MLB Player News

Perez did not factor into the decision in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rockies, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over seven innings.

Perez surrendered two home runs but was otherwise effective, throwing 59 of 93 pitches for strikes and generating 17 whiffs. According to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, it marked just the third time in 40 career outings that the 22-year-old reached the seventh frame. The breakout candidate posted a 4.25 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 105:32 K:BB across 95.1 innings last season and flashed his upside Saturday. He'll face a tougher test on the road against the Yankees next weekend.

Nola allowed three runs on five hits and two walks across five innings in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Rangers. He struck out seven.

Nola was burned by the long ball, surrendering a solo shot to Corey Seager in the first inning before Jake Burger took Nola deep for a two-run home run in the third. The right-hander was let off the hook for the loss when the Phillies rallied to tie the game in the ninth inning. The homers have been a consistent theme for the 32-year-old, who served up 18 in 17 starts last year and at least 30 in each of the previous two regular seasons.

Phillips (1-0-) threw two scoreless innings against the Red Sox on Saturday, picking up the win when the Reds walked it off in the 11th inning. He struck out three without allowing a hit or a walk.

Phillips played an increasingly important role in the Reds bullpen when they pushed to win a wild-card spot last season. He's unlikely to displace Emilio Pagan, Tony Santillan or even Graham Ashcraft in the bullpen pecking order for the Reds, but he could serve as a nice pivot whenever one or more of them is unavailable.

Pagan was charged with a blown save in Saturday's extra-innings win against the Red Sox, giving up a solo homer with two strikeouts and no walks over 1.1 innings.

Pagan has always been a little prone to giving up home runs, including 10 during the 2025 regular season, and served up a two-out solo shot to Wilyer Abreu in the ninth inning Saturday to blow the save. The right-hander converted 32 of 38 opportunities with a 2.88 ERA last season and inked a two-year, $20 million contract in December, so the early blown save shouldn't alter his job security.

Crow-Armstrong went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and two stolen bases in Saturday's 10-2 win over the Nationals.

After swiping a career-high 35 bags on 43 attempts last season, Crow-Armstrong was successful on his first two tries in 2026. The 24-year-old center fielder is off to a hot start at the plate, going 4-for-9 in two games with a 1:3 BB:K, but he's still looking for his first extra-base hit of the year.

Horton (1-0) picked up the win Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over 6.1 innings in a 10-2 rout of the Nationals. He struck out four.

The only real mistake Horton made in the quality start came on a 95.2-mph fastball he grooved over the plate in the fourth inning, which James Wood deposited in the left-field bleachers at Wrigley Field. Horton is coming off a rookie campaign in which he delivered a 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 97:33 K:BB over his first 118 regular-season innings, and big things are expected from the 24-year-old right-hander in 2026. His next start lines up to come on the road next weekend in Cleveland.

Wood went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 10-2 loss to the Cubs.

Hitting leadoff against right-hander Cade Horton, Wood took the Chicago hurler deep in the fourth inning of what proved to be a rout. It was the 23-year-old outfielder's first hit of the season as he's struggled to find his rhythm at the plate, going 1-for-9 with five strikeouts over the Nationals' first two games.

Mikolas (0-1) took the loss Saturday, coughing up six runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks over five innings in a 10-2 loss to the Cubs. He struck out four.

The veteran right-hander was brought in to soak up innings for a rebuilding Nationals rotation, so he took his lumps over 97 pitches (57 strikes) even after Chicago posted a four-spot in the second inning. Mikolas didn't have an ERA lower than 4.78 in any of the last three seasons while pitching for St. Louis, and that doesn't look like it'll change with Washington. Things won't get any easier for Mikolas in his next scheduled start, which is expected to come at home next weekend against the Dodgers.

Stanek (1-0) blew the save but collected the win in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning victory over the Rays, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits over 1.1 innings. He struck out two.

With the Cardinals ahead 4-0, Matt Svanson got the call in the ninth inning but ran into trouble, and Stanek allowed two inherited runners to score before the tying run was added to his own ledger on a Nick Fortes single. Stanek allowed an additional unearned run in the top of the 10th but got bailed out when rookie JJ Wetherholt walked it off in the bottom of the frame. While Stanek has gotten the Cards' first two save chances of the season, converting the first one, he's looked shaky in both outings and has a 3.86 ERA and 3:3 K:BB in his first 2.1 innings of the season.

Wetherholt went 2-for-5 with a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Rays.

With one out and runners on second and third in the 10th inning, Wetherholt walked it off by hooking a grounder into right field. The 23-year-old second baseman has made an impact in two straight games to begin his MLB career after homering in his debut Thursday, and while he also committed a throwing error Saturday, he has otherwise quickly established his credentials as an early favorite to win NL Rookie of the year.