MLB Player News

Lux smacked a one-out double off of Bryce Miller in the second inning, then swiped third base and scored the Reds’ lone run on an overthrow by M’s catcher Harry Ford. He struck out swinging in his only other plate appearance. So far in Cactus League play, Lux is hitting .226 (7-for-31) with four RBI and three stolen bases. He’s expected to open the season in a strong-side platoon role at third base, making him an intriguing late-round option in deeper mixed leagues outside of the top 300 picks overall.

All four hits were singles. That sees the 28-year-old’s batting average shoot up to .391. He’s also slugging .563 with seven extra-base hits, so he hasn’t been a dink-and-dunk hitter to procure that average. Donovan could be in for a breakout campaign, but it’s just as likely — if not more so — that there’s some regression coming soon. There’s regression coming either way, because no one is hitting .391 in 2025.

Arenado doubled twice off Valdez, and then swatted a solo homer off Luis Contreras in the seventh. The future Hall of Famer has homered twice in 2025, and the pair of doubles brings that total to six already in just 16 games. It’s extremely early, but it’s encouraging to see Arenado driving the baseball after his disappointing 2024 campaign.

Valdez was exceptional against the Mariners last week. He was less-than-spectacular Monday, It’s worth noting that five over the 10 hits he allowed went for extra bases, and he struck out just three while landing 55-of-89 pitches for strikes. Valdez has alternated clunkers with scoreless outings to open 2025, and he’ll hope to do the same after this poor outing against the Padres on Saturday.

Gray wasn’t throwing the ball part the St. Louis lineup Monday, as he generated only six swings and misses over 92 pitches. He was effective regardless, as he allowed just three hits with one walk, and only one of those knocks went for extra-bases. Gray has allowed just a single run over his last two starts, and the seven scoreless lowers his ERA to 3.13. He’ll look to keep up the good work over the weekend in a schedule start vs. the Mets.

Peña, 27, hit a three-run homer in the ninth, which is a good time to hit one. It’s not quite as impactful when you still trail by five runs, but fantasy managers shouldn’t care. Peña now has three homers, seven RBI and an OPS of .667 through 58 at-bats.

Vázquez is probably going to need a couple days off after taking a foul tip to the right hand during the late stages of Monday’s loss to the Mets. Mickey Gasper will serve as the primary backup to Ryan Jeffers during that span.

It’s already the fifth homer of the season for Carpenter. The 27-year-old also singled to improve his slash to .269/.304/.596. He remains a vastly underrated power source, even knowing he’s not going to have much success — or playing time — against southpaw hurlers.

Torres drove in a run on a groundout in the second, and two innings later, he singled home two to extend the Tigers’ lead to 6-0. Torres has now driven in just four runs on the season ,but he’s been able to hit .389/.476/.556 over his five games. That’s not sustainable, of course, but it’s nice to see some early results for the 28-year-old in his first year in the Motor City.

Yes, there were some defensive gaffes made in this game, but one of them was made by Alexander, so he can’t yell at his teammates when they’re playing video games later Monday night. The 30-year-old has not pitched well in his last two outings, and there’s very little reason to trust Alexander as a fantasy option. He’s scheduled to face the Athletics over the weekend. You can do better.

Skubal has now gone back-to-back starts without allowing a run, and the defending Cy Young winner lowered his ERA to 2.66 in the process. He generated 16 swings-and-misses on just 91 pitches, and looked like the 2024 version — again — after a couple of so-so outings to begin the year. Skubal is a must-start against anyone, and that includes the Royals over the weekend.