Fantasy baseball today: Brandon Woodruff, Shane McClanahan turn back the clock in return from injury

Tuesday night’s slate of openers offered the brand of drama only April can provide: high-profile hurlers shaking off rust, velocity readings parsed like stock tickers, and box-score archaeologists asking the same question—how much of the old magic is still in the arm? Three comebacks stole the show, but two in particular felt like time travel.

Brandon Woodruff, making his first start of 2026 after a lat issue cut short an already remarkable post-surgery 2025 campaign, looked every bit the Milwaukee ace fantasy managers remember. The 35-year-old pumped 49 fastballs among 67 total pitches, holding Tampa Bay to a pair of hard-hit balls on 25 swings against the heater. He finished with eight whiffs, only four hard-hit balls on 13 batted-ball events, and the same riding life that helped him to a 3.20 ERA, 32.3% strikeout rate and 2.22 xERA a season ago. Velocity and movement profiles matched last year’s data point for data point, a stunning feat for a pitcher who lost 3 mph following shoulder surgery and never got it back. The lone red flag remains the one that has stalked him for three seasons: health. If the shoulder and lat cooperate, Woodruff profiles as an immediate top-15 fantasy starter; if not, he is the ultimate sell-high candidate after any dominant two-start stretch.

Shane McClanahan’s road back was longer. The lefty hadn’t appeared in a regular-season game since September 2023, and no reasonable scout expected the 97–98 mph ace of old. What they got instead was a pitcher still capable of missing bats with sequencing and guile. McClanahan sat 95 mph after an adrenaline-fueled first inning, down roughly two ticks from his last healthy season, but his slider and changeup each generated three whiffs, preserving his platoon-neutral arsenal. Command against right-handed hitters wobbled at times, yet the overall line—one earned run, five baserunners, six strikeouts across five innings—left little room for complaint from the fantasy managers who invested a pick around 200 in most drafts. Expectations should be calibrated: flashes of brilliance are likely, but the pre-injury ceiling has probably been lowered permanently. Still, as a back-end rotation piece or bench depth, McClanahan offers ratio stability and the occasional spike start.

Andrew Painter, the 21-year-old Philadelphia phenom, joined the comeback parade with a dazzling MLB debut against Washington. The No. 1 prospect’s fastball averaged a tick below its pre-Tommy-John heights, yet he threw heaters and sinkers only 45% of the time, showcasing a secondary mix that produced a called-plus-swinging-strike rate above 40% on every non-fastball. His slider recorded four whiffs, and he allowed zero extra-base damage. The caveat: the Nationals project to finish near the bottom of the National League in most offensive categories, so dominance must be graded on a small-sample curve. Painter’s command, particularly avoiding hangers with two strikes, will face stiffer tests in upcoming outings versus Atlanta and the Mets, but the stuff clearly translates.

For fantasy managers, the takeaway is a tiered one. Woodruff is an immediate SP2 with SP1 upside if the medical report stays clean; shop him after three healthy turns if you fear another IL visit. McClanahan is a matchup play whose value climbs in leagues that reward quality starts and strikeouts; stash him on benches in shallow formats until he proves the command is back. Painter is the stash with the highest ceiling but the longest leash—expect rookie volatility, yet Philadelphia’s infield defense and his own bat-missing ability give him a path to mixed-league relevance by June.

Tuesday also reinforced that comebacks aren’t limited to the bump. Kodai Senga’s mechanical overhaul produced a career-best 97.4 mph average fastball and nine punch-outs against St. Louis; he needs to be universally rostered after flashing front-line stuff. Jose Fernandez, an offseason afterthought, smashed two homers in his Diamondbacks debut, forcing the club to find at-bats somewhere around a crowded infield. Riley O’Brien notched his first save for the Cardinals and profiles as the best reliever in a muddled pen, while Ryan O’earn’s everyday role in Pittsburgh has already yielded eight hits and two homers through five games.

The ledger balances risk and reward as April unfolds. Woodruff and McClanahan reminded the fantasy world Tuesday that talent lingers long after injury, but only consistent health can complete the resurrection.