MLB Player News

Tellez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run during Sunday's 9-7 victory over the Marlins.

Tellez earned the start against Marlins lefty starter Trevor Rogers and struck out three times prior to crushing a go-ahead three-run homer off right-handed reliever Vladimir Gutierrez in the seventh. It was the first homer of the season for Tellez, who started just two of the four games in Miami due to the Marlins' lefty-heavy rotation. The Pirates are scheduled to face a fifth-straight southpaw Monday in MacKenzie Gore of the Nationals, putting Tellez at risk of sitting for the third time in five games. However, Tellez is slated to be the primary first-basemen against righties, and as the Pirates' schedule normalizes, he will be in line for the bulk of the work.

Wicks pitched four innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out six batters in Sunday's 9-5 win over the Rangers. He did not factor into the decision.

Wicks had a quite the mixed bag of a performance Sunday. On one hand, striking out six batters over four innings is impressive, but on the other hand, he also allowed eight batters to reach base. The defense behind Wicks committed two errors, so he had to work a little harder to make it through four frames. The left-hander is tentatively set to return to the mound Saturday for a tough matchup at home versus the Dodgers.

Bednar (1-0) earned the victory and blew a save against Miami on Sunday, allowing one run on one hit in his lone inning of work. He struck out two.

Bednar came into the game with a one-run lead looking to earn his first save of the season but allowed a game-tying pinch-hit home run to Nick Gordon. The Pirates then scored twice in the 10th to secure the victory for Bednar. The Pirates' closer did not pitch in the first two games of the series after coming out of spring training with a lat injury, but he worked back-to-back days Saturday and Sunday, which is a great sign for his status moving forward.

Feltner (0-1) yielded five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks over five innings Sunday, striking out four and taking a loss against Arizona.

Feltner struggled out of the gate Sunday, coughing up three runs in the first frame, including a two-run homer from Christian Walker. After following with three shutout innings, Feltner gave up two unearned runs in the fifth. The 27-year-old should have a spot in the rotation for now but shouldn't be trusted in most fantasy formats.

Walker went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Sunday's win over the Rockies. He was also hit by a pitch

For the second time in three days, Walker went deep in the first inning against Colorado. The veteran first baseman drilled 30-plus homers with an OPS over .800 in each of the last two seasons and is off to a strong start in 2024. He's slashing .313/.421/.750 with three extra-base hits and five RBI through four games.

Falter did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks over four innings against the Marlins. He struck out two.

Falter allowed five runs in the first inning, capped by a grand slam by Jazz Chisholm, but settled down thereafter in allowing just one more run through four innings and giving the Pirates an opportunity for the comeback win. Falter earned the starting role out of spring training, but with the likes of Luis Ortiz and Roansy Contreras nipping at his heels on the big-league roster, along with Quinn Priester and Paul Skenes at Triple-A, Falter will need far better outings than what he produced Sunday to remain in the rotation. His next start won't get any easier, as he's tentatively slated for a home matchup against the Orioles next weekend.

Pfaadt (1-0) yielded a run on five hits over five frames Sunday, striking out six and earning a win over the Rockies.

Pfaadt cruised through four shutout innings before the Rockies finally pushed a run home in the fifth. The 25-year-old righty had just six punchouts through 10.2 frames in Cactus League play but showed better strikeout stuff Sunday. While he threw 61 of 87 pitches for strikes, only eight of those were whiffs. Pfaadt is riding momentum from the 2023 postseason and will look to keep it rolling in his next outing, which is projected to be in Atlanta.

Jefferies left his start against the Padres on Sunday a little worse for wear, as he is dealing with left hip discomfort, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Jefferies had a rough go of it against San Diego, allowing nine runs (five earned) on nine hits while striking out a batter over two innings. To make matters worse, he's now dealing with an injury that will be evaluated again Monday.

Thomas went 1-for-4 with three RBI and two stolen bases in Sunday's loss to the Reds.

Thomas notched his first hit of the season with a two-run scoring single in the fifth inning. However, he wasn't done yet, as he promptly stole both second and third before the inning concluded. Thomas had a tough opening weekend, going only 1-for-12 against the Reds, but he'll look to turn things around with two home series against the Pirates and Phillies this week.

Benson went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and three RBI in Sunday's victory over the Nationals.

Benson took Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan deep in the ninth inning with a two-run homer to tie the game. He also notched his third double of the season earlier in the game. Benson has started hot out of the gate for the Reds, garnering three straight starts and going 5-for-12 with four extra-base hits. He should maintain a regular lineup spot so long as TJ Friedl (wrist) is out.