MLB Player News

He would have seemed to have a better chance of making the Rockies, but that’s the Rule 5 Draft for you. Kelly has a 181/32 K/BB ratio in 130 2/3 innings of relief work since the Guardians selected him in the 19th round of the 2019 draft. He’s not a big upside guy, but his groundball ability could make him a solid sixth- and seventh-inning option in time.

Fairbanks took the mound with a one-run lead in the ninth to close it out against Colorado. He induced a pop-up, struck out one batter, and got a fly out to secure the win and convert his second save of the season in as many games.

Pérez tossed a scoreless first inning before giving up a solo homer to TJ Rumfield in the second. He hung a slider to Ezequiel Tovar in the fourth, who sent it over the left field wall for a two-run shot. The two home runs were the only blemishes on an otherwise impressive first start for Pérez as he generated an impressive 17 whiffs to strike out eight batters. The talented 22-year-old right-hander will draw the Yankees in New York for his next start on Friday.

Lorenzen escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning, then gave up one run on two hits and a sac fly in the third. Liam Hicks later took him deep for a two-run blast to tie the game at three in the fifth. That would end Lorenzen’s day at 93 pitches. He scattered seven total hits and struck out four batters. The 34-year-old right-hander will take on the Phillies in Colorado on Friday and could be ignored for fantasy purposes.

Hoskins has hit well in his first few games with Cleveland, although he did have one of the most bizarre baserunning mistakes you’ll see when he tried to tag up and score on a 200-foot pop-up. Chase DeLauter is the designated hitter Saturday against Bryan Woo, Angel Martinez will handle left and CJ Keyfus is in right. Bo Naylor also gets a break with David Fry hitting fifth and catching.

Eder showed tremendous promise when drafted out of Vanderbilt in 2020, but injuries have stalled his career significantly. It won’t be a huge surprise if someone puts in a claim on the 27-year-old as a depth piece/reclamation project, but it won’t be a big surprise if teams don’t have interest, either.

Smith was the Nationals’ sixth-round pick in 2025. The 23-year-old projects as roster fodder at this stage of his career, but it’s worth noting he’s also played third base and the outfield in college; giving him some (potentially) valuable versatility.

Mead was designated for assignment by the White Sox before Opening Day, and he’ll give the Nationals some infield depth for the 2026 season. The former top prospect hasn’t done nearly enough in his MLB action to suggest he’s worthy of fantasy consideration.

Horton gave up a homer to James Wood, but the other three hits he allowed were singles and he walked none. This was basically Horton’s average outing from his rookie campaign, when allowed two runs or fewer in 16 of his 23 starts. This goes as a 2.84 ERA, a near match from his 2.67 mark last year. He had four strikeouts today and 4.2 per start last year. One assumes the lack of a top-notch strikeout rate will cost him some this year, but he’ll probably still get better there, even as his ERA climbs a bit. He’ll make his next start Friday in Cleveland.

Mikolas gave up just one homer today after allowing nine — yes, nine! — in his two starts at Wrigley Field while with the Cardinals last year. So, that’s something of a victory. Even if he’s not totally dreadful, Mikolas could well wind up leading the league in losses this year while pitching for the Nationals. He’s there to provide quantity. Quality would be a bonus.

Henry ended up not pitching Thursday after the Nationals upped their lead to six runs in the ninth. At this point, the Nationals likely just wanted to get him some work, and he had an easy 11-pitch inning against the Cubs, striking out one. That should keep him available to pitch Sunday, and we’ll again have to wait and see what the Nationals do if they have a late lead.