MLB Player News

The Cardinals indicated that part of the reason O’Brien opened up in a setup role was that he was behind after his calf injury this spring. The results didn’t really agree with that assessment, but all seems right now anyway. The Cardinals used Ryne Stanek in the seventh and Jojo Romero in the eighth tonight, so they were clearly intending for O’Brien to close. He’s probably not a lock to record all of the team’s save chances, but he is the best bet in their pen and should be picked up wherever he’s available.

There is still no set timeline on Eflin’s return from right elbow discomfort, and he’s getting a second opinion this week. This move means the earliest he could return is at the beginning of June.

Brito was 11-for-35 (.314) in Triple-A this season with five doubles, five runs scored, and four RBI. Injuries limited him to just 31 minor league games last year, but he hit .256/.365/.443 with 21 home runs and 13 steals in 144 games at Triple-A in 2024. His quality of contact numbers are not great, so we wouldn’t expect much power in the big leagues, and Brito remains more of an AL-only type of fantasy asset. It will be his MLB debut when he gets into a game.

It’s unfortunate timing for Arias, who was 3-for-6 with a double and two RBI in the two games right before getting hurt on Monday night. There is no set timeline for his return, but soft tissue injuries can take a few weeks to heal, so the Guardians will hope to get him back at some point before the end of the month.

Horton will visit with Dr. Keith Meister in Texas today to get a second opinion on the MRI results, but this is not trending in a great direction for the Cubs and fantasy managers. We’ll wait to hear more information, but it’s starting to feel like the 24-year-old may be headed for surgery and an extended absence.

Adames also worked a walk for a three-reach evening. The shortstop came around to score on a two-run triple by Matt Chapman in the third inning for his third run of the season. After a disappointing 2025 campaign, Adames has not come out hot despite Monday’s contest as seen in a .214 average and .664 OPS over the first 11 games.

Harper also drew a walk for a four-reach night. He cut the lead to 4-2 with an RBI double in the fifth, and two innings later he lashed a two-run single to tie the game at 4-4. The 33-year-old was caught stealing for the first time in 2026, but that’s a fair tradeoff. Harper was awful to begin the campaign as seen in a slash that still underwhelms at .200/.273/.385, but the two-time MVP is as good a bet as anyone to see those numbers continue to climb over the next couple months — if not weeks.

Duran did allow a hit and didn’t pick up a strikeout, but he was able to keep the Giants from scoring while procuring his fourth save of the season. It’d be more surprising if he wasn’t among the league leaders in the category than if he was.

The Giants are now 1-7 at home. That’s not good. Houser was solid over the first four innings, but he gave up a pair of runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh — the latter without getting an out in that frame — while striking out three and walking two in the contest. This is a pretty typical Houser start, and without the win, it doesn’t offer much fantasy value. He’s a risky option Sunday when he faces the Orioles or any other lineup.

After an impressive first start of his MLB career, Painter wasn’t nearly as effective against San Francisco. He allowed nine hits, and after fanning eight Nationals in that debut, he struck out one while generating only four swings-and-misses. It wasn’t a case of down velocity — he averaged 96.8 mph with his four-same fastball, up 0.1 from the previous outing — but he just didn’t fool the San Francisco lineup at all. He’ll look to rebound against the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

That’s the fourth homer of the season for Neto, and two of those have come leading off the game. The 25-year-old went hitless in his other four at-bats, but his impressive pop makes him one of the best — and certainly one of the most underrated — fantasy shortstops in the sport.