MLB Player News

Steele (1-1) earned the win Thursday in Arizona after allowing three runs on six hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out two.

The left-hander pounded the zone and threw 55 of 77 pitches for strikes, but he generated just four whiffs as Arizona tagged him for three extra-base hits. Steele was able to limit the damage well enough, but he's now surrendered three homers through his first two starts of the season after serving up two long balls in Tokyo against the Dodgers. A more favorable matchup with the Athletics is on the docket next week.

Severino did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing three hits and four walks over six scoreless innings against Seattle. He struck out six.

Severino gave a strong performance in his A's debut as his bullpen blew a late lead to cost him the victory. He picked up where he left off with the Mets in 2024 with a bounce-back season, during which he had 3.91 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 31 regular-season starts last year.

Skubal (0-1) allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two across five innings to take the loss Thursday against the Dodgers.

Skubal faced a stiff test on Opening Day, and that showed as he generated only eight swinging strikes on 80 total pitches. He still did a solid job of limiting runs and baserunners, but the big blow came on a three-run homer that he surrendered to Teoscar Hernandez in the fifth inning. There's no reason to panic regarding this performance for Skubal, though it would be reassuring to see him return to his typical dominance in his next turn through the rotation, which is expected to come next week in Seattle.

Snell (1-0) allowed two earned runs on five hits and four walks while striking out two across five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Tigers.

Snell managed to limit runs and complete five innings to earn the win, though it wasn't a sharp debut with the Dodgers. He found the zone with only 53 of his 92 pitches and allowed multiple baserunners in three of his five frames. Snell will likely continue to run a relatively elevated walk rate based on his track record, but he should be able to pile up strikeouts more consistently in upcoming starts.

Gray (1-0) allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six across five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Twins.

Gray was battling an illness late in spring training that had caused him to lose strength, though he didn't show any signs of weakness on Opening Day. He generated 11 called strikes and 12 swinging strikes across 77 total pitches, and the lone blemish on his box score came on a two-run homer by Harrison Bader in the fifth frame. Gray could lose some of the swing-and-miss stuff he showcased Thursday in his age-35 campaign, but he should remain a reliable starter for fantasy purposes.

Eovaldi didn't factor into the decision after giving up two runs on three hits in six innings Thursday against Boston. He struck out nine.

It was a strong performance by Eovaldi, who bounced back following a shaky spring training that saw him yield eight runs in 13 Cactus League innings. The veteran right-hander mostly kept the Red Sox bats quiet, but he did allow a Connor Wong single to drive in a run in the third inning and a Wilyer Abreu home run to plate another in the fifth frame. Eovaldi projects to make his next start on the road next week against the Reds, though he may carry more fantasy risk than usual at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.

Crochet didn't factor into the decision after giving up two runs on five hits and two walks in five innings Thursday against Texas. He struck out four.

Making his Red Sox debut after being acquired from the White Sox during the offseason, the hard-throwing lefty fired five solid innings against a righty-dominant Rangers lineup. Boston didn't grab the lead until the ninth inning, keeping Crochet out of the win column Thursday. Crochet tentatively has another tough matchup against the Orioles on the road next week, and he'll be looking to further build on his early success with his new team after allowing a lone run with a whopping 30 punchouts in 15.2 innings during spring training.

Lopez (0-1) gave up four runs (two earned) on eight hits and no walks over five innings Thursday in taking the loss against the Cardinals. He struck out three.

Lopez didn't help himself with a key balk and error that led to runs, but manager Rocco Baldelli after the game said he thought the right-hander improved as the game went on. Lopez wasn't sharp this spring with a 6.62 ERA in five starts, and those struggles carried over into his season debut.

Gore didn't factor into the decision Thursday after allowing one hit over six scoreless innings during a loss to the Phillies. He struck out 13 without walking a batter.

It was a brilliant showing by the southpaw, whose dominance notably came against a star-studded Phillies lineup. A Kyle Schwarber single in the second inning would end up spoiling what was an otherwise perfect outing from Gore, who starts his third full major-league season looking to take a big step forward. Per Chad Jennings of The Athletic, Hall of Famer Bob Gibson is the only other pitcher in MLB history to strike out at least 13 batters on Opening Day without giving up a run or issuing a walk.

Wheeler didn't factor into the decision after giving up one run on two hits and two walks in six innings during Thursday's game against the Nationals. He struck out eight.

Although Wheeler certainly pitched well enough to deserve a win Thursday, the Phillies struggled to break through offensively until the later stages, and he was outdueled by MacKenzie Gore and his 13 strikeouts. Keibert Ruiz took Wheeler deep in the fifth frame, which ended up being the lone blemish to Wheeler's stat line. The star right-hander has a favorable matchup on tap against the Rockies at home next week.