MLB Player News

The Cardinals’ plan all winter was to trade Nolan Arenado and install Gorman at third, but with Arenado invoking his no-trade clause, Gorman is back fighting for time at second base and DH. Things will get complicated for the Cardinals in a good way if Gorman performs well in his limited role. He didn’t, however, provide much reason for optimism while hitting .189/.232/.321 this spring.

Isbel had two soft infield singles before connecting on a 401-foot shot off Simeon Woods Richardson in his third at-bat. He’s now 7-for-24 this season. Isbel is pretty well locked in as the Royals’ center fielder against righties, but a nice start offensively here would earn him more at-bats versus lefties.

Lorenzen struck out three and walked none in his first win of the year. He has a 3.18 ERA after two starts. Still, with Kris Bubic excelling so far, Lorenzen might be in danger of getting shifted to the pen after Kyle Wright comes off the IL. That’s not an issue just yet, so Lorenzen will face the Guardians this weekend.

Estévez hit a batter, walked another and gave up an RBI single before finishing off the Twins in what had been a three-run game. It’s the first earned run he’s allowed in five innings this season. He has walked four, but two of those have been intentional.

Woods Richardson has a 5.59 ERA in two starts versus mediocre offenses, but the good news for him is that Chris Paddack has been far worse and is certainly in line to be the first Twins starter pulled from the rotation. Woods Richardson will face the Tigers next.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters he’s targeting roughly 45-50 pitches for Lord in his first big-league start. The 25-year-old righty, who spent the offseason working at Home Depot, made Washington’s season-opening roster after a strong spring. He’s an incredible story, but not exactly a relevant fantasy option, especially against the Dodgers’ absurd Death Star of a lineup.

Springer is a stunning 15-for-33 in the regular season after going 4-for-37 during Grapefruit League play. We’re not saying it’ll necessarily hold up after two obvious seasons of decline, but most everything he’s hitting is hard, and it’s definitely been worth the increase in strikeouts.

Berríos and everyone else to take the mound in Fenway tonight did so with diminished velocity on a cold evening, but it turned out that the bats were mostly cold, too. Berrios got 21 outs despite inducing just two missed sings all night. He walked three but gave up just four hits for six total bases. Berríos will bring a 1-1 record and a 4.58 ERA into his fourth start versus the Blue Jays.

Fitts, who was known for his command in the minors, walked four batters, two of whom came around to score. He had issued a total of seven walks in his previous five big-league starts. We’re guessing the near-freezing temps had something to do with the control issues tonight. Fitts makes for a decent streaming option when he takes on the White Sox this weekend.

He also had a drive down the right field line that would have been a homer in 16 major league parks. In Fenway, though, it was a 356-foot sac fly. Giménez has been great in hitting .231/.354/.513 early on. Still, with the way George Springer is performing, he might be overtaken in the cleanup spot before long.

Tucker continues to play a pivotal role in Chicago’s sustained offensive outburst since returning from their season-opening Japan series as his latest multi-hit performance raises his average to a robust .327 (17-for-52) with five homers and three steals through 13 games. The 28-year-old impending free agent finds himself in the driver’s seat as the marquee name on the open market with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. agreeing to a long-term contract extension with the Blue Jays. He’s in line for a massive contract this offseason once he reaches free agency.