New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (hand) remains absent from the starting nine for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Texas Rangers, according to MLB.com. Paul Goldschmidt will make yet another start at first base and will bat leadoff for the Yanks with Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore on the mound. Rice is recovering from a left-hand contusion that has kept him out for a few games, and the Yankees are likely just giving him an extra day to recover with a tough left-handed pitcher on the mound. We'd expect Rice to return for the upcoming series in Milwaukee against the Brewers, potentially as early as Friday's series opener. Whenever the 27-year-old returns to New York's lineup, he'll be a must-start after his scorching start to the 2026 season. Rice is hitting .343 (37-for-108) with 12 home runs, 27 RBI, 30 runs, and two stolen bases in his first 33 games played. Goldschmidt will be a popular DFS pick on Thursday in the leadoff spot against a lefty whom he's hit .333 against with an .864 OPS against in 10 career at-bats.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing when he makes his next appearance for the Rockies, likely on Friday. He has been working behind an opener most of the season, and he was on a great run before giving up six runs in 5 1/3 innings to the Braves last Saturday. The 24-year-old top prospect had been excellent in his previous seven games, posting a 1.29 ERA and 1.78 FIP with a 0.89 WHIP over 28 innings. He has 42 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings this season, and he has an elite ceiling if he can continue to realize his potential. Like many young pitchers, the 24-year-old is a volatile option from game to game, but he's shown a high enough ceiling to be a nice pickup if you need help in the rotation. He carries risk when making a home start at Coors Field, but has shown a high enough ceiling that is worth picking up in all 12-team leagues.

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Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Graham Ashcraft couldn't close out the Cubs on Wednesday night, picking up his second blown save of the season. After the Reds rallied to take the lead in the top of the ninth, Ashcraft came in to secure the win, but he gave up a single to Carson Kelly and a game-tying home run to Pete Crow-Armstrong. He was able to finish the inning but was charged with two runs on two hits, causing his ERA to rise to 1.93 on the season. In his 17 previous appearances, Ashcraft had allowed two earned runs across 17 2/3 innings with 19 strikeouts. With Emilio Pagan (hamstring) on the injured list, Ashcraft and Tony Santillan will likely share closer duties. However, Santillan blew the save on Tuesday and Ashcraft on Wednesday, leaving the job still wide open while Pagan is out for an extended period of time.

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Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Brad Keller had a rocky ninth inning against the A's on Wednesday night, but he still secured his third save of the year. Keller gave up a single and two walks to load the bases before getting Jacob Wilson to ground out to end the game. Keller needed 22 pitches to earn his third save in the last six days, and he'll remain a primary setup man for Jhoan Duran, who just returned from the injured list and threw 27 pitches on Tuesday. With Duran unavailable, Keller stepped in once again. He has a 4.02 ERA in his 15 2/3 innings this season and will remain in a high-leverage role, even though Duran should get most of the save chances for the Phillies now that he's healthy.

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Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Gregory Soto secured his second save of the season on Wednesday night, pitching a scoreless ninth inning to complete a close, 1-0 win over the Diamondbacks. Soto combined with Paul Skenes on the shutout and worked around a walk to Geraldo Perdomo to lock down the win. The veteran lefty has allowed three runs in 18 innings this season, posting a 1.50 ERA, 2.53 FIP, and 0.72 WHIP. He has 24 strikeouts in his 18 frames this year, and he has six holds to go with his two saves. If he consistently gets the call in the ninth, he'll be a solid closer to roster, but he has been used earlier in games in high-leverage situations against lefties. He and Dennis Santana will continue to share the closer role, but Soto has been more effective and could start to get more of the timeshare if he continues to be so effective.

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Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Rico Garcia slammed the door on the Marlins on Wednesday night to earn his second save of the season. He issued a walk to Owen Caissie to start the inning, but Garcia induced a double play from Otto Lopez and fanned Javier Sanoja to end the game. Garcia earned his second save of the year by securing the three-run win for Baltimore, and the 32-year-old righty should continue to have fantasy value as the team's closer as long as Ryan Helsley (elbow) is on the injured list. In his 18 games this season, Garcia has allowed just one run on one hit across 17 innings with 19 strikeouts. If you need a short-term addition to your bullpen, Garcia is one of the top options to consider.

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Athletics relief pitcher Jack Perkins was charged with a blown save on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed four runs (two earned) on two hits and a walk, while picking up two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings. Perkins came into the game to start the seventh inning and retired the Phillies in order with two strikeouts. Things fell apart on him in the eighth, though, and he left runners on the corners with one out after a costly error by second baseman Jeff McNeil. Those runners came around to score, and Perkins took his first loss of the season. The 26-year-old righty still has a 3.68 ERA and 1.78 FIP with a 30.2% strikeout rate. Even though this was officially a blown save, it came before the ninth inning, which shows the A's are still not using him as a traditional, everyday closer. Perkins remains in the mix for saves along with Hogan Harris and Joel Kuhnel, but it's hard to trust any of them for fantasy with the current uncertainty, making him best left for deeper 12+ team leagues.

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Dodgers' LF Andy Pages had six RBIs going 3-for-5 with three home runs in a 12-2 win over Houston on Wednesday, May. 6.

Nationals' SS CJ Abrams had five RBIs going 3-for-5 with a home run in a 15-2 win over the Twins on Wednesday, May. 6.

Tigers' SP Jack Flaherty recorded 10 strikeouts in 5 innings but took the loss in a 4-0 loss to the Red Sox on Wednesday, May. 6.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (elbow) threw 54 pitches across three innings of work in a rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, allowing five hits, one earned run, and one walk while striking out two. It was the second rehab start for Jones as he works his way back from internal brace surgery on his right elbow. The 24-year-old has not appeared in an MLB game since September 2024, but he appears to be progressing towards a return to the big leagues in the not-too-distant future. Jones flashed significant upside as a rookie in 2024, posting a 6-8 record with a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 132 strikeouts across 121 2/3 innings (22 starts). He's currently on the 60-day injured list, so a late-May/early-June return for Jones is likely the plan in Pittsburgh. Fantasy managers should consider stashing Jones off the waiver wire now in leagues where he is available.

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New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that starting pitcher Kodai Senga (back) played catch on Wednesday and is feeling "a lot better," per Laura Albanese of Newsday. Senga was placed on the 15-day injured list in late April after receiving an epidural injection to treat lumbar spine inflammation. The 33-year-old was off to a terrible start to the 2026 season before hitting the IL, recording a 0-4 record with a 9.00 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts across five starts (20 innings). Senga was initially shut down from throwing, but it appears as though he's now progressing towards a return. Injuries have been a persistent issue for Senga, who has now thrown just 138 2/3 innings since the start of the 2024 season. Given his spotty health track record and his ineffectiveness this season, Senga can likely be dropped in most fantasy formats.

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Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that starting pitcher Shane Bieber (elbow) threw a bullpen on Wednesday and "looked sharp," per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Bannon reports that Bieber is scheduled to throw another bullpen next week before progressing to work against live hitters. The veteran right-hander has yet to pitch in 2026 as he works his way back from elbow and forearm issues that landed him on the 60-day injured list before the start of the season. Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2024, which kept him out until August 2025. He was effective down the stretch for Toronto, recording a 4-2 record with a 3.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts across 40 1/3 innings (seven starts). While Bieber is not eligible to return from the injured list until late May at the earliest, it appears that he's slowly making progress. Once healthy, he should be rostered in most fantasy formats.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (knee) is undergoing further evaluation on his left knee after exiting early from his start on Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres. After the game, Webb said that he has been dealing with discomfort in the knee for "a little while." The 29-year-old is off to a very slow start to 2026, as he's posted a 2-4 record with a 5.06 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts across 48 innings (eight starts). The knee issues could provide an explanation for Webb's struggles. While Webb downplayed the injury after his start on Tuesday, it appears as though the team is seeking an exact diagnosis, and a trip to the injured list could be on the table. Should Webb miss time, right-hander Trevor McDonald could be the favorite to take his spot in the Giants' rotation.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages put together a monster performance in his team's 12-2 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday, going three-for-five with three home runs and six RBI. The 25-year-old is off to an excellent start to the 2026 season, hitting .336/.376/.589 with eight home runs, 33 RBI, 22 runs scored, and six stolen bases. Pages is currently tied for the MLB lead in RBI and should remain in a prime position to keep racking up counting stats while hitting in the heart of the potent Dodgers' lineup. He looks like an above-average contributor across all five traditional rotisserie categories early on this year.

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (elbow, triceps) exited early from his start on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians due to elbow and triceps soreness, per Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. Ragans threw 68 pitches across three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out four. The 28-year-old has gotten off to a slow start to the 2026 season, pitching to a 4.84 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 45 strikeouts across 35 1/3 innings (eight starts). While the exact nature of Ragans' injury is not yet clear, any elbow issue is obviously a major concern for the left-hander. Should Ragans require a trip to the injured list, right-hander Stephen Kolek could be the favorite to take his spot in the Kansas City rotation.

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Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder, foot) left his minor-league rehab outing on Wednesday early at Triple-A Omaha with right-shoulder discomfort, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Estevez recorded two outs, but his velocity was down, and he exited after the second out when a trainer came to visit with him. Estevez has been on the 15-day injured list since he was hit by a comebacker on his left foot after his first appearance of the season. The 33-year-old Dominican veteran and two-time All-Star allowed six earned runs in one-third of an inning of work before being hit in the foot, and his velocity was noticeably down in spring training as well. Estevez might have recovered from his foot injury, but now he has shoulder concerns and could need to restart a rehab assignment. It's becoming harder to justify stashing Estevez in fantasy leagues, and Lucas Erceg's run as KC's primary closer could be extended, depending on how serious Estevez's shoulder injury is. Estevez is currently rostered in 64% of Yahoo leagues.

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Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (finger) was pulled from his start early on Wednesday against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning, and The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported that McCullers was looking down at his finger before manager Joe Espada and a trainer came out to check on him. McCullers has dealt with blister issues in the past, as well as several arm injuries that derailed his career for quite some time. It was a rough outing for the 32-year-old veteran before being pulled, as he allowed six earned runs on four hits (one homer) while walking three and striking out four in just 2 2/3 innings against the first-place Dodgers to pick up his third loss of the year. The poor outing raised McCullers' ERA to 7.41 in seven starts this year. The former first-rounder in 2012 will be droppable in most leagues if he finds his way to the injured list. McCullers is only rostered in 10% of Yahoo leagues right now.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (elbow) is officially listed as the team's scheduled starter for Saturday's game in Cleveland against the division-rival Guardians, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. The Twins pulled Ryan from his last outing against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday after just nine pitches with soreness in his right elbow. Thankfully, an MRI exam ruled out any structural damage for the 29-year-old, and he's been cleared to make his next start this weekend in a plus matchup against a Guardians team that ranks 22nd in OPS (.693). Despite the plus matchup, Ryan will be extra risky for fantasy managers and could be on a shorter leash on Saturday after throwing only nine pitches his last time out. The former seventh-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 out of Cal State Stanislaus has gone 2-3 this year for the Twins with a 3.72 ERA (3.01 FIP), 1.06 WHIP, and 40:10 K:BB in 38 2/3 innings across his eight starts.

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Cincinnati Reds right-handed closer Emilio Pagan (hamstring) said he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on Tuesday night, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Doctors told Pagan that it will be four to eight weeks before he can return to the mound for the Reds, but it's a best-case scenario after the level of pain that he experienced on Tuesday night when he was carted off the field against the Chicago Cubs. "Leaving the field yesterday, I thought my season was done," Pagan said. The Reds placed Pagan on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday. The 34-year-old veteran reliever will be dropped in a lot of fantasy leagues after this news. It's not like he was pitching well before his hamstring issues, sporting a 6.43 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, six saves, 11 strikeouts, and six walks in 14 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Going forward, right-hander Tony Santillan is the name to know for a waiver-wire pickup for save opportunities, although righty Graham Ashcraft could also see some save chances with Pagan sidelined.

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