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Hunter Brown SP | HOU
Astros' Hunter Brown: Continues dominant campaign
Brown (3-1) earned the win over Toronto on Monday, pitching seven scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and one walk while striking out nine batters.
That's now five quality starts in five outings this season for Brown, who recorded perhaps his best start of 2025 so far Monday. Both the seven innings and nine punchouts were season-best marks for the right-hander, and he pitched his third straight scoreless outing while extending his scoreless innings streak to 24 frames. It's too early in the campaign to be prognosticating end-of-season awards, but Brown certainly has the look of a Cy Young contender considering his dominance so far. He ranks sixth among qualified pitchers with a 1.16 ERA and first with a 0.74 WHIP while registering a 31:6 K:BB through 31 innings.
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Ben Rice DH | NYY
Yankees' Ben Rice: Expected back Tuesday
Manager Aaron Boone expects Rice (elbow) to be back in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Guardians, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.
Rice has missed his club's last two matchups due to a bruised left elbow. The team will presumably give the first baseman another look Tuesday morning before making a final decision on his availability for the second game of the series.
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Gleyber Torres 2B | DET
Tigers' Gleyber Torres: Productive from leadoff spot
Torres went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI in Monday's 6-4 win over the Padres.
Batting leadoff, Torres helped set the table for the Tigers, and he pushed his batting average above .300 in the process. The infielder has exclusively batted first or second through 11 appearances this year, and if he keeps getting on base at a healthy clip, Torres could be in line for a big offensive season, particularly when it comes to runs.
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Brenan Hanifee RP | DET
Tigers' Brenan Hanifee: Records first win
Hanifee (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win Monday against the Padres. He allowed one hit and struck out two.
After recording his first hold of the season in his last appearance Saturday, Hanifee notched his first win of the year Monday. The righty allowed an earned run in each of his first two 2025 outings, but since then, he's rattled off eight straight appearances without allowing any earned runs. Overall, Hanifee has a strong 1.54 ERA across 11.2 innings out of Detroit's bullpen.
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Zach McKinstry RF | DET
Tigers' Zach McKinstry: Cracks three hits again
McKinstry went 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and one run scored and RBI apiece in Monday's 6-4 victory over San Diego.
The 29-year-old drew his sixth consecutive start and produced his second consecutive three-hit performance, falling a homer shy of the cycle. Thanks to the three-bagger he laced in the first inning, McKinstry is now tied for the MLB lead in triples with Mickey Moniak at three. The Detroit utility man is now slashing .314/.424/.471 with a homer, a steal and 12 RBI and runs scored apiece across 86 plate appearances.
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Will Vest RP | DET
Tigers' Will Vest: Secures second save
Vest picked up the save in Monday's 6-4 win against the Padres, pitching a clean inning with one strikeout.
After both Tommy Kahnle (18 pitches) and Tyler Holton (28 pitches) appeared in Sunday's loss, Vest was called upon to polish off this win. The 29-year-old righty performed admirably, setting down the side in order on 10 pitches, nine of which were strikes. While Kahnle and Holton are the best candidates for saves in the Detroit bullpen, the closer situation is far from settled. Vest, with his stellar 0.93 ERA and 0.62 WHIP across 9.2 innings, is likely to see save opportunities here and there throughout the season.
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Keider Montero SP | DET
Tigers' Keider Montero: Struggles in no-decision
Montero did not factor into the decision in Monday's 6-4 win over the Padres, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks over 1.1 innings. He struck out three.
Montero slogged through this 91-pitch performance that saw him match a career worst in issuing four free passes. The San Diego lineup set the tone in the first inning, generating a run on two hits and a walk, as Montero couldn't manage a clean inning. The 24-year-old has pitched to a 7.71 ERA and 1.93 WHIP while allowing four homers across 9.1 innings. After making two starts, he looks bound for the minors again as Montero received the likely temporary promotion to give the Detroit rotation extra rest.
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Kyle Manzardo 1B | CLE
Guardians' Kyle Manzardo: Homers in third straight
Manzardo went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk in Monday's 5-4 win versus the Yankees.
Manzardo went back-to-back with Jose Ramirez in the third inning, launching a 366-foot solo shot off starter Clarke Schmidt. The Washington State product has now gone yard in three straight games. Manzardo is also riding a five-game hit streak over which he's hit .333 (6-for-18) with six RBI and three runs scored.
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Jose Ramirez 3B | CLE
Guardians' Jose Ramirez: Slugs fifth homer, plates four
Ramirez went 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBI in Monday's 6-4 win against the Yankees.
The All-Star third baseman opened the game's scoring when he cranked a 390-foot, three-run homer off New York starter Clarke Schmidt. Ramirez later cracked an RBI single in the sixth inning to drive in Cleveland's final run of the evening. The 32-year-old is off to another superb start, slashing .276/.337/.526 with five homers, three steals, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored in 89 plate appearances.
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Clarke Schmidt RP | NYY
Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Concedes five runs in loss
Schmidt (0-1) took the loss Monday at Cleveland, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out seven.
Despite inducing a respectable 13 whiffs in this 80-pitch outing, Schmidt struggled, coughing up four extra-base hits (two homers, two doubles). Things went off the rails for the New York right-hander in the third inning, when Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo popped back-to-back homers to fuel a four-run, four-hit frame. After two starts, Schmidt now sports a 7.45 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 9:5 K:BB across 9.2 innings. After shoulder fatigue delayed his season start, he will look to continue shaking off the rust in his next start against Toronto at home this weekend.