MLB Player News
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Trevor Story SS | BOS
Tarik Skubal SP | LAD
Red Sox's Trevor Story: Early season struggles continue
Story went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts during the Red Sox's 4-1 loss to the Tigers on Saturday.
Story served as the designated hitter for Saturday's bout, though that shift didn't pay off as he struck out in all three of his at-bats against Tarik Skubal. Story has gone 0-for-9 with six strikeouts over the first two games of the series and is slashing .188/.202/.306 with one steal, two home runs, 17 RBI and a 30.6 percent strikeout rate over 89 plate appearances this season.
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Brayan Bello RP | BOS
Red Sox's Brayan Bello: Struggles out of gate
Bello (1-2) took the loss against the Tigers on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four across four innings.
It was going to be tough for Bello to come away with the win Saturday as he faced Tarik Skubal on the mound, but the former did himself no favors in the first inning. Bello ran up his pitch count to 35 in the opening frame, somehow limiting the damage to just one run despite loading the bases. He settled in over the next two innings before giving up another three runs in the fourth, and Bello was unable to avoid the loss as his teammates generated just one run. He has given up three runs or more in three of his first four starts of the season and has a 6.75 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 18.2 innings. Bello will look to bounce back in his next start, which is tentatively slated for next week at home against the rival Yankees.
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Kevin McGonigle SS | DET
Kerry Carpenter RF | DET
Tigers' Kevin McGonigle: Two hits at Fenway Park
McGonigle went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and a run scored during the Tigers' 4-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday.
McGonigle came around to score in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Kerry Carpenter, and the former extended the Tigers' lead to 4-0 with an RBI single in the fourth. McGonigle inked an eight-year, $150 million contract extension with the Tigers on Wednesday and is making that move look more and more like a bargain as his rookie season progresses. He is slashing .312/.411/.481 with one steal, one home run, nine RBI and a 13:11 BB:K over 90 plate appearances.
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Kerry Carpenter RF | DET
Brayan Bello RP | BOS
Tigers' Kerry Carpenter: Collects two RBI vs. Boston
Carpenter went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional RBI during the Tigers' 4-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday.
Carpenter gave the Tigers their first run of the game after drawing a bases-loaded walk in the first frame before extending his team's lead to 2-0 with a solo homer off Brayan Bello in the fourth. It was Carpenter's fourth home run of the season and his second multi-hit effort. He has struggled at the plate to open the season, slashing .218/.318/.455 with 12 RBI and a strikeout rate (37.1 percent) that ranks in the third percentile.
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Kenley Jansen RP | DET
Willson Contreras 1B | BOS
Tigers' Kenley Jansen: Picks up save vs. former team
Jansen earned the save in the Tigers' 4-1 win over the Red Sox on Saturday, allowing one hit with no strikeouts or walks in a scoreless ninth inning.
Jansen gave up a single to Willson Contreras but needed just nine pitches to record the next three outs, earning the save against the team he suited up for in 2023 and 2024. Jansen has converted five of six save opportunities this season (including four straight) and has a 1.59 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over 5.2 innings.
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Tarik Skubal SP | LAD
Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Dazzles at Fenway Park
Skubal (3-2) earned the win against the Red Sox on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out 10 across six innings.
Skubal hit the ground running in Saturday's start, striking out the side in two of his first four innings while retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced. He dealt with some adversity in the fifth and sixth frames but yielded only one run on six total baserunners. He has four quality starts through five outings with a 2.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 30.1 innings, and his 33 strikeouts are tied with Gavin Williams for fourth most in the American League. Skubal is lined up to face the Brewers at home next week.
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Cole Sands RP | MIN
Taj Bradley SP | MIN
Twins' Cole Sands: Stuck with loss against Cincy
Sands (0-1) took the loss Saturday, giving up one run on two hits in the ninth inning as the Twins were downed 5-4 by the Reds. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.
None of Minnesota's high-leverage relievers were particularly effective while trying to protect the 4-2 lead they got handed by Taj Bradley, and Sands got left holding the bag after allowing a pair of singles that were sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt. Sands headed into the season as the nominal favorite to close for the Twins and did convert his only save chance so far back on March 28, but since then he's collected three holds in eight appearances while posting a 4.91 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 5:3 K:BB over 7.1 innings.
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Freddy Fermin C | SD
Padres' Freddy Fermin: Back in starting nine
Fermin (head) will start at catcher and bat eighth Saturday against the Angels.
Fermin missed the Padres' last two games after taking a foul tip off his mask Wednesday, but he's been given the go-ahead to return behind the plate Saturday. The 30-year-old backstop hasn't found much offensive success in the early going, slashing .161/.270/.226 through his first 15 games.
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Taj Bradley SP | MIN
Twins' Taj Bradley: Delivers quality start Saturday
Bradley came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Reds, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five.
The 25-year-old right-hander actually put together his worst performance of the season after giving up one run or fewer in his first four trips to the mound, but Bradley was still in line for his fourth straight win until the Twins' patchwork bullpen fell apart late. Bradley racked up 31 called or swinging strikes among his 99 pitches (62 total strikes) while producing his third quality start of 2026. He'll take a 1.63 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 34:10 K:BB through 27.2 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Tampa Bay.
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Tony Santillan RP | CIN
Emilio Pagan RP | CIN
Reds' Tony Santillan: Notches first save of season
Santillan struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 5-4 win over the Twins.
Emilio Pagan was able to pitch Friday night after sustaining a minor hamstring strain earlier in the week and picked up up his sixth save, but he was held out Saturday afternoon while Santillan handled the ninth. Santillan has gotten better results in the early part of the season -- he has yet to allow a run in 10 innings with a 0.90 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB, compared to Pagan's 4.35 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB in 10.1 frames -- but as yet, there's been no suggestion the Reds are thinking about making a switch at closer as long as their incumbent is healthy.