MLB Player News

Blanco (2-0) allowed a hit and four walks over six shutout frames Sunday, striking out four and earning a win over Texas.

In his first start since firing a no-hitter against Toronto, Blanco carried a no-no through 5.2 frames before Adolis Garcia squeaked a single through the infield. The 30-year-old righty relied more heavily on his fastball Sunday, using it 50 percent of the time with a 93.7 mph average velocity. He's turned in 16 shutout frames with an 11:6 K:BB to begin the year. Blanco will look to continue riding the momentum in his next outing, which is lined up to be a rematch with the Rangers.

Houck (2-0) allowed four hits and two walks over six shutout frames Sunday, striking out seven and earning a win over the Angels.

Houck was dominant Sunday, allowing just one extra-base hit and, at one point, retiring 10 consecutive Angels. He's started the season with 12 shutout frames and a terrific 17:2 K:BB in two starts. Houck posted an 8.4 K/9 in both 2022 and 2023 but he's seemingly tapped back into the strikeout potential he displayed earlier in his MLB career. The 27-year-old is projected for a rematch with the Angels at home next weekend.

Silseth (0-1) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over five innings Sunday, striking out seven and taking a loss against Boston.

All three hits against Silseth came in the span of four batters during the third inning, and all three left the park. He's now given up six earned runs through eight innings in two starts despite a strong 12:4 K:BB. Silseth forced nine swinging strikes on 91 pitches Sunday after getting 13 whiffs on 76 pitches in his season debut. Silseth is currently lined up for a rematch in Boston next weekend.

McKinstry went 1-for-3 with a walk in Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Athletics and is now batting .313 across seven appearances this season.

McKinstry isn't known as an offensive threat, but he's off to a strong start in his utility role. He started at shortstop Sunday with regular Javier Baez, who is batting just .154 so far, getting the day off. Baez will likely stick as the primary starter, though McKinstry could start to earn more playing time if he continues to reach base at a solid clip.

Trout went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to Boston. He was also hit by a pitch.

The game was already out of reach when Trout finally put the Angels on the board with his eighth-inning shot. He swiped his second bag of the year earlier in the game, and the solo homer was his fourth of the season. Trout's now slashing .250/.351/.625 with four RBI and a 4:8 BB:K through 37 plate appearances.

Rafaela went 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 12-2 win over the Angels.

Rafaela started the game on the bench, giving him a chance to reset amid a rough start. The outfielder entered the game slashing .185/.250/.296, while chasing pitches outside the zone at a rate of 47 percent. "His timing's off," manager Alex Cora told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. "Late on the fastballs, early on the offspeed pitches. Like the great Carlos Delgado used to say, 'You're in a bad spot if that happens.' We'll work on it, but it's just part of the growing pains." Rafaela entered the blowout as a pinch hitter for Wilyer Abreu and put together some of his best swings of the season, including an opposite-field triple off the fence.

O'Neill went 1-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Sunday's 12-2 win over the Angels.

O'Neill and the Red Sox finished off a season-opening, 10-game road trip in style. The team clubbed five home runs Sunday and went 7-3 out west, and O'Neill launched his fifth homer of the trip, during which he batted .357 (10-for-28) and slugged .892. He was moved to third in the order, taking the spot that had belonged to Trevor Story (shoulder), who is unavailable for an undetermined amount of time.

Anderson allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over three innings Sunday, striking out one batter and earning a save over the Angels.

For the second time this month, Anderson secured a three-inning save in a blowout win. Those have also been his only two appearances so far this season. Anderson has produced a 3.00 ERA with a 4:1 K:BB through six innings. He should continue working in a long-relief role.

McGuire went 2-for-4 with a home run, five RBI, a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's win over the Angels.

McGuire filled the stat sheet Sunday, highlighted by his three-run blast in the sixth inning. He's gone deep twice in the last three games and posted his second multi-hit game of the season. The 29-year-old catcher is slashing .333/.385/.625 with three extra-base hits and eight RBI through nine games.

Hamilton went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's win over the Angels.

Hamilton's solo shot in the third inning was the first of four on the day for the Red Sox. It was his season debut after starting the year with Triple-A Worcester. He posted a .750 OPS with two long balls there before the promotion. He should continue seeing some big-league playing time with Trevor Story (shoulder) out.