MLB Player News

Torkelson went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and four walks Thursday against the Dodgers.

Torkelson had a strong spring and benefited from some injuries on the Detroit roster, a combination that set him up for regular at-bats to begin the season. He took advantage with his first opportunity as he put together solid plate appearances, the most productive of which was a solo home run in the fifth inning. Torkelson has consistently shown patience at the plate in his big-league career, and he should be able to take a step forward in production if he can tap into his raw power more consistently.

India started at third base and hit leadoff while going 0-for-5 in Thursday's 7-4 loss to Cleveland. He later moved to left field.

India will serve as Kansas City's leadoff hitter this season. He'll split playing time between third base and left field and could also be used at second base. India had never fielded a position other than second base at the major-league level, though he served primarily as a third baseman in the minors back in 2019.

Pasquantino went 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run homer in Thursday's loss against Cleveland.

Pasquantino suffered a Grade 1-plus right hamstring strain just five days ago, but he was able to start at DH on Thursday and started the scoring with a three-run shot during the third inning, He may not play first base for a few games, but his injury certainly didn't limit him at the plate Opening Day.

Skubal (0-1) allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two across five innings to take the loss Thursday against the Dodgers.

Skubal faced a stiff test on Opening Day, and that showed as he generated only eight swinging strikes on 80 total pitches. He still did a solid job of limiting runs and baserunners, but the big blow came on a three-run homer that he surrendered to Teoscar Hernandez in the fifth inning. There's no reason to panic regarding this performance for Skubal, though it would be reassuring to see him return to his typical dominance in his next turn through the rotation, which is expected to come next week in Seattle.

Castro started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Thursday's loss to the Cardinals.

Castro started at second base and could get the bulk of playing time at the position until Brooks Lee (back) returns from the injured list. Castro should be a regular in the lineup, but he may alternate positions to give players days off or to fill in for an injury.

Larnach started at DH and went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Thursday's 5-3 loss against the Cardinals.

Larnach should get plenty of playing time against right-handed pitching in left field or at DH. He hit cleanup Thursday and should stay in the middle of the lineup even when Royce Lewis returns from a hamstring injury. Larnach will likely sit against most left-handed starters, however.

Jax allowed a run on a home run and a walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning Thursday against the Cardinals.

Jax wasn't sharp in his first outing of the season as he was pulled after 21 pitches. Jax will reprise his late inning setup role again this season and should see some save chances when Jhoan Duran is used earlier in the game or unavailable.

Eovaldi didn't factor into the decision after giving up two runs on three hits in six innings Thursday against Boston. He struck out nine.

It was a strong performance by Eovaldi, who bounced back following a shaky spring training that saw him yield eight runs in 13 Cactus League innings. The veteran right-hander mostly kept the Red Sox bats quiet, but he did allow a Connor Wong single to drive in a run in the third inning and a Wilyer Abreu home run to plate another in the fifth frame. Eovaldi projects to make his next start on the road next week against the Reds, though he may carry more fantasy risk than usual at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.

Crochet didn't factor into the decision after giving up two runs on five hits and two walks in five innings Thursday against Texas. He struck out four.

Making his Red Sox debut after being acquired from the White Sox during the offseason, the hard-throwing lefty fired five solid innings against a righty-dominant Rangers lineup. Boston didn't grab the lead until the ninth inning, keeping Crochet out of the win column Thursday. Crochet tentatively has another tough matchup against the Orioles on the road next week, and he'll be looking to further build on his early success with his new team after allowing a lone run with a whopping 30 punchouts in 15.2 innings during spring training.

Abreu went 3-for-3 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's 5-3 win over Texas.

Abreu knotted the game at 2-2 with a fifth-inning solo shot off Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and later put the Red Sox in front with a three-run blast in the ninth. Although he'll likely regularly operate in the lower part of Boston's batting order when starting, the left-handed-hitting Abreu should see plenty of playing time in 2025 while sitting on the strong side of a platoon in right field with Rob Refsnyder.