MLB Player News

Kayfus started in left field and went 0-for-2 in Sunday's 8-0 loss to the Mariners. He was also hit by a pitch.

Kayfus made his second career big-league start in left field and it showed on a couple of balls that led to Seattle rallies. Both were hit by lefties that have strong pull tendencies, and Kayfus had to range far from the gap in left-center to make the plays but couldn't. "He was in the right position," manager Stephen Vogt said of Kayfus to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. "They had a couple of balls that found the line. It's a relatively new position for CJ. A couple of unfortunate plays that went their way. They made us pay for them." It was the first instance of Vogt's decision to have four-time Gold Glove winning left fielder Steven Kwan play center field. The position switch was designed to inject more offensive punch into the lineup at the outfield corners. One unfortunate night may not impact Vogt's decision, but continued issues in left field could result in a reduction of playing time for Kayfus.

Duran started at second base and went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Phillies.

Duran entered the starting nine for the first time this season, replacing Josh Smith at second base against Philadelphia lefty Jesus Luzardo. There's been no indication Duran and Smith are in a strict platoon -- Smith started Opening Day against a lefty -- and Sunday's start could merely be manager Skip Schumaker keeping his bench players involved.

Haggerty started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a run scored in Sunday's 8-3 win over Philadelphia.

Haggerty, who replaced Evan Carter against a lefty, singled and scored in the third inning. The former occupies the short end of a platoon, as Carter has struggled against southpaws. The switch-hitting Haggerty, who is better against lefties than righties, was eventually removed when a right-handed reliever entered the contest. In a minor role for the Rangers in 2025, Haggerty stole 12 bases in 64 games, the third time in the previous four seasons he's reached double-digit steals in a part-time role.

Nimmo went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Phillies.

Nimmo gave Texas a lead it would never relinquish with a two-run home run in the third inning, his first in a Rangers' uniform. He was one of three new employees that contributed to the win along with Andrew McCutchen (HR, three RBI) and winning pitcher MacKenzie Gore (two runs, seven Ks, 5.1 innings). The early returns are positive for Nimmo, who also contributed to Saturday's win and went 4-for-12 out of the leadoff spot in winning two of three on the road against Philadelphia.

Walker went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, a double and two additional runs scored Sunday's 11-7 loss to the Rays.

Walker turned in his eighth career game with at least three hits, smashing his first homer of the year in the process. The 23-year-old was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and he profiles as a post-hype sleeper of sorts during his fourth season in the big leagues in 2026. Walker is set to be St. Louis' everyday right fielder moving forward, but he may need to move up a bit in the batting order to increase his fantasy upside.

Wiemer went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run, a triple, a walk and an additional RBI in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Cubs.

It was the first career triple for Wiemer, who's off to an impressive start with his new club. The 27-year-old has gone a perfect 6-for-6 with a pair of long balls in two appearances for the Nationals so far. Jacob Young's standout defense may be enough to keep him in the top spot in center field, but Wiemer is capable of playing the entire outfield and is pushing for more at-bats in the early going.

Donovan went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 8-0 win over the Guardians.

The 29-year-old utility man is off to a fast start in his new digs, recording two homers, four RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base across his first 14 at-bats with the Mariners. Donovan has hit leadoff in three games as opposed to sixth in the lineup in one contest, and his fantasy value should benefit if he continues to bat first going forward, which he should do against right-handed pitchers.

Cecconi (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Mariners, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out five.

The right-hander managed to make it through three scoreless innings to begin his outing, but the Mariners throttled him for six runs across the fourth and fifth frames. Three of the hits he allowed went for extra bases, though Cecconi was at least able to stretch out to 93 pitches in his first start of the campaign. Cecconi has a difficult assignment slated for next weekend versus the Cubs, which might limit his streaming appeal.

Hancock (1-0) earned the win Sunday against the Guardians, allowing no runs on no hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out nine.

Hancock is taking Bryce Miller's (oblique) place in Seattle's starting rotation for the time being, and the former filled in admirably during his first turn through the rotation. Hancock set a career high in strikeouts Sunday, completely silencing the Cleveland bats in the hit column. The right-hander should be able to remain a starter for the Mariners for at least the next few weeks, and he figures to be a popular fantasy pickup ahead of his next scheduled start against the division-rival Angels.

Neto went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run during the Angels' 9-7 loss to the Astros on Sunday.

Neto gave the Angels a 6-4 lead in the fourth inning by blasting a two-run shot off Roddery Munoz. It was Neto's second home run of the season, and he'll finish the four-game series against Houston having gone 4-for-17 (.235) with one steal, five runs scored and three RBI.