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Connor Wong C | BOS
Red Sox's Connor Wong: Draws first start
Wong started at catcher and went 2-for-3 with a double in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Reds.
Wong made his first start of the season, as Carlos Narvaez was given a breather. The former also made an appearance in Saturday's game and didn't have a good at-bat while striking out in the 10th inning. That was a stark reminder of the struggles he endured in 2025, when Wong batted .190 with a .500 OPS and lost the starting gig to Narvaez. As such, Sunday's two-hit effort was an encouraging sign for the backup catcher, who slashed .121/.216/.152 in spring training.
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Cooper Criswell RP | SEA
Mariners' Cooper Criswell: Grabs three-inning save
Criswell earned the save in Sunday's 8-0 win over the Guardians, allowing two hits while striking out five over three scoreless innings.
Criswell was sharp Sunday, limiting the Guardians to a pair of singles to close out Seattle's shutout victory, earning his second career save. The 29-year-old Criswell made the team as a long-relief option after posting a 2.51 ERA across 14.1 innings in spring training. While he may have a defined role in the Mariners' bullpen, don't expect Criswell to be a frequent source of saves. The right-hander has a career ERA of 4.42 with a 1.42 WHIP across 158.2 major-league innings.
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Slade Cecconi SP | CLE
Guardians' Slade Cecconi: Velocity down Sunday
Cecconi said Sunday that he woke up feeling under the weather, which resulted in diminished velocity, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Sunday's results were discouraging after Cecconi's preseason work suggested a pitcher about to take the next level. "I gave everything I had. Just all my velocities were down," Cecconi said. "Still, I think I executed pretty well. I think they got a few runs on some executed pitches and a few that weren't." His four-seamer averaged 92.3 mph, down two ticks from 94.3 it registered in 2025. In addition to reduced velocity, the right-hander also walked three and hit two batters. Cecconi will look to rebound this coming weekend against the Cubs.
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C.J. Kayfus LF | CLE
Guardians' CJ Kayfus: Has issues in left field
Kayfus started in left field and went 0-for-2 in Sunday's 8-0 loss to the Mariners. He was also hit by a pitch.
Kayfus made his second career big-league start in left field and it showed on a couple of balls that led to Seattle rallies. Both were hit by lefties that have strong pull tendencies, and Kayfus had to range far from the gap in left-center to make the plays but couldn't. "He was in the right position," manager Stephen Vogt said of Kayfus to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. "They had a couple of balls that found the line. It's a relatively new position for CJ. A couple of unfortunate plays that went their way. They made us pay for them." It was the first instance of Vogt's decision to have four-time Gold Glove winning left fielder Steven Kwan play center field. The position switch was designed to inject more offensive punch into the lineup at the outfield corners. One unfortunate night may not impact Vogt's decision, but continued issues in left field could result in a reduction of playing time for Kayfus.
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Ezequiel Duran SS | TEX
Rangers' Ezequiel Duran: Contributes to win
Duran started at second base and went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Phillies.
Duran entered the starting nine for the first time this season, replacing Josh Smith at second base against Philadelphia lefty Jesus Luzardo. There's been no indication Duran and Smith are in a strict platoon -- Smith started Opening Day against a lefty -- and Sunday's start could merely be manager Skip Schumaker keeping his bench players involved.
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Sam Haggerty LF | TEX
Rangers' Sam Haggerty: Steps in against lefty
Haggerty started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a run scored in Sunday's 8-3 win over Philadelphia.
Haggerty, who replaced Evan Carter against a lefty, singled and scored in the third inning. The former occupies the short end of a platoon, as Carter has struggled against southpaws. The switch-hitting Haggerty, who is better against lefties than righties, was eventually removed when a right-handed reliever entered the contest. In a minor role for the Rangers in 2025, Haggerty stole 12 bases in 64 games, the third time in the previous four seasons he's reached double-digit steals in a part-time role.
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Brandon Nimmo RF | TEX
Rangers' Brandon Nimmo: Logs first HR as Ranger
Nimmo went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Phillies.
Nimmo gave Texas a lead it would never relinquish with a two-run home run in the third inning, his first in a Rangers' uniform. He was one of three new employees that contributed to the win along with Andrew McCutchen (HR, three RBI) and winning pitcher MacKenzie Gore (two runs, seven Ks, 5.1 innings). The early returns are positive for Nimmo, who also contributed to Saturday's win and went 4-for-12 out of the leadoff spot in winning two of three on the road against Philadelphia.
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Brendan Donovan 3B | SEA
Mariners' Brendan Donovan: Hot start with new team
Donovan went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 8-0 win over the Guardians.
The 29-year-old utility man is off to a fast start in his new digs, recording two homers, four RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base across his first 14 at-bats with the Mariners. Donovan has hit leadoff in three games as opposed to sixth in the lineup in one contest, and his fantasy value should benefit if he continues to bat first going forward, which he should do against right-handed pitchers.
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Slade Cecconi SP | CLE
Guardians' Slade Cecconi: Struggles in season debut
Cecconi (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Mariners, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out five.
The right-hander managed to make it through three scoreless innings to begin his outing, but the Mariners throttled him for six runs across the fourth and fifth frames. Three of the hits he allowed went for extra bases, though Cecconi was at least able to stretch out to 93 pitches in his first start of the campaign. Cecconi has a difficult assignment slated for next weekend versus the Cubs, which might limit his streaming appeal.
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Emerson Hancock SP | SEA
Mariners' Emerson Hancock: Flirts with perfection in win
Hancock (1-0) earned the win Sunday against the Guardians, allowing no runs on no hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out nine.
Hancock is taking Bryce Miller's (oblique) place in Seattle's starting rotation for the time being, and the former filled in admirably during his first turn through the rotation. Hancock set a career high in strikeouts Sunday, completely silencing the Cleveland bats in the hit column. The right-hander should be able to remain a starter for the Mariners for at least the next few weeks, and he figures to be a popular fantasy pickup ahead of his next scheduled start against the division-rival Angels.