MLB Player News

Manzardo went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double, a triple and four total RBI in Thursday's 7-4 win over Kansas City.

Manzardo starred in Cleveland's Opening Day win, ultimately winding up a single shy of a cycle. The left-hander put the Guardians ahead 4-3 with a two-run homer off Angel Zerpa in the fourth inning before driving in two more runs with a triple in the 10th, the first of his MLB career. Manzardo already came into the season as a popular sleeper candidate after a strong showing in Spring Training. He slashed .234/.282/.421 with five homers and 15 RBI in 156 plate appearances as a rookie last year.

Benintendi went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run during Thursday's 8-1 win over the Angels.

Just weeks earlier, Benintendi's availability for Opening Day appeared to be in peril after he suffered a fractured right hand Feb. 27, when he was hit by a pitch. He healed quickly, however, returning to the White Sox's spring lineup March 19 and appearing in four Cactus League games before getting the green light for Opening Day. According to Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times, Benintendi said he felt comfortable playing the outfield, but the White Sox chose to deploy him as their designated hitter in the season opener, perhaps out of an abundance of caution. Benintendi got off to a slow start to the day with strikeouts in his first two at-bats, but he came up big in the bottom of the eighth inning, extended the White Sox lead on a 397-foot, three-run home run off Ryan Johnson. Benintendi hit 20 home runs in 2024, which tied a career-best he set in 2017 with the Red Sox, but he's failed to crack .700 OPS over his last two seasons after doing so in six of the seven prior campaigns.

Burke (1-0) earned the win against the Angels on Thursday after allowing three hits and no walks while striking out three across six scoreless innings.

Making the first Opening Day start of his career, Burke was a bit rocky early Thursday as he allowed four baserunners in the first two innings, but he kept the Halos off the board and followed up by retiring the final 13 batters he faced. It was a strong start to the 2025 campaign for the 25-year-old after he posted a 1.42 ERA across 19 frames in his first taste of the majors down the stretch last year. He's tentatively slated to pitch next week against the Twins at home.

Lively did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 7-4 win over Kansas City, allowing three runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out three.

Lively was announced as Cleveland's Opening Day starter Thursday morning after Tanner Bibee (illness) was a late scratch. The 33-year-old Lively filled in admirably, with all of Kansas City's offense coming on Vinnie Pasquantino's three-run homer in the third. Lively figures to hold down a spot at the backend of Cleveland's rotation after going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 151 innings last year.

Sewald earned the save in Thursday's 7-4 extra-inning win over the Royals, striking out one in a perfect 10th inning.

After Kansas City tied the game off Emmanuel Clase in the bottom of the ninth, Sewald successfully preserved a three-run lead in the 10th to earn the save in his first appearance with the Guardians. Sewald, who signed a one-year deal with Cleveland in the offseason, started the 2024 season as the Diamondbacks' closer, though he struggled in the second half before eventually losing the ninth-inning job. While Sewald won't overtake Clase, it looks like the 34-year-old right-hander will be trusted with a high-leverage role.

Ragans did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 10-inning loss to the Guardians. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings while striking out three.

Ragans had to contend with traffic for most of his outing, as the Guardians had men on base in all but two innings. The left-hander was ultimately forced out of the game after Carlos Santana led off the sixth with a base hit. Expectations are understandably high for Ragans this year after he pitched to a 3.14 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and 223 strikeouts in 32 starts last season. He currently lines up to face the Brewers on the road in his next outing.

Hendriks was diagnosed with a compressed nerve in his right elbow and expects to resume throwing early next week, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Hendriks landed on the injured list Thursday after a tough spring, though the team was optimistic his absence would be brief. The initial diagnosis confirms that outlook, and Hendriks could be back after the 15-day minimum if his recovery goes smoothly.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a single during Thursday's 3-1 win over the Mets.

The 22-year-old Smith earned a spot on the Astros' Opening Day roster after a strong spring and started in right field Thursday. Batting seventh in his MLB debut, he wasted no time registering the first hit of his big-league career, delivering the first pitch of his first at-bat through the right side of the infield during the second inning. The 2024 first-round pick made it to the majors with just 32 minor-league games under his belt, but he's now getting a chance as Houston's primary right fielder.

Clase (1-0) blew the save but picked up a win in Thursday's 7-4 extra-inning victory over the Royals. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out one in the ninth inning.

Clase was nearly perfect last season, converting 47 of 50 save opportunities while pitching to a pristine 0.61 ERA. However, it was a rocky start to the 2025 campaign for the right-hander. Tasked with protecting a one-run lead, Clase gave up back-to-back hits to start the ninth before Michael Massey tied the game with a sac fly. While he'd eventually earn the win after Cleveland scored three runs in the top of the tenth, it certainly wasn't the start to the year that fantasy managers expected. Still, there's little cause for concern here as Clase has proven to be one of the game's elite closers, posting 40 or more saves in each of his previous three seasons.

Valdez (1-0) picked up the win Thursday against the Mets, striking out four and giving up four hits and two walks across seven scoreless frames.

Valdez got off to a rocky start by allowing one hit and one walk in the first frame, but he managed to escape unscathed and didn't face much resistance over the following six innings. The Astros' shutout was broken in the ninth inning when Josh Hader gave up a sacrifice fly to Francisco Lindor, but the southpaw reliever managed to punch out Juan Soto for the save to give Valdez the Opening Day victory. It's a strong start to the 2025 season for Valdez after posting career bests in 2024 in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.11) across 176.1 regular-season frames. He's tentatively slated to face off against the Giants at home next week.