MLB Player News

With everyone back from the WBC, the Jays trotted out what figures to be their initial lineup against righties: DH Springer, CF Daulton Varsho, 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., RF Addison Barger, C Alejandro Kirk, LF Jesús Sánchez, 3B Kazuma Okamoto, 2B Ernie Clement, SS Andrés Giménez. It’s been a potent group this spring; everyone besides Kirk and Sánchez has at least a .950 OPS in Grapefruit League play.

Olson got the scoring started in the top half of the first inning, crushing a 3-2 fastball from Ryne Nelson for a 430-foot (108.0 mph EV) solo shot — his first home run of the season. He then smacked an RBI double in the fifth inning and scored on Austin Riley’s run-scoring double. He also added an RBI double off of James McCann in the ninth. The 32-year-old slugger is off to a solid start to the 2026 campaign, slashing .321/.367/.571 with a homer and five RBI.

Smith did his damage against Diamondbacks’ starter Ryne Nelson, swatting a 430-foot (109.1 mph EV) solo shot in the third inning that increased the Braves’ early lead to 2-0. He also walked in the fifth inning and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Drake Baldwin. Smith has done a nice job so far for the Braves, slashing .375/.444/.750 with a pair of long balls and five RBI in his first 18 plate appearances.

Dubón reached on a fielder’s choice and scored during the Braves’ eight-run uprising in the fifth inning. He then tagged right-hander Joe Ross for a 413-foot (101.7 mph EV) solo shot in the sixth inning that extended the Braves’ advantage to 11-1. He also drew a walk and singled in the ballgame, finishing the night 2-for-4. The versatile 31-year-old is off to a strong start at the dish this season, hitting .400/.455/.600 with a homer and six RBI in his first 22 plate appearances.

López struck out three batters on the night while allowing one base on balls. The only blemish on his evening came on a solo shot off the bat of Jordan Lawlar in the third inning. The Braves provided him with 11 runs of support in the game, so all he had to do was keep the train on the tracks to earn a victory in this one. The 32-year-old hurler got six whiffs on 79 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 23 percent. He’ll bring a pristine 1.64 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 6/3 K/BB ratio (11 innings) into Tuesday’s matchup against the Angels in Los Angeles.

Lawlar ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Reynaldo López in the third inning, crushing a 424-foot (105.5 mph EV) solo shot that pulled the Diamondbacks to within a run at 2-1. That would be as close as they would get. Lawlar was also hit by a pitch in the contest, finishing the night 1-for-2. He’s now hitting an impressive .333/.400/.556 with a homer, two RBI and a stolen base through his first 19 plate appearances on the season.

The right-hander struck out three batters on the night while also issuing three free passes. He served up a solo homer to Matt Olson in the first inning and another to Dominic Smith in the third. He then allowed five unearned runs while being chased in the fifth after an error by Nolan Arenado extended the inning. Nelson generated nine swings and misses on 80 pitches on the night, registering a CSW of 23 percent. He’ll look to bounce back as he carries a 5.79 ERA and 1.18 WHIP into Wednesday’s matchup against the Mets in New York.

The Rockies made some roster moves during Thursday’s off day, including optioning Ryan Ritter to Triple-A Albuquerque. There was no corresponding move there, so the expectation is that Moniak will return from the injured list on the first day that he’s eligible to do so after missing the team’s first six games due to a sprained finger. Fantasy managers would gladly take him missing just the first six road games to ensure that he’s back in the lineup for the Rockies’ first series at Coors Field.

Strider has been shelved since the end of spring training due to an oblique strain. It sounds like if everything goes well with Friday’s bullpen session that he’ll be cleared to face live hitters. He’s going to need at least a couple of weeks to ramp back up, which should include multiple minor league rehab starts. Even if he’s able to avoid any setbacks along the way, it seems unlikely that he’ll be ready to join the Braves’ rotation before the end of April at the earliest.

Lodolo had been expected to throw around 60-65 pitches in the rehab start, but he was pulled after throwing only 40 pitches over 2 2/3 innings. There had been optimism that the 28-year-old hurler would be ready to rejoin the Reds’ rotation next week, but that’s now out of the question. The plan for him going forward will likely depend on how he’s feeling in the coming days. For now, fantasy managers will have to exercise patience.

The 34-year-old hurler is feeling a bit under the weather, so Luinder Avila will be recalled from Triple-A Omaha to start in his place on Friday night. The rest of the Royals’ rotation for the weekend remains unchanged, with Seth Lugo toeing the slab on Saturday and Kris Bubic getting the ball in their series finale on Sunday.