MLB Player News

We can pick apart Bill Bavasi’s player evaluation ability all day long, but sometimes we’ll be wrong there. On the other hand, there’s no doubt his roster management skills are truly terrible. The Mariners added Garciaparra to the 40-man roster in November, protecting him from a Rule 5 draft in which there was little chance he’d be taken and far less that he’d be carried by another team all year. Bumping him now makes it far more likely that they’ll lose him, as he wouldn’t have to be carried on an active roster, and if he does pass through waivers, it just illustrates how bad of an idea it was to add him in the first place.

Muncy continued his remarkable year with a solo homer off Zach Wheeler — one of four homers the Dodgers hit off Wheeler, all with no one on — that put the Dodgers up 2-0 in the second inning. The 35-year-old has not only homered 13 times with an OPS of .873, but he’s played some of the best defense of any third baseman in 2026. If not for a certain two-way star teammate, you could argue that Muncy deserves MVP consideration for these first two months.

The only run — and hit — the Phillies were able to pick up off Justin Wrobleski was Schwarber’s 22nd homer of the season. He’s now driven in 39 runs on the season, which puts him on pace for around 62 homers and 111 RBI on the year. For many, that’s not remotely sustainable, but while you can’t expect a 60-homer campaign from anyone, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise in the slightest if Schwarber reached that mark someday.

Scott continues to pitch well, and he threw 11-of-15 pitches for strikes while procuring the save. That gives the 31-year-old five saves, but it’s worth noting that’s his first he’s picked up since May 15. The Dodgers clearly value Scott more in a high-leverage role than one that has him set in the ninth inning, and while it helps Los Angeles a bunch, it does limit the fantasy upside.

Ohtani also singled twice. His homer was one of four that the Dodgers hit off Zack Wheeler, and it gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead while also giving Ohtani his 10th homer of the season. It seems unlikely to be the last. The 31-year-old has homered in back-to-back games, and this one comes a game after he threw six no-hit innings. Huh. Might be something here.

If you take away solo homers, Wheeler was solid. When you give up four of them, that caveat doesn’t really work. Wheeler couldn’t keep the ball in the park, and while he allowed no other runs and just one more hit before leaving, those roundtrippers made it a disappointing effort for the 36-year-old. Wheeler was due for a shaky start, and still has a 2.27 ERA and 40/9 K/BB in his 43 2/3 innings in 2026. Expect him to bounce back against the struggling Padres’ offense next week.

Wrobleski’s only blemish was a solo homer by Kyle Schwarber. The 25-year-old bounced back nicely from his rough outing against the Brewers where he gave up five runs in as many innings, and he pounded the strike zone with zero walks and 63-of-88 pitches landing. Wrobleski is now 7-2 on the season, and he’s earned that mark with a 2.87 ERA over the first two months of the campaign. He’s set to face the Diamondbacks on Thursday

Devers is not exactly known for his dazzling speed, but he was able to hit a run-scoring triple in the ninth and came around to score on a Matt Chapman single. He’s been excellent in the month of May with an .897 OPS coming into Friday’s contest, and it’s a friendly reminder than when Devers has it clicking, there aren’t many hitters better.