MLB Player News

Kelly recorded his first save of the season in Monday's 3-2 win over the Brewers, pitching one-third of a hitless and scoreless inning.

After left-hander Ian Seymour recorded the first two outs of the ninth inning and allowing one walk, manager Kevin Cash called on Kelly to record the 27th out of the game. It was notable that Griffin Jax was used in the seventh inning of a 2-2 game, and he pitched a scoreless and hitless frame while recording one strikeout. Jax struggled in the Rays' opening series against the Cardinals, blowing a pair of saves, so Cash could be moving to more of a committee approach at the end of games.

Martinez allowed two runs on six hits and didn't walk a batter in Monday's 3-2 win over the Brewers. He struck out three.

It was Martinez's first start of the season after he dealt with a hamstring issue late in spring training. Signed to a one-year, $13 million deal in February, the 35-year-old is expected to man a spot in the rotation for Tampa Bay this season. However, Martinez has never been a big strikeout pitcher, capping his fantasy upside. Martinez's next start should come Sunday in Minnesota.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 3-2 win over the Brewers.

Diaz led off the game with a solo blast off Kyle Harrison, and he later singled off Harrison in the second inning. The veteran designated hitter is swinging a hot bat to begin the season, as Diaz is 11-for-20 with one double, one home run, six RBI, four runs scored and a 1:1 BB:K through four contest.

Jax threw a clean seventh inning Monday against the Brewers. He struck out one.

Although Jax didn't get the call to work the ninth inning Monday -- it was Kevin Kelly who recorded the final out for the save -- he still worked a high-leverage situation in the seventh frame of a tie game. After the right-hander blew a pair of saves in his first two appearances of the year, it's possible the Rays wanted to deploy Jax in a different setting so that he could try and regain his footing. The expectation entering the season was that Tampa Bay would have a committee approach at closer, and the team still appears to trust Jax to pitch in key spots.

Lopez (0-1) took the loss Monday against Atlanta, allowing three runs on five hits and five walks without recording a strikeout across four innings.

Lopez generated just four whiffs on 91 pitches, and his fastball velocity was down 1.4 mph from his 2025 average of 90.8 mph. The 28-year-old started 17 games for the Athletics last season and turned in a respectable 4.08 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 113:37 K:BB across 92.2 innings. His stuff will need to improve moving forward if he's going to build on that in 2026. Lopez's next start is scheduled for Sunday at home against the Astros.

Isbel went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a stolen base in Monday's 3-1 victory over the Twins.

Isbel took Woods Richardson deep in the bottom of the second inning to give Kansas City the lead, and that was all the offense his club needed. Isbel also delivered a single to center field in the seventh but was later stranded after stealing second. The 29-year-old is off to a strong start to 2026, as he's picked up a base knock in all three of his appearances and has also swiped a pair of bags.

Vargas went 2-for-4 with a home run, six RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 9-4 win over the Marlins.

Vargas piled up a career-high six RBI, also blasting his first homer of the campaign. The infielder led off Monday for the first time this season and has also hit third in another contest this year, and he'll likely need maintain a spot high in the batting order to boost his fantasy upside in a fairly lackluster White sox lineup.

Martin (1-0) tallied the win Monday against the Marlins, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out six.

Martin wasn't spectacular in his season debut, but he received plenty of run support and was able to nab his first win of the year. The right-hander wasn't particularly efficient either, throwing just 54 of his 92 pitches for strikes, and three of his hits given up went for extra bases. Martin's next start is scheduled for this weekend at home versus the Blue Jays, making him difficult to trust in fantasy lineups in a tough matchup.

Schreiber picked up the save Monday against the Twins by allowing one hit in a scoreless inning.

Lucas Erceg pitched in back-to-back days Saturday and Sunday, so it was Schreiber who got the call in a save situation in Monday's series opener. The right-hander retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a single to Ryan Jeffers. Schreiber was then able to slam the door by getting Matt Wallner to ground out. It's not clear how many save opportunities Schreiber will get this year, as Erceg and Matt Strahm were likely unavailable due to recent workload and Carlos Estevez (ankle) is dealing with an injury, but it was promising to see Schreiber come through when called upon.

Bubic (1-0) collected the win after allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out four across six innings Monday against the Twins.

Bubic dealt with plenty of traffic on the base paths due to the three walks he issued, but the Twins' only run of the contest came on a solo home run by Matt Wallner in the top of the second inning. Bubic's 2025 campaign came to an early end after he was diagnosed with a left rotator cuff strain in July, so this was a strong first outing to 2026 for the southpaw. His next start tentatively lines up for Sunday against Milwaukee.