MLB Player News

Bubic (2-1) took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters in six innings Friday against the Guardians.

The 27-year-old cruised through the first three innings with relatively little trouble, but he finally conceded his first earned runs of the season on a three-run homer from Gabriel Arias in the fourth. Bubic was able to get through the sixth inning without allowing any more runs, giving him his third quality start in as many appearances. However, a poor showing from the Royals' offense resulted in the left-hander taking his first loss of the year. He'll hope for a bit more run support in his next start when he takes on the Yankees in the Bronx.

Arias went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run during Friday's 7-0 win over the Royals.

Arias' second-inning single snapped his four-game hitless streak, and his three-run blast in the fourth ended up being the only offense the Guardians would need to emerge victorious Friday, though they still tacked on four more insurance runs in the eighth frame. The 25-year-old's three-hit performance elevated his OPS from .589 to .754, and he is now just one home run shy of his 2024 total despite having taken 114 fewer at-bats.

Bibee didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 7-0 win over Kansas City, allowing three hits and four walks while striking out four batters over 4.2 shutout innings.

Bibee needed to retire just one more batter to qualify for his second win of the season, but after walking Bobby Witt in the fifth inning, the right-hander's pitch count had already climbed to 96. The Guardians decided to pull him early for Tim Herrin, who collected the final out of the frame and went on to take home the win. Bibee now sits on a 4.40 ERA and 1.40 WHIP entering his next start -- tentatively scheduled to come in Baltimore next week -- though all of the damage was done in one particularly poor outing against the Angels.

Martin (0-2) took the loss Friday against the Mariners after giving up two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings. He struck out one without walking a batter.

Martin served up a go-ahead two-run homer to Cal Raleigh in the eighth inning, allowing the Mariners to score what were ultimately the winning runs. Although the veteran right-hander entered spring training as Texas' presumed favorite for saves, he's fallen behind Luke Jackson in the bullpen pecking order to open the campaign. Even so, Martin holds a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB with four holds over eight innings this year, so he should remain in the high-leverage mix going forward.

Munoz picked up the save Friday against the Rangers after giving up one hit in a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one.

Jonah Heim singled to bring the potential tying run to the plate, but Munoz was able to get Dustin Harris to strike out and Marcus Semien to ground into a double play to preserve the victory for the Mariners. The hard-throwing right-hander has been a lights-out closer to begin the campaign, having not yielded a run while converting each of his first five save chances to go with 10 punchouts over seven innings.

Jung went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional RBI and a stolen base Friday against the Mariners.

Jung connected for a game-tying two-run homer off Mariners right-hander Trent Thornton in the sixth inning that just snuck over the right-field wall. While Jung hasn't yet drawn a walk across 19 plate appearances, he's batting a scorching .474 with the aforementioned long ball, two doubles, one triple and six RBI through five games so far this season. The former top prospect should be rostered in the majority of mixed fantasy leagues.

Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Friday against the Rangers.

Raleigh broke up a tie game with a two-run blast in the eighth inning, taking Rangers right-hander Chris Martin deep. It's no surprise to see Raleigh hitting just .189 over his first 60 plate appearances of the year, as he's a lifetime .217 hitter across his five-year major-league career, but fantasy managers are getting a decent combination of pop and speed out of the switch-hitting backstop. Raleigh has three big flies, two doubles and five RBI through 14 outings, and he already has two stolen bases thus far.

Polanco went 3-for-4 with a solo home run Friday against Texas.

Polanco took Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom deep for a 384-foot shot down the right-field line in the first inning. The switch-hitting Polanco is expected to remain solely a designated hitter while he manages side soreness, which is also preventing him from hitting right-handed, but the veteran infielder is certainly worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues at the moment. Through 31 at-bats so far this year, Polanco is batting a torrid .419 with three long balls, 11 RBI, three runs scored and one stolen base.

Buxton went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a second RBI, a walk, a stolen base and three runs scored in Friday's 7-6 loss to the Tigers.

Buxton did a little of everything after returning from a personal absence that kept him out of action for the last two days. The oft-injured outfielder has struggled to hit much early in 2025, batting just .178 (8-for-45) over 12 contests. He's made up for it partially with two homers, three steals, six RBI and 10 runs scored, though he's also posted a 2:17 BB:K. Plate discipline isn't a particularly strong part of Buxton's game, but he still has enough power and speed if he can stay in the lineup. Early in the season, he's been the Twins' starting center fielder.

Festa allowed an unearned run on three hits and a walk while striking out four over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Tigers on Friday.

Festa threw 41 of 64 pitches for strikes in his first major-league outing of the season. He came up short of having a chance at the win, though the Twins' bullpen blew the lead in the sixth inning anyway. The 25-year-old right-hander pitched to a 4.90 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 77:23 K:BB over 64.1 innings in 2024, starting in 13 of his 14 appearances last year. Festa has a chance to stick in the rotation while Pablo Lopez (hamstring) is out and would line up for a tough home matchup versus the Mets next week -- that is, unless the Twins add Zebby Matthews and move to a six-man rotation, in which case Festa would face Atlanta on the road.