Cleveland Guardians rookie left-hander Parker Messick flirted with history in an impressive pitching performance on Thursday night in a 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and ended up giving up two earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out nine in eight innings of work to win his third game of the year. Outfielder Leody Taveras singled with no outs in the ninth inning to break up Messick's no-hit bid. Messick generated 18 swings and misses on a total of 112 pitches in his outing, and his changeup continues to be a nasty pitch for opposing batters to pick up. The 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2022 out of Florida State doesn't have an overpowering fastball, but in comparison to his plus-plus changeup, it gets on hitters faster than expected. Messick is quickly becoming a must-roster player in all fantasy leagues, and he'll be a must-start in his next scheduled outing next Tuesday against the Astros. He currently holds a strong 1.05 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 25:7 K:BB in 25 2/3 innings for Cleveland.

Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (arm) played light catch on the field at Daikin Park before Thursday's contest against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a team trainer nearby, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Imai was put on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right-arm fatigue. The good news is that the first-year MLB player isn't dealing with any structural damage to his arm. The early returns from the 27-year-old through his first three major-league starts weren't great, as he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while walking 11 and striking out 13 in 8 2/3 innings pitched. Imai will be eligible to return from the IL later this month, but the Astros may take things slowly and not rush him back to the starting rotation, even with the Astros dealing with plenty of early-season injuries to their rotation arms.

New York Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodon (elbow, hamstring) will throw live batting practice on Saturday and then should advance to a minor-league rehab assignment, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Manager Aaron Boone said that Rodon will probably need three starts in the minors before the team considers activating him from the 15-day injured list to make his 2026 season debut. The 33-year-old three-time All-Star is putting the final touches on his rehab from elbow surgery last year to have a bone spur removed, and the Yankees have also been cautious of late after he suffered a minor hamstring injury. Rodon will likely begin a rehab assignment at some point next week as long as he doesn't suffer a setback when he faces live hitters in a batting practice session on Saturday at Double-A Somerset. If Rodon looks good in the minors, he could make his season debut for the Yankees in early to mid-May. Fantasy managers need to have Rodon stashed in an IL spot everywhere after he finished sixth in the American League Cy Young voting in 2025.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (biceps) looked good in his minor-league rehab start on Thursday with Triple-A Iowa, allowing three earned runs on four hits while walking one and striking out six in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Boyd is on the 15-day injured list with a left-biceps strain, but the 35-year-old veteran is expected to only need one rehab outing before the Cubs have him rejoin the big-league starting rotation. If Boyd is done making rehab starts in the minors, his next outing for Chicago could come as soon as Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. That wouldn't be the greatest matchup for fantasy baseball purposes, especially with Boyd throwing only 3 2/3 frames on Thursday at Iowa. Boyd allowed seven earned runs in 9 1/3 innings in his first two starts of 2026 before going on the IL, but he also had a 1.87 FIP with 17 strikeouts and three walks. Fantasy managers should be stashing the crafty lefty veteran in most fantasy leagues, especially with his return not far off.