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 20 1/3 innings. While the Dodger rotation appears to be full, Roki Sasaki holds a rough 6.23 ERA, and Emmet Sheehan has struggled to find consistency as well. For now, Ryan is a fine stash option in all 12+team leagues.

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Arizona Diamondbacks outfield prospect Ryan Waldschmidt remains an elite stash option in all standard leagues in Week 3 of the fantasy baseball season. The 23-year-old nearly broke camp with the MLB roster but was optioned to Triple-A Reno to begin the 2026 campaign. With Reno Waldschmidt, he has looked more than comfortable, which suggests he could be quickly approaching his MLB debut. Through his first 16 games at the top level of the Arizona system, Waldschmidt has held an elite .311/.415/.557 slash line with five doubles, two home runs, and a stolen base. Last summer, the former 31st overall selection made his High-A and Double-A debuts and carried an overall .289/.419/.473 line over 134 games split between the two levels. With Pavin Smith (elbow) and Jordan Lawlar (wrist) both on the 60-day IL, Waldschmidt could provide some much-needed depth to this outfield.

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Atlanta Braves right-handed pitching prospect Didier Fuentes is seeing his value as a stash candidate soar in Week 3 of the fantasy season. The budding ace in the Atlanta system has looked quite sharp with Triple-A and is knocking on the MLB door. Over the last two outings, Fuentes has logged at least six innings of work and has allowed just four runs over 13 total frames while striking out 13 hitters. Fuentes opened the regular season in Atlanta as a reliever but was optioned to Triple-A to further increase his workload. Seeing him quickly increase his pitch count with Triple-A Gwinnett suggests the Braves view him as a potential starting option in the near future. With Atlanta having several starting pitchers on the injured list, such as Spencer Strider (oblique), Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), and Hurston Waldrep (elbow), Fuentes could return to Atlanta in the coming weeks. His increasing strikeout upside and workload make him an elite pitching prospect to stash in all formats.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (back) is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the hosting Minnesota Twins at Target Field, according to MLB.com. Andruw Monasterio is drawing the start at first base and will hit sixth for the BoSox against Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. Lower-back tightness forced Contreras to leave Tuesday's 6-0 loss early, and he's now considered day-to-day with the injury. The Red Sox have an off day coming on Thursday, so fantasy managers will want to check back to see if Contreras is feeling good enough to return to action for Friday's series opener against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Hopefully, the Venezuelan's back injury doesn't disrupt his timing at the plate early in the season, as he's so far hitting .298 (17-for-57) with three home runs, 11 RBI, and nine runs scored for Boston. Monasterio will be a deep DFS sleeper play on Wednesday. He's gone 2-for-14 so far with two RBI, and he's never faced Woods Richardson.

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Outfielder and leadoff man Byron Buxton led the Minnesota Twins in their 6-0 shutout win over the visiting Boston Red Sox at Target Field. Buxton finished the game 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and a strikeout. Both of Buxton's homers were of the solo variety, with the first coming off starter Sonny Gray in the third inning. It was the 18th multi-homer game of the 32-year-old's career, and he now has three home runs in the last two days. It's safe to say that the two-time All-Star is heating up in the first month of the season, and he's now slashing .246/.306/.462 with a .767 OPS, three home runs, four RBI, and 15 runs scored in 16 games played. He has yet to steal a base, though, after swiping 24 bags in 126 games a year ago. With Buxton, he should be a nice fantasy contributor when healthy, but staying healthy has been tough for him to do in his 12-year career.

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San Francisco first base prospect Bryce Eldridge remains an elite stash option in all standard formats in Week 3 of the fantasy campaign. The team's top hitting prospect was in strong contention to break camp with the MLB roster but fell just short. However, since returning to Triple-A Sacramento, Eldridge has been playing at an elite level and is quickly making a strong case to return to San Francisco. Over his last three games, Eldridge has tallied at least two hits in each contest and has even hit the three-hit mark in each of his last two. Since April 1 (six games), the former 16th overall selection has carried an elite .416/.512/.639 line with five doubles and a round-tripper. While he posted a modest .107/.297/.179 line during his brief taste of the majors last summer, his dominant play at Triple-A makes him a prime stash candidate in all standard 12-team leagues.

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St. Louis Cardinals rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt had a big game for the Cards out of the leadoff spot in the team's 6-5 win on Tuesday at Busch Stadium over the Cleveland Guardians, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, and one strikeout. Both of Wetherholt's home runs on Tuesday's came off southpaws, and it was the first multi-homer game of the 23-year-old's career. The home runs were his first since he went deep on Opening Day in his big-league debut. Wetherholt is now hitting .231/.338/.385 with a .722 OPS, three home runs, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 14 strikeouts in his first 17 major-league games. The No. 7 overall pick back in 2024 doesn't have any obvious weaknesses as a prospect and could access 15-homer power in his first MLB season in 2026 if he stays healthy all year. Wetherholt is rostered in 87% of Yahoo leagues and will continue to have plenty of fantasy value if he's hitting at the top of St. Louis' batting order.

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Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman had a big day at the plate on Tuesday in the team's 7-6 loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Goodman went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs, but he also struck out three times. It was Goodman's sixth multi-homer game of his career and his first since July 1 of the 2025 season. It was nice to see the 26-year-old show off his power after an injury scare last week in San Diego when he was hit by a pitch in the hand. Goodman is now hitting .254 (15-for-59) on the year with four home runs, seven RBI, 12 runs scored, a stolen base, five walks, and a league-leading 26 home runs in 17 games played. He also has six hits in his last nine games and is batting .296 with three homers and five RBI during that span. Despite the strikeouts, Goodman proved last year that he has elite power at the catching position by hitting 31 long balls in 144 games for the Rockies in his first full season in the big leagues.

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Houston Astros reliever Bryan King delivered a strong outing Tuesday, nearly securing a five-out save in a 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies. King allowed no runs on three hits and recorded two strikeouts across 1 1/3 innings before handing off the final out to Enyel De Los Santos. The appearance signals growing trust from the coaching staff in high-leverage spots. King now owns a 1.13 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, and he has not allowed a run since his first outing of the season. His steady performance should lead to more late-inning chances, and is worth keeping an eye on as his closer stock rises.

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Cincinnati Reds reliever Graham Ashcraft delivered a clean inning in Tuesday's 2-1 victory vs. the Giants, striking out two batters. Graham Ashcraft has been a reliable presence in the bullpen, posting a 2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts across nine innings. The 28-year-old has spent his entire career in Cincinnati and is showing signs of taking a meaningful step forward. His ability to miss bats has stood out early in the season, with a 38.2 K%. Injuries within the Reds bullpen have created additional opportunities. If Ashcraft continues to perform at this level, he could solidify a consistent high-leverage role moving forward.

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