MLB Player News

Cecconi (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Mariners, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out five.

The right-hander managed to make it through three scoreless innings to begin his outing, but the Mariners throttled him for six runs across the fourth and fifth frames. Three of the hits he allowed went for extra bases, though Cecconi was at least able to stretch out to 93 pitches in his first start of the campaign. Cecconi has a difficult assignment slated for next weekend versus the Cubs, which might limit his streaming appeal.

Hancock (1-0) earned the win Sunday against the Guardians, allowing no runs on no hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out nine.

Hancock is taking Bryce Miller's (oblique) place in Seattle's starting rotation for the time being, and the former filled in admirably during his first turn through the rotation. Hancock set a career high in strikeouts Sunday, completely silencing the Cleveland bats in the hit column. The right-hander should be able to remain a starter for the Mariners for at least the next few weeks, and he figures to be a popular fantasy pickup ahead of his next scheduled start against the division-rival Angels.

Neto went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during the Angels' 9-7 loss to the Astros on Sunday.

Neto gave the Angels a 6-4 lead in the fourth inning by blasting a two-run shot off Roddery Munoz. It was Neto's second home run of the season, and he'll finish the four-game series against Houston having gone 4-for-17 (.235) with one steal, five runs scored and three RBI.

Alvarez went 1-for-2 with three walks, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's 9-7 win over the Angels.

Alvarez is off to a nice start this season, going 4-for-13 with a home run and five walks through his first four games. Health will be key for the slugger in 2026, and he is slated to alternate between DH and left field. Alvarez was limited to 48 games last year, when he batted .273 with just six homers, 27 RBI and a .797 OPS across 199 plate appearances.

Paredes went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored during the Astros' 9-7 win over the Angels on Sunday.

Paredes gave the Astros an 8-6 lead with an two-run double in the eighth inning, which ended up being the winning runs for Houston. He went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts over the first two games of the series, but he turned things around over the final two contests, going 3-for-9 with one walk, four RBI and three runs scored. Paredes is looking to improve off his 2025 campaign, when he slashed .254/.352/.458 with 20 home runs and 53 RBI across 438 plate appearances.

King earned the save in Sunday's 9-7 win over the Angels, allowing a hit and striking out two in two-thirds of an inning.

After Bryan Abreu issued a pair of walks to start the ninth, the Astros turned to King to record the final two outs. The left-hander would give up an RBI single to Nolan Schanuel before rebounding to strike out Jorge Soler and Yoan Moncada, logging his first save this season. While Abreu will likely remain Houston's primary ninth-inning option while Josh Hader (biceps) is sidelined, King could see more save chances in the short term, depending on matchups. King posted a 2.05 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP and 76:16 K:BB across 52.2 innings in 2025.

Abreu allowed one run on two walks in one-third of an inning during the Astros' 9-7 win over the Angels on Sunday.

Abreu was brought in for the top of the ninth inning to protect the Astros' three-run lead. However, he walked two of the first three batters he faced and was replaced by Bryan King, and the former was tagged with a run on an RBI single from Nolan Schanuel. Abreu has yielded four earned runs on four walks and one hit across 1.1 innings to open the season, which isn't a great sign given that he was tabbed as the Astros' interim closer in the absence of Josh Hader (biceps). King could be thrust into closing situations if Abreu's early struggles continue.

Imai did not factor into the decision in the Astros' 9-7 win over the Angels on Sunday. He allowed four runs on three hits and four walks while striking out four across 2.2 innings.

Imai looked poised over the first two innings of his MLB debut, striking out four of the first eight batters he faced. However, things unravelled in the third, when he ran up his pitch count and yielded four runs in the frame before being pulled. Imai struggled with his control, with only 36 of his 74 pitches resulting in strikes (48.6 percent). It might take some time for him to adjust to his new surroundings after spending nine years with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, but the expectations will still be high given the three-year, $54 million contract that he signed with Houston during the offseason. Imai will look for a better result in his next start, which is tentatively slated for next weekend on the road against the Athletics.

Alexander earned a save after tossing one inning, allowing an unearned run on one hit and a hit-by-pitch while striking out a batter in Saturday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Phillies.

Alexander was the next man up after Texas turned to Robert Garcia and Chris Martin in the ninth inning. Alexander hit Otto Kemp with an 84.8-mph cutter to open the frame before later surrendering a two-out single to Bryce Harper, which drove in the automatic runner from second base. The southpaw was then able to settle in and strand Kemp at third base to end the game by getting Alec Bohm to pop up for the final out. Alexander isn't necessarily in the mix quite yet for the closer's role, but he is the first Ranger to notch a save in 2026.

Joyce (shoulder) isn't yet tossing bullpens at full intensity, but he's doing well in his throwing program, per MLB.com.

Joyce continues to work toward returning to game action after undergoing right shoulder surgery last May. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said the righty reliever looks good and may be able to make his return to game action more quickly than anticipated. When Joyce is activated, he could work his way into a high-leverage role and potentially even closing duties, depending on the performance of Jordan Romano.