MLB Player News

King (0-1) allowed a run on one hit and struck out two over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Sunday versus the Dodgers.

King didn't make the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, but he was first in line for a call-up when Riley O'Brien (forearm) went on the injured list Sunday. King's season debut went poorly, as he inherited a runner from Andre Pallante and then gave up the game-deciding home run to Max Muncy in the eighth inning. Last season, King posted a 3.62 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 20:10 K:BB over 37.1 innings between the Rangers and the Cardinals while adding 12 holds in 35 appearances. He's not expected to be part of the high-leverage mix, and his poor first impression Sunday is likely enough to keep him in a middle-innings role going forward.

Sims (1-0) threw a scoreless inning and picked up the win in Sunday's victory over Washington.

Sims fired a perfect top of the ninth inning and benefitted from the team's three runs in the bottom half of the frame to pull out a comeback win. He's coming off a career-high 67 appearances (61 innings) in 2023, when he operated as one of the primary setup relievers for closer Alexis Diaz.

The Dodgers optioned Feyereisen to Triple-A Oklahoma City on March 22.

Feyereisen missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from shoulder surgery, but he received a clean bill of health for spring training and pitched well enough early on in camp to earn a spot on the Dodgers' 31-player travel squad for the two-game Seoul Series in South Korea with the Padres. He ended up making his Dodgers debut in the second game of the series March 21 and was roughed up over his lone inning of relief work, as he served up three earned runs on three hits and one walk in the 15-11 loss. The Dodgers sent him to minor-league camp one day later, and Feyereisen will now look to right the ship at Oklahoma City with the hopes of earning a longer-term stay in the big-league bullpen.

The Dodgers optioned Varland to Triple-A Oklahoma City on March 22.

Varland closed the 2023 season on the 60-day injured list due to right knee inflammation, but he was healthy for the start of spring training and pitched well enough in the early part of camp to earn a spot on the Dodgers' 31-player travel squad for the two-game Seoul Series in South Korea with the Padres. He came on in relief during the second game of the series March 21 and retired the only batter he faced in a 15-11 loss. He was one of three players sent back to minor-league camp upon the Dodgers' return to the United States and is now set to pitch out of the Oklahoma City bullpen before he awaits his next opportunity with the big club.

Thompson allowed one hit over a scoreless eighth inning in Sunday's 5-1 win over Colorado.

Thompson made his second appearance, both coming in the eighth inning as a leadup to presumptive closer Kevin Ginkel, who is the most logical fill-in for the injured Paul Sewald (oblique). Neither game developed into a save situation, but it offers a glimpse into how manager Torey Lovullo plans to deploy the backend of the bullpen without Sewald. The side-arming Thompson was a revelation for the Diamondbacks in 2023, and he logged nine appearances in the postseason.

King didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the Giants, tossing four innings and yielding two runs on two hits and seven walks. He struck out six.

King went through plenty of ups and downs in his first start of 2024, holding San Francisco to just two runs and two hits but walking a staggering seven batters. He's now allowed 10 walks in 7.1 innings this season and owns a 2.45 HR/9. While he'll be tough to trust moving forward, King could be worth a dart throw in daily formats as he's been an excellent source of strikeouts (13.5 K/9) thus far. King's tentatively lined up for a rematch with the Giants for his next start at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.

Hudson struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning and earned a save over St. Louis on Sunday.

Hudson made quick work of the Cardinals with 16 pitches, including five whiffs. The veteran righty was given the shot in the ninth inning after Evan Phillips pitched both Friday and Saturday. Hudson has tossed three scoreless frames with four punchouts to begin the year.

Bednar (1-0) earned the victory and blew a save against Miami on Sunday, allowing one run on one hit in his lone inning of work. He struck out two.

Bednar came into the game with a one-run lead looking to earn his first save of the season but allowed a game-tying pinch-hit home run to Nick Gordon. The Pirates then scored twice in the 10th to secure the victory for Bednar. The Pirates' closer did not pitch in the first two games of the series after coming out of spring training with a lat injury, but he worked back-to-back days Saturday and Sunday, which is a great sign for his status moving forward.

Martinez did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Nationals, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out three.

Martinez enters 2024 with a full-time spot in the Reds rotation after bouncing between around as a starter and reliever for the Padres last year. He did not look particularly sharp against a weak Nationals lineup, as he managed to generate only nine whiffs on his 90 pitches. However, if Martinez can come anywhere close to his production as starter last year, when he had a 2.32 ERA in 42.2 innings over nine starts, he can be useful in plenty of fantasy leagues. His next outing is scheduled to be against the Mets at home.

Finnegan (0-1) blew the save and took the loss Sunday against the Reds. He allowed three runs on three hits and no walks with no strikeouts over two-thirds of an inning.

Finnegan began his outing Sunday by promptly generating two outs via lineouts and looked well on his way to a second save in as many days. However, the Reds lineup had a different idea as the next three batters each produced an extra-base hit. Finnegan yielded a double to Jonathan India, a game-tying homer to Will Benson and a walk-off homer to Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Finnegan didn't have the strongest grip on the Nationals' closer job before this game, so keep an eye on this bullpen, as Hunter Harvey could easily enter the discussion for saves in Washington.