MLB Player News

Langeliers went 3-for-4 with two solo home runs during the Athletics' 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.

Langeliers provided all of the offense for the Athletics on Opening Day, with the All-Star catcher blasting solo home runs in the fourth and ninth innings off Kevin Gausman and Jeff Hoffman, respectively. It was Langeliers' second multi-homer game since 2025 and the seventh in his four-plus-year major-league career. The 28-year-old catcher is looking to build off his strong 2025 campaign, during which he posted a .861 OPS with 31 home runs, 72 RBI and seven steals across 523 plate appearances.

Hoffman (1-0) blew the save but came away with the win in Friday's game against the Athletics. He allowed one run on one hit while striking out four across one inning.

Hoffman was deployed in the ninth inning to preserve the Blue Jays' 2-1 lead. He struck out the first batter he faced before yielding a solo home run to Shea Langeliers. Hoffman struck out each of the next three batters faced (one reached base on a wild pitch), and he ended up coming away with the win after Andres Gimenez drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame. It wasn't the start to the season that Hoffman was hoping for, especially given that he blew the save opportunity in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers in November. He's still considered the Blue Jays' closer, but guys like Yimi Garcia (elbow) and Louis Varland could get save opportunities if Hoffman can't get the job done this season.

Gausman did not factor into the decision in the Blue Jays' 3-2 win over the Athletics on Friday. He allowed one run on one hit while striking out 11 across six innings without issuing a walk.

Gausman was dominant right out of the gate, striking out the side in the first inning and punching out seven of the first 10 batters he faced. His lone blemish came in the fourth inning, when he gave up a solo home run to Shea Langeliers, but the veteran right-hander struck out four more batters and finished Friday's game with 17 whiffs on 83 pitches (60 strikes) while setting a new franchise record for strikeouts on Opening Day. Gausman was in line for the win after the Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead in the fifth, but he had to settle for the no-decision after Jeff Hoffman yielded a solo shot to Langeliers in the ninth. Gausman will look for his first win of 2026 in his next start, tentatively slated for next week at home against the Rockies.

Bednar came away with the save in Friday's 3-0 win against the Giants, issuing one walk in a hitless, scoreless ninth inning.

Bednar was brought in for the ninth inning to protect the Yankees' three-run lead. He yielded a two-out walk to Matt Chapman but was able to close things out after getting Rafael Devers to ground out. After a rocky start to the 2025 season for the Pirates which saw him spend a few weeks in the minors before returning in late April, Bednar enters 2026 as the top closer option for the Yankees. He finished the 2025 regular season with the Bronx Bombers and logged 10 saves (in 13 attempts) with a 2.19 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 24.2 innings.

Judge went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during the Yankees' 3-0 win over the Giants on Friday.

Judge's 2026 campaign got off to a horrid start Wednesday, when he struck out four times in five plate appearances. He struck out another two times Friday, but the three-time AL MVP gave the Yankees the lead for good in the sixth inning, when he belted a two-run home run off Robbie Ray. Judge has won AL MVP honors in each of the last two seasons, and he's looking to become the fourth player in MLB history to hit 50 or more home runs in three consecutive seasons.

Ray (0-1) took the loss against the Yankees on Friday, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four across 5.1 innings. He did not issue a walk.

It was relatively smooth sailing through the first five innings of Ray's start Friday. That quickly changed in the sixth, when he yielded a two-run homer to Aaron Judge, and Ray ended up taking the loss after receiving zero run support from the Giants. It was still an encouraging performance out of the veteran southpaw, especially with the way he ended the 2025 regular season (8.33 ERA and 1.77 WHIP over 27.2 innings across his final six starts of the year). Ray is projected to make his next start during the Giants' four-game home series against the Mets that kicks off Thursday.

Schlittler (1-0) allowed one hit while striking out eight across 5.1 scoreless innings to pick up the win against the Giants on Friday. He did not issue a walk.

It was an outstanding start to the season for Schlittler, whose only hit allowed came in the second inning, when he yielded a double to Heliot Ramos. Schlittler was working through a back issue during spring training, so it wasn't surprising to see him toss just 68 pitches (49 strikes), but he still generated 13 whiffs despite the limited pitch count. It'll take a few more outings for Schlittler to be fully stretched out, so he'll probably operate under a similar pitch count in his next start, which is tentatively slated for next week on the road against the Mariners.

Smith (elbow) will serve as Arizona's designated hitter and bat fifth Friday against the Dodgers.

Smith was a late scratch from Thursday's lineup due to elbow soreness. MRI results on his elbow came back clean Friday, and after feeling good following pregame batting practice, he's been given the green light to DH. The 30-year-old will aim to get off to a fast start after slashing .318/.318/.545 across 44 plate appearances in the Cactus League.

Allen could be called up from Triple-A Columbus to make a start in next week's series versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles if Tanner Bibee (shoulder) needs to skip a start or eventually lands on the injured list, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Bibee was removed from his season-opening start Thursday against the Mariners due to shoulder inflammation, which at this point is deemed to be minor. The Guardians don't have any rest days between now and when Bibee is next scheduled to pitch (Tuesday), so Allen may be on standby at Columbus. Bibee reported feeling better Friday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, so the Guardians will wait and see how he fares coming out of that session before deciding if Allen will be needed to replace him in the rotation, if only temporarily.

Lambert signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The Astros released Lambert on Tuesday after informing him he hadn't made the Opening Day roster, but the 28-year-old right-hander will return to the organization after testing the free-agent market. He will begin the year as bullpen depth at Triple-A Sugar Land.