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Top Stories
MLBTradeRumors · Rotowire · MLB.comThe Red Sox fired Cora 26 games into the season after the offense cratered to a .226/.306/.335 slash line — dead last in MLB with a 78 wRC+. Chad Tracy takes over as interim manager. The entire hitting staff was gutted: hitting coach Peter Fatse, assistant Dillon Lawson, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, and two others were let go. Jason Varitek was reassigned. Pitching coach Andrew Bailey was retained.
Fantasy take: The wholesale hitting staff overhaul is the fantasy angle. Tracy may shake up the lineup construction and approach — monitor Red Sox hitters (Durbin, Rafaela, Contreras) for role changes over the next week. The 17-1 blowout of Baltimore on Cora's final night was ironic but meaningless. Buy-low on Red Sox bats could pay off if the new staff unlocks the offense.
Wheeler was activated from the 15-day IL after missing 8.5 months following thoracic outlet syndrome surgery (blood clot near his throwing shoulder, August 2025). His rehab was rough — 5.85 ERA over 20 innings in five minor league starts — and his fastball averaged 92.9 mph, down nearly 3 mph from his career 95.8 average. The Phillies won 8-5 vs. Atlanta in his return, though Wheeler was not the winning pitcher.
Fantasy take: Roster him in all formats but temper expectations hard. The 3-mph velocity drop and rough rehab are real red flags — TOS surgery has a mixed track record. The Phillies' rotation ranks 28th in ERA (5.68), so he has a long leash regardless of results. Treat him as a back-end SP for now and monitor velocity over his next 2-3 starts before trusting him in your lineup.
After an 0-4 start with a 6.00 ERA — including a career-high 8 walks in his previous outing — Ragans looked like a different pitcher. He went 6 IP, 1 ER, 11 K, 0 BB in the Royals' 12-1 rout of the Angels. Ten of 11 strikeouts came via the fastball, which averaged 97.7 mph (3rd-highest of his career). He earned his first win of 2026.
Fantasy take: If you bought low during the 0-4 stretch, this is the payoff. The stuff was never the problem — Ragans had 223 K in 2024 — the command just needed to recalibrate. Zero walks after 8 walks is a massive correction. His ERA drops to 5.00 and will keep falling if the command holds. Do not sell after one good start, but do feel much better about holding in 12-team leagues.
The A's activated Rooker from the 10-day IL after a two-week absence with an oblique strain, immediately slotting him back into the cleanup spot as the DH. Andy Ibáñez (.118 BA in 11 games filling in) was DFA'd to make room. The DH designation suggests the A's are easing Rooker's body back while keeping his bat in the lineup.
Fantasy take: Activate him everywhere immediately. Rooker hit 39 HR in 2024 and the oblique strain was minor enough for a two-week turnaround. Batting cleanup on day one signals the A's view him as their offensive engine. The DH role actually helps fantasy owners — no defensive fatigue risk as he ramps back up.
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Waiver Wire Targets
FantasyPros · Rotoballer · Pitcher ListWho's Hot This Week
OF · St. Louis Cardinals · ~1% owned
Two-homer game vs. Seattle, plus a leaping catch that robbed Mitch Garver of a home run. Church is a rookie with real power showing up daily — 4 HR and 12 RBI in limited action. Manager Oli Marmol has praised him effusively. Worth a speculative add in 14+ team leagues while the hot streak lasts.
SS · Seattle Mariners · ~12% owned
.281/.349/.667
Spring Training
Crushed spring training and is starting to translate it into the regular season with multi-hit games. The Mariners are giving him everyday reps, and the multi-position eligibility adds roster flexibility. Still very lightly owned — grab him in deeper formats before a hot week makes him a household name.
3B · Cincinnati Reds · ~44% owned
3-for-4, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Last Night
.241/26 HR/71 RBI
ROS Projection
Five-RBI game in the Reds' 9-2 win over Detroit. Stewart was a preseason sleeper who is now delivering — and with Suárez on the IL for at least another week, he's locked into everyday at-bats. The projections (.241/26/71) support a top-20 3B finish. Ownership should spike past 50% this week.
C · Detroit Tigers · ~40% owned
Repeated from yesterday because the Statcast numbers are too loud to ignore. Dingler's .437 xwOBA is elite — his actual .348 wOBA is significantly underperforming his expected stats. A 2025 Gold Glove winner with 20% barrel rate is a top-5 fantasy catcher waiting to happen. The buy window is closing fast.
🌱 Stash of the Week
Ke'Bryan Hayes — 3B, Cincinnati Reds (~1% owned)
The biggest Statcast buy-low in baseball right now: .169 wOBA vs. .309 xwOBA — a gap of .140, largest among all qualified hitters. His .106 batting average is ugly, but his expected BA is .237 and his average exit velocity is 90.1 mph. With Suárez on the IL, Hayes is getting everyday reps at third base. He's essentially free at 1% owned. The downside is limited (he's already at rock bottom), and if the underlying quality metrics catch up even halfway, you're looking at a useful 3B in 12+ team leagues. Chronic back concerns are the only long-term caution flag.
Worth Reading
01
Today's fresh waiver column from Pitcher List covering the most actionable adds for Week 5. Pairs well with the Statcast-driven picks in this issue.
02
Highlights Carter Jensen (.290/.373/.543, 150 wRC+), Angel Martínez (5 HR, 5 SB in 25 games), and Louis Varland as the top closer add after replacing Jeff Hoffman in Toronto.
03
Forward-looking Week 5 adds including several names overlapping with this issue's picks. Good second-opinion source for FAAB bidding decisions.
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OBP Risers
MLB Stats · 14-Day Delta🩹
Injury Report
Rotowire · MLBTradeRumors · Beat ReportersDTD
Calf issue has kept him out of the lineup for multiple games. He was absent again Sunday vs. Houston. No IL stint yet, but the recurring absences are a red flag for a player with Stanton's injury history.
Hold but have a backup readyBen Rice
DTD
POSITIVE UPDATE: Anthony is back in the lineup Sunday as the DH, batting third against Baltimore. He missed five straight games with back soreness. The DH designation suggests they're easing him back, but his bat is in the lineup — that's what matters.
Activate immediatelyAnthony is back
IL-10
Mild left oblique strain, backdated to April 23. May 3 is the earliest return date. Francona called it low-grade. The Reds recalled JJ Bleday and are leaning on Sal Stewart and Ke'Bryan Hayes at the corners in the meantime.
Stash on IL, monitorSal Stewart
IL-15
Right shoulder inflammation, backdated to April 20. Was perfect before the injury: 5 saves, 0.00 ERA, 11 K, 1 BB in 8.2 IP. Robert Suarez has been named the replacement closer and already has 3 saves. Iglesias is eligible to return in early May.
Add immediatelyRobert Suarez
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Scouting Report
FanGraphsFanGraphs · by RotoGraphs Staff · April 21
Starting Pitcher Stuff+ Gainers & Decliners
FanGraphs' latest Stuff+ model update reveals which pitchers have quietly overhauled their arsenals in the early going — and which are skating on borrowed time. The biggest gainer is Emerson Hancock, who has completely reinvented his pitch mix: throwing his four-seamer and slider more, adding a cutter, and reducing sinker and changeup usage. The results speak for themselves — a 2.83 ERA through four starts with the Mariners.
The decliners section is just as actionable. Michael McGreevy (Cardinals) has the lowest Stuff+ among all 74 qualified starters, with velocity down nearly 2 mph and a pathetic 5.2% swinging-strike rate. His 2.49 ERA is a mirage — the article flags him as an 'imminent implosion candidate.' If you're rostering McGreevy, this is your exit window.
The article also confirms what we wrote yesterday about Taj Bradley: his Stuff+ jumped 13 points to 115 (elite territory), and his 26% K-BB% over his first three starts validates the breakout. He's moved from 89th to 50th on the FanGraphs auction calculator.
Biggest Stuff+ gainerEmerson Hancock — pitch mix overhaul
5.2% SwStr%McGreevy — lowest among 74 qualified SPs
115 Stuff+Taj Bradley — all pitches grading elite
The VerdictBuy Emerson Hancock — he pitches today vs. St. Louis and the new pitch mix is legit. Sell Michael McGreevy before the regression hits; his surface ERA is lying to you. And if you still haven't bought Taj Bradley after yesterday's issue, this is the data screaming at you to do it.
Read the full piece at FanGraphs →🔥
Bullpen Bulletin
Closer Monkey · Beat ReportersFriday's slate produced several notable saves: Cade Smith earned his 6th save for Cleveland (induced a GIDP with bases loaded), Louis Varland picked up his 2nd save for Toronto, and Robert Suarez notched his 3rd save as Atlanta's new closer. The Dodgers' bullpen imploded — Treinen blew a save in the 8th, then Tanner Scott surrendered a go-ahead homer to Dansby Swanson. Meanwhile, the Cubs' Corbin Martin earned his 1st career save with a 1-2-3 9th in the upset.
Read the full Ledger →| Closer | Team | Status | Note |
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| Louis Varland | TOR | 🔴 Committee | 2nd save on 4/25 (allowed 1 run on 3 hits in the 9th). Still labeled a 'committee' by the front office but he's clearly the guy — 0.00 ERA, 19 K in 13 IP. The only knock: he gave up a run for the first time Friday. Still a must-add. |
| Tanner Scott | LAD | 🔴 Committee | Gave up the go-ahead homer to Swanson on Friday after Treinen blew the save in the 8th. The Dodgers' closer situation is a mess with Díaz out. Scott still has the most saves but confidence is shaky. Vesia lurking. |
| Jacob Latz | TEX | 🔴 Committee | Per today's Closer Monkey Ledger, Latz has entered the Rangers' save share. He carries a 1.32 ERA in 13.2 IP. Worth monitoring in deeper leagues where saves are scarce. |
| Corbin Martin | CHC | 🟡 Watch | Earned his 1st career save Friday (1-2-3 9th vs. Dodgers), but Phil Maton is expected to be activated within two days per MLBTR. Martin's window may be short — only add if you need saves this week. |
| Robert Suarez | ATL | 🟡 Watch | 3rd save as Iglesias' replacement. Has a 0.93 ERA in 10 appearances. The Braves signed him for $45M as a setup man but he led the NL with 40 saves for the Padres last year. He can handle the role — add now, ride until Iglesias returns in early May. |
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Best in Social
X · YouTube · Instagram · TikTokCole Ragans' 11-strikeout masterpiece — video highlights of the Royals' 12-1 blowout. Ten of 11 K's came via the fastball averaging 97.7 mph, his 3rd-highest career average.
The visual tells the story better than any stat line. Watch hitters flailing at the fastball — the velocity and command are both there. If you're deciding whether to hold Ragans, watch this clip.
Ragans 11 K highlights →Nathan Church's 396-foot solo homer — his first of two on the night. The Cardinals rookie launched it to dead center against the Mariners, showing elite raw power.
Church is on the waiver wire radar above and this video shows why. The bat speed and exit velocity are legit. If you're in a deeper league, add before the next multi-homer game.
Church 396-ft HR blast →Full 4th inning: Dodgers bat around and score six runs vs. the Cubs, including a Max Muncy 110 MPH homer. But the real story is what happened next — Treinen blew the save, Scott gave up the lead, and Corbin Martin locked down his 1st career save as the Cubs won 6-4.
A must-watch for anyone invested in the Dodgers bullpen mess or the Cubs' incredible 10-game winning streak. The Martin save could reshape Chicago's closer picture (at least until Maton returns).
Dodgers 6-run 4th inning — then Cubs flip it →Get this in your inbox every day
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