MLB Player News

Crochet didn't factor into the decision after giving up two runs on five hits and two walks in five innings Thursday against Texas. He struck out four.

Making his Red Sox debut after being acquired from the White Sox during the offseason, the hard-throwing lefty fired five solid innings against a righty-dominant Rangers lineup. Boston didn't grab the lead until the ninth inning, keeping Crochet out of the win column Thursday. Crochet tentatively has another tough matchup against the Orioles on the road next week, and he'll be looking to further build on his early success with his new team after allowing a lone run with a whopping 30 punchouts in 15.2 innings during spring training.

Lopez (0-1) gave up four runs (two earned) on eight hits and no walks over five innings Thursday in taking the loss against the Cardinals. He struck out three.

Lopez didn't help himself with a key balk and error that led to runs, but manager Rocco Baldelli after the game said he thought the right-hander improved as the game went on. Lopez wasn't sharp this spring with a 6.62 ERA in five starts, and those struggles carried over into his season debut.

Berrios (0-1) took the loss after giving up six runs on nine hits and two walks in five innings during Thursday's game against Baltimore. He struck out five.

The Orioles knocked around Berrios, who served up a solo homer to Adley Rutschman in the first inning, a three-run shot to Tyler O'Neill in the third frame and another solo shot to Cedric Mullins in the fourth. Berrios was sharp while logging a 2.18 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 18 strikeouts across 20.2 innings in the Grapefruit League, and the veteran right-hander will look to get back on track in what appears to be a softer matchup in his next scheduled start Tuesday at home against the Nationals.

Eflin (1-0) picked up the win after giving up two runs on two hits and two walks in six innings during Thursday's game against the Blue Jays. He struck out two.

Eflin mostly cruised Thursday while getting plenty of run support, with Andres Gimenez's two-run home run in fourth inning serving as the brunt of the damage against him. Although the veteran right-hander posted a 5.40 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with nine strikeouts over 11.2 innings during spring training, he looked much sharper in his season debut. Eflin threw just 78 pitches, so he'll aim to further build up his pitch count in his next scheduled start Wednesday at home against the Red Sox.

Kikuchi (0-1) took the loss in Thursday's Opening Day loss to the White Sox. He allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five across six innings.

Kikuchi got off to a nice start with two first-inning strikeouts, but he gave up a solo homer to Austin Slater to open the second frame before relinquishing a two-run double to Miguel Vargas in the same inning. Kikuchi didn't allow a base runner over his last four innings of work, but the Angels weren't able to supply the 33-year-old southpaw enough runs for him to avoid the Opening Day loss. Kikuchi will look to pick up his first win of the season in his next start, which is tentatively slated for the Angels' road series against the Cardinals next week.

Burke (1-0) earned the win against the Angels on Thursday after allowing three hits and no walks while striking out three across six scoreless innings.

Making the first Opening Day start of his career, Burke was a bit rocky early Thursday as he allowed four baserunners in the first two innings, but he kept the Halos off the board and followed up by retiring the final 13 batters he faced. It was a strong start to the 2025 campaign for the 25-year-old after he posted a 1.42 ERA across 19 frames in his first taste of the majors down the stretch last year. He's tentatively slated to pitch next week against the Twins at home.

Lively did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 7-4 win over Kansas City, allowing three runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out three.

Lively was announced as Cleveland's Opening Day starter Thursday morning after Tanner Bibee (illness) was a late scratch. The 33-year-old Lively filled in admirably, with all of Kansas City's offense coming on Vinnie Pasquantino's three-run homer in the third. Lively figures to hold down a spot at the backend of Cleveland's rotation after going 13-10 with a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 151 innings last year.

Ragans did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 10-inning loss to the Guardians. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings while striking out three.

Ragans had to contend with traffic for most of his outing, as the Guardians had men on base in all but two innings. The left-hander was ultimately forced out of the game after Carlos Santana led off the sixth with a base hit. Expectations are understandably high for Ragans this year after he pitched to a 3.14 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and 223 strikeouts in 32 starts last season. He currently lines up to face the Brewers on the road in his next outing.

Valdez (1-0) picked up the win Thursday against the Mets, striking out four and giving up four hits and two walks across seven scoreless frames.

Valdez got off to a rocky start by allowing one hit and one walk in the first frame, but he managed to escape unscathed and didn't face much resistance over the following six innings. The Astros' shutout was broken in the ninth inning when Josh Hader gave up a sacrifice fly to Francisco Lindor, but the southpaw reliever managed to punch out Juan Soto for the save to give Valdez the Opening Day victory. It's a strong start to the 2025 season for Valdez after posting career bests in 2024 in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.11) across 176.1 regular-season frames. He's tentatively slated to face off against the Giants at home next week.

Rodon (1-0) earned the win Thursday versus Milwaukee, striking out seven and giving up one run on four hits and two walks over 5.1 innings.

The left-hander generated 13 swinging strikes and six groundball outs on 89 pitches, with the only damage against him coming via a solo homer by Vinny Capra during the third inning. Rodon had some command issues during spring training with six walks and two wild pitches in 10 frames, but he was more in control during his season debut. A matchup with the Diamondbacks likely awaits next week for his second start of 2025.