MLB Player News

Kittredge allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk while striking out one over 3.1 innings Saturday against the Red Sox.

Kittredge isn't a true starting pitcher, but Saturday marked his first start at the major-league level. With the Rays opting for a three-man rotation at the moment, they will have "bullpen games" where a number of relievers are asked to pitch multiple innings and Saturday was Kittredge's day to start the effort. He doesn't carry much fantasy value.

Kimbrel walked one in a scoreless inning to earn the save Saturday against the Rays.

Kimbrel was called into action for the second straight game and was once again successful in converting the save opportunity. He didn't strike out the side on this occasion, but he is showing why he was frequently the second closer off the board in fantasy drafts as he should see an abundance of save opportunities this season and has proven to be a strong closer throughout his career.

Moore took the loss Saturday against the Astros, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out six over four innings.

Moore was roughed up by the Astros, something that can be said of a lot of pitchers. Despite the poor line, there are some positives to take from his performance, most notably the strikeout total. He relied heavily on called strikes, so his strikeout rate may not be sustainable going forward, but he showed enough in this start to at least warrant streaming consideration moving forward. There's no need to rush to pick him up in most leagues, however, as he hasn't maintained consistent success since the 2016 season .

Mengden allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out five over 5.2 innings against the Angels on Saturday.

Mengden didn't start the season on a positive note as he was pushed around by the Angels for five extra-base hits. He's had mixed success across 21 career starts and was solid in seven starts in 2017, but he isn't likely to generate a lot of strikeouts and will get pushed around by stronger lineups. At best, he is a streaming option when he has a positive matchup or a two-start week.

Moll cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

Moll was designated for assignment Thursday after failing to earn an Opening Day roster spot with the Blue Jays. The 26-year-old allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits over 6.2 innings during a brief stint on Oakland's 25-man roster last season.

Gallegos is dealing with a groin injury and is expected to open the season on the minor-league disabled list, Marc Carig of The Athletic New York reports.

It's unclear when Gallegos picked up the injury or how long it will keep him sidelined at this point. Once healthy, he's expected to shuttle between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the majors as bullpen depth.

The Tigers' game against the Pirates on Saturday was postponed due to weather and will be made up during a doubleheader Sunday, pushing Fulmer's regular-season debut back a day, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Fulmer will likely take the hill for Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader with Francisco Liriano expected to be on the mound for the second contest. During the 2017 season, Fulmer posted a 3.83 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with a 114:40 K:BB over 164.2 innings.

Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning in Friday's 1-0 win over the Rays.

Barnes was the one reliever that was unscathed in Opening Day's bullpen meltdown -- he pitched a scoreless seventh before Joe Kelly and Carson Smith imploded in the eighth -- so he was given the opportunity Friday as the bridge to closer Craig Kimbrel. Barnes will continue to pitch in a setup role all season.

Pomeranz (forearm) threw a bullpen session Friday and could return to the Red Sox by mid-April, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The bullpen session followed a 60-pitch minor-league game Wednesday. Pomeranz was working on his mechanics in the bullpen, a sign that he's feeling better and working toward a return. He's expected to throw one more minor-league game in Fort Myers and then another at a minor-league affiliate. The left-hander could return in time for a game as early as April 12.

Manaea (0-1) took the loss despite a sterling outing Friday, giving up one run, striking out seven and allowing just four hits over 7.2 innings in a 2-1 defeat to the Angels.

Manaea was the hard-luck loser due to a first-inning home run served up to Mike Trout and an equally brilliant showing from his counterpart Tyler Skaggs. You shouldn't read too much into one start and Manaea is coming off a 2017 season in which he logged a 4.37 ERA, so there are reasons for pause when assessing his potential for a breakout season. That said, he had a solid spring and he certainly had the look of a top-end starter Friday. He'll just need to prove it over a larger sample size to become an impact fantasy starter.