MLB Player News

Painter allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out one batter over four innings in a no-decision against San Francisco on Monday.

Painter thrilled with 5.1 innings of one-run ball in his MLB debut against Washington last Tuesday, but he was far less impressive this time around. The right-hander gave up at least one hit in each frame in which he appeared, with his worst inning being the third, when the Giants tagged him for three runs on a pair of singles, a double and a triple. Painter exited trailing 4-0, but Philadelphia was able to mount a comeback to take him off the hook. The rookie hurler lines up to make his next start at home against Arizona.

Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Monday in a loss to the Angels.

Baldwin gave Atlanta a quick lead with a solo homer in the first inning. He added a single to finish as the only Atlanta player with multiple hits in the loss. Baldwin has followed up his Rookie of the Year 2025 campaign with a blistering start to 2026, slashing .318/.388/.682 through 49 plate appearances. His five long balls and 13 RBI are each tied for the top mark in MLB.

Stephenson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's win over the Marlins.

Stephenson provided key insurance with a solo homer in the eighth inning, extending Cincinnati's lead late. It was the catcher's second home run of the season and third RBI. After opening the year hitless in his first four games, the 29-year-old has begun to turn things around slightly with hits in three of his last four contests. Still, Stephenson is slashing just .167/.200/.417 through 25 plate appearances, making him a frustrating early-season option for fantasy managers.

Sale (2-1) took the loss against the Angels on Monday, completing four innings and allowing six runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters.

Sale was staked to an early lead on a first-inning Drake Baldwin solo homer, but he quickly gave that back when Zach Neto led off the bottom of the frame with a solo shot of his own. Neither team scored again until the fourth, when the Angels put up three more runs. Sale was his own worst enemy in that frame, as he walked two batters and hit two others with pitches. The left-hander was allowed to return for the fifth, but he gave up a single followed by a Jo Adell two-run blast before being pulled. Sale did manage to rack up seven punchouts during his time in the game, but his ERA jumped from 0.75 to 3.94 as a result of the flood of runs against him.

Pagan earned the save Monday against the Marlins, tossing a perfect ninth inning.

Entering the ninth inning with a two-run lead, Pagan needed just 13 pitches to secure the save, turning in a clean and efficient frame. The 34-year-old has now converted four of his five save opportunities this season, though his 7.11 ERA remains inflated from a rough outing against Pittsburgh last Wednesday. Since then, Pagan's bounced back well, allowing just one hit while striking out two in three appearances.

Junk (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Reds, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 7.1 innings.

Junk turned in a strong outing despite being tagged with the loss, keeping Cincinnati hitless into the fourth inning before allowing back-to-back hits that produced the game's first run. The right-hander settled in from there, working three more scoreless frames before Tyler Stephenson led off the eighth with a solo homer that accounted for the final damage. Monday's outing marked the longest of the 30-year-old's career across 38 appearances. While Junk admitted in a postgame interview that he didn't feel he had his best stuff, his ability to compete and navigate deep into the game was an encouraging sign moving forward into his next start, scheduled against Detroit.

Wood went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, two walks and an additional run scored in Monday's win over St. Louis.

That's now back-to-back games with a homer for the 23-year-old outfielder, who also tallied his first multi-hit effort of the campaign Monday. Wood is starting to emerge from what's been a bit of a sluggish start -- he's hitting just .163 but has three long balls, nine RBI and three doubles over his first 43 at-bats. Wood also hasn't even attempted to steal a base yet after swiping 15 bags a year ago, so fantasy managers are hoping to see him start running soon.

Johnston went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, two total runs and two total RBI in a 9-7 win against Houston on Monday.

The Rockies trailed 3-0 before exploding for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth. Johnston was a big part of that explosion, cashing in a run on a double and subsequently coming around to score. The 28-year-old then accounted for Colorado's final run with a 407-foot solo blast in the sixth. Johnston batted cleanup Monday and could stick there if he continues to swing a hot bat. On the season, he's slashing .333/.355/.600 with two homers, five RBI and four runs.

Zerpa picked up the save Monday against Boston, giving up one run on two hits and no walks in the ninth inning.

With closer Trevor Megill and top setup man Abner Uribe both likely unavailable after working each of the past two days, it was Zerpa who drew the save opportunity and came away with his first career save. Things weren't easy though, as Willson Contreras homered and Wilyer Abreu singled to bring the potential tying run to the plate, but Zerpa got Trevor Story to ground out to end the game. The left-hander should see occasional high-leverage work, but Megill and Uribe are still the primary ninth-inning options in most situations.

Taillon (0-1) was saddled with the loss Monday against the Rays, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out four in six innings of work.

Taillon had trouble keeping the ball in the yard Monday, making two costly mistakes that accounted for all three of the earned runs he surrendered. The 34-year-old had a solid outing otherwise as he worked through six innings and kept the Cubs in the game. His season-long ERA now sits at 2.53 through two starts with his next scheduled start set for Sunday against the Pirates.