MLB Player News

Montas (1-1) earned the win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday, completing 6.1 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks while striking out six.

Montas was touched for a solo home run by Ji-Man Choi in the fourth inning, but that was the only extra-base hit he allowed in the outing. The right-hander registered 16 swinging strikes among his 89 pitches and didn't issue any free passes. Montas struggled by giving up five earned runs against Philadelphia in his first start, so this was an impressive bounce-back performance. He's slated to next take the mound at home against Baltimore next week.

McKenzie tossed four scoreless innings, giving up three hits while hitting a batter and striking out six in Wednesday's win over the Reds. He did not factor into the game's decision.

McKenzie had his best stuff in this one, scattering four baserunners over four innings and tossing 50 of his 67 pitches for strikes. He did come close to surrendering a run in the second inning, but Amed Rosario threw out Kyle Farmer at home to end the inning after he tried to score from first on a Brandon Drury double. The right-hander looked much better in this contest than when he last appeared April 7 against the Royals, when he gave up two runs over three innings. McKenzie will aim to carry over his momentum into a projected start against the White Sox on Tuesday.

Javier tossed three shutout innings in relief, striking out five and hitting two batters in a 3-2 loss Wednesday in Arizona.

Javier made his second appearance of the year out of the bullpen for Houston. The 25-year-old has now struck out eight of the 17 batters he's faced this year. The Astros frequently used Javier for more than one inning in relief last season and appear to have the same plan to start 2022.

Mean is scheduled to undergo an MRI after leaving Wednesday's start against Milwaukee with left forearm tightness, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

The left-hander apparently isn't overly concerned about the injury and hopes to throw again shortly after the MRI. Means didn't factor in the decision Wednesday after giving up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk across four innings, and his availability for his next turn through the rotation will remain in question at least until the Orioles update his status.

Valdez allowed a run on two hits and five walks in three innings while striking out three in a 3-2 loss Wednesday in Arizona. He did not factor into the decision.

Four of Valdez's five walks were on four pitches and he also hit a batter as he struggled with his command all day. He needed 75 pitches to get through three innings. The 28-year-old has averaged 4.0 BB/9 for his career, so Wednesday's struggles are nothing new. His next start is likely early next week against the Angels.

Paddack (0-1) allowed three earned runs on six hits and no walks while striking out three across four innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Paddack allowed all of his runs in the first two innings of the game, though he settled in to retire six of the final seven batters he faced. While Paddack took the loss in his first start with the Twins, he did not allow a home run or a walk, the former particularly noteworthy given he entered the game having surrendered a 1.5 HR/9 across 308 career big-league innings. The Twins are employing a six-man rotation to begin the season, so his starts will be limited. Paddack currently projects to take the mound Wednesday at Kansas City.

Means was removed from Tuesday's start versus the Brewers with left forearm tightness, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Means made an abrupt exit after four innings during Tuesday's start, and his initial diagnosis is a worrying one. He left in line for the loss after giving up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk. The specifics and severity of the injury remain unclear, but forearm tightness is often a precursor to more serious issues. Means should be considered day-to-day until more information is available, leaving his availability for the next turn through the rotation up in the air.

Means was removed from Tuesday's game against the Brewers after four innings for undisclosed reasons, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Means was at only 51 pitches and had retired seven straight batters since allowing a two-out, RBI single during the second inning, so his exit clearly isn't performance-related. The 28-year-old left in line for the loss and allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Means' status should be updated by the team sometime during or after Wednesday's contest.

Eovaldi (1-0) allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six across five innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Tigers.

Eovaldi surrendered a pair of solo home runs -- one in the opening inning and the other in the fifth -- but otherwise limited the Detroit offense. The Tigers did make him work, however, as they fouled off 32 of Eovaldi's offerings and ran his pitch count to 101 across five frames of work. Eovaldi has worked five innings in each of his first two starts and posted a 13:2 K:BB in that span, though he's also surrendered four long balls.

Rodriguez (0-1) allowed seven runs (two earned) across 3.2 innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Red Sox. He gave up five hits and three walks while striking out five.

The strikeouts were nice but everything else was a struggle for Rodriguez in the matchup against Boston, which was his team for the last six seasons. The lefty hasn't gotten off to a good start with his new squad, as he now has a 5.87 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across his first two starts. He was better in the spring (3.71 Grapefruit League ERA), so maybe he'll be able to get rolling soon. Rodriguez has another tough matchup on tap, though, as he's slated to face the Yankees on Tuesday.