MLB Player News

Valdez allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Friday.

Valdez's first big-league appearance in anything other than an Astros uniform went well, as he delivered a quality start despite giving up plenty of contact. Valdez threw 63 of 83 pitches for strikes in this outing, though he left the game with the Tigers down 2-1 before the offense got him off the hook with an eighth-inning rally. The veteran southpaw pitched to a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 187:68 K:BB over 192 innings across 31 regular-season starts in 2025. He has the potential to be a workhorse for Detroit -- he's covered at least 170 innings in four straight seasons. That volume has value, especially since he tends to post strong ratios as well. He's projected to make his home debut for the Tigers against the Cardinals next week.

DeLauter went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Mariners.

DeLauter has gone 4-for-9 with three homers over the first two games of the season. All of the long balls have been solo shots so far, but he's already matched his homer total from 14 spring games. It's a great first impression for the outfielder at the major-league level after three injury-plagued campaigns in the minors, including just 42 contests between rookie ball and Triple-A during the 2025 regular season. DeLauter's bat will help him stay in the lineup a fair amount, especially against right-handers, but his ability to stay healthy is the X-factor as to how his rookie season will unfold.

Williams (0-1) allowed three runs on two hits and six walks while striking out seven over five innings to take the loss Friday versus the Mariners.

Williams threw just 49 of 89 pitches for strikes in a wild performance. The Mariners didn't take full advantage of his free passes, allowing him to escape with a mediocre start instead of a bad one, and the seven strikeouts are a silver lining. Williams had a 4.58 ERA over 17.2 innings in spring training, but he also posted a 19:2 K:BB. Expecting him to rein in the walks might be asking too much -- he had a 4.5 BB/9 in the 2025 regular season, but that didn't stop him from maintaining a 3.06 ERA over 167.2 innings. Williams will look to rebound in a tough matchup on the road versus the Dodgers in his next projected start.

Raley went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 5-1 win over the Guardians.

Raley provided some insurance in the sixth inning with his second homer in as many games to begin the year. He went deep just four times in 219 plate appearances during the 2025 regular season, adding a .630 OPS, though he had 22 homers over 455 plate appearances in 2024. Playing time will be crucial for Raley's success, and he has the early edge for at least a strong-side platoon role in right field. Victor Robles and Rob Refsnyder are in the mix to see the majority of the time versus lefties.

Young went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's 5-1 win over the Guardians.

Young was held hitless Thursday, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts to start the season. He bounced back with a go-ahead blast in the fourth inning Friday, the fifth homer of his young major-league career. The second baseman launched six homers and added 18 RBI over 19 games in spring training, so there's some power potential, though he'll likely be negatively impacted by playing half his games at T-Mobile Park. He posted a .607 OPS, four homers, 24 RBI, 24 runs scored and one stolen base over 257 plate appearances during the 2025 regular season. Young looks to have a clear path to at-bats versus right-handed pitchers this season, and a strong start to the year could make him a near-everyday player.

Kirby (1-0) allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win Friday over the Guardians.

The lone blemish on Kirby's line was a solo shot by Chase DeLauter in the first inning. Kirby pitched to a 3.77 ERA over 14.1 innings across four starts in spring training, and his 11:5 K:BB was an unusual showing of shaky command. The right-hander had a 4.21 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 137:29 K:BB across 126 regular-season innings in 2025. Kirby should offer strong command and plenty of bounce-back potential in 2026, which is already off to a good start after his strong season debut. He's lined up for a home start versus the Yankees next week.

Okamoto went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored during the Blue Jays' 3-2 win over the Athletics on Friday.

Okamoto took his first major-league base in the fifth inning with a walk before being brought home on a two-run triple by Andres Gimenez. Okamoto's single in the seventh was the first hit of his MLB career, and after getting on base again in the ninth, he crossed home as the game-winning run on a single from Gimenez. It was a promising start for Okamoto, who joined the Blue Jays on a four-year, $60 million contract in the offseason after a successful stint in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

Gimenez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run triple and an RBI single in Friday's 3-2 win over the Athletics on Friday.

Gimenez gave the Blue Jays their first runs of the 2026 season in the fifth inning, when outfield miscommunication between left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and center fielder Lawrence Butler resulted in a two-run triple. Gimenez followed that up with an walk-off RBI single in the ninth, which brought Kazuma Okamoto home to give Toronto the Opening Day victory in front of a home crowd. It's been a busy start to 2026 for Gimenez, who played a key role in Team Venezuela's triumph in the World Baseball Classic. He saw his slash line drop last year in what was his first campaign with the Blue Jays but will look to get back to the kind of form he had with the Guardians in 2022, when he recorded an .837 OPS with 20 steals, 17 homers and 69 RBI in 557 plate appearances.

Severino did not factor into the decision in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three across five innings.

Severino went relatively unscathed through the first four innings of Friday's start. He allowed the Blue Jays to take the lead after yielding a two-run triple to Andres Gimenez in the fifth frame, but Severino escaped with the no-decision after Shea Langeliers tied things up at 2-2 in the ninth with a solo homer off Jeff Hoffman. It was a solid start to the season for Severino, who is looking to bounce back from a 2025 campaign in which he posted an 8-11 record (across 29 starts) with a 4.54 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 124:50 K:BB across 162.2 innings. He's slated to make his next start next week on the road against Atlanta.

Langeliers went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs during the Athletics' 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.

Langeliers provided all of the offense for the Athletics on Opening Day, with the All-Star catcher blasting solo home runs in the fourth and ninth innings off Kevin Gausman and Jeff Hoffman, respectively. It was Langeliers' second multi-homer game since 2025 and the seventh in his four-plus-year major-league career. The 28-year-old catcher is looking to build off his strong 2025 campaign, during which he posted a .861 OPS with 31 home runs, 72 RBI and seven steals across 523 plate appearances.