MLB Player News

Wood (0-1) took the loss against Cleveland on Thursday, allowing six runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 3.1 innings.

Wood got through three frames with just one run on his ledger, but he faltered in the fourth, allowing six straight batters to reach base with one out. The left-hander was pulled following Brayan Rocchio's two-run double, but by then he had given up five runs in the frame. Wood will be looked to for veteran leadership and rotation stability in his first campaign with the Athletics, though it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank after compiling a 4.41 ERA over his previous three big-league seasons across the bay with San Francisco.

Ragans (0-1) tossed six innings of two-run baseball, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out nine while taking the loss Thursday against the Twins.

Ragans picked up where he left off in 2023 with more strikeouts than innings pitched Thursday, but he didn't receive much run support. The hard-throwing lefty started 12 games for the Royals last season after coming over in a mid-season trade from Texas and posted a 2.64 ERA with 89 strikeouts over 71.2 innings. He's expected to continue his ascent as one of the top young left-handed starters in the American League this season.

Robertson (1-0) picked up the win Thursday, working around a pair of walks in a scoreless inning against the Cubs. He struck out one.

Robertson kept Chicago off the board in the top of the 10th inning, working out of a bases-loaded jam, before Jonah Heim ended the game with a walk-off single in the bottom half of the frame. Jose Leclerc, who allowed a run in the ninth inning Thursday, is the presumed closer in Texas, though Robertson would be next in line and figures to see a fair amount of save chances this year. The 38-year-old right-hander tallied 18 saves across 65.1 innings between the Mets and Marlins last season, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 78:25 K:BB.

Bradford will start Saturday's game against the Cubs, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Bradford is in the Rangers' rotation as Michael Lorenzen (neck) builds up his workload. Barring an additional injury to the team's pitching staff, Bradford will shift to a relief role or be optioned to Triple-A Round Rock after a few turns as a starter. The left-hander made his big-league debut in 2023, posting a 5.30 ERA across 56 innings, though he managed a more impressive 1.21 WHIP and 51:12 K:BB.

Stewart threw a scoreless eighth inning to earn his first hold of the season in Thursday's Opening Day win at Kansas City.

It was Griffin Jax who got the first save chance of the season and converted with a scoreless ninth inning. It looks like Jax will be the primary option to close games while Jhoan Duran is sidelined several weeks with an oblique injury. However, the Twins could mix and match the two in save situations.

Jax threw a scoreless inning with a walk and strikeout to record the save in Thursday's Opening Day win at Kansas City.

With Jhoan Duran (oblique) on the injured list and expected to miss several weeks, it was Jax who got the call in the ninth inning to protect a three-run lead. Brock Stewart was used in the eighth inning, so it looks like Jax will be the primary closer with Duran out. However, the Twins could mix and match the two in save situations.

The Rangers placed Hernandez (lat) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

The right lat strain that Hernandez suffered late in the 2023 regular season delayed his start to spring training, as he logged just 3.1 innings in Cactus League play before camp came to an end. According to MLB.com, general manager Chris Young said that the Rangers want to see Hernandez pitch multiple innings in a rehab game and work on back-to-back days before bringing him back from the IL. He'll be eligible for activation beginning April 9.

The Blue Jays placed Swanson (forearm) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Though he's beginning the season on the IL, Swanson isn't expected to be facing a long-term absence while he recovers from right forearm inflammation. With Swanson joining closer Jordan Romano (elbow) on the IL, the Blue Jays are expected to turn to Yimi Garcia, Chad Green and Tim Mayza to handle most of the higher-leverage innings early in the season.

Holmes worked around three hits to deliver a scoreless ninth inning, earning the save in a 5-4 win over the Astros on Thursday.

It certainly appeared that Houston was poised to tie the game in the ninth after two of the first three batters reached safely off Holmes. However, Juan Soto threw out Mauricio Dubon at home for the second out to preserve the one-run lead, before Holmes coaxed a groundout off the bat of Alex Bregman to seal the victory. While Thursday's outing may have been more tenuous than Holmes would have liked, the 31-year-old right-hander appears to be locked into the closing job in New York. Holmes recorded 24 saves last season, pitching to a 2.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 71:23 K:BB across 63 innings.

Stephan underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair the torn UCL in his right elbow, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. The Guardians placed him on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Though it's not clear if Stephan underwent Tommy John surgery or an internal bracing procedure on his elbow, he'll still be ticketed for a 12-to-16-month rehab and recovery. His move to the 60-day IL freed up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Tyler Beede, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Columbus.