MLB Player News

Burger went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 5-3 loss to Philadelphia.

Burger, who started at first base and batted cleanup, picked up where he left off in the Cactus League. The righty slugger posted a .327/.413/.592 slash line with four home runs and 14 RBI over 19 games in spring training. His spring production and Opening Day homer suggest a potential rebound campaign for Burger, who endured a trying 2025 season. He dealt with a couple of soft-tissue injuries and eventually underwent offseason surgery to address a condition in his left wrist that bugged him during the season.

Stanek picked up the save Thursday against the Rays, allowing no hits and three walks in a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one.

The right-hander drew St. Louis' first save opportunity of the year in his team debut, suggesting he's firmly in the mix for ninth-inning work. It's perhaps too early to tell if he'll get the bulk of the save chances in 2026, but Stanek could be worth a speculative pickup in fantasy leagues as this situation shakes out. JoJo Romero and Riley O'Brien worked the seventh and eighth innings respectively Thursday.

Rogers allowed one hit while striking out one over a scoreless inning in Thursday's 2-1 loss against Baltimore.

Rogers was used in the eighth inning in a game the Twins were trailing 2-1. It was a high-leverage situation, but Cole Sands was warming up in case the Twins tied the game or took the lead. Rogers may still figure into the closer mix, but manager Derek Shelton has said he's still figuring out his bullpen and roles will be determined by performance early in the season.

Jax blew the save Thursday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

The Rays had mounted a 7-1 lead in the sixth inning before St. Louis came roaring back in the second half of the frame, and Jax was unable to put out the fire. The right-hander entered the year as one of Tampa Bay's favorites for saves, with Edwin Uceta (shoulder) on the injured list, but Thursday's effort won't do him many favors. That said, Garrett Cleavinger gave up two runs in one-third of an inning, so this closer committee appears to be very much unsettled.

Martin went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Thursday's loss against the Orioles. He started in left field and batted leadoff.

It looks like Martin will bat leadoff against left-handed starters as he platoons in left field with James Outman or Trevor Larnach. Martin did make a mental error by throwing to the wrong base which led to a run, so he could be in the manager's doghouse in the short term.

Liberatore didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Rays, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out two.

Despite giving up seven hits, the left-hander was able to limit the damage to just one run in his season debut. Liberatore topped out at 65 pitches during spring training, which he reached in his third Grapefruit League start, so he'll be looking to raise his pitch count even further his next time out after firing 78 pitches Thursday. Liberatore has a tough matchup at home against the Mets on tap for his second start of the year.

McCutchen started at designated hitter and went 1-for-2 with a double in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Phillies.

McCutchen got the start against Philadelphia lefty Cristopher Sanchez but was removed the moment a right-hander entered the game. The lefty-batting Joc Pederson pinch hit for McCutchen in the seventh inning. Those two are expected to make up a DH platoon to start the season.

Topa allowed one run on two hits with no walks or strikeouts over one inning in Thursday's 2-1 loss against the Orioles.

Topa was used in the seventh inning in a tied game in his first appearance. While he could be used in late-inning save situations at some point, his first usage of the season wouldn't seem to indicate he's at the top of the mix for save opportunities.

Lewis hit eighth in the batting order and went 0-for-2 and grounded into a double play in Thursday's 2-1 loss against Baltimore. He was also hit by a pitch before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the ninth inning with the tying run on base.

Lewis struggled during spring training by hitting .133 (6 for 45) with two home runs and a .449 OPS. The third baseman was once thought to be a future star who would hit in the heart of the order, but new manager Derek Shelton moved him lower in the lineup and didn't trust him in a key spot in the ninth inning. It shows that Lewis has a way to go to get back to his promising 2023 season, when he clubbed 15 homers and had a .920 OPS in 58 games.

Rasmussen didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on four hits and no walks in five innings. He struck out two.

It was a strong season debut overall for the right-hander, who was able to throw 73 pitches. It's worth noting that Rasmussen tossed 83 pitches in his final start of spring training a week ago, so it might have been a bit of a surprise to see him get pulled when he did Thursday. The Rays were careful about his workload in 2025 -- Rasmussen reached the 90-pitch mark just twice in 31 starts last season -- so his pitch count will remain worth monitoring early on this year.