MLB Player News

The Padres placed Darvish (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Darvish was shut down from throwing in the middle of spring training due to right elbow inflammation, but he seems to be making some progress, as he was spotted playing catch Tuesday. Even so, Darvish will likely require a lengthy buildup and may not be ready to return from the IL during the first month of the season.

Holmes struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief during Thursday's loss to the Padres.

The 29-year-old right-hander won a spot in Atlanta's initial rotation, but with his first start not expected to come until Monday, Holmes was available to come out of the bullpen for the final frame of a 7-4 loss. The usage could be an early signal that he's more likely than AJ Smith-Shawver to shift to a relief role once Spencer Strider (elbow) is ready to make his 2025 debut, but the performance of Holmes and Smith-Shawver as starters over the next few weeks will ultimately be the biggest factor in that decision.

The Mets officially placed Blackburn (knee) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Blackburn opened the season on the shelf after experiencing right knee inflammation coming out of his final spring training appearance. He received an injection to alleviate the discomfort and is currently in the midst of a 7-to-10-day no-throw period. He's not expected to require much time to ramp up once the pain in his knee subsides, potentially putting Blackburn in line for a mid-to-late April return from the IL.

Gallen (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Cubs after giving up four runs on four hits and four walks over four innings. He struck out four.

Gallen finished spring training with a 2.89 ERA and 10:5 K:BB in 9.1 Cactus League innings, and his command was shaky again Thursday as he threw just 43 of 83 pitches for strikes. The right-hander will need to get on track quickly, as he's set for a matchup with the Yankees in his second start of the season next week.

Steele (1-1) earned the win Thursday in Arizona after allowing three runs on six hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out two.

The left-hander pounded the zone and threw 55 of 77 pitches for strikes, but he generated just four whiffs as Arizona tagged him for three extra-base hits. Steele was able to limit the damage well enough, but he's now surrendered three homers through his first two starts of the season after serving up two long balls in Tokyo against the Dodgers. A more favorable matchup with the Athletics is on the docket next week.

Snell (1-0) allowed two earned runs on five hits and four walks while striking out two across five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Tigers.

Snell managed to limit runs and complete five innings to earn the win, though it wasn't a sharp debut with the Dodgers. He found the zone with only 53 of his 92 pitches and allowed multiple baserunners in three of his five frames. Snell will likely continue to run a relatively elevated walk rate based on his track record, but he should be able to pile up strikeouts more consistently in upcoming starts.

Gray (1-0) allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six across five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Twins.

Gray was battling an illness late in spring training that had caused him to lose strength, though he didn't show any signs of weakness on Opening Day. He generated 11 called strikes and 12 swinging strikes across 77 total pitches, and the lone blemish on his box score came on a two-run homer by Harrison Bader in the fifth frame. Gray could lose some of the swing-and-miss stuff he showcased Thursday in his age-35 campaign, but he should remain a reliable starter for fantasy purposes.

Gore didn't factor into the decision Thursday after allowing one hit over six scoreless innings during a loss to the Phillies. He struck out 13 without walking a batter.

It was a brilliant showing by the southpaw, whose dominance notably came against a star-studded Phillies lineup. A Kyle Schwarber single in the second inning would end up spoiling what was an otherwise perfect outing from Gore, who starts his third full major-league season looking to take a big step forward. Per Chad Jennings of The Athletic, Hall of Famer Bob Gibson is the only other pitcher in MLB history to strike out at least 13 batters on Opening Day without giving up a run or issuing a walk.

Wheeler didn't factor into the decision after giving up one run on two hits and two walks in six innings during Thursday's game against the Nationals. He struck out eight.

Although Wheeler certainly pitched well enough to deserve a win Thursday, the Phillies struggled to break through offensively until the later stages, and he was outdueled by MacKenzie Gore and his 13 strikeouts. Keibert Ruiz took Wheeler deep in the fifth frame, which ended up being the lone blemish to Wheeler's stat line. The star right-hander has a favorable matchup on tap against the Rockies at home next week.

Alcantara didn't factor into the decision in Thursday's game against the Pirates. He allowed two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out seven across 4.2 innings.

Alcantara was in total control through the first four innings of Opening Day, including the third frame when he followed up a leadoff walk with three consecutive strikeouts. The right-hander started the fifth inning strong with two straight punchouts, but he allowed the next three hitters to reach before giving up a two-run single to Bryan Reynolds to end his day. Despite the underwhelming finish, it was an encouraging season debut as Alcantara made his first MLB appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery late in 2023. He understandably showed some signs of rust but still generated 16 swinging strikes on 91 pitches.