MLB Player News

Martinez heads to Miami as extra middle relief depth after posting a respectable 3.93 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 20.7 percent strikeout rate across 137 1/3 innings (111 appearances) for the Astros since 2021. The 30-year-old right-hander was with the Marlins last month before being claimed off waivers by Seattle. He also had a quick stint with Arizona earlier in the offseason.

Alonso’s grand slam against Marlins starter Cal Quantrill, which traveled 412 feet to right-center field, opened the proverbial floodgates during a seven-run fourth inning explosion as New York rolled to a lopsided victory. It was his first round-tripper of the season. The 30-year-old slugger is set up perfectly for fantasy success as the Mets’ middle-of-the-order run-producing threat behind on-base machine and generational talent Juan Soto.

Lopez gave Miami an early advantage when he took Mets lefty David Peterson deep in the opening frame. It was his second big fly on the young season. He also added a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth inning, just for good measure. The 26-year-old doesn’t boast a ton of over-the-fence power potential, but he’s off to a really nice start at the dish, which gives him some appeal for fantasy managers in extremely deep formats.

Peterson was staked to a nine-run lead by the fifth inning and was able to cruise to a relatively easy win during his season debut, limiting Miami’s lackluster offense to solo homers by Otto Lopez and Eric Wagaman. He generated 11 swinging strikes, with more than half of those (six) coming on his slider, and he threw 57 of 89 pitches for strikes. The 29-year-old southpaw isn’t overpowering, but he’s extremely effective when he’s pounding the strike zone. He’ll face the Blue Jays at home on Sunday in his next outing.

Quantrill surrendered eight hits including homers to Starling Marte and Pete Alonso. He struck out two and only handed out one free pass. The -year-old righty kept New York’s lineup mostly in check until things spiraled completely out of control in the fifth inning when Alonso walloped a back-breaking grand slam to right-center field. He’s not a recommended fantasy option when he faces the Braves on Sunday in a road matchup.

Soroka spiked a slider in the dirt on his 83rd pitch of the night and immediately left the contest with a trainer after catcher Keibert Ruiz signaled to the dugout. He appeared to be clenching his right fist as he walked off the mound after allowing four runs over five innings. It’s a concerning development given his lengthy injury history. There should be an update on his status shortly.

It’s worth noting that the Cincinnati was up by a dozen runs at the time, so it’s entirely possible his early exit doesn’t wind up being injury-related. He finished 0-for-2 with one walk and one run scored. There should be an update on his status following the one-sided affair.

Fletcher passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment last week by the White Sox. The 27-year-old outfielder will stick around as extra organizational depth since he doesn’t have the option to elect free agency.

Not great. Roberts added that Freeman, who is out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Braves, is dealing with some swelling and will get some additional time off to rest and recover. The 35-year-old is still working his way back to 100 percent from offseason ankle surgery and will have to continue managing the ongoing issue. It doesn’t sound like he’s facing a trip to the injured list at this point, but fantasy managers should anticipate Freeman missing some time over the remainder of the week.

Palacios went unclaimed on waivers last weekend after being designated for assignment by the Pirates. The 29-year-old outfielder has opted to test the free agent waters and should be able to latch on elsewhere. He holds a .230/.286/.364 triple-slash line with 12 homers and seven steals in 156 games in the big leagues dating back to 2021.