MLB Player News

Montero’s velocity today was up 2-2.5 mph from last year, which seems notable. The 25-year-old has been a reasonable fifth starter when the Tigers have called on him the last two years, but he’s right around eighth on the rotation depth chart at this point, meaning he’ll probably be a middle reliever if he makes the team this spring. It seems more likely that he’ll open up in Triple-A.

Bader gave the Giants a 1-0 lead with a solo homer off an ineffective Walker Buehler. It’s the first homer of the season for Bader, and the first as a member of the Giants. The 31-year-old scuffled in the series against the Yankees, but so did every member of the San Francisco lineup. He’ll have a chance to be a useful bench option in the majority of fantasy formats.

Merrill hit a two-run homer in the ninth, but in this case, it only got the Padres to within a run. The 22-year-old has his first homer of the season, and he’s now driven in three runs over the first four games.

Walker was handed a three-run cushion, and he needed all of them. He gave up a two-run homer to Jackson Merrill, but was able to get the final out for his first save of the year and first win of the campaign for the Giants. Walker is going to get the closing opportunities to open 2026, but he was a shaky option in 2025 and isn’t off to the best start to this season.

Buehler’s first outing with the Padres was a shaky one, and shaky might be too complimentary. He allowed a solo homer to Harrison Bader, and then two run-scoring singles in the fourth; his final frame of the contest. The 31-year-old was only able to generate eight swings and misses over 72 pitches, with a 21 percent CSW. Buehler was once one of the best fantasy options in baseball. He’s now someone who can be safely ignored in all formats.

Roupp threw 54-of-88 pitches for strikes, and he was able to procure 13 swings and misses in an impressive first outing of 2026. The 27-year-old averaged 93.5 mph with his sinker; up a little under a mile over his 2025 offering. Roupp has not shown a ton of consistency in his time with the Giants, but there have been flashes that suggest he’s a competent offering in the back - -maybe even the middle — of a rotation. He’ll look to replicate this effort against the Mets next week.

Both homers came off Johan Oviedo, who was working in relief of Ranger Suárez. It’s his 15th career multihomer game and the seventh time that he’s scored four runs. One of the previous times he scored four runs was when he hit for the cycle against the Red Sox in 2023.

It’s quite the statement from McCullers, who hadn’t thrown seven innings since 2022. Still, the struggling Red Sox probably made him look a little better than he deserved. They almost got to him in the sixth. Wilyer Abreu’s double with two on that inning skipped over the wall, costing Boston a run. The next batter, Masataka Yoshida, barely pulled a two-run double foul, and if that had landed, McCullers probably wouldn’t have finished the sixth, much less the seventh. Still, it was an encouraging outing on the whole. We just wouldn’t be ready to trust him in mixed leagues quite yet. He’ll face the A’s next.

Suárez’s velocity was quite good tonight, but he still gave up two homers and five other hard-hit balls in a weak showing that saw him throw first-pitch strikes to just nine of 20 hitters. Maybe he’ll show up against the Padres this weekend, but between his Grapefruit League outings, his WBC performance and this outing tonight, it almost seems like he’s mailed it in since landing a $130 million contract.

Oviedo might have hit his spring dead-arm period at a bad time for Boston, as his velocity tonight was down 2-3 mph from last year. Alternatively, maybe he’s just not comfortable pitching in relief. Regardless, the Red Sox should take advantage of his option years and bring up a fresh arm. He’s going to need a few days off after throwing 72 pitches tonight.

Alvarez lost one homer to the roof at Daikin Park on Opening Day, but he’s up to two in five games anyway. One worries some about health, especially since the Astros seem poised to give him significant playing time in left field, but if he can start 150 games, he might make a run at AL MVP honors.