MLB Player News

Walker (1-1) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and four walks while striking out just two batters during Monday's 4-1 loss to San Francisco.

Walker has now walked five batters through 11 innings and sports an underwhelming 1.55 WHIP over his first two outings. He has huge potential and has turned in a number of promising starts already in his career; however, game-to-game inconsistency has plagued Walker, and his transfer to hitter-friendly Chase Field adds another cause for concern. Still, the 24-year-old hurler boasts plenty of long-term potential. Looking at the immediate future, you should likely wait for Walker to string together a few solid outings before trusting him against strong opponents.

Martinez (0-1) gave up six runs (five earned) on six hits and one walk over five-plus innings in Sunday's 8-0 loss to the Reds. He struck out three.

Martinez labored through 89 pitches and bore no semblance to the pitcher that was highly effective at times during spring and on Opening Day. The righty had particular trouble with Adam Duvall, who tagged him for a solo home run in the second and an RBI single in the sixth. Martinez was saddled with an extra run after exiting when Brett Cecil surrendered an double to Scott Schebler that plated a run with the help of an error by right fielder Randal Grichuk. The Cardinals' ace will look to right the ship in a Friday night road start at Yankee Stadium later this week.

Syndergaard (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits while walking none and striking out nine in seven innings in Sunday's 5-2 victory over the Marlins.

This is a great sign after Syndergaard was forced to leave his season debut early because of a blister on his finger. He now owns a 3-0 record with 1.67 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 27 innings against Miami in his career. The talented righty sports a 0.69 ERA after his first two starts and remains one of the elite starting pitchers in the game. He quelled any concerns about his blister with this outing.

Cueto (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits while walking three and striking out seven in seven innings in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Padres.

The chief blemish on his line was a two-run home run to Wil Myers in the sixth inning. Otherwise, he pitched to expectations in this one against a weak-hitting San Diego lineup. Cueto is a fantasy ace that has gone 200-plus innings in four of the last five seasons, and he consistently induces weak contact. He should have another fine season in San Fran as the second starter behind Madison Bumgarner.

Corbin (1-1) allowed four hits while walking two and striking out three in his six-inning shutout win over the Indians on Sunday.

It's an encouraging sign after Corbin labored through his first start of the season. The 27-year-old southpaw struggled through an awful 2016 season after returning from Tommy John surgery, so fantasy owners should expect more ups and downs as he works out the kinks. Despite the lack of strikeouts so far (four in two starts), Corbin's ability to keep the Tribe off the scoreboard is a good sign moving forward.

Anderson (1-1) allowed five runs on five hits while walking four and striking out three in the 10-6 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.

That's now back-to-back starts that Anderson has allowed five earned runs. This one was worse, though, since he only fanned three batters as opposed to his eight-strikeout performance in his season debut. To be fair, this was a tough matchup at Coors Field against a strong lineup, although Los Angeles typically struggles against lefties. It's hard to trust Anderson right now.

Maeda (1-1) allowed four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five in five innings to defeat the Rockies on Sunday.

It was another shaky performance for Maeda, who lost to the lowly Padres in his first start of the year. However, most fantasy owners were probably wary of this one at Coors Field. The good news is that he's struck out nine in his first 10 innings, and if his control remains solid, he'll reward fantasy owners sooner than later.

Davies (0-2) allowed five earned runs and seven hits in five innings of work against the Cubs on Sunday.

The brunt of the damage inflicted on Davies came in the first inning when the Cubs scored four runs. After giving up another run an inning later, he seemed to settle down, allowing him to finish his start with three scoreless innings. Now two starts into the season, Davies is still looking to find his fastball command that is paramount to his effectiveness as a pitcher.

Cole (0-1) went six innings in a no-decision Sunday against the Braves, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Cole allowed a pair of runs in the first inning on a home run, which was followed by a couple more base hits, but he settled down an cruised into the sixth before allowing a solo shot to Freddie Freeman. He threw strikes at a 68 percent clip and did well to scatter baserunners for the most part, but a lack of early offense by the Pirates lineup cost him any shot he had to pick up a win. There is still room for improvement, but this outing was markedly better than Cole's season debut, and he will look to carry it over to Friday's start against the Cubs.

Teheran (0-0) allowed two runs (none earned) on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts across seven innings Sunday against the Pirates. He did not factor into the decision.

Teheran was terrific for the second straight start, needing just 87 pitches, 63 of which went for strikes, to move through seven frames. The Pirates did plate a couple of runs in the fourth, but they were not charged to his ledger due to an error by Freddie Freeman that prolonged the inning. Despite another quality start, Teheran was unable to come away with the victory again due to a bullpen meltdown that saw them lose the game. He has done his part with an ERA of zero through 13 innings and will look to nab that elusive first win next Sunday against the Padres.