
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha allowed 10 hits and gave up five runs while taking a loss in last Friday's 6-1 defeat to the New York Mets, but he finds himself in prime position to bounce back in Wednesday's start on the road in one part of a doubleheader against the division-rival Chicago White Sox. Although Wacha holds a mediocre 4.00 ERA (2.75 FIP) through 18 innings (three starts) to begin his Royals debut season, his 1.05 WHIP is a cause for optimism. Since 2023, the 32-year-old journeyman right-hander is 2-0 with 14 scoreless frames and 15 strikeouts over two appearances against the White Sox. Additionally, the current Chicago roster is hitting a career .141 across 72 plate appearances versus Wacha. With the ChiSox sitting dead last in baseball with 34 runs scored, treat Wacha as a confident fantasy option on Wednesday's full slate.


Houston Astros starting pitcher Luis Garcia (elbow) threw a bullpen session at Minute Maid Park ahead of Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Continuing to recuperate from Tommy John surgery, Garcia started tossing bullpens earlier in April and is slowly progressing toward eventually heading to a minor-league rehab assignment. The expectation is that he will be able to rejoin Houston's injury-ravaged rotation at some point during the middle of the season. Before his 2023 season came to a close, the 27-year-old right-hander posted a respectable 4.00 ERA (3.63 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 31:10 K:BB over 27 innings (six starts). The Astros called up Forrest Whitley on Tuesday for pitching help, but it wouldn't be surprising to see swingman Brandon Bielak be asked to eat some innings at some point.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers was pulled during the eighth inning of Tuesday's game versus the visiting Cleveland Guardians, and Bobby Dalbec replaced him defensively at third base. He went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI before exiting, and it's unclear at this time why Devers was removed from the contest. It's worth noting he dealt with soreness in his left shoulder that cost him four games last week, so it remains to be seen if he's dealing with some type of setback with the injury. The Red Sox should offer some clarity on the 27-year-old All-Star slugger's status shortly, and we'll provide that update when it becomes available. Devers is hitting just .205 with two home runs and five RBI over his first 44 at-bats of the season.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip, elbow), who was briefly shut down recently with a mild flexor strain in his right elbow, has been cleared to resume throwing and tossed a bullpen session in Arizona on Tuesday. Other than that hiccup, Cobb is progressing well and believes he's ahead of schedule in his rehab from offseason surgery on his left hip. The 36-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2023 for the first time in his career, and despite running into trouble with the long ball in the second half, he still managed to compile a solid 3.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 131:37 K:BB across 151 1/3 innings (28 starts). Cobb could re-enter San Fran's rotation at some time during May, and he's a decent stash in most fantasy leagues. With Robbie Ray (elbow) also on the shelf, Jordan Hicks and Keaton Winn should continue to function as starters for the Giants for the time being.

Chicago Cubs infielder/outfielder Patrick Wisdom (back) is continuing his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa and started Tuesday's game at right field for the first time this year. It's an interesting development for fantasy managers to keep an eye on, as Chicago's everyday right fielder, Seiya Suzuki (oblique), is expected to miss several weeks. Wisdom is essentially fully recovered from a back strain, but Michael Busch's recent power surge (five home runs in his last five games) is likely the reason why he hasn't been activated from the IL just yet. It looks like the Cubs could be grooming Wisdom for some action in right field, however, so his return appears imminent. The 32-year-old slugger is an all-or-nothing power hitter who smashed nine homers in his final 36 outings of the season in 2023, and he could be a decent source of pop if he lands a sizable role upon his reinstatement.
