MLB Player News

White (1-0) picked up the win Sunday against the Rays, allowing just one walk over three scoreless, hitless relief innings without striking out a batter.

While he wasn't dominant, the 29-year-old right-hander was effective after taking over from Kevin Gausman with one out in the fifth inning as he recorded his first win in the majors since May 17, 2022. White tossed 32 of 47 pitches for strikes but generated only three swinging strikes, relying on weak contact and good defense to get the job done. He won't be available for a few days after the extended outing, but Wes Parsons is also available for long-relief duties in the Toronto bullpen in the meantime.

Bummer (0-1) got charged with a blown save and took the loss Sunday against the Phillies, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out one in the seventh inning.

In his second appearance of the season, Bummer entered the game to protect a 3-2 lead with a runner on first and nobody out. The southpaw seemed to have gotten out of the inning clean after fanning Brandon Marsh and getting Johan Rojas to ground into a double play, but Rojas was ruled safe at first base on replay, and Bummer then allowed four straight singles. After recording 12 wins, 46 holds and an 11.7 K/9 over the prior three seasons for the White Sox, Bummer is being counted on as a reliable high-leverage option in the Atlanta bullpen, but competition is fierce and a poor start to the campaign could see him fall behind Tyler Matzek or Dylan Lee in the pecking order from the left side.

Alexander allowed five runs on six hits and two walks over five innings during Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays. He struck out four.

Alexander struggled as he served as the bulk reliever for the Rays. It was Shawn Armstrong who was saddled with the loss, but Alexander unofficially earned that distinction with a poor performance that saw him serve up two home runs as part of the five runs he allowed.

Foley was perfect in two-thirds of an inning Sunday against the White Sox to earn his second save of the season.

Foley appears to have won the closer role in Detroit, closing out his second game of the series sweep over the White Sox. While presumed closer Alex Lange struggled with his command in his first appearance Saturday, allowing three walks while earning one out, Foley has retired all four batters he's faced to seemingly solidify his hold on the job.

Sands gave up a run over two innings with two strikeouts, no walks and a home run allowed in Sunday's blowout loss at Kansas City.

Sands made the major-league roster as a long reliever. He shuffled between Triple-A and the majors multiple times last season, working in a long-relief role with the Twins. He posted a respectable 3.74 ERA, but it was accompanied by an 8.7 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9. At least he didn't allow any walks in his first outing.

Funderburk gave up a run over 1.2 innings with a strikeout, walk and home run allowed in Sunday's loss to Kansas City.

Funderburk wasn't sharp during the outing as he also had an error and a balk. He made the roster as the second lefty in the bullpen, but he'll likely be used in low-leverage spots initially like in Sunday's loss.

Armstrong (0-1) picked up the loss Sunday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk over one inning. He struck out one.

Armstrong served as the opener for the Rays on Sunday, allowing two runs to cross in his one inning of work. While he allowed the first three batters to reach base, leading to the first run of the game on a Justin Turner single, the second run was set up by a passed ball and is the reason Armstrong ended up as the pitcher of record.

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.

Rodriguez allowed one hit and two walks (one intentional) while striking out two over two scoreless innings in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Cubs.

Rodriguez breezed through the seventh inning before working out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam. The right-hander has legitimate heat with a fastball that averaged 97.5 mph and topped out at 98.5. Rodriguez, who had command issues (4.0 BB/9) in 13 games for the Rangers in 2023, showed improvement in that area during spring training. The 26-year-old could be a weapon in the bullpen if he can locate his pitches with consistency.

Barlow (0-1) took the loss Sunday versus the Athletics, allowing a run on two hits and a walk over one-plus innings while striking out one.

Barlow pitched a perfect eighth inning but allowed three straight baserunners aboard to start the ninth. Eli Morgan then walked the only batter he faced, which forced in the decisive run. It's not unusual for Barlow to be tasked with getting more than three outs at a time, so his usage Sunday isn't particularly noteworthy. The big concern here is that he's allowed two runs and walked three batters over two innings to begin the season. Barlow is projected to be a setup man to closer Emmanuel Clase, but he could lose those assignments if he can't get on track quickly. Morgan and Nick Sandlin are also experienced relievers who could be in the mix for high-leverage work.