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Top Stories
MLBTradeRumors · Rotowire · MLB.comRanger Suárez was untouchable against the Tigers — 8 scoreless innings on just two hits and a walk, with four strikeouts. The Red Sox won 1-0 on Masataka Yoshida's walk-off single in the 10th. Suárez now has back-to-back scoreless starts and a 3.22 ERA after a rocky opening week.
Fantasy take: The $130M man is finding his rhythm. Back-to-back scoreless outings suggest the early struggles were adjustment, not decline. Suárez is a locked-in SP2 in all formats — if anyone in your league panicked after his first two starts and dropped him, that window is permanently closed.
The Astros transferred Josh Hader from the 15-day to the 60-day IL on Friday as the biceps tendinitis rehab drags on. The move is retroactive, making him eligible to return in late May at the earliest. Houston used the roster spot to select Peter Lambert's contract for his rotation debut.
Fantasy take: Drop Hader in shallow redraft leagues — late May is optimistic and he hasn't faced hitters yet. In deeper formats, hold on IL but reset your expectations. The Astros closer role is a committee until further notice — Enyel De Los Santos has 2 saves but Bryan Abreu showed life Wednesday.
Austin Riley hit a pair of opposite-field homers — a three-run shot in the 2nd and a solo blast in the 9th — as the Braves crushed the Phillies 9-0. Riley had zero homers through 18 games before breaking out with three in his last two. Martín Pérez threw six scoreless for the win.
Fantasy take: The slow start was always noise for a .280/30 HR hitter. Three homers in two games is the real Riley. Don't sell low — if anything, this is your last chance to buy before the price corrects. Pérez is a useful streaming option; the Braves give him enough run support to pile up wins.
The Dodgers are calling up 28-year-old 1B/OF Ryan Ward for his MLB debut after Teoscar Hernández fouled a ball off his foot. Ward has crushed Triple-A pitching (.264/.347/.511 with 94 HR over four seasons at OKC) but was never given a shot due to LA's absurdly deep roster. He's their 19th-ranked prospect per Pipeline.
Fantasy take: Deep-league speculative add only. Ward's Triple-A power is real but the Dodgers' lineup is stacked — playing time will be limited unless Hernández misses significant time. Monitor the Hernández injury for clarity before investing FAAB.
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Waiver Wire Targets
FantasyPros · Rotoballer · Pitcher ListWho's Hot This Week
INF · Cleveland Guardians · ~8% owned
4 RBI night including a homer as Cleveland continues to roll. Schneemann has carved out regular playing time with the Guardians' infield depth thinning. Deep-league add in AL-only and 15-team mixed.
SP · Chicago White Sox · ~6% owned
Seven innings of one-run ball — the longest outing by a White Sox starter this season. The K rate is low but the contact management is real. Streaming option against weak lineups in deep formats.
2B · Detroit Tigers · ~4% owned
Called up from Toledo after McKinstry hit the IL. The 23-year-old Taiwanese prospect has plus contact skills and was hitting .290 at Triple-A. Dynasty stash and NL-only add — the Tigers need infield help.
SP · Detroit Tigers · ~42% owned
Career-best 7 K in 6.2 scoreless innings. Mize has looked healthy and sharp all April — the splitter is generating whiffs at a 40%+ rate. Add in 12-team leagues before the next quality start pushes him into shallow territory.
SP · New York Yankees · ~38% owned
Another scoreless outing as the Yankees' rotation surprise. Schlittler is holding a rotation spot until Cole returns — but at this rate, he might keep it. Standard-league add while the leash lasts.
1B · Chicago White Sox · ~48% owned
The NPB import is finding his footing — 3-for-5 with a homer and 4 RBI. The raw power is 40+ HR caliber and the White Sox are giving him everyday reps. Should be rostered in every 12-team league.
SP · Cleveland Guardians · ~68% owned
Scoreless outing against the Orioles. Bibee is quietly posting one of the best ERAs in the AL and the Guardians' pitching development machine keeps churning. Should not be on any waiver wire in 10-team formats.
SP · Minnesota Twins · ~72% owned
Quality start with zero walks — Ryan's command has been elite all season. The Twins rotation of Abel/Ryan is one of the best young duos in baseball. Lock in shallow leagues.
SP · Los Angeles Angels · ~65% owned
Third consecutive scoreless outing — 8 K with the sinker-splitter combo that generates elite whiff rates. Ownership has jumped 25 points since we first featured him. Still available in some 10-team leagues.
🌱 Stash of the Week
Ryan Ward — 1B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (~2% owned)
The 28-year-old is finally getting his MLB debut after four seasons of mashing at Triple-A OKC (.264/.347/.511, 94 HR in 1867 PA). Ward was called up after Teoscar Hernández fouled a ball off his foot. The power is legitimate — 94 Triple-A homers don't lie — and if Hernández misses time, Ward slots into a lineup that manufactures runs. Speculative add in 12+ team leagues. Even in a part-time role, the Dodgers' lineup context gives him counting-stat upside.
Worth Reading
01
Still the best waiver wire resource from this week. Zack Gelof, Casey Schmitt, and Joey Cantillo lead the picks with ownership filters for deep and standard leagues.
02
Focused on the pitching attrition wave — profiles the arms stepping into rotation spots created by injuries. Mize, Schlittler, and Soriano all get mentions.
03
Suárez credits rhythm and pitch sequencing for back-to-back scoreless starts. The piece gives useful context for evaluating whether the turnaround is real. (It is.)
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OBP Risers
MLB Stats · 14-Day Delta🩹
Injury Report
Rotowire · MLBTradeRumors · Beat ReportersIL-60
Josh Hader — RP, Houston Astros
Transferred from 15-day to 60-day IL. Biceps tendinitis rehab has been slower than expected. The 60-day clock is retroactive, making him eligible to return in late May. Hasn't faced hitters yet. Peter Lambert selected to fill the roster spot.
DropShallow redraft
IL-10
Right wrist contusion, retroactive to April 15. Polanco was hitting .241 with modest production. Hayden Senger recalled as the roster replacement. The Mets' infield depth takes another hit with Soto still out.
HoldReturn ~Apr 25
IL-60
Transferred from 15-day to 60-day IL with right forearm strain. The Cubs selected Corbin Martin's contract as a replacement. Horton's timeline is murky — forearm strains in young pitchers warrant caution. Season in jeopardy.
DropAll redraft
IL-10
Juan Soto — OF, New York Mets
Still targeting April 21 homestand return. Taking full BP and running bases. Calf strain since April 3 — the Mets have been cautious but all signs point to activation Monday or Tuesday.
StashDo not drop
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Scouting Report
NESNNESN · by Staff · April 18
Ranger Suárez Details What's Led to Recent Success
After a rocky start to his Red Sox tenure (two losses, 5+ ERA through his first two starts), Ranger Suárez has turned a corner with back-to-back scoreless outings — including Friday's masterful 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER gem against the Tigers. He credits finding his rhythm and refining his pitch sequencing.
The NESN profile highlights Suárez's approach adjustment: he's leaning more on his changeup and cutter in early counts rather than trying to establish the sinker. The result is better ahead-in-count rates and fewer hard-hit balls. His sinker still plays when he deploys it as a chase pitch rather than a get-me-over strike.
Fantasy managers who held through the early struggles are being rewarded. Suárez's underlying metrics (ground-ball rate, chase rate, barrel suppression) were always solid — the ERA just needed time to catch up. At $130M, Boston isn't pulling him from the rotation, and the leash is effectively infinite.
8Scoreless IP (Fri)
3.22Season ERA
0ER last 2 starts
The VerdictSuárez is a locked-in SP2 the rest of the season. The process is sound, the stuff plays, and the run support in Boston's lineup gives him a high floor for wins and quality starts. Buy if you can — the price is still depressed from the rough first week.
Read the full piece at NESN →🔥
Bullpen Bulletin
Closer Monkey · Beat ReportersBaker shuts the door for the Guardians. Mason Miller remains dominant for Oakland with an absurd scoreless streak. Hader officially moved to 60-day IL — Houston's closer situation remains a committee. Full AL West bullpen assessment inside.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
|---|
| Paul Sewald | ARI | 🟢 Locked | Perfect conversion rate. No threats. |
| Mason Miller | OAK | 🟢 Locked | Extended scoreless streak per Closer Monkey. Dominant K rate. Jeffrey Springs now primarily starting. |
| Jakob Junis | TEX | 🟢 Locked | Sub-1.00 WHIP. Rangers keep winning. |
| Bryan Baker | TB | 🟡 Watch | Picked up a save Friday per Closer Monkey. Monitor for an expanded role — the Rays bullpen has been in flux all season. |
| Enyel De Los Santos | HOU | 🟡 Watch | Hader to 60-day IL. De Los Santos has 2 saves but Abreu had 1.1 scoreless IP this week. Committee until further notice. |
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Best in Social
X · YouTube · Instagram · TikTokMax Muncy adds to the score with a home run to center field, his fifth of the season. Muncy went 3-for-4 with 2 HR and 3 RBI as the Dodgers rolled behind Glasnow's 7 scoreless innings.
Muncy's resurgence is real — 5 HR in 20 games at age 35. The Dodgers lineup is producing up and down the order, and Glasnow + Muncy is a stack worth targeting in DFS.
Watch the HR clip on X →Austin Riley homers twice as the Braves blank the Phillies 9-0 in the series opener. Riley hit a three-run shot in the 2nd and a solo blast in the 9th — his first multi-homer game of the season after going 18 games without one.
The slow-start narrative on Riley is officially dead. Three homers in two games with opposite-field power means the swing is right. Don't sell low — buy before the market adjusts.
Read the recap →Ranger Suárez details what's led to his recent success after back-to-back scoreless starts for the Red Sox. He credits rhythm and pitch sequencing — leaning on the changeup and cutter early, using the sinker as a chase pitch.
The pitch-mix adjustment is the key insight. Suárez isn't just 'getting lucky' — he's changed his approach and the results are following. This is the scouting report in tweet form.
See the interview on X →Get this in your inbox every day
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