MLB Player News

The versatile 27-year-old was removed from the team’s 40-man roster on Monday to make room for Garrett Mitchell. He passed through waivers unclaimed though and will continue to function as extra depth for the Brewers at the Triple-A level.

Given some of the offensive lines in week one, maybe it’s a Torpedo baseball, too? It’s De La Cruz’s fourth career two-homer game, and the seven RBI are a career high. Even his lone out today was hit 355 feet, and all five of his balls in play were hit least 99 mph. De La Cruz is the first Red to drive in seven runs since Tyler Naquin and Nick Castellanos did so in 2021.

Singer allowed just one hit, an Adolis Garcia double, and got 15 missed swings on his 92 pitches. Call him Mr. March; Singer’s best start last season was a seven-scoreless-inning, 10-strikeout gem against the Twins on this very same date. His next turn will come in Milwaukee.

The Rangers are one of the rare teams with seven games in seven days to open the season, and they really needed more from Rocker tonight with the bullpen already tired. As it was, they left in the about-to-be-demoted Gerson Garabito to give up eight runs in 2 2/3 innings and then turned to infielder Ezequiel Duran to pitch the final frame. Rocker gave up two homers that accounted for five runs and seven other hard-hit balls. He figures to make another start against the Rays next weekend, but he could be sent down afterwards with Patrick Corbin coming up.

That’s three homers in four games for McLain, who appears to be back on the path to stardom after a lost 2024 due to shoulder surgery. He’s hit .291/.359/.525 with 19 homers in 93 games since debuting in 2023.

Mangum picked up his first major-league hit and stolen base in the second inning before extending Tampa Bay’s early lead with a two-run single in the fourth inning. He also drilled a ground-rule double and came around to score on José Caballero’s extra-base knock in the sixth inning. The unheralded switch-hitting outfielder capped off a four-hit performance, which included a pair of hits from both sides of the plate, with an eighth-inning single. It was certainly a memorable night for Mangum, who figures to continue getting opportunities with Josh Lowe (oblique) facing an extended absence. He’s at least worthy of a speculative flyer in extremely deep mixed leagues and AL-only formats.

Cruz slashed a two-out single to center field and immediately swiped second base against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen in the opening frame. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh’s lineup was unable to get anything going as they mustered only one run on four hits against Rasmussen and a trio of relievers. He’s up to five steals already this season, which is a significant uptick from last season when he posted 22 thefts in 146 contests.

Rasmussen authored a strong performance in his season debut at Steinbrenner Field, limiting Pittsburgh’s offense to just a pair of hits and only three batted ball in excess of 95 mph. He generated only six swinging strikes, but his cutter-sinker combo was extremely effective as he consistently pounded the strike zone, throwing 46 of 70 pitches for strikes. The long-term durability concerns aren’t going away, but Rasmussen has clearly arrived as an impactful fantasy contributor. He’ll square off against the Rangers on Sunday in a challenging road tilt.

Mlodzinski kept Tampa Bay’s lineup off the scoreboard in the early stages of the contest, but things came unglued in the fourth inning when he was tagged for four runs on five hits, including run-scoring knocks from Rays rookies Kameron Misner and Jake Mangum, which chased him from the contest. He finished with four strikeouts and issued two walks. He’s not a recommended fantasy option next Monday when he faces the Cardinals at home.

Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters precautionary X-rays came back negative for any fractures after Encarnacion-Strand was hit by a pitch during Monday’s one-sided contest against the Rangers. The 25-year-old slugger might need some time off to rest and recover, but he appears to have avoided serious injury.

Passan adds that the deal includes an opt-out following the 2030 season, but could potentially keep Crochet in Boston through 2031. The 25-year-old fantasy ace, who was set to reach free agency in 2027, was shipped to the Red Sox in an offseason blockbuster after evolving into one of the premier pitchers in baseball last year when he led all starters with a staggering 35.1 percent strikeout rate across 146 innings (32 starts). It’s a significant development for the Red Sox as they lock in their front-of-the-rotation anchor for at least the next half-decade, if not longer.