MLB Today: Detroit Doldrums

This week, Wilson Contreras issued a warning to the Brewers about hitting him with pitches; Zach Eflin (elbow) has been moved to the 60-day IL; and Juan Soto (calf) has landed on the IL and will likely miss 2-to-3 weeks of action. Other Fantasy baseball stories we’re following include…

Kevin McGonigle Proving he Belongs

Since managing just 66 wins in 2022, the Detroit Tigers have slowly been building into a legitimate contender. They upped that total to 78 the following year and then in 2024 finally enjoyed a winning campaign – their first since 2016 – with 86 wins. Last season, they added another win to that total and have now made the playoffs in back-to-back years, ending a nine-year drought in the process.

However, it’s been a sluggish start to 2026 for Motown, and a three-game losing skid has the Tigers tied with the White Sox for last in a division where no one seems to be able to seize early control.

Ace hurler Tarik Skubal was off to another amazing start heading into Tuesday’s outing, but he was tagged pretty hard by the Twinkies, failing to last five innings for just the fourth time since the start of 2024.

The good news is that rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle shook off a rough week with two hits to drive in both Detroit runs on Tuesday. No. 2 on our Top 100 Prospects ranking this year, he had gone just 3-for-16 since last Wednesday after an extremely productive start to his big league career.

McGonigle is still seeking his first career long ball, but with six of his 13 hits going for extra bases, he’s definitely showing he’s got some pop. He’s mostly batted out of the two-hole, and with hits in eight of his 11 games – plus shortstop eligibility (and soon, third base, where he’s flashed some sweet leather… see video below) – he already looks like a solid Fantasy asset. We now know why Detroit opted to not sign Alex Bregman, right?

McGonigle has elite contact skills, and his emergence has really affected Zach McKinstry’s PT early on. In fact, at this stage, it’s probably just a matter of time before Detroit gives McGonigle a Konnor Griffin-type of deal.

McGonigle was considered one of the top high school hitters in the 2023 draft, and the fact that he’s already in the bigs and hitting well – despite dealing with plenty of injuries since turning pro – suggests that this assessment was bang on. The kid can rake, and he’s here to stay.

For the rest of the season, consider McGonigle a start-worthy Fantasy third baseman with top 10 upside.

The Braves Are Back

Over in the NL, on Tuesday the Atlanta Braves snapped a three-game losing streak to pull into second place in the East, just behind the surging Mets. In 2023, the Braves won 104 games, but have fallen on harder times since then. The following season, they slumped to 89 victories and last season managed just 76 as their seven-year playoff streak was snapped.

Well, Atlanta is off to an improved start this year at 7-5, and honestly, it should have an even better record. It’s clear this team is focused on returning to the postseason so you can check FanDuel to see what latest odds are for this scenario.

One of the biggest reasons the Braves have bounced back so far has been the recovery of second baseman Ozzie Albies. He smoked another homer while adding a walk on Tuesday, and while he hasn’t exactly been red hot this week, he’s been piling up a goodly amount of runs this month, and his slash line looks a lot more Albies-like after he endured a career worst effort in 2025.

Considering he spent a good amount of 2024 on the IL, further regression last year (despite being healthy) was a blow for his Fantasy owners. We need to see Albies bounce back this year, and early on he is showing signs. Strangely, however, all three of his extra-base knocks this season have left the yard, which seems bizarre for a dude who has three 40-double campaigns on his resume.

While we’d like to see his speed re-emerge, if Albies can continue to flirt with a .280 mark and keep hitting dingers, we’ll consider that a win. For our money, he remains a top 10 option at second base. This is a player who was super hyped to begin his career, but mostly struggled to justify that faith. Now, he almost seems like an afterthought for Fantasy purposes, leaving him in a prime position to exceed expectations. And so far in 2026, he has.

Waiver Wire Pick of the Week

Caleb Durbin, 3B, Boston Red Sox (ESPN: 40.2 per cent; CBS: 54 per cent): When Boston was unable to re-sign Bregman, it pivoted to the trade market and landed Durbin from Milwaukee. And while Durbin is off to a slow start (who isn’t on Boston?), he’s got the job and that has value. He came off the bench to deliver an RBI groundout on Tuesday a day after a two-hit (including a double), one-run showing, so he seems to be finding his groove. Durbin has more power than he’s shown so far this year, so exercise a bit of patience here.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

American singer Isaac Hayes was active from 1961 until his death in 2008. Even by his second album, 1969’s Hot Buttered Soul, he was breaking the pop song mould with super long songs, such as “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic,” a tune that also showed up on the 2000 compilation Isaac Hayes – Ultimate Collection.