MLB Player News

Hancock (1-0) earned the win over Cleveland on Monday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out one batter over 5.1 innings.

Hancock slid into Seattle's rotation as a result of Bryan Woo's elbow injury and consequent placement on the injured list. Though he was far from dominant in his season debut, Hancock limited traffic on the basepaths and held the Guardians without an extra-base hit until the sixth inning, when Tyler Freeman knocked a solo homer off the right-hander to end his outing. Hancock doesn't have the type of overpowering stuff that fantasy managers like to see in a pitcher, but he should get at least a few more turns in the rotation with Woo expected to be sidelined several more weeks.

Anderson picked up the save Monday against the A's, tossing three scoreless innings on one hit and no walks. He struck out three.

Anderson took advantage of the lopsided score, polishing off three scoreless frames with his second-career save. Monday's outing marked the veteran's first with Boston after signing with the team following his release from the Pirates. Considering the Red Sox have several reliable arms out of the pen -- including closer Kenley Jansen -- Anderson shouldn't be expected to get many high-leverage looks this season.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Monday's win over the Blue Jays.

Diaz tacked on a third multi-hit game to open up the 2024 campaign, with both knocks coming on solo homers Monday. The backstop ranks second in runs batted in for Houston and is slashing .444/.500/.778 in five games and 18 at-bats -- an impressive start after putting up 23 homers and a .282 average in 2023.

Tucker went 2-for-3 with two two-run home runs during Monday's win over the Blue Jays.

Tucker delivered his first two long balls of the campaign -- one off righty Bowden Francis and one off lefty Genesis Cabrera. The outfielder has now logged multiple hits in three of his five 2024 appearances and has scored four times with five total RBI. His only deficit comes via the strikeout, being punched out in seven of his 20 at-bats.

Francis (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Astros, going 5.1 innings and allowing seven runs on 10 hits and a walk. He struck out seven.

Francis made his 22nd MLB appearance Monday. However, the outing marked his first start. The 28-year-old's lack of starting experience showed, as he served up a two-run homer to Kyle Tucker and a solo home run to Yainer Diaz in the first inning before being tagged by Jeremy Pena for a solo shot in the second frame. Despite the awful 2024 debut, fantasy managers should hold some level of hope for Francis if he makes another trip around the rotation considering his 1.73 ERA over 36.1 innings in 2023. While it's certainly possible the Blue Jays look elsewhere to fill in for Alek Manoah (shoulder), Francis is tentatively scheduled to face the Yankees on Sunday.

Blanco (1-0) tossed a no-hitter in Monday's 10-0 win over the Blue Jays, striking out seven and issuing two walks over nine innings.

Blanco claimed the first no-hitter of the 2024 campaign, spinning an absolute gem in just his eighth career start at the MLB level. The 30-year-old was pushed into the rotation with both Justin Verlander (shoulder) and Jose Urquidy (forearm) on the IL after not factoring into Houston's planned rotation this offseason. However, if Blanco continues to pitch this well, he could force Manager Joe Espada to keep him in the Astros fivesome. Blanco will close out what's expected to be a two-start week Sunday at Texas.

Dunning (1-0) allowed three runs on three hits and four walks over 6.1 innings Monday, striking out seven and earning a win over the Rays.

Dunning cruised through six shutout frames before coughing up home runs to Richie Palacios and Jose Siri in the seventh inning. Dunning tossed 93 pitches, including 18 whiffs, which would've been his second-best total in 2023. The 29-year-old has seen his strikeout rate consistently drop throughout his MLB career -- down to 7.3 K/9 in 2023 -- but he posted a 10.7 K/9 this spring and is off to a good start after Monday's outing. Dunning is currently in line to face the Astros at home this weekend.

Flexen (0-1) allowed four runs on six hits and three walks to earn the loss during Monday's loss to Atlanta. He struck out one.

Flexen started off strong by retiring the first seven batters he faced but only recorded six more outs while allowing nine baserunners and four runs during innings three through five. Flexen struggled with his command in throwing just nine of 22 first-pitch strikes, an uphill battle against any team, let alone against a dynamic Atlanta lineup. After posting consecutive seasons with an ERA of 3.61 and 3.73 over a combined 316.1 innings between 2021 and 2022, the veteran righty posted a 6.86 ERA and 1.67 WHIP last season over 102.1 innings between Colorado and Seattle. His season has gotten off to a rough start again this year, but he'll have an opportunity for a rebound this weekend as he's tentatively scheduled to face the Royals in Kansas City.

Palacios went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Monday's loss to Texas.

Palacios' solo shot in the seventh inning was his first hit as a Ray. He also stole his first bag of the season. The 26-year-old is now 1-for-8 on the year but has already drawn four walks. Palacios should continue to primarily see time against righties.

Siri went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and a double in Monday's loss to Texas. He was also hit by a pitch.

Siri doubled in the third inning before launching a two-run shot in the seventh. It was his first multi-hit game of the year and he's now slashing .294/.400/.529 with two extra-base hits and three steals. However, he owns an unsightly 1:7 BB:K through 20 plate appearances.