MLB Player News

Barnett is one of the longer shots to claim the fifth spot in the Athletics’ rotation after posting a 6.85 ERA in his five-start audition last year. He had just a 19% CSW in the 64-pitch outing today, and that he’s walked five in 7 1/3 innings so far this spring isn’t helping his argument.

Muncy and Dalton Rushing both hit a pair of homers, with Muncy’s coming off Jose Quintana and Tanner Gordon. Remarkably, Muncy now has eight homers on the season, but only nine RBI. Seems impossible, but to say the 35-year-old is off to a hot start is an understatement. Those RBI totals should continue to rise for Muncy playing in the loaded Dodgers lineup.

It’s the second straight season in which Rea has opened up in the Cubs pen, quickly joined the rotation due to injury and started off 3-0. The difference this year is that win No. 3 didn’t come until his sixth start on May 12. This time, it’s coming in his second start. The other occurred when he was pitching behind an opener last week. Rea has a 3.00 ERA and a 20/5 K/BB in 24 innings. He’ll be a streaming option at times, but he’s due to make his next start against the Dodgers.

Four of the runs scored in the second. The Cubs had the bases loaded with no outs in the inning, but it looked like Nola might escape with little damage after inducing a double-play ball from Miguel Amaya. Instead, he walked Pete Crow-Armstrong and gave up a three-run homer to Dansby Swanson. Nola fell to 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA. Things here still seems a little better than last year, when he posted a 6.01 ERA, but a major rebound doesn’t appear to be on the way. He’ll face the Braves next weekend.

Swanson is batting just .192 this season, but five of his 14 hits have been homers, and he’s up to 20 runs scored and 15 RBI in 22 games, even though he’s currently the Cubs’ No. 9 hitter. The homer tonight was his 1,200th career hit and gave him 700 career runs scored.

It’d be nice if the Phillies gave Crawford a chance at hitting a little higher in the order. He’s batting .283/.377/.400, and he’d probably be more of a factor on the basepaths hitting in front of weaker hitters. Right now, he’s just 1-for-2 stealing bases in 20 games. Last year, he was 46-for-57 in 112 games in Triple-A.

Hopefully, this will snap his streak of consecutive days being dropped in the lineup at two. Ramírez hit second or third in his first 19 starts, but he was lowered to fifth with Kyle Stowers back on Sunday and then he hit sixth tonight. Ramírez is batting .222/.297/.370 with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI in 22 games. Of course, those solid run+RBI numbers are a product of hitting second and third and probably won’t continue now unless he steps it up.