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Top Stories
MLBTradeRumors · Rotowire · MLB.comEdwin Díaz will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, sidelining the Dodgers closer for approximately three months. An MRI Monday revealed the issue after Díaz failed to retire any of the four batters he faced Sunday at Coors (3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB in 0.0 IP). His fastball had dropped from a career 97-99 mph range to just 92.8 mph. Jake Eder recalled.
Fantasy take: Drop Díaz in all redraft formats — three months means mid-July at the earliest. The Dodgers bullpen becomes a committee: Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Blake Treinen are the names to watch. Scott has the best profile for the role and should be added in all formats where available.
The Twins placed Mick Abel on the 15-day IL (retroactive to April 17) with right elbow inflammation — a gut punch after back-to-back scoreless outings including a 10-K gem against Boston. Abel, acquired from Philadelphia for Jhoan Duran at last year's deadline, had been one of the best stories in baseball with 14.1 consecutive scoreless innings.
Fantasy take: Hold on IL in all formats but brace for bad news — 'elbow inflammation' in a young pitcher is the phrase that precedes bigger problems more often than not. The Twins rotation of Ober/Ryan still holds but Abel's absence leaves a real hole. Don't drop yet, but temper expectations for the timeline.
Dylan Cease fanned 12 Angels in 5.1 innings of one-run ball, setting a Blue Jays debut record for strikeouts and tying the franchise record with 7 consecutive K. Vlad Guerrero Jr. added three hits including a two-run homer as Toronto won 5-2.
Fantasy take: Cease's strikeout upside is elite — 12 K in 5 innings is absurd. The pitch count limited him to 5.1 IP but the per-inning dominance is top-5 SP caliber. Must-roster everywhere. Guerrero continues to quietly produce (.300+ with power) and should be a top-10 fantasy bat ROS.
Max Muncy went a perfect 4-for-4 with two homers and four runs scored, while Dalton Rushing launched two more homers (now 7 in his last 27 AB) as the Dodgers obliterated the Rockies 12-3. Wrobleski threw 7 IP of one-run ball behind the offensive explosion.
Fantasy take: Rushing is the catcher breakout of 2026 — 7 HR in 27 AB is historic pace at the position. He's a must-roster in all formats and trending toward top-3 C value. Muncy's 4-for-4 caps a massive series; his resurgence at 35 is real and backed by exit-velo data.
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Waiver Wire Targets
FantasyPros · Rotoballer · Pitcher ListWho's Hot This Week
OF · Athletics · ~6% owned
4-for-5 with a homer. Cortes has been getting everyday reps for the A's and the bat is showing up. Deep-league add for anyone needing OF help.
OF · Colorado Rockies · ~10% owned
Multi-hit game for the Rockies' prospect. Coors inflates the numbers but Beck has real tools — speed and emerging power. NL-only and deep mixed add.
RP · Los Angeles Dodgers · ~28% owned
With Díaz out 3 months, Scott is the frontrunner for the Dodgers' closer role. Elite left-handed reliever with swing-and-miss stuff. Add immediately in all formats — this is the biggest saves opportunity of the month.
SP · Kansas City Royals · ~55% owned
7 scoreless innings on one hit. Lugo has been one of the most consistent arms in the AL — 1.53 ERA and the groundball approach limits damage. Solid SP3 in standard formats.
SP · Miami Marlins · ~38% owned
8 K in 5.1 innings — the stuff is electric. Meyer's slider generates whiffs at an elite rate. The Marlins' record suppresses his W potential but the ratios and K rate play in all formats.
3B · Houston Astros · ~52% owned
Two-homer game as the Astros' offense finds life. Paredes has sneaky power (20+ HR upside) and the lineup protection from Altuve/Walker/Correa helps. Standard-league add.
SP · Toronto Blue Jays · ~82% owned
12 K in 5 innings — Blue Jays debut record and 7 consecutive K tying a franchise mark. Cease's per-inning dominance is top-5 SP caliber. Should not be available in any format.
C · Los Angeles Dodgers · ~68% owned
7 HR in 27 AB is absurd — historic pace at catcher. Rushing is the breakout C of 2026 and trending toward a top-3 finish at the position. If he's somehow still on your wire, that's the add of the season.
3B · Cincinnati Reds · ~78% owned
Homer plus a steal — the multi-category upside at 22 years old is rare. Stewart now has 13 HR in 39 career games. He's the NL ROY frontrunner and should be rostered everywhere.
🌱 Stash of the Week
Jac Caglianone — 1B/DH, Kansas City Royals (~18% owned)
Per Rotowire, Caglianone slugged his first MLB homer Monday. The former two-way Florida standout has elite raw power — he hit 33 HR in college across two seasons. The Royals are giving him everyday DH reps and the power is starting to translate. At 18% owned, he's still available in most leagues. If the HR pace picks up, his ownership will spike fast. Speculative add in 12+ team leagues.
Worth Reading
01
Full breakdown of Díaz's surgery timeline, velocity decline, and the Dodgers' bullpen options. Essential reading for anyone in a saves league.
02
Context on Abel's elbow inflammation and what it means for the Twins' rotation. Includes the Duran trade backstory and Abel's 14.1 scoreless IP streak before the IL.
03
Forward-looking piece on rotation arms with breakout potential. Good for identifying the next waiver wire adds before they arrive.
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OBP Risers
MLB Stats · 14-Day Delta🩹
Injury Report
Rotowire · MLBTradeRumors · Beat ReportersIL-15
Edwin Diaz — RP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Loose bodies in right elbow — arthroscopic surgery Wednesday. Expected to miss ~3 months, targeting second-half return. Fastball had dropped to 92.8 mph (career norm 97-99). Jake Eder recalled. No ligament damage found.
DropRedraft leagues
IL-15
Mick Abel — SP, Minnesota Twins
Right elbow inflammation, retroactive to April 17. Was on a 14.1 scoreless IP streak including a 10-K gem. The word 'elbow' is concerning for a 24-year-old arm. No structural damage confirmed yet — monitoring.
HoldIL stash
IL-15
Sonny Gray — SP, Boston Red Sox
Per MLBTR, the Red Sox are placing Gray on the IL. Specific injury details pending. Gray was 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA through 4 starts. Boston's rotation depth will be tested.
HoldMonitor updates
IL-10
Left shoulder subluxation, retroactive to April 19. Subluxations (partial dislocations) are unpredictable — could be 2 weeks or 2 months depending on severity. The Royals recalled Mason Black to fill the roster spot.
HoldIL stash
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Scouting Report
MLBTradeRumorsMLBTradeRumors · by Staff · April 20
6 Potential Breakout Arms To Watch In 2026
MLBTR profiles six pitchers showing early signs of breakout seasons — the kind of arms that could be waiver wire gold over the next month. The article evaluates each through the lens of pitch mix changes, velocity gains, and Statcast underlying data.
The piece connects the dots between the pitching injury crisis (Díaz, Abel, Hader, Pivetta, Brown, Javier) and the opportunity it creates. Every injury opens a roster spot, and every roster spot is a chance for a breakout arm to stick. The article argues that the replacement-level pitching market is actually deeper than usual this year because of prospect depth across organizations.
For fantasy managers, the actionable takeaway is to be aggressive on the waiver wire for pitching right now. The combination of injuries creating openings and young arms proving they belong means the SP landscape could look dramatically different by June.
6Breakout arms profiled
8+SP injuries creating openings
NowTime to act on waivers
The VerdictThe SP waiver wire is the deepest it's been all season thanks to the injury wave. Be aggressive adding arms now — the next Messick or Arrighetti is probably sitting at 20% ownership in your league. This article gives you the shortlist.
Read the full piece at MLBTradeRumors →🔥
Bullpen Bulletin
Closer Monkey · Beat ReportersEdwin Díaz's implosion at Coors (0.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB) led to Monday's surgery announcement. Díaz out ~3 months. Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen form the Dodgers committee. Raisel Iglesias solid for the Braves. Miller continues to dominate in Oakland.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
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| Tanner Scott | LAD | 🔴 Committee | Frontrunner for Díaz's closer role. Elite LHP reliever. Add immediately — biggest saves opportunity of the month. Vesia and Treinen also in the mix. |
| Enyel De Los Santos | HOU | 🔴 Committee | Hader on 60-day IL, Javier to 60-day IL. Houston's pitching crisis is total. De Los Santos has saves but no clear hierarchy. |
| Caleb Thielbar | CHC | 🟡 Watch | Picked up first save of 2026. Scoreless in 3 straight with 7 K in 2.2 IP. Emerging as the Cubs' primary option. |
| Hunter Bigge | TB | 🟡 Watch | Workload concerns after 13-inning marathon. Englert to IL adds to bullpen strain. Fluid situation. |
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Best in Social
X · YouTube · Instagram · TikTokLos Angeles Dodgers RHP Edwin Diaz will have surgery on Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his elbow. He is expected to return during the second half of the season.
The official Dodgers statement. Three months without their closer reshapes the entire saves landscape. Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Blake Treinen become the committee to watch.
See the official statement on X →Dylan Cease strikes out 12 BATTERS for the 2nd time in 2026. The Blue Jays' new ace fanned 7 consecutive Angels mid-game, tying a franchise record. Full highlight reel of all 12 K.
Cease's per-inning K rate is top-5 in baseball. This YouTube upload has every strikeout with pitch tracking — the slider is unhittable when he's locating.
Watch all 12 strikeouts on YouTube →Dalton Rushing hits TWO HOME RUNS for the Dodgers — his 7th HR in just 27 at-bats this season. Historic pace at the catcher position.
7 HR in 27 AB is a pace that, if sustained, would shatter every catcher HR record in baseball. Even regression puts Rushing on track for 25+ HR. The breakout C of 2026.
Watch both homers on YouTube →Get this in your inbox every day
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