MLB Player News
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Zac Gallen SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Fades in season-opening loss
Gallen (0-1) took the loss against the Dodgers on Thursday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two batters over four-plus innings.
Gallen looked strong through four frames, holding Los Angeles scoreless while allowing just two baserunners. However, things unraveled for him in the fifth, as he gave up a pair of singles followed by an Andy Pages homer to squander a 2-0 lead. Gallen remained in the game after the long ball, but he gave up another single followed by a walk and was subsequently pulled. Overall, he threw 47 of 76 pitches for strikes and got nine whiffs. It's an underwhelming start to the season for Gallen, who posted a career-worst 4.83 ERA in 33 starts last year.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto SP | LAD
Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Nabs Opening Day victory
Yamamoto (1-0) notched the win against Arizona on Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out six batters over six innings.
Yamamoto was rewarded for his MVP performance during last season's World Series with a second straight Opening Day start and guided the defending champs to a campaign-opening victory. He fell behind on a two-run Geraldo Perdomo homer in the fourth inning, but Los Angeles was able to storm back for four runs in the fifth, and the Japanese hurler otherwise kept the Diamondbacks from crossing home plate. Yamamoto threw 63 of 95 pitches for strikes while going just deep enough to notch a quality start. His second start is lined up to take place at home against Cleveland next week.
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Cristopher Sanchez SP | PHI
Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez: Dominant Opening Day showing
Sanchez (1-0) picked up the win Thursday against the Rangers, allowing no runs on three hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out 10.
The All-Star left-hander was excellent in his first outing of the year, holding Texas to a lone extra-base hit and generating 13 whiffs in his eighth career double-digit strikeout performance. It was particularly encouraging to see Sanchez throw 87 pitches, considering he topped out at 50 pitches in his final Grapefruit League start. Sanchez will be trying to keep the good times rolling in his next outing, currently projected for a favorable home matchup next week against the Nationals.
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Matthew Liberatore SP | STL
Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Holds Rays in check in season debut
Liberatore didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Rays, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out two.
Despite giving up seven hits, the left-hander was able to limit the damage to just one run in his season debut. Liberatore topped out at 65 pitches during spring training, which he reached in his third Grapefruit League start, so he'll be looking to raise his pitch count even further his next time out after firing 78 pitches Thursday. Liberatore has a tough matchup at home against the Mets on tap for his second start of the year.
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Jacob Misiorowski SP | MIL
Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski: Fans 11 in dominant opening start
Misiorowski (1-0) earned the win Thursday against the White Sox, allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out 11 over five innings.
The 23-year-old was electric on Opening Day, piling up 25 whiffs on 94 pitches while leaning heavily on his fastball, throwing it 61 times. Misiorowski's only blemish came on a leadoff home run, but he quickly settled in and dominated from there, striking out eight of the next 12 batters. After breaking onto the scene with a strong finish to last season, posting a 4.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 87 strikeouts across 66 regular-season innings, the right-hander looks to be picking up right where he left off.
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Ben Brown SP | CHC
Cubs' Ben Brown: Mops up innings Opening Day
Brown allowed two runs on three hits across 3.1 innings in Thursday's 10-4 loss to the Nationals. He walked one and struck out three.
The righty reliever was forced into early action after Chicago starter Matthew Boyd covered only 3.2 innings in a rough outing. Brown served up a two-run home run to Jacob Young to account for the runs against him. After making 23 regular-season starts for the Cubs across the last two seasons, it looks like Brown will handle a long-relief role out of the bullpen in 2026. He should be a decent source of strikeouts, though his overall fantasy value will be capped as a reliever.
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Andrew Abbott SP | CIN
Reds' Andrew Abbott: Turns around rough spring
Abbott allowed seven hits and one walk while striking out four over six scoreless innings, picking up a no-decision in Thursday's 3-0 loss to Boston.
Abbott pitched in and out of trouble in three of his innings, but he matched zeros with Boston's Garrett Crochet on the scoreboard. The seven hits off the Reds' left-hander were all singles, four of which didn't leave the infield. It was an encouraging outing for Abbott, who had a shocking 11.72 ERA in spring training. He's become the team's No. 1 starter with Hunter Greene (elbow) unavailable and on the 60-day injured list.
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Cade Cavalli SP | WAS
Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Goes 3.2 innings in opener
Cavalli did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Cubs, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks across 3.2 innings. He struck out five.
Making his first Opening Day start, Cavalli was limited to 75 pitches Thursday in an eventual 10-4 Nationals victory. The 27-year-old Cavalli made 10 starts last season, posting a 4.25 ERA with a 1.48 WHIP and 40:15 K:BB across 48.2 innings as he pitched in the big leagues for the first time since 2022. He's currently slated to face the Phillies on the road his next time out.
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Matthew Boyd SP | CHC
Cubs' Matthew Boyd: Stumbles in opener
Boyd (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Nationals, allowing six runs on six hits and a walk across 3.2 innings. He struck out seven.
After getting the Opening Day nod, Boyd got off to a strong start, holding Washington to one run on one hit through his first three innings. However, things unraveled for the left-hander in the fourth -- the first five batters in the inning reached safely against Boyd, who was tagged for another five runs in the frame en route to a 10-4 Cubs defeat. Boyd, who was 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA across 31 regular-season starts (179.2 innings) in 2025, will look to bounce back his next time out, tentatively scheduled to come next week at home against the Angels.
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Freddy Peralta SP | NYM
Mets' Freddy Peralta: Earns win on Opening Day
Peralta (1-0) picked up the win Thursday against the Pirates, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out six over five innings.
The right-hander looked shaky early in his season debut, giving up a two-run homer to the second batter he faced, Brandon Lowe, but quickly regrouped and found his rhythm, striking out the next four hitters and retiring eight consecutive batters. Peralta served up another home run to Lowe in the third, but despite the trouble with the long ball, the 29-year-old righty was able to pick up the win in his Mets debut. Better days are likely ahead, as he's coming off a strong 2025 regular season, during which he led the NL in wins with a 17-6 record and had a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 204 strikeouts.