MLB Player News

Brown (0-1) was saddled with the loss Friday against the Mets, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Brown got off to a great start by striking out Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto during the first two at-bats of the game. However, three consecutive hits from the Mets to begin the second frame put Houston in a 2-0 hole, and Soto's third-inning solo blast gave New York all the insurance it would need. Brown performed well enough to earn a quality start during his first appearance of the new campaign, but it's hard to take home a win when your offense only provides one run of support. He'll look for a better result next week when the Astros travel to Minnesota.

Houck (0-1) took the loss Friday versus the Rangers, surrendering four earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two batters in 5.2 innings.

Houck finished the spring schedule with 17 earned runs allowed in 13.2 innings and did little to turn the tide during his first regular-season outing. He managed to keep Texas off the scoreboard through the first two innings, but an early home run from Jonah Heim put him in an early hole. Boston's offense quickly responded with a run of their own, but another round-tripper from Heim in the fifth put the Rangers back in front for good. It doesn't seem like things are about to get any easier for Houck, as he's lined up to face a Baltimore offense during his next start that's already slugged seven home runs through its first two games.

Heim went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in Texas' 4-1 win over the Red Sox on Friday.

Swatting a pair of home runs is not a bad way to collect your first two hits of the season, and with that, Heim now has two multi-HR games across his five seasons in the majors. His first home run in the third inning Friday barely cleared the right-field wall, but his fifth-inning shot was a bit more convincing at 417 feet. Although Heim didn't start the season opener, he's expected to remain the Rangers' 1A this season and is showing early signs of a bounce-back campaign after finishing 2024 with a .603 OPS.

Jackson pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up the save in Friday's 4-1 victory over Boston.

Despite Jackson's awful Opening Day performance that resulted in him taking his first loss of the year, the Rangers entrusted him with the ninth inning again Friday. He responded with a very efficient showing, recording all three outs on just nine pitches -- seven of which were strikes. The 33-year-old's bounce-back outing should keep him at the top of the pecking order for saves, though Chris Martin and Robert Garcia remain on hand should he falter.

Leiter (1-0) earned the win Friday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out four batters over five innings.

After finishing last season with an 8.83 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 35.2 innings, Leiter turned in the best start of his young MLB career Friday. The only damage done against the 24-year-old righty came on an RBI single off the bat of Wilyer Abreu in the fourth inning, but Leiter immediately got out of the jam by inducing a double play in the next at-bat. It's too early to tell if his strong outing is a sign of what's to come this year or just an outlier, but he certainly has plenty of momentum heading into his start next week in Cincinnati.

Holliday went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in an 8-2 loss to Toronto on Friday.

The home run was a no-doubter that travelled 425 feet over the left-center field wall and had an exit velocity of 109 mph. It's a good reminder that Holliday is extremely talented and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Holliday hit a woeful .189 as a 20-year-old in 2024 over 190 regular-season at-bats, but he could be a factor in a deep Baltimore lineup. He is 3-for-8 in the first two games of the season.

Guerrero went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Friday against Baltimore, as the Blue Jays won 8-2.

Guerrero doubled in the third inning and was stranded there by his teammates, but he helped break the game open for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the fourth, chasing starting pitcher Charlie Morton along the way. The first baseman delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Nathan Lukes and gave the Jays a 4-2 lead, as they eventually cruised to an 8-2 win. Guerrero mashed a year ago with a .323/.396/.544 slash line and, he will hope to replicate that success as he potentially heads to free agency this winter. The superstar recently turned just 26 years old and has been a full-time major leaguer since 2019.

Bichette went 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run in Toronto's 8-2 win over the Orioles on Friday.

A career .290 hitter over 2,500-plus at-bats, Bichette had by far his worst season as a pro last year with an ugly .225 batting average over 81 games. Calf injuries played a large part in Bichette's struggles a year ago, so he'll hope to stay on the field in his contract year. He was caught trying to steal second base in the sixth inning, which perhaps is a sign that his legs are at full strength.

Morton (0-1) gave up four runs on seven hits and one walk over 3.1 innings Friday in a loss to the Blue Jays. He had three strikeouts.

The 41-year-old Morton became the oldest starting pitcher to open a game for the Orioles, but aside from that little bit of history, this was one to forget for Morton. He needed 23 pitches to get through the first inning while allowing two hits in the frame and was at 41 pitches after two innings. He was chased out of the game in the fourth inning after surrendering base hits to the first three batters he faced followed by a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. Morton departed after 80 pitches, and reliever Albert Suarez allowed two of Morton's inherited runners to score, ultimately saddling him with the loss. Baltimore will look to Morton to eat up innings in 2025, and the right-hander has been durable, averaging 174 innings pitched over the last six full regular seasons. He is tentatively lined up for a home start against Boston next week.

Gausman (1-0) struck out four in six innings, allowing two runs, three hits and one walk in an 8-2 win over the Orioles on Friday

The former Oriole retired the first seven batters he faced before the eighth batter, Jackson Holliday, blasted a solo home run to put Gausman and the Blue Jays behind 1-0. Gausman allowed his second and final run an inning later on a Tyler O'Neill sacrifice fly, but that would be it for Baltimore. Toronto's offense got going in the bottom of the fourth and put up five runs, which was more than enough for the 34-year-old righty to nab the victory. A model of consistency, Gausman will aim for his sixth straight year with an ERA under 4.00 during the 2025 season. He is tentatively lined up for an outing against the Nationals next week.