MLB Player News

Walker clobbered an offering from Troy Taylor into the left-field stands to get the Cardinals on the board. It’s just the second homer of the season for the 22-year-old, although that number is obviously affected by him spending so much time in the minors. It’s a nice reminder that Walker oozes talent, and there’s still time for him to tap into his star potential.

An encouraging day for Javier, who was pulled in the second inning of his previous start. He was back up to 92.3 mph with his fastball today, which is right between the 91.7 mph he averaged six days ago and his 2025 average of 92.9 mph. He gave up only two hard-hit balls, and he ended up with a 38% CSW.

Only one batter reached against him, that coming on a walk. The four hard-hit balls he allowed, including two from Yordan Alvarez, all turned into groundouts. After struggling in his first two turns, Pérez has rounded into form nicely this spring, having given up two runs with a 12/3 K/BB ratio over seven innings in his last two starts.

Cole busted out in the minors last year and continue to thrive in 15 major league games at the end of the season, but strikeouts still could be his undoing. He’s fanned 14 times while hitting .172 in his 33 plate appearances this spring. Last year, he struck out 35% of the time in the minors and 38% of the time in his Astros audition. Cam Smith currently has nearly 300 points of OPS on him (.871 to .582), so barring a strong finish in the Grapefruit League, he might be sent back to Triple-A.

Kirby wriggled out of a first-inning jam by striking out Tyler Stephenson before coaxing a harmless ground out from Noelvi Marte to extinguish the threat. He finished with four strikeouts, only issued one walk, and got his pitch count to 67 (45 strikes). The 28-year-old’s strong spring has seemingly cemented his status as a top-15 range fantasy starter in drafts this spring.

Tucker took journeyman minor leaguer Trey Supak deep in the opening frame for his second round-tripper of the spring. The 29-year-old outfielder sent shockwaves throughout the baseball universe when he signed with the Dodgers in the offseason but it’s undeniably a phenomenal landing spot from a fantasy standpoint. His spot in the heart of the Dodgers’ loaded lineup puts him firmly in the first round of all drafts this spring.

Ryan sustained his mid-to-upper 90’s fastball velocity into the late stages of this 48-pitch outing, which is an extremely encouraging sign coming back from Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old top pitching prospect has built a compelling case to crack Los Angeles’ season-opening rotation with his spring performance, which includes a sparkling 1.86 ERA and 12/4 K/BB ratio across 9 2/3 innings. He should get an opportunity with both Blake Snell (shoulder) and Gavin Stone (shoulder) headed to the injured list. Not to mention that Roki Sasaki’s command issues and general volatility make carrying some additional starting pitching depth a necessity. He’s a perfect zero-risk late-round lottery ticket in deeper mixed leagues.

Fernández is the highest-profile inclusion among the latest batch of cuts from Yankees camp after being claimed off waivers from the Rockies earlier in the offseason. Ornelas and Short figure to stick around as emergency stopgap options for New York in case injuries take a toll on their infield depth.

The lone run came on catcher Tyler Tolve’s homer in the ninth. Suárez was facing five regulars today, and of that group, only Bryson Stott managed a hit against him. He has a 4.22 ERA in 10 2/3 innings as he tries to make the Braves as a fifth starter or as a middle reliever. That he’s out of options increases the chances that he’ll have a spot.

The only batter to reach against him was Adolis García on a HBP. If it came down to talent, the Braves’ fifth starter to begin the year would certainly be either Ritchie or Didier Fuentes. Nevertheless, it’d be a surprise if the choice isn’t either Bryce Elder or Martín Pérez. The 22-year-old Ritchie still needs to get a little better at avoiding walks before he’ll truly be ready.

It was a lineup full of bench guys, with Dominic Smith and Ben Gamel being the best hitters the Braves brought. Between this and facing Brazil for Team Mexico last time out, Walker hasn’t really been tested of late. He’ll open up in the Phillies’ rotation, but he’s not at all recommended for fantasy purposes.