MLB Player News

With Brooks Baldwin (elbow) starting the season on the injured list, Acuña is getting a shot to be the regular centerfielder. The 24-year-old enjoyed a nice spring, slashing .409/.458/.545 in 48 plate appearances with one home run and four steals. Acuña has hit .249/.299/.341 in his 233 MLB plate appearances, so the batting average production this spring may be a bit of a mirage. However, he also has 16 steals in those 233 plate appearances, so if he gets every day playing time, he could be a major asset in that category.

DeLauter, who got into two postseason games last October, got the Guardians on the board with a 353-foot homer in the first and then added some insurance with a one-run lead with a 422-foot blast in the ninth. He also had a single and another run scored in between. DeLauter’s struggles staying healthy as a minor leaguer don’t bode well, but there’s no questioning the former first-rounder’s talent. He’d seem to be worth using in mixed leagues for now.

He struck out one. Smith declined to play for Canada in the WBC after topping 70 innings out of the Guardians pen for a second straight year in 2025, but it probably would have gone just fine. He’s a definite threat to lead the league in saves with the closer’s role all to his own in Cleveland this year.

Gilbert struck out seven and walked one, but he gave up a Chase DeLauter homer in the first and two runs on three hits in the fifth. The DeLauter homer likely would have been prevented had Gilbert or Cal Raleigh challenged a 2-2 ball in the first, but both opted against it and DeLauter followed with the solo shot. Gilbert is slated to pitch again Tuesday against the Yankees.

Hoskins, who has five 25-homer seasons under his belt, hit the hardest ball of his career tonight, reaching 112.3 mph on his double. He’d previously gotten to 112.2 mph a couple of times, though his high since missing 2023 with an ACL tear was 111.2 mph. The Guardians might have brought him initially as a starter against lefties, but he’s probably going to play regularly for the foreseeable future. We wouldn’t rush to grab him in standard mixed leagues, but he might offer value in deeper formats.

Canzone’s homers checked in at 444 and 418 feet. Even his two outs tonight left the bat at 100.5 and 102.1 mph. Canzone’s .300/.358/.481 line in 82 games last year was incredibly impressive for a T-Mobile hitter. He plays in the worst ballpark in the league for hitters, he doesn’t start against lefties and he has no steal ability, but he might just possess some fantasy value anyway.

That’s no good. Bibee was removed while warming up for the sixth inning tonight. After the game, he said the injury was a new one, and he got to the point where he felt like he “couldn’t battle through it.” Given his comments, even if the injury proves to be relatively minor, we imagine he’ll spend some time on the IL. Logan Allen is the obvious choice to replace him in the Cleveland rotation, though the Guardians could recall Codi Heuer until a start is needed against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Smith’s injury really came out of nowhere, and it’s particularly unfortunate timing for Arizona with Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Tyler Locklear and Adrian Del Castillo all on the IL. That left Tim Tawa to serve as the DH in Thursday’s game. Ideally, the Diamondbacks would replace Smith with a left-handed bat if he’s forced to the IL, but they don’t have any decent alternatives in the minors. Their best internal option is probably to add righty Luken Baker and shift Locklear to the 60-day IL.

Bibee came back out for the sixth after allowing three runs in five innings, but something happened during warmups that resulted in a visit from the trainer. Manager Stephen Vogt followed and lifted Bibee from the tie game. Bibee struck out seven before leaving. Three solo homers accounted for all of the damage against him. If Bibee misses some time, Logan Allen would presumably be recalled to replace him in the rotation.

The hard-hitting backstop plated a run with an infield single in the fifth inning that increased the Dodgers’ lead to 4-2. He then clobbered a 418-foot (104.8 mph EV) two-run shot off of Taylor Clarke in the seventh that made it an 8-2 ballgame. Smith remains one of the most solid and consistent performers at the catcher position.

The Dodgers entered the home half of the fifth inning facing a two-run deficit until Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez set the table with a couple of singles. Pages then followed with a mammoth 400-foot (100.6 mph EV) three-run shot that changed the entire complexion of the game and put the Dodgers ahead to stay. He also singled in the eighth inning. Pages appears to be back in the Dodgers’ good graces after being benched down the stretch of their run to the World Series.