New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Tuesday that outfielder Juan Soto (calf) will be doing treatment and exercises but won't do any baseball activity until the soreness in his calf subsides, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday. "We wanted to play it safe," said Mendoza. Soto is out two to three weeks with a right-calf strain that he suffered in the win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday. The good news is that the 27-year-old's injury is considered pretty minor. Obviously, he should be stashed in an injured list spot in all fantasy baseball formats. In the meantime, Jared Young, Brett Baty, and Tyrone Taylor are all candidates to see playing time in left field while Soto recovers. Soto, a four-time All-Star, was off to a hot start offensively, too, going 11-for-31 (.355) with a homer, five RBI, and three runs scored in eight games before getting injured.

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Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana (groin) is out of Tuesday's starting lineup against the hosting New York Mets after he was pulled from Sunday's game early against the Atlanta Braves due to right-groin tightness, according to MLB.com. Ildemaro Vargas will start at first base on Tuesday and bat seventh against Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta. Vargas is hitless in his one career at-bat against Peralta with an RBI. Santana, 39, underwent an MRI exam on Monday during the team's off day, but it's unclear what the results were. For now, consider the veteran switch-hitting infielder to be day-to-day. The D-backs are already without Pavin Smith (elbow), who is on the 10-day injured list. Santana has looked his age at the plate through his first eight games of the 2026 season, going just 2-for-24 (.083) with two walks and eight strikeouts.

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Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami is getting the day off on Tuesday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles, according to MLB.com. Lenyn Sosa will make the start at the hot corner for the Pale Hose and will hit second against Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers. This will be Murakami's first day off of the year. The 26-year-old Japanese infielder has gone just 7-for-34 (.206) in his first 10 major-league games, but he's provided plenty of power for fantasy managers, slugging four home runs and driving in seven while scoring eight runs in his 42 plate appearances. He's added seven walks while striking out 13 times. Murakami has hit a bit of a rough patch of late after his strong start, going 2-for-16 in the last five games, so the White Sox will give him a breather against a left-hander. If Murakami doesn't lower his strikeout rate, he's going to be a drain on fantasy managers' batting average while still providing solid power potential.

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As expected, New York Mets infielder/outfielder Brett Baty (thumb) is back in the starting lineup on Tuesday, playing right field and batting fifth against the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Zac Gallen at Citi Field, according to MLB.com. Baty jammed his thumb while sliding on Saturday against the San Francisco Giants and did not play on Sunday. He's ready to return on Tuesday, though, following the team's day off on Monday. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter is still searching for his first home run of the 2026 season as he heads into his ninth game after hitting a career-high 18 homers in 130 games played for the Mets in 2025. Baty has so far gone 8-for-33 (.242) with two doubles, a triple, four RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base in his eight games. He has two hits in three career at-bats against Gallen with a 1.334 OPS.

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The Philadelphia Phillies will activate right-handed reliever Orion Kerkering (hamstring) from the injured list on Tuesday, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. In a corresponding move, the Phillies optioned left-hander Kyle Backhus to the minors after Monday's game. Kerkering will be making his 2026 debut after straining his right hamstring in spring training. The hard-throwing 25-year-old will return to a late-inning setup role for the Phils and can be useful for strikeouts and holds. In his third MLB season in 2025, Kerkering picked up his first four career saves while also posting a 3.30 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 65:27 K:BB in 60 innings out of the bullpen. Kerkering's strikeout rate has dropped in each of his three seasons in the big leagues, going from 42.9% in just three innings in 2023 to 24.4% last year in a career-high 69 appearances.

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The Baltimore Orioles transferred right-hander Zach Eflin (elbow) to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday due to right-elbow discomfort, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Eflin was seeking a second opinion on his injured right elbow after initially being placed on the 15-day IL by the O's. Now that he's on the 60-day IL, he is not eligible to return to the starting rotation until May 31. Right-hander Brandon Young was called up to start in Eflin's place on Monday against the Chicago White Sox and pitched well, so he's likely to get another turn in the rotation this weekend. Eflin allowed one earned run with two walks and seven strikeouts in a no-decision in 3 2/3 innings in his first start of 2026 against the Texas Rangers, but it's now looking like the veteran hurler will miss most of the first half of the season with elbow troubles.

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The Cleveland Guardians called up infield prospect Juan Brito from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday with shortstop Gabriel Arias (hamstring) landing on the 10-day injured list, and Brito is making his major-league debut on Tuesday, per MLB.com. Brito, the team's No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will start at second base and bat sixth against Kansas City Royals left-hander Noah Cameron. The 24-year-old Dominican will likely be on the short side of a platoon against lefty pitchers at the keystone in Cleveland for as long as Arias is on the shelf. Brayan Rocchio, who had been starting at second, is shifting over to the 6 for now with Arias on the IL. Brito got off to a strong start in nine games at Columbus, going 11-for-35 (.314) with no homers, four RBI, and five runs scored. The young infielder missed a lot of time in 2025 on the farm with thumb and hamstring injuries, and long-term, he profiles as more of a utility infielder for the Guardians, with top prospect Travis Bazzana ticketed for the everyday role at second base.

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ESPN's Jesse Rogers reports that Chicago Cubs right-hander Cade Horton's (forearm) MRI results did not look clean, so he will visit with Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Tuesday. Horton is "trending down a bad path." The Cubs pulled Horton from his last start early with a right-forearm strain. At the very least, it looks like Horton is looking at an extended absence, but he could also need season-ending surgery, depending on what Meister says. It's bad news for a Cubs' starting rotation that is already missing Matthew Boyd (biceps) and Justin Steele (elbow). With Chicago's rotation snakebitten by injuries early in the season, both Javier Assad and Collin Rea could end up making plenty of starts in the first half of the season. Horton, a former seventh overall pick in 2022 out of Oklahoma, allowed just two earned runs with two walks and four strikeouts in his first two starts of 2026 before dealing with forearm issues his last time out. For now, keep him stashed in an IL spot in fantasy leagues.

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The Chicago White Sox announced on Tuesday that they placed outfielder Austin Hays (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a right-hamstring strain and selected the contract of outfielder Dustin Harris from Triple-A Charlotte in a corresponding move. The move comes after Hays injured his right hamstring while on defense in Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. With the veteran outfielder on the shelf, Andrew Benintendi should see more action in left field for the Pale Hose. The 30-year-old veteran was off to a slow start at the plate for the White Sox before his injury, going 7-for-32 (.219) with a home run, six RBI, and two runs scored in nine games in his first year on the South Side in Chicago. In addition to Benintendi, Derek Hill, Tanner Murray, and Harris could see some playing time in left field until Hays is cleared to come off the IL, potentially before the end of April.

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Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a left-hamstring strain, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. In a corresponding move, the Guardians called up Juan Brito from Triple-A Columbus. Arias suffered the injury while running out a double in Monday's game versus the Kansas City Royals. Until he's able to return, Brayan Rocchio will likely move from second to shortstop, with Daniel Schneeman and Brito platooning at the keystone in Cleveland. Brito will make the start on Tuesday for the Guards against a lefty. Arias, 26, is more of a glove-first player with very modest power and speed at the plate. Before his injury, he had gone 6-for-30 (.200) in the first 10 games of the 2026 season with two home runs, four RBI, two runs scored, two walks, and 12 strikeouts.

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh connected on his first home run of the season on Monday night in his team's loss to the Rangers. Raleigh didn't homer in his first 10 games of the season, going 5-for-38 (.132) with five walks and 20 strikeouts. He had a pair of hard-hit balls on Monday night, and his home run came in the first inning after a 12-pitch duel with Jacob deGrom. Raleigh didn't have another hit in the contest, but the Mariners and his fantasy managers will hope that this gets the start catcher back in the home run groove after he smashed 60 homers last season with a .342 ISO that stands in stark contrast to his .122 ISO so far this season. He'll look to build some momentum as the Mariners continue their series in Texas by facing Nate Eovaldi on Tuesday.

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New York Yankees catcher/first baseman Ben Rice has gotten off to a great start to the season, going 10-for-27 (.370) in his first eight games. Of his 10 hits, seven have been for extra bases, and he has four doubles and three homers as a result of a sparkling 77.8% hard-hit rate and 27.8% barrel rate. The lefty has all of his extra-base hits against righties this season, but is 1-for-4 with a walk in his limited action against lefties as well. After the Yankees' off day to start the week, the team will host the Athletics Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in a three-game set in the Bronx. The A's are scheduled to start righties Aaron Civale and Luis Severino in the first two games of the series, setting up Rice to keep on rolling from New York's cleanup spot.

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Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli is set to make his third start of the season on Tuesday against the Cardinals, and he makes sense to consider if you need a starting pitcher pickup from the waiver wire. The 27-year-old righty has allowed a total of three earned runs in his first two starts of the season, picking up eight strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings in a pair of no-decisions. He looked strong in his last outing on the road against the Phillies, going six innings and allowing one run on five hits. He's in a favorable matchup at home against the Cardinals on Tuesday night and will be looking to turn in his second straight quality outing after struggling a little with his command in his first start of the season. If you're looking for solid innings off the waiver wire, Cavalli is a solid place to look on Tuesday.

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Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jordan Romano only needed three pitches to secure his fourth save of the season on Monday night. He didn't start the ninth inning since the Angels had a 6-1 lead, but he entered with the tying run on deck after Chase Silseth gave up a run and put two more runners on base. Romano retired Mike Yastrzemski on a flyout to center to end the threat and earn his fourth save in six games to start the season. He has not allowed a run or a hit in his five innings, while picking up seven strikeouts and issuing two walks. He is still available in over 40% of leagues on Yahoo! leagues and is a great closer pickup after his hot start.

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Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jakob Junis earned his first save of the season on Monday by shutting down Seattle in the ninth inning of a close, 2-1 victory. Junis faced the middle of the Mariners' order and got Cal Raleigh to ground out to start the inning and Josh Naylor to hit into a game-ending double play after he hit Julio Rodriguez with a pitch. Junis only needed four pitches to get through the inning after Robert Garcia worked the eighth inning and earned a hold against the bottom of the order. Garcia and Chris Martin have had some early-season struggles, while Junis has worked six scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. He could continue to get opportunities, and he makes sense as a speculative addition if you're searching for saves on the waiver wire. He isn't the primary closing option yet, but with more outings like Monday's, he could secure that role soon.

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Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler took the loss in his team's 5-0 loss to the Padres on Monday night. While Chandler did pick up four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings, he issued four walks and was charged with three earned runs. In just 8 2/3 innings in his first two starts, he has issued 10 free passes, which is a major concern after he only walked four batters in 31 1/3 innings in the majors last year. He walked 11 in 11 spring training innings as well, so it's not just a small sample-size issue anymore. Chandler still has a very high ceiling and can dominate with a high strikeout ceiling, but his control issues are a major concern for his fantasy managers and the Pirates. He'll make his second start of the week on Sunday in Chicago against the Cubs, and he'll remain a high-risk, boom-or-bust fantasy asset until he gets his control back.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano has looked outstanding in his three outings this season, improving to 3-0 by out-dueling Chris Sale to help the Halos beat the Braves on Monday, 6-2. Soriano did give up his first run of the season, but worked eight innings with 10 strikeouts while giving up just three hits and one run. He has a 0.45 ERA and 2.63 FIP in his first 20 innings this season with 21 strikeouts and a 0.65 WHIP. Soriano flashed potential in dominant starts last year, but the 27-year-old righty has looked like a true ace in his first three starts of this year and is a great option if you need some help in your starting rotation. He's scheduled to take the mound again this coming weekend in Cincinnati, and his road splits were very strong last season, so you can start him with confidence after his three excellent outings to begin the 2026 season.

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Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith is off to a scorching start this season. He is slashing .297/.422/.595 with three home runs, six RBI, nine runs, and three stolen bases across nine games. The 23-year-old is currently on a seven-game hitting streak and has homered twice in the last three contests. His wOBA has increased from .298 to .399 compared to last season, while his hard-hit percentage has gone up from 40.8% to 47.8%, and his K% has decreased from 27.8% to 25%. Smith is Houston's starting right fielder, and his hot start has kept his bat in a potent Astros lineup that includes Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, and Jose Altuve. He has moved to the No. 1 spot on the RotoBaller waiver wire rankings list for Week 2 and has become a must-add due to his hot start. Only rostered in 37% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, Smith should be a priority for fantasy managers searching for outfield help.

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Los Angeles Angels' SP Jose Soriano recorded 10 strikeouts in 8 innings collecting the win in a 6-2 win over the Braves on Monday, Apr. 6.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing helped the Dodgers dismantle the hosting Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on Monday by a score of 14-2 in Monday's series opener. Rushing went 4-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs and three runs scored out of the eight-hole. The 25-year-old backstop was only playing in his third game of the 2026 season, going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in his first two games played. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Louisville made his major-league debut in 2025 and hit just .204/.258/.324 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 53 games played. Rushing is already one homer shy of matching his career high, but his fantasy upside in single-year formats remains low as the backup to All-Star Will Smith, who should be back in the starting lineup for the second game of the series in Canada on Tuesday.

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