MLB Player News

Sasaki (0-1) took the loss against Cleveland on Monday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters over four innings.

Amidst Sasaki's disastrous spring, there was a lot of chatter about whether the young hurler was deserving of a spot in the Dodgers' rotation. The team decided to stick with him, and Sasaki mostly looked good in his first regular-season start in spite of being handed the defeat. The right-hander was particularly effective when he went to his cutter and splitter, getting seven whiffs on 40 pitches versus just two whiffs on the 38 fastballs he threw. Sasaki may not have the longest of leashes, so this outing should be counted as a success in contrast to how he pitched during most of the spring slate. His next start is projected to take place on the road against the Nationals.

Hicks allowed one walk and struck out one across 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the save Monday against the Marlins.

Hicks was tasked with protecting a five-run lead, though he tallied the final out in the eighth inning with the bases loaded. He picked up the save as a result, but he still doesn't figure to compete for the closer role for the time being. In addition to Monday's performance not coming in a conventional save situation, Seranthony Dominguez was likely not available after pitching in both of the previous two days.

Suarez (0-1) took the loss Monday against the Astros, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 4.1 innings.

Making his Red Sox debut after signing a five-year, $130 million deal this offseason, Suarez ran into trouble early. The left-hander opened the game by allowing three straight singles but limited the damage to just one run. Suarez couldn't piece it back together however, as he gave up a two-run homer to Yordan Alvarez shortly after in the third and a 434-foot solo shot to Brice Matthews in the fifth. The 30-year-old allowed a hit in all but one inning and generated just six whiffs, with his velocity topping out at 92.5 mph. Despite the trouble Monday, Suarez is more than capable of bouncing back as he's coming off a strong 2025 campaign in which he posted a 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 151 strikeouts over 157.1 innings

Hays went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run Monday against the Marlins.

Hays provided the key blow in a four-run third inning for the White Sox, popping his first home run of the season. While that was a positive, Hays struck out in all four of his other at-bats and now has eight strikeouts across only 15 plate appearances to begin the campaign. Despite those struggles, he's started three of four games in left field while hitting fifth in the order twice and third on Monday.

Messick (1-0) earned the win over the Dodgers on Monday, allowing five hits and striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.

Messick had to earn his spot in Cleveland's rotation with a strong spring, and he looked like an ace against the defending champs. The left-hander gave up just one extra-base hit (a Miguel Rojas double) and threw 51 strikes among his efficient 76 pitches. Messick had an intriguing first big-league stint with a 2.72 ERA and 8.6 K/9 over seven regular-season starts last year, and he'll probably be a popular waiver-wire pickup (in leagues in which he's unrostered) following Monday's standout outing. He'll look to build more momentum in his next start, which is tentatively slated to take place at home against the Cubs.

Castro went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Monday against the Blue Jays.

Castro has occupied a key spot in the Colorado lineup, starting at second base while hitting third in all four of the team's games. He drove in a pair with a double in the sixth inning, his first RBI of the season and with the Rockies. Castro has one hit in each of his last three games.

Merrill went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Monday in a loss to the Giants.

The Padres were down to their last out and in danger of being shut out before Merrill breathed life into the offense with a two-run blast off Giants closer Ryan Walker. The long ball was Merrill's first of the season and just his third hit through 15 at-bats. The Padres offense has been struggling as a whole, and Merrill will be among those most counted on to turn things around for the team given his spot in the middle of the lineup.

McCullers (1-0) earned the win Monday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out nine over seven innings.

McCullers delivered a dominant outing, racking up 17 whiffs and cruising through six innings while facing the minimum number of batters before running into trouble in the seventh. The right-hander allowed two baserunners and an RBI double to Wilyer Abreu for his lone run but escaped the jam by striking out Masataka Yoshida on a full count with runners on second and third. It marked the 32-year-old's first time completing seven innings since 2022, a promising sign after injuries have limited his production in recent seasons, including a 6.51 ERA across 55.1 innings in 2025. McCullers will look to build off Monday's performance in his next scheduled start against a good Athletics lineup.

Johnston went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run Monday against the Blue Jays.

Johnston has alternated starts with Jordan Beck in right field to begin the season, and he has also benefited from the absence of Mickey Moniak (finger). Johnston managed his first home run with the Rockies by taking Spencer Miles deep in the sixth inning in Monday's blowout win. His playing time still looks uncertain, though he has started the campaign with three hits across nine plate appearances.

Buehler (0-1) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters over four innings in a loss to San Francisco on Monday.

After signing with the Padres on a minor-league deal in mid-February, Buehler pitched well enough during spring training to earn a spot in the team's Opening Day rotation. The right-hander got through two scoreless innings in his regular-season debut, but Buehler fell behind on a solo homer off the bat of Harrison Bader in the third frame. Things got worse for Buehler in the fourth, as the Giants struck for two more runs on three singles and a walk. Overall, Buehler threw 43 of 72 pitches for strikes and notched eight whiffs. He's likely to get more opportunities to start, though Walker will probably need to pitch better to remain in the rotation when Griffin Canning (Achilles) and Joe Musgrove (elbow) eventually return from the IL.