MLB Player News

Kochanowicz (1-1) allowed six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out one over 4.2 innings to take the loss Friday versus the Astros.

Kochanowicz entered the fifth inning with the Angels up 2-1. He quickly ran into trouble and couldn't complete the frame, instead leaving the bases loaded for reliever Garrett McDaniels, who allowed a grand slam to Yainer Diaz. This was the worst of Kochanowicz's three starts so far, inflating his ERA to 5.74 to go along with a 1.28 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB over 15.2 innings. He struck out just 25 batters over 65.1 innings across 11 starts in 2024, and all that contact makes him a volatile option. Kochanowicz's next start is projected to be on the road versus the Rangers.

Meyers went 2-for-3 with a walk, one RBI, two stolen bases and one run scored in Friday's 14-3 win over the Angels.

Meyers has hit safely in his last six games, with two multi-hit efforts in that span. All five of his steals this season have also come during this strong stretch at the plate. The outfielder is now batting .313 (10-for-32) with three RBI, five runs scored and a 5:8 BB:K. He's still searching for his first home run, but he has two doubles across 12 contests while seeing steady time in center field recently after fending off challenges from Chas McCormick and Mauricio Dubon.

Paredes went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two walks and a total of three runs scored in Friday's 14-3 win over the Angels.

This was Paredes' third multi-hit effort over the last five games. The homer, an eighth-inning solo shot, was his first as an Astro and just his second extra-base hit of the season. After a slow start, Paredes is batting .275 (14-for-51) with a .736 OPS, five RBI, six runs scored and no stolen bases over 60 plate appearances. He's made a home for himself in the No. 2 spot in the lineup and should rack up plenty of counting stats -- aside from steals -- in a strong offense.

Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional RBI, one walk and one stolen base in Friday's 14-3 win over the Angels.

Smith's starting to figure things out in the majors -- this was his second multi-hit effort in a row. He's also driven in five runs over his last three games, and he supplied some insurance runs with an eighth-inning homer Friday. The 22-year-old is batting .241 (7-for-29) with a 3:10 BB:K across his first nine major-league contests. He's getting a chance to play a starting role in right field after being acquired by the Astros in their trade with the Cubs that sent Kyle Tucker to Chicago in the offseason. Smith was drafted 14th overall in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft and has skipped Triple-A to begin 2025 in the majors after logging just 32 minor-league contests over three levels in the second half of last year.

Martin (hamstring) was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul on Friday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Martin suffered the injury running to catch a ball in the outfield in Thursday's game. He was hitting .419/.526/.452 in nine games before the injury.

Diaz went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI and two total runs scored in Friday's 14-3 win over the Angels.

Diaz had more hits Friday than he did in his first nine games of the season combined. This big effort at the plate also included his first extra-base hits of the year as well as his first RBI since Opening Day. Diaz delivered a grand slam to cap a six-run fifth inning and added an RBI double as the Astros rallied again in the sixth. That raised his batting average to .132 (5-for-38) with six RBI and three runs scored across 10 contests. Diaz is likely to continue playing in a starting role at catcher -- he's shown potential with 39 homers and 144 RBI across 252 games over the last two seasons, so his slow start to 2025 may just be a brief slump.

Blanco (1-1) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings to earn the win over the Angels on Friday.

The Astros' offense was a little quiet early on before erupting for a six-run fifth inning. Blanco had allowed a solo home run to Mike Trout in the fourth and an RBI single to Jo Adell in the fifth to account for the two runs on his line. This was Blanco's first win in three starts, and he threw of 52 of 84 pitches for strikes. He's struggled with walks at times this year -- he has a 16:7 K:BB over 11.2 innings while adding a 6.94 ERA and 1.63 WHIP. However, the Trout homer was the first long ball Blanco's given up, and he should be able to find a decent amount of success if he keeps the ball down. The right-hander's next start is projected to be on the road versus the Cardinals next week.

Newcomb (0-2) allowed six runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out six over four innings to take the loss against the White Sox on Friday.

The Red Sox's defense committed five errors, but the mostly cost one came as part of the White Sox's four-run fourth inning. This got Newcomb's pitch count up to 94 (60 strikes), and the offense didn't bail him out. He's now failed to complete five innings in all three of his starts this season, posting a 4.97 ERA, 2.13 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB over 12.2 innings, and he'll continue to struggle as long as he's dealing with that much traffic on the bases. Newcomb is tentatively projected to remain in the rotation for one more turn, as Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Lucas Giolito (hamstring) could need one additional rehab start each. With that, Newcomb's next start is projected to be on the road versus the Rays.

Baldwin went 2-for-5 with one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 11-1 win over the Red Sox.

Baldwin had gone 0-for-11 over his previous four games before logging his first multi-hit effort of the season. The steal was also his first of the season, while the RBI he earned on an eighth-inning single was the first run he's knocked in since April 4. The utility player is batting .237 (9-for-38) with a home run, six RBI and two runs scored over 12 contests. He's carving out a decent share of playing time despite not focusing on a single position, but playing for the White Sox will likely prevent him from racking up significant counting stats.

Robert went 1-for-3 with one RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored in Friday's 11-1 win over the Red Sox.

Robert also reached base twice due to catcher interference. The outfielder hasn't had much going with the bat so far, but he's taken advantage of his chances on base lately, logging four steals on six attempts over his last four games. He's batting .167 (7-for-42) with five steals, two RBI and five runs scored over 12 contests, but he's yet to hit a home run this season. Robert slashed .224/.278/.379 over 100 games in 2024, the worst of his first five years in the majors, but the biggest challenge for the 27-year-old will be staying healthy. Despite the injury risks, he's played in center field most of the times he's been in the lineup to begin 2025.