MLB Player News

Knebel decided not to sign with a team last year while rehabbing the torn shoulder capsule he suffered in Aug. 2022. The 32-year-old has typically been effective while healthy — he has a 3.26 ERA and 72 saves in 312 career appearances — but he’s pitched a total of 83 2/3 innings in the majors over the last five years. If he returns this spring with his stuff intact, he’ll be a big-time sleeper for saves. At this point, though, he has to be considered quite a long shot.

Suarez made sure that the Braves’ comeback bid didn’t go for naught, as he pitched around a one-out single from Ezequiel Tovar to work a scoreless frame and put the game in the win column for the Braves. He has proven to be more than capable in the ninth inning while Raisel Iglesias has been sidelined and now sports a minuscule 0.66 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and a 14/2 K/BB ratio over 13 2/3 innings on the season while converting each of his first four save chances.

Holmes also issued three free passes in the contest while punching out four. The Rockies jumped on him for five runs in the opening inning and added on another as Mickey Moniak crushed a solo shot to open the second. Holmes dug in from there though, blanking the Rockies through the fifth inning and kept the Braves in the game — affording them the opportunity to come back. He got nine whiffs on 87 pitches on the evening, posting a CSW of 21 percent. He’ll try to get back in the win column as he carries a 4.34 ERA and 1.31 WHIP into Wednesday’s matchup against the Mariners in Seattle.

Moniak singled off of Grant Holmes in the opening inning and scored on an RBI single off the bat of TJ Rumfield. He then crushed a 439-foot (105.5 mph EV) solo shot to lead off the second inning, increasing the Rockies’ early edge to 6-0. That would wind up being the extent of their offense though. The 27-year-old outfielder has been terrific to open the 2026 campaign, slashing .319/.363/.670 with nine homers, 18 RBI and one stolen base in his first 102 plate appearances.

Quintana punched out three batters on the night and did not allow a base on balls. The lone tally against him came on a solo homer by Matt Olson in the fourth inning. He got 12 whiffs on 85 pitches on the night, registering a CSW of 25 percent. Quintana exited with a comfortable 6-1 lead and in line for a victory, but the Rockies’ bullpen couldn’t hang on for him. He’ll carry a respectable 4.07 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 12/11 K/BB ratio into Wednesday’s matchup against the Mets.

Okamoto sure had Twins’ starter Simeon Woods-Richardson’s number here. He homered off him in consecutive innings to help build a lead that the Blue Jays would never relinquish. Something has clicked of late with Okamoto, who had a poor .553 OPS just two weeks ago. After this game, that’s up to a .743 OPS as he continues to grow more comfortable in his first major league season.

While it wasn’t a save opportunity – the Blue Jays were up by four runs – we got another data point proving that Varland is the closer in Toronto. Former closer Jeff Hoffman came into this game in the seventh innings and allowed a run while Varland trotted out for the ninth and pitched another scoreless frame. He is undoubtedly the best option for saves in this bullpen.

It’s borderline surreal to watch Corbin out there reinventing himself and pitching better than he has in years. In this start, he threw his changeup 27% of the time, nearly twice as often as he has in any other start this season. It was a wrinkle the nearly all right-handed Twins’ lineup didn’t appear to expect and it helped him keep them off-balance for most of this game. Somehow, he’ll take a 3.65 ERA into his next scheduled start against the Rays down in Tampa Bay.

Buxton has been scalding hot of late. He’s not hit a home run in four of his last five games and all nine of his long balls this season have come in his last 16 games. Just in the last week, he’s gone from a .705 OPS to an .845 OPS. It’s a good reminder as to how early in the season it still is and that when Buxton is on, the homers can come in bunches.

There’s a phrase for outings like this one by Woods-Richardson: he got pieced up. Of the 20 balls the Blue Jays put in play against him, 12 were hard-hit and Kazuma Okamoto took him deep twice. He doesn’t have an out-pitch, high-end velocity, or particularly good command. It’s hard to see the Twins continuing to send him out there every fifth day much longer.

Muncy doubled in the top of the second inning to drive home Andy Pages and give the Dodgers their first run of the night. On a night where Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-5 at the plate, Muncy’s double was one of the very few bright spots for the Dodgers’ offense on Friday. He has now it safely in seven of his last eight games, and is slashing .353/.441/.745 over his last 15 games with five homers and eight RBI.