MLB Player News

It was one of the best starts of the season for Buehler, who walked one, struck out four, and threw 61 of his 89 pitches for strikes. He led with secondaries in this one, throwing his slider and curve 53 percent of the time. The slider was tremendous as a strike pitch but didn’t generate a single swing-and-miss, and Buheler posted just a 15 percent whiff rate and 25 percent CSW overall. The surface-level stats were obviously strong, but we wouldn’t get overly excited since Buehler didn’t showcase much strikeout upside in this one, and he’s set to face the Dodgers this weekend.

Hader said his four-seam fastball was between 91-93 mph, and he was pleased with his overall performance. While this may not seem like a major accomplishment, it’s the first time Hader has faced hitters in months, so it’s certainly a step in the right direction. He will need to face hitters in simulated sessions a few more times and then head out on a rehab assignment, so the middle of May feels like a best-case scenario for Hader to return to the Astros bullpen. With Bryan Abreu struggling, the Astros will continue to roll with some combination of him, Bryan King, and Enyel De Los Santos until Hader returns.

Tucker played a part in both runs the Dodgers would score in Tuesday’s pitchers’ duel against the Mets. He drew a walk in the first inning and crossed home on a groundout, then later put the Dodgers ahead with a base hit in the eighth. The 29-year-old outfielder is still looking to get going at the dish, batting .242/.360/.306 with one homer, 13 runs scored, 10 RBI, and three steals across 75 plate appearances.

Lindor got on the board with his first home run of the season on Tuesday, taking Yoshinobu Yamamoto deep for a solo blast on the third pitch of the game. He later added a base hit, but the solo homer would be all the Mets could put on the board as they continue to scuffle at the plate. Following the two-hit game, Lindor is hitting .194/.301/.306 with 11 runs scored and two steals.

With the Dodgers up by one run in the ninth inning, it was Vesia who was summoned to close out the game against the heart of the Mets order. He slammed the door on New York, striking out the side to secure the win and convert his second save. After the game, manager Dave Roberts stated that Edwin Díaz was unavailable after throwing a bullpen session earlier in the day. The team wanted to see Díaz throw before putting him in game action following his blown save with diminished velocity last Friday. Robert said Díaz has been cleared and will get the next save chance.

Yamamoto served up a solo homer to Francisco Lindor on the third pitch of the game. Like his counterpart in Nolan McLean, he locked in for the night, keeping the Mets from scoring again until he departed with two outs in the eighth inning. He scattered just three more hits and one walk while striking out seven on a whopping 23 whiffs. The 27-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 2.10 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and a 21/3 K/BB ratio across 25 2/3 innings. He’ll take on the Giants next Tuesday in San Francisco.

McLean was lights out in a tough matchup against the Dodgers, going head-to-head with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He gave up a run in the first inning on a walk, double, and a groundout before settling in for six more scoreless frames, scattering one more hit and one walk while striking out eight batters on 12 whiffs. The 24-year-old right-hander has been sensational so far, posting a 2.28 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and a 28/8 K/BB ratio across 23 2/3 innings. McLean is in line for a start against the Twins in New York next Tuesday.

Martin is no stranger to the IL, and he might be headed there again. He’s opened this season by giving up six runs — five earned — in 6 1/3 innings over eight appearances.

It’s encouraging that this might not have been as bad as it looked, but there are surely tests to run. An IL stint would still seem to be the likely outcome.

Alex Vesia closed in Díaz’s place Monday against the Mets. Díaz last pitched Friday, when he blew a save against the Rangers, and the Dodgers revealed Monday that he was dealing with a knee issue.

In a game where runs were tough to come by, Wilson came through for the A’s with the bases loaded in the third inning, knocking a two-run single to bring home both of the team’s runs. The 24-year-old shortstop is off to a cold start, though he has multiple hits in two of the last four games. He’s slashing .239/.250/.284 with five runs scored and five RBI across 68 plate appearances.