MLB Player News

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.

Vansasco has put together a sensational start to the year at Triple-A Toledo, reeling off 6 2/3 consecutive scoreless frames with a 14/3 K/BB ratio. The 27-year-old former starter hasn’t appeared in the majors since making four appearances between the Tigers and Dodgers back in 2024. He’s going to force his way into Detroit’s bullpen mix if he keeps pitching like this.

Ritchie gave up one hit, issued one walk and also hit three batters. The 22-year-old top pitching prospect averaged 94.1 mph on his fastball and got six of his seven punchouts on his curveball. The latest strong outing lowers his ERA to a microscopic 1.72 this season. It’s plausible he’ll get a chance to join Atlanta’s injury-depleted rotation at some point this summer but he’s likely to spend at least a couple more weeks at the Triple-A level.

Atlanta skipper Walt Weiss told reporters Strider completed Tuesday’s bullpen session without any issues and will advance to facing hitters his next time. The 27-year-old former fantasy ace isn’t too far off from a minor league rehab assignment and could potentially be ready for his season debut at some point in May.

Rea figures to stick in Chicago’s rotation for the next couple weeks with Matthew Boyd (biceps) on the shelf and Cade Horton (elbow) undergoing season-ending surgery. The 35-year-old journeyman has excelled in a swingman-type role for the Cubs over the last two seasons with a respectable 4.11 ERA across 179 2/3 innings. He doesn’t offer a ton of strikeout upside based on his career track record, but he’s a viable streaming option in deeper mixed leagues.

Mauricio crushed a Paul Seward fastball 107-mph to right field and well over the head of a drawn-in Corbin Carroll with the winning run on third. It would have been at least a double, but he only needed to touch first to win the game. It was Mauricio’s first at-bat since being called up to fill in for Juan Soto. He’ll probably see the occasional start against left-handed pitchers for now.

ABS ruined Peralta’s day. The Mets’ Opening Day starter struck out Jorge Barrosa and Ketel Marte to start the fifth, but he was pulled after a single, a walk and a HBP loaded the bases. Huascar Brazoban took over against Adrian Del Castillo and initially struck out him out on his fifth pitch of the at-bat, only to have it overturned for being barely inside. Del Castillo singled on the next pitch and Nolan Arenado doubled afterwards. Three starts into his season, Peralta is 1-0 with a 4.80 ERA. His velocity was down a little day, but that was probably a product of it being a chilly day in New York. He still generated 14 whiffs and a 38% CSW. He’ll face the Athletics next.

Devin Williams was used in a tie game in the ninth and also pitched a scoreless frame. Weaver has opened his Mets career with five scoreless innings in five appearances. He looks one of the NL’s better bets when it comes to holds.

Gallen allowed five hits, walked four and struck out five. The outing threatened to get messy right away, with three straight singles loading the bases with no outs in the first. However, the Mets could get just one run, on a Brett Baty sac fly, afterwards. Gallen has managed a 3.00 ERA through three starts, even though he’s struck out only nine of the 63 hitters he’s faced. He doesn’t seem like a great play with a start in Philadelphia coming up next.

The D-backs couldn’t score in the top of the 10th, so Sewald entered with no margin for error. Bo Bichette started the inning with a hard smash to second that Ketel Marte made a great diving play on, with the automatic runner advancing to third. Ronny Mauricio then won the game with a hard liner to right. Corbin Carroll had no chance of catching it while playing in, and it probably still would have been over his head if he were at a normal depth. Sewald dropped to 0-2, but his ERA was unaffected. It probably didn’t hurt his status as Arizona’s closer, especially since the guy who seems like the best alternative, Jonathan Loáisiga, gave up a run and took a blown save in the eighth.

The double was just a well-placed flyball that would have been a single if Arenado wasn’t smart enough to notice that no one was covering second, but it goes as his first extra-base hit and second RBI of the year., Arenado’s bat speed is actually up slightly from the last two years, but it’s not showing up in terms of exit velocity yet. Swinging harder, however, might be leading to the big increase in his whiff rate. There’s nothing so far to make him recommended in mixed leagues.