Betting

Cruz got off to another shaky start, colliding with Bryan Reynolds on a fly to left to let in a run in the third. He more than made up for it, though. Cruz hit eighth tonight against lefty Brandon Williamson after sitting out the first time the Pirates took on a southpaw. His first homer came off Williamson, with the second providing insurance in the ninth against Pierce Johnson. If he’s in the lineup against another left-hander in Andrew Abbott on Wednesday, it will almost surely be because of the strong showing tonight. He didn’t start any of the previous three times the Pirates faced Abbott.

Chandler was perfect in the first, second and fourth innings, striking out two each frame. In between that, he walked three in the third and gave a run because Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds collided on a fly to left. That frame also featured TJ Friedl bunting into a double play. The fifth was like the third inning minus the hijinks; Chandler walked three out of four and got pulled in favor of Yohan Ramirez, who did Chandler a huge favor by striking out Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz to strand the bases loaded. Chandler’s wildness still cost him a win. There’s no denying a stuff, but he’s lost the strike zone a handful of times since the beginning of the spring. He won’t be all that valuable in fantasy leagues until he can get a handle on that. He’s due to take on the Padres next.

It would have been one run in five innings if Wyatt Langford hadn’t terribly misread Gunnar Henderson’s shot to left with two outs in the fifth. DeGrom struck out seven and walked none while throwing 79 pitches, which is right where the Rangers said they wanted him before the game. He was making his first start of the season after being scratched Saturday with neck stiffness.

it took longer than anticipated, but Painter’s MLB debut was awfully impressive; even when considering the Nationals aren’t exactly the toughest lineup in the sport. Painter allowed just four hits and one walk, and didn’t have a run charged to him until the sixth. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.7 mph and he threw several pitches above 98, and he generated nine swings and misses among his 84 offerings. Painter will be back on the bump and look to build on this effort against the Giants on Monday.

Griffin is hitting an absurd .462 (6-for-13) with two doubles and two steals through four games in his first taste of Triple-A at just 19 years old. The top fantasy prospect left in the minors by a wide margin, he has a chance to force his way to the big leagues in the coming weeks with a strong early-season showing, much like Nick Kurtz did with the Athletics last year. His power/speed combination, athleticism, and rapid ascent have the look and feel of a potential generational talent, which doesn’t feel hyperbolic to suggest given his trajectory.

Not good. Eflin is presumably headed for an MRI to determine whether he’s dealing with any structural damage and appears ticketed for the injured list, even if this isn’t a worst-case scenario. The 31-year-old veteran hurler looked sharp in his season debut, recording seven strikeouts while limiting the Rangers to just one run on four hits over 3 2/3 innings. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point in the coming days. Dean Kremer would be the logical choice to fill Eflin’s spot in Baltimore’s rotation.

The long-term agreement, first reported earlier Tuesday, is now official. Emerson is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball and is expected to be a key piece of Seattle’s roster through at least 2033. The 20-year-old prodigy’s combination of bat-to-ball skills and emerging power makes it easy to envision him as an impactful fantasy contributor in the near future. There has been no indication the Mariners plan to accelerate his timeline at Triple-A this season, but his arrival as the club’s shortstop of the future feels almost inevitable, especially since J.P. Crawford hitting free agency at the end of the year.

Heyman did not provide specifics regarding a potential extension offer from the Cardinals to Wetherholt, who is hitting .250 (4-for-16) with one homer and one steal through his first four games in the majors. Still, it would make sense for both sides to explore a deal early in his rookie season, similar to the extensions the Red Sox and Orioles reached with top prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Samuel Basallo last year. This report follows Seattle’s decision to sign top prospect Colt Emerson to an eight-year, $95 million contract earlier on Tuesday.

It’s a positive update regarding Suzuki’s potential return timeline after hitting the injured list at the conclusion of spring training with a right knee sprain. The 31-year-old corner outfielder will require at least a handful of rehab contests to get back up to speed prior to making his season debut. It doesn’t sound like he’s too far away and should make it back to Chicago by mid-April.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Ponce will miss significant time, but the club remains hopeful he’ll pitch again this season and will await additional medical opinions before determining his next steps. The 31-year-old journeyman left his Blue Jays debut on Monday night with right knee discomfort before an MRI revealed an ACL sprain in his right knee. His prolonged absence puts additional strain on Toronto’s rotation which is already without Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (elbow) and José Berríos (elbow).